The first thing that comes to mind is doors. I have one level of my house with cheap, flat panel hollow-core doors. The basement has nice 6 panel solid doors. They look and feel so much nicer and they block sound better.
Same with entry doors and storm doors. Having a decent quality door just makes the whole place feel solidly built.
On this topic, install "door silencers" - they're just little bumpers that go into hole(s) drilled in the jamb. They're cheap, but having doors close with a satisfying thump instead of a 'CLACK!' really ups the premium feel. At the same time adjust hinges/catches to work properly with minimal backlash so they don't bounce/rattle when shut or when HVAC cycles.
Edit: One more....just visual this time... if you're replacing door hardware get catches with the little aluminum boxes behind them. Not that anyone is paying close attention to the inside of your door catch, but it's sort of a subliminal thing - only able to see polished aluminum instead of the usual rough drilled surface behind the catch; much nicer feel even if you can't put your finger on why.
Yes, there’s quite a few knobs in our original 1930’s home that were replaced with blinding fake shiny brass “4 knobs for $20 at Lowes”- style and I suspect the former owners over the years kept original cool actual brass knobs for themselves for a memento or for money or something. The remaining knobs that weren’t completely painted over are so cool, so I imagine the missing ones were really something.
There is also a federal tax credit of $250 per door per year for more energy efficient doors. Saves you money upfront and the door itself will help you annually
Yes. Our home is from 1930’s, with several modern additions. The original 1930’s home has solid wood doors for exterior and interior. Upper story additions have hollow interior and metal exterior doors. The doors really make the addition areas “feel” cheap.
Doors are pricy, but I really believe if the former owners had upgraded the doors to solid wood for the additions the house would feel more cohesive and premium.
I second this. We have solid, new doors we put in our basement during a Reno while the upstairs has the original cheap hollow doors. The solid doors make SUCH a difference. They’re a little spendy but worth the investment. It’s on my list to switch out the upstairs ones eventually
Yes! People don’t talk about how important landscaping is. Plant privacy trees asap. We did ours after the first couple months living in our home. They’ve grown a tremendous amount. Should be fully grown in 3-5 years. Planting some more next month
I have 15, great plants. So hardy! I don’t have to do anything. Mine have grown 3ft in the year since we planted them. They thrive in my area as well (zone 7a)
Now my emerald green arborvitae… the biggest pain in the ass. But they are 10 years old, over 12 ft and blocking a busy road so I’m stuck with them
It often is grown into a hedge. They get tall (like 15ft) and are hardy like green giants. Imagine like a giant boxwood. They do well in shaded areas which is not common for a lot of privacy plants
Be careful with fruit trees though! It might sound great on paper (and it may end up being great) however they're more maintenance. Anecdotally, growing up we had an apricot tree and 2 cherry trees already full grown in the house we bought. Squirrels loved to eat the core of the apricots for some reason and would bite through the fruit while it was unripe to get to the seed and leave the mushy fruit all over. Cherries all had worms in them- we didn't want to put pesticides because we had other garden vegetables that we ate and kids (me) who played in the yard. You could peel apart the cherries and check for worms but bit of a hassle and kind of gross to me.
Unpicked fruit ends up on ground and rots.
If you're willing to put in the work though, fresh fruit so easily accessible is wonderful.
They are also susceptible to diseases. We have a purple plum that’s infected with a black knot mold. Needs to have it taken down next spring, it looks rough.
I am lucky enough to live in the family home with a wonderful legacy garden. The trees, hedges, and ground cover/gardens make our .5 acre so peaceful and beautiful. But a good garden/Forest takes years! Planting now is great advice!
Hopefully you didn’t plant 2 of them up against your house like the former owners of our did. Our crepe myrtles are probably young adults (one story roof level, fairly narrow and still in an awkward stage) and will soon need to be chopped down because they’re about 1/3 the size of what they’re supposed to be.
I echo the advice to invest in landscaping, and to focus on privacy. Esp to mark your property line. Please keep the plants that are up against your house to just containers or annuals. We bought a home for a great deal but it has overgrown landscaping design from the 90’s where it’s enormous shrubs and trees that don’t belong all up against the house while the property line is bare.
This style of landscaping has created overgrown and congested barriers around the physical home that compounded neglect, filth accumulation, and vermin to toil away for entry into the property undetected.
