4 Home Improvements Worth Your Time (And Money)

Home improvement projects range in size and scope from minuscule updates to major remodeling jobs. It can be hard to decide what needs to...
a house with a large canopy

Home improvement projects range in size and scope from minuscule updates to major remodeling jobs. It can be hard to decide what needs to be changed and when, but there are a number of great upgrade ideas that you can install in your home now for a fantastically reenergized home that feels brand new without the hassle of lengthy contractor jobs or a major financial burden.

1. Add outdoor space for relaxation.

img

One great home improvement project that homeowners are springing for is the addition of outdoor space. Time spent in nature is proven to be restorative, even with only 20 minutes of exposure. Reducing stress levels without any additional effort might sound too good to be true, but it’s no joke! Building a patio with built-in furniture or a few comfortable wooden chairs to sit out on at the end of a long, difficult day might be just the thing you need to decompress. The addition of green space in your life can create lasting health benefits as well as the interim peace of mind that comes along with relaxation. Taking a walk in the park or simply sitting in your favorite chair and watching the world go by can reduce your heart rate and blood pressure over time and ward off mental instability like depression and psychiatric disorders.

2. Return appliances to perfect working order.

Appliance repair is an often overlooked home improvement project. Instead of buying a new washer or microwave when you run into a snag, finding appliance repair companies to get the device working again is a cheaper and faster solution. Appliances, such as stoves or ice makers, hit bumps just like any other device you use on a regular basis, so fixing them should be common sense, but too often homeowners feel that they need to replace these expensive necessities upon the first signs of wear. Many even come with warranties, meaning the repair might be free. The repair will get your home fixtures working with perfect precision once more with just a little care, improving the home in an instant.

3. Install a home entertainment system.

A smart home system that does it all, like Control4 home automation, is a great way to boost the value you get from your home —both in terms of quality of life and its overall monetary value. Creating a streamlined system that can lock your doors, turn on or off the heating on command and draw the blinds, or start the oven and kitchen vent fan is not only a fantastically cool addition to your home, but it can also really make your life easier. Smart home devices range across brands and functionality so much so that with a central automation device you can automate nearly every moving part in the household, meaning less work for you as you get up to go to work or leave the house for a long weekend. Automation can give you back those precious minutes waiting for the coffee to brew, the water to heat up, and even the car to start in the garage in order to combat the effects of a blistery winter outside.

4. Add a thinking space for your work.

img

Another great addition is in a home office or other similar workspace in the home. COVID-19 has forced millions of us to take our offices home, largely to the kitchen table amid the chaos of spouses and children also derailed from their daily routines. Whether you need a quiet space to work, read, or create (for artists), the addition of a new room to your home is a great way to solve this problem of too many bodies and voices in the home, stifling productivity. You could also transform this space into a guest room if you find you no longer need the workspace in the future.

Finding small jobs to dramatically improve the space of your home will increase your happiness and productivity nearly overnight.

Lana Carson is executive editor of Urban Tulsa. Her writing has been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books and The Huffington Post.
SHARE THIS