Home renovations offer the perfect opportunity to upgrade the functionality of your home, in addition to modernizing the design and feel of your space.
Here are five clever features you should consider including in your next renovation to elevate your home’s functionality.
1. Smart Systems
Today’s homes are smart. They incorporate technology to make our lives safer, easier, more energy efficient, and more enjoyable.
If you’re renovating, you’d be wise to include a smart system that can handle these tasks for you:
- Lighting: Lights on a motion sensor can save on energy usage, and lights on automatic timers give the impression that the home is occupied even while you’re away on vacation.
- Heating and air: Smart thermostats allow you to automate the temperature in your home and even control it from your phone. You can give the HVAC system a rest while you’re at work during the day, then turn it on remotely so the house is the perfect temperature when you arrive home.
- Multimedia: With voice activation, you can turn on your sound system, video call family, or start your favorite TV show by just stating orders out loud. Your house is at your command.
- Home monitoring: Security cameras, noise detectors, and motion sensors can all be installed to help protect your home. Smart monitoring systems can send you a text alert if a potential problem is detected.
Smart systems have you covered!
2. Walk-In Showers
Not only do walk-in showers look sleek, but they are also a smart safety feature.
Many at-home falls happen while climbing out of slippery tub/showers. Walk-in showers dramatically reduce this risk by eliminating the need to climb over a wall every time you get in and out of the shower.
3. In-Wall Pest Control
If you’ll be opening up your walls, make a little extra investment in in-wall pest control.
In-wall pest control uses a network of small cables running through the walls to distribute pest control chemicals throughout the structure. Just spray the chemicals into the network entrance points regularly to maintain a pest-free home.
4. Pull-Out Cabinets
Pull-out cabinets are a genius solution for homes with limited counter space. These cabinets tuck neatly under your existing counters, looking like standard cabinets. But when you need a bigger work surface, you can roll these cabinets out and use the finished tops to extend your counter space.
And these are ideal for more than just kitchens. You could also use pull-out cabinets in your home office, garage, and hobby room!
5. Clever Storage Spots
Traditional builds often leave some space wasted. Which is a shame because we all need more storage. Take a few notes from creative tiny-house builders who know how to maximize storage space:
- Install pull-out drawers for shoe storage under the staircase where the space is too short to store much else.
- Create a raised platform in the playroom so you can store lots of the toys in the space between the existing floor and the new platform floor.
- Add baseboard drawers under kitchen cabinets to store thin items like baking trays, muffin tins, and cooling racks.
Don’t just settle for a more pleasing aesthetic with your next home renovation. Use these tips to improve the function of your home at the same time!
This post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. This post was written by Michelle Clardie. Michelle is a professional real estate blogger, specializing in ghostwriting Realtor® blogs. Her engaging content helps real estate agents become more visible online, generate more qualified leads, and increase their revenues. You can learn more at www.michelleclardie.com.