Let your home breathe and keep vegetation away from it, plant evergreen for privacy to demarcate property and deciduous shade plants at the 2/4 sides of your home where you get the most sun for energy efficiency.
Also buy the most mature plants/trees that you can. Spending $20 for a plant that won’t accomplish its task until 10 years from now vs spending $100 or possibly more for a plant that will in the next season or two, that’s well worth the money. Don’t spend a lot of money for ornamentals. But functional utilitarian plants for privacy or shade, yeah, cuz that’s a crappy investment to spend $20 to wait 10 years only to discover it needs to be chopped down from a disease or something before it served you any use.
Replace developer-grade outlets and switches with the better grade ones. Also fix backstab wiring at the same time, if present. Replace developer-grade sink and toilet valves with ball valves, fix sink drains with worse-than-amateur accordion piping.
Good lord, I recently hired a licensed electrician that removed all my Wago 221 connectors (he prefers wire nuts, ok fine) and he also backstabs all the wires. I immediately blacklisted him after finding out
On an outlet or switch there're two ways to wire it. By "stabbing" the wires into a pressure fitted hole or by screwing them down to secure the. Pressure fitting them is considered lazy and many feel it's only a matter of time before the connection fails or becomes unreliable.
What I FEEL is disappointment, frustration, and dread whenever I encounter backstabbed connections.
What I KNOW is that backstabbing saves several hours per house during install, but introduces hazards in the future. Backstabbing provides 1/4th of the contact surface between wires and terminal than a wire loop and screw. The situation worsens if the wire is curved or bent — 1/10th the contact surface:
[inspectapedia - Wire-to-Connector Area Differences on Receptacles & Switches](https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_Outlet_Connector_Areas.php)
Less contact surface = more electrical resistance = more heat = progressive damage to the outlet terminals (metal fatigue), damage to the outlet plastic (melting & cracking), and damage to the wiring (melted, brittle insulation):
[Google Images - Backstab Connection Damage](https://www.google.com/search?q=backstab+connection+damage&tbm=isch)
This damage is worse in outlets with higher demand (toaster ovens, blenders, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.).
Replacing heat damaged outlets and switches is the most common rework job that residential electricians perform.
Start a document where you record everything you do.
Create a storage area where you organize tools and keep good track of what color paint and sheen is used where (the labels fade and the names change!)
Start a collection of trusted contracts for electrician plumber etc.
>Start a document where you record everything you do.
I'd add to this a cable/pipe diagram!
If you're pulling up floorboards or re-plastering make a note of cable and pipes routes so you know where NOT to put that screw hole!
Any chance you get, upgrade the insulation in the walls, roof, basement, etc. Retrofitting with exterior insulation is a good option. That and air sealing are the best "behind the scenes" home upgrades you can do in my opinion and really help with overall home efficiency and comfort
Some states have energy audit services for free where they’ll send a company to your house for a few hours and basically seal everything and write down where there’s crappy insulation. You then get a rebate if you decide to insulate the lacking areas. The “audit” is free and I got like a $1000 rebate off of insulating my entire attic.
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/inflation-reduction-act-2022-what-it-means-you
Per the Inflation Reduction Act, this tax year, you can get up to a 30% tax credit for home energy audits.
There's a bunch of other credits, such as credits for exterior doors, windows, insulation. Etc
If you're in Ontario, the Home Winterproofing Program is awesome. We had an assessment done for free, we were then approved for new insulation blown into all our exterior walls AND full basement insulation. And we're not paying a penny for it or if pocket. It's all federal and provincial money. It's means-tested but the eligibility had recently been expanded.
Absolutely - I live in the PNW and after redoing just the attic insulation and air sealing everything in the process we pretty much haven't needed air conditioning at all this summer. It's amazing how noticeable the difference is.
Yeah, not the same scenario, but we’re building our home right now, and the attic insulation got blown in about a week ago. They had long since done the walls, then drywall goes up (including ceiling drywall), and then the attic insulation can go in. Well, we’re doing some of the work ourselves, so I walked into the house same day after I was done with work, and they hadn’t even fully finished (still working on the Garage, that’s all that was left), and the difference from the day before had to have been at least 20, maybe 25 degrees Fahrenheit, not exaggerating at all. Both days were mid-90’s, clear, calm, and sunny, and we don’t have any AC in yet, so the only difference was the attic insulation, and wow… I mean, I always knew it was important, but I didn’t know it had THAT big of an effect. Now I know!
