The coronavirus pandemic kept families trapped at home for most of 2020. While the situation is slowly improving, the time spent indoors was a revelation to many parents, in particular. There’s nothing like spending significant time in your house to realize how many ways it needs improvement.
If you’re itching to make some changes to your home this year, you’re not alone. Here are seven different family-friendly ways that you can invest in your home to make it even better this year.
1. Upgrade Your WiFi
Before you start tearing out sinks or adding walls, there’s one simple area that you should consider: internet access. If the shelter-in-place and quarantine orders of the last year showed us anything, it’s that internet is crucial on the homefront.
With that in mind, consider investing in a better WiFi system this year. There are many affordable, quality choices out there. For instance, you can opt to go with a basic router. If you have a larger home, you can purchase a mesh system to extend your signal, too.
If you’ve struggled with inconsistent signal strength in the past, you can also look for a more holistic smart home solution. Some cutting-edge systems can actually track your behavior and ensure that you’re getting a steady, dependable signal at all times.
2. Paint the Walls
You saw this one coming, right? Seriously, though, there are fewer home investments that can deliver as well as a fresh coat of paint. It’s one of the easiest DIY ways to improve your living space.
With that said, this isn’t a call to slap some white on the walls and call it a day. Consider how you can use paint to invest in your dwelling. A fresh coat of paint can provide multiple benefits. Light paint can help a space feel bigger. Bright colors can also provide a spark of life in a drab room.
If you choose your colors with purpose, you can also send a subtle message with your paint. For instance, you can use reds to introduce a sense of energy and passion. Yellow provides warmth and positivity. Blue calms the senses and brings a sense of serenity to a room.
Don’t just opt to paint your space because it’s an affordable project. Thoughtfully do so because it’s a genuine way to improve your living space.
3. Replace Light Bulbs
Swapping out your incandescent light bulbs for LED alternatives is a great way to invest in your home. It doesn’t just make your living space more eco-friendly. It can also be a great way to save money — which every parent can appreciate.
The specific savings that come with using LED light bulbs tend to vary from one source to the next. However, eartheasy suggests that a single LED light bulb lasts more than twenty times longer than its incandescent cousins. On top of that, it requires a fraction of the cost to operate.
Put in cold hard numbers, the earth-conscious website claims that this means an LED bulb will cost just over $25 to run for 25,000 hours. In comparison, keeping an incandescent bulb flickering for that long would cost over $170.
Now, multiply those savings by as many light bulbs as your house requires and, well, you get the idea. If you’re looking for a cost-effective home investment, this one should be high on your list.
4. Improve Your Flooring
There’s nothing like a year cooped up at your home with your kids to remind you of the condition of your floors. Every creaky plank and slippery stairway can get onto your radar.
If you’re itching to make some home improvements, new flooring is often a great choice. Installing a trendy vinyl planking or adding a runner to some slippery stairs can add a breath of fresh air to your home. In addition, a new floor will often improve the value of your house, too.
5. Swap Out Water Fixtures
Water fixtures are another area that can impact both your home and your wallet. If your showerhead and faucets are older, they probably deliver an excessive amount of water. This can be wasteful and can put an unnecessary strain on your plumbing.
By replacing water fixtures with low-flow alternatives, you can cut down on your water consumption. As an added bonus, the new fixtures will upgrade your bathroom and kitchen. Both of these are areas where upgrades often increase your home’s value, as well.
6. Upgrade Appliances
Many home improvement ideas focus on the house itself. However, your appliances are also an important item to keep in mind. Older appliances can be inefficient and expensive to run.
If you want to invest in a better home for your family, consider replacing various appliances with efficient new models. Appliances to consider include:
- Your dishwasher: Getting a new dishwasher can help you do more dishes faster, all while using a fraction of the water.
- Your fridge: If you have an old fridge, consider getting a bigger model that uses less electricity to run.
- Your washer and dryer: Front-loading washers use very little water and modern dryers can operate with much less electricity.
By upgrading appliances, you can keep your home humming along in an efficient and affordable manner this upcoming year.
7. A Garden
2020 was defined by time spent indoors. While the world seems set to slowly ease back to normal in 2021, reverting back may take some time.
If you’re itching for a home improvement project to keep you busy while you wait, consider making a garden. This is a project that can easily keep parents and kids alike busy for hours. In addition, if you focus on aesthetic gardens around your house, you can improve your home’s curb appeal.
There are many ways that parents can invest in their homes. With so many people working and schooling from home, this can be a great way to keep your living space up to date and exciting. Fresh paint and new floors can introduce an exciting new vibe. New appliances, water fixtures, and light bulbs can help your home remain cost-effective and productive. Quality WiFi can keep everyone plugged in with the outside world. And, of course, a garden provides a source of aesthetically pleasing exercise and pleasure — not to mention a chance to get outside.
So take a look at the list of suggestions and pick something out. Then enlist your kids and make some plans to upgrade your family’s living space for the year ahead.
Comments are closed.