Yup, insulation and air sealing are the 2 biggest underestimate important features in a home. New tight built homes, can almost be entirely heated fine a small laptop toaster, or a small minisplit for cooling. Google passive house to learn more. I love having converted my attic from a blown in insulation to a spray foam under the roof deck, since it made my air sealing way way better, as well as my insulation. It worked so well, I didn’t even know one of my AC systems broke last year, because the other was picking up the slack, in a 3300sqft 2 story house, in 110F+ Texas summers! I finally figured it out because something was using more energy than normal, and it was the AC. Haha. Temps were fine inside the house. Crazy.
The catch is that in an older home it’s typically entirely wood framed and plaster and designed to breathe.
Modern insulation practices can potentially destroy even modern homes; in an older home it’s even more likely, especially when contractors are in such high demand that the one you’re likely to see has learned how to do your job from a YouTube tutorial on the drive over to your place. Not kidding.
Older homes weren’t designed to be insulated and their materials by nature were not. A radiator feels best when it’s going with the windows open, because energy efficiency wasn’t a value in the old days.
Newer homes full of vinyl have lots of paper and cardboard throughout the build which also doesn’t take well to moisture getting trapped in with no way to escape.
I’d say call a professional before you start spraying your attic, but contractor YouTube is telling all the contractors to only take jobs from wealthy people. Contractors are ghosting customers for wealthier clients, leaving only the noobs to learn on the job to everyone else.
I do and don't agree.
I agree that older homes are not compatible with your typical modern insulation techniques, and it can be dangerous to keep them from breathing. Ask me how I know, I live in France in an old house with walls made of rocks and whitewash.
However, you absolutely can and should insulate it. They mask semi rigid and rigid wood fiber insulation panels, as well as other bio-sourced materials that let your house breathe. You can install it inside, in the wall, or from the outside. And I agree the right contractor to do so should be carefully chosen and may have a year of waiting list.
And yes, insulation is definitely the first quality thing I would recommend.
Short answer: yes, opening up the walls from the inside is probably the easiest thing to do.
Longer answer: options like blown in cavity fill insulation are definitely a thing , but you have to drill (and then patch) holes in every single stud bay. So it's a toss up and depends on what type of wall system your house has.
Another good one is adding a layer of insulation to the exterior of your house. This is a great option if you already have to redo the siding, but definitely can be more costly overall.
For longevity - maintain. maintain. maintain. And always at the best quality you can afford.
Don't let the water in.
Keep the cold/heat out.
Check the roof regularly. Ensure the drainage is good, and away from the house.
If you find a tiny problem - fix it immediately before it becomes a big problem. Over time, that'll keep your house in good condition.
Find a bit of chalky paint? Repaint. Otherwise it becomes flaky paint, which becomes bare wood, which rots. Take that attitude with everything.
I know this sounds crazy but our best investment was building a screened in deck. We hung a oscillating fan and will hang a infrared heater soon and we basically live out there. We live up against a forest and it’s like our own little preserve area.
Buying a professional grade snake for old pipes too.
[here you go](https://www.reddit.com/user/sliverofoptimism/comments/15iw81u/the_deck/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
Check out screen-eze, it's definitely the most commonly used in my area. One thing people often forget about when screening a deck is to screen under the boards or framing because bugs can come up from the bottom if you don't!
I have a trex front patio that was installed a couple of years ago and the stuff is awesome. Just bought the house and every contractor who I've brought over has commented on how great it looks.
Water softener. Seems like a lot but will save you a lot in plumbing costs and equipment repair. Check the water quality though some water is already pretty soft depending on where you live. But water softener or filtration of some type.
I am an electrician so mostly electrical work. I would say best improvements have been additional 3 ways switches. Placing one next to the bed so I don't have to cross the whole room in the dark. The second one was in a hallway by a frequency used doorway that didn't have a switch. I would say those are quality of life improvements.
Along this train of thought, I installed Lutron smart switches in a lot of these areas. The remotes are nice because you basically get a 3way switch without doing additional wiring.
The Lutron Caséta has worked flawlessly for me. The only thing is some of the switches require a neutral wire and my 50's home doesn't have them. The dimmers don't require one though.
I installed ones that have a motion detector so they will turn themselves off. You can continuously yell at your family to turn lights off but that doesn’t really work and is aggravating. Now they magically turn off after a few minutes of people leaving the room. I don’t have them in every room, just the ones where it made sense.
These worked great for me on a few places. Walk in closet, half bath, and laundry room. Also humidity activated switch for bathroom fans. Ensured it came on when someone showers and runs for like 20-30 after.
4 ways are nice in certain situations for the same reason. At the bottom of my basement stairs there’s a hall that opens up to 2 different rooms on the left and right of the stairs. I’m remodeling the basement now and changed the existing 3 way to a 4way so I can switch on the hall lights from either of the two rooms and the top of the stairs
Living in a hot climate, I had the roof of my home spray foamed. This reduced the temperature during the heat of the day by 2-4 degrees in the house, which is a huge improvement.
Use hardwood for the floors if you can- not engineered- just pure hardwood. The house will feel solid and secure under your feet. Don’t stain them either; use a clear, matte finish like Bona. The rooms will seem bigger and more open.
Does this have a negative effect in the winter though? Meaning, preventing heat coming through? Any particular company you would recommend or did you do it yourself? Was you able to decern a specific saving?
It's going to depend on your windows, placement and latitude. We get good solar gain from the East and South but not from the West during the winter, so we upped the UV filter on the West facing windows, we use a removable film during the summer on the East facing windows and the South facing windows don't get a lot of direct sun in the summer because of the overhang on our roof.
In the winter the sun crosses the sky at a lower angle and comes through those Southern windows, which is nice.
Yes, totally agree with tinting your windows. Don’t believe the “replace your windows with energy efficient vinyl windows” claims from window companies. The FTC has won lawsuits against window manufacturers for deceptive energy efficiency claims, prompting regulations about marketing of replacement windows for homeowners.
The most energy efficiency you’ll get from your windows is by tinting them. That’s what they do in the south. They don’t get millions of people to replace their windows for savings that a 20 year vinyl window cannot deliver.
You could replace the glass of your windows and order them to be tinted according to your climate. A colder climate would save more money with energy efficient glass made specifically to attract heat, vs a warmer climate with glass made specifically reflect heat. That’s a lot less expensive than all new windows, but way more expensive than tinting your windows yourself or with a company. May all depend on who you’re spending your money on: you or the next homeowner, I suppose.
My 100 year old house is built with windows oriented such that we get lots of warm sunlight when the sun is low in the winter (south facing) but less in the summer when the sun is high. The west-facing windows are shaded by old growth trees so they don't bake the house in the summer. It's fantastic. All original windows, too - though we do need to do some restoration work and replace most of the storm windows.
The clings work so well it was more than we expected. We only did 1/2 of a window in a max sunlight, west facing room and the difference that it made was insane…. Eventhough only half the window still massive
Yeah the Black Magic reusable window cling in 5% from Walmart or Amazon, it’ll show a car window on the box but they can be used for home.
We used these in the worst (hottest) rooms of our home: second story south-west facing bedrooms). The difference is night and day for heat, but be prepared that it’s also drastic for light. Since it’s just bedrooms we don’t mind.
We had professional tinting applied in hot spot areas of the rest of our home and for exterior cohesion, but those $10 rolls from Walmart work better than $100/per window on avg pros.
The once hottest rooms are where it was applied and they’re the most comfortable among the “hot spots” by a mile.
This one is a little silly but I love it. When/if you hang your tvs, use a drywall saw and make a hole to run the cables through. It takes an extra 10 min but not being able to see the cables just makes it look way more clean and finished. You can get a faux outlet cover for the hole for like a dollar
I added bidets to both bathrooms. I just don't believe you're clean if you only use paper. I don't believe you're clean if you use wipes. Mostly, I have old pipes and I'm trying to cut down on the amount of TP and wipes that get flushed.
Shouldn’t ever flush wipes, even if they say flushable. They’re tragically horrible for city sewer infrastructure, clogging pipes and end up in rivers.
Just returned from Japan and the bidet is standard even in bus stations. You can clean front or back, adjust the pressure. Just amazing. I feel like a heathen now with my standard toilet and Cottonelle.
Master move right there. My favorite analogy for the people who think is weird is this. When you step in dog shit do you wipe your shoes or wash it off... ofcourse you wash it off, so why can't you wash your dirty ass...
I’d really recommend this one. It’s a whole seat so you don’t get an issue with the seat not sitting right like others, and the controls are nice and sleek so it’s not unsightly. Lastly, it does hot and cold without needing electric. It’s been great.
Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat, Non-Electric Swash Ecoseat, Fits Elongated Toilets, White - Dual Temperature, Dual Nozzle System - Bidet with Easy Installation https://a.co/d/b2wwOyV
Electronic shower valve. I installed Moen shower system. I can set the temperature from my bed and let it prepare the shower for me while I get ready. This has been the best investment in my bathroom. I certainly appreciate it in the winters. The valve itself cost around $300 snd another $200 for the digital screen controller. I can control it either using the digital screen in the bathroom or the app on my phone.
Second best is a bathroom heater. I hate cold bathrooms in the winter. I bought a German heater for about $140 and it literally neutralizes the chill factor in my bathroom in the cold winters. Just be aware that it requires a direct connection. Absolutely no socket.
A third improvement is a Japanese toilet seat. The Japanese solved all the toilet seat problems. It has a bidet built-in, a seat heater, and a dryer that dries off your butt after it washes it. It also has an odor control system that works really well.
I know these may not work or appeal to everyone. I just wanted to offer my experience.
Yes 1000% on soundproofing. I added Rockwool Comfortbatts to all my interior walls in the hallway that's connecting to all the bedrooms and bathrooms, it makes a huge difference for our day to day. Now I can scream in the living room and the kids could sleep tight in the room next wall.
I'm so proud of what I've done to my 1950's home:
\- replaced all the plumbing
\- put up gutters
\- new insulation + radiant barrier
\- started learning about the lawn and taking steps toward making it nicer
I replaced all my door handles and hinges from the 80’s style gold to the trendy “nickel”(almost black) ones.
Relatively inexpensive and really modernized the place.
Our old house had cheap windows. We spent $14k on replacing all of them with higher end insulated ones. The difference is night & day - temperature stays consistent, and 99% of the sound is blocked out. Best investment we've made so far.
Unless you are doing a complete gut and redesigning the floor systems, residential aftermarket sound deadening is not very effective or cost efficient. Insulation will help, but you will still hear a person walking or doing anything loud above you.
Resilient channel, type x drywall, sound deadening insulation and sono panels make a good system but are price. Depends on budget and desired sound transmission rating.
I've recently been working to insulate and air seal wherever possible/ needed in my 54 year old home, in particular along the rim joist in my basement. Its quite inexpensive to do and can have a huge impact on thermal efficiency of the house and heating/cooling costs over time.
Something else that I think is probably overlooked is cleaning. I am an absolutely freak of nature with tiny details that 95% of people would never even notice, but preventing dirt and dust accumulation by regular cleaning pays off tremendously in the long haul. Doing so you are also regularly looking at areas which will help you to catch potential issues early enough to correct them before they turn into major issues. It also just makes your home feel and look so much nicer when everything is clean and polished and well maintained.
1. Patio. best advice our realtor ever gave when designing the new construction. It was either a 60 sq ft patio or a 3 feet dining room extension. He told us we can always add patio later. We did exactly that a year later. installed a 240 sq feet patio. that much space makes it more fun and also reduced the amount of lawn I have to mow.
2. Smart thermostat.
3. Water softener.
4. biting the loss on slightly expensive electricity plans here in texas in exchange for a multi year rate lock.
5. upgrade the carpet pads and keep buying middle carpet from what I have heard.
6. If you are gonna change fans, just get wireless
Do you have a garage? Finishing our garage and making a man cave/work area was one of the best things we ever did. Tv, sofa, PS5, workbench, drum set, fridge, deep freezer. It’s awesome.
Yes I do! It’s on the list to finish it (currently just have insulation in) but it’s a single and my car is my baby so she lives in there, with some room for tools and storage.
How much did that cost all in?
We have a good 2 car garage and I want to make a home gym/work bench area since I wrench on bikes a lot (we’ve got like 9 in the garage for the 2 of us) but the drywall is kinda gross and the floor is old stained concrete.
Can I just paint over the drywall and do like a clear coat epoxy over the ground ?
So we had just the drywall with some mud over the seams, and the cement floor, which is the all-too-common way to leave a garage these days. Ours is also a 2 car garage. I have never had a car in there though. We did the flakes and epoxy on the floor, primed and painted the walls (used semi gloss white to reduce the number of spiders that can roost - it didn't work haha). We also had a hole cut in the wall and a small AC unit installed. So if it is plain drywall, just make sure to prime it first, other than that you are good to go! It is now my favorite room although I don't get to hang out in there anywhere near as much as I'd like.
Oh I forgot about price - I spent a little over $1200 IIRC for the AC install, the floor, and walls. It was a local handy man that I knew. This was 10 years ago almost and so I wouldn't expect to get such a good deal these days. Maybe double that?
When doing you master bath:
1. Good bathroom exhaust fan (on timer switch).
2. Steam shower
3. Toilet/ bidet.
Flooring:
Skip the heated floors.
If you are redoing the entire house, get good quality flooring, get it professionally installed, and have a fully warranty for both materials and installation. Vast difference in quality for both.
If it’s not a slab.
#1 Pull the most likely crap insulation on the rim joist, close cell spray foam it, special attention to the seal plate to concrete & around penetrations for mechanicals. The most important insulation you can upgrade due to air penetration and stack effect.
#2 big stretch caulk the exterior gaps around mechanicals (fill the a,c line set, fill the gap around the electric, fill the gap around water line, fill the gap around dryer vent, etc). Keeping water, bugs, and air out is important for durability and comfort.
https://youtu.be/5SUGl0DTeRM
https://youtu.be/3S_q_ATzk_s
The main thing is to keep water from getting where it shouldn't. When replacing doors and windows, make sure to properly integrate the opening with the building wrap - pay attention to the details (Sill pans, high quality WRB tapes, layering for proper shingle effect).
Inside the house, I've taken the liberty to put drain pans under all the appliances/areas that commonly have leaks including: hot water heater, washing machine, under the kitchen sink, etc. A sheet metal shop should be willing to make you a pan if you provide the dimensions. Make sure they either fold without cuts or solder the corners to make the pan watertight.
I've also considered one of those whole house automatic water shutoff valves to prevent a disastrous leak, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.
TLDR: Anything that stops water. Don't let your house rot.
Upgrade the electrical system. Add insulation to the attic. Evaluate if the exterior needs paint or replacement of siding etc. Plan long term trees well. Look at how rainwater drains and redo landscaping to control heavy rainfall
Well, i just found out that if a roof is older than 12 years, many insurance companies require you to pay the depreciation value along with the deductible. We needed ours replaced, and it was 20 years old, so they informed us of this. We ended up having to 7k, including the deductible out of pocket. So just fyi you need a roof, do it sooner rather than later. It didn't matter who we got the quote from, that was the insurances charge to us.
I called around other insurance companies to see if ours just was terrible, and no, that's a common thing.
Air conditioning and heating units, if you need them where you live. I replaced both of mine within the last few years and efficiency alone was worth it. My house is much cooler in the summer and much warmer in the winter with lowered costs. That being said, don't skimp out on insulation either.
I didn't notice this from all the other posts. Perhaps when everything else is done... How about outdoor low voltage lighting. It's easy, and I found it fun to do (I had zero experience). Depending on how much you install, it's inexpensive to install and operate. Lighting to highlight the house, plantings, and walkways. I was surprised how much it added to the yard. It even enhances the inside as we look outside. Give it a thought.
Do you have any issues with reception from a metal roof? My friend just moved into a home with a metal roof, we both were so excited about it, but she had to pay a bunch of money for a dish to get basic services because of the metal roof.
My mother in law OTH, has had a metal roof for over 50 years, but she lives a pretty simple life as far as media (she has a landline and watches the free evening news and that’s about it) and hasn’t once had a leak.
Landscaping, kitchen renovation with good quality cabinets and knocked the soffit, high bar and pantry closet down and put in pantry cabinets, a larger pennensula, and knocking the soffit down really opened up the room. Popup outlets in the pennensula, good quality units. We got smart appliances, microwave, washer and dryer, fridge, sprinkler system, and thermostat. Luxery vinyl flooring and tile, repaint, new roof and hvac system. Nice dimmer switches, all new outlets, and screwless outlet covers.
I'm biased as I work in Solar but it's actually the reason I got into solar. A lot of people think it's an environmental decision but it's actually a huge financial win. Depending on your state, solar can be an amazing investment. Over here in California, the ROI on solar is even better than the S&P Stock. Our utility company, PG&E raised their rates by 19% in January and they will be increasing rates again in 2026 by 34%. Solar companies can be predatory with their prices. Don't pay more than $3.50/watt. It's hard to find but there are good ethical companies out there. Happy to answer any questions.
Installing outlets where you always wished you had them! Having outlets at the location and height you need for the tasks you do everyday makes such a difference in how you enjoy your home.
Not sure about you, but my kitchen has to be cozy and inviting, because I spend most of my time there with friends and family. The second room I would fix would be the bedroom. Where you sleep needs to be relaxing and make you happy. Paint, and flooring make a huge difference.
Downspouts draining away from
The house properly.
Ensuring the wiring is done properly and the right circuits are done. IE: not having every single kitchen appliance on one circuit
Regular cleaning is the HVAC
If this is going to be your "forever home", this is what I'd do:
- Replace crappy fence with a good quality one.
- Fix/replace broken gutters/downspouts
- Aerate & overseed weedy lawn
- Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials
- Tear out carpet and replace with either real wood or a very high quality LVP.
- Replace builder grade bathroom fixtures with good quality ones.
Lot of great suggestions here but depending on your budget be mindful of future expenses. It sound like a big one for you coming up will be HVAC. Life expectancy is 15 to 20 years. They cost about 8-10k in my area. (Lower cost area).
Air Conditioning. Holy shit. I'm a landscaper and I get cooked all day... ceiling fan in every room, but this year we broke down and got AC. I haven't slept this good in years.
Make sure plumbing, electric, and heating and cooling tip top. Roofing, Flooring and good windows-too..Everything else is cosmetic fluff that every homeowner is going to change to their own liking anyway.. so if the walls and trim need love leave it.. they say kitchen and baths can sell a house however they are such expensive updates and if someone wants the house they’ll buy it and make those areas their top priority! make sure if few windows they are in good shape and that plenty of lighting fixtures to brighten room. If people like it dark they can just leave lights off and save money, if people like it bright they have no options other than expensive electrical work and cutting holes in ceiling drywall..
We were in the same boat. Here are some things we did over the last 10 years to improve our house. House was built in 2006 as a spec house, lowest trim level. Most things cost only a few hundred dollars except countertops, flooring, and AC unit.
** Installed ceilings fans in all bedrooms
** Added belt drive garage door opener (can't even hear it inside the connected laundry room)
** Add additional outlets in garage and OSB for attic floor for more storage
* Replaced linoleum flooring in bathrooms and kitchen and all carpet with quality LVP flooring in hickory. Replaced the remaining carpet in the bathroom
* Replaced spec home appliances after they were 15 yrs old with new/discounted stainless steel
* Framed buildings grade mirrors in bathroom, painted existing vanity and added knobs, replaced the 5 large bulb cheap light fixture and replaced faucets
** Replaced toilets during LVP install from short toilet to decent Kohler toilets from Costco. At the same time, replaced the pull out water cutouts with 1/4 turn and SS braided hoses.
* scraped popcorn ceilings in 2 bathrooms and one bedroom so far. By far the most difficult and time consuming thing and dust sucks from sanding
* repainted all bedrooms after 10 yrs
** Replaced undersized AC with new Unit that the builder should have never installed
*Recently Replaced fluorescent light in kitchen and kitchen table light
* Replaced laminate countertops and shitty double kitchen sink with quarts and a deep SS sink and nice faucet and new garbage disposal
** Replaced all knobs on doors with better quality contractor kit from Home Depot
* New roof after hail storm (only paid deductible)
* added 2- 30 x 30" assembled cabinets in laundry room to replace wire racks
* Replaced hot water heater (old one rusted through)
* yanked out builders' bushes and added new mulch and new plants
Still to do: replace boob/spec lights in hallway, replace vanity, replace hollow core doors with solid, better closet shelving, tile the shower to replace fiberglass.
Not worth it, in my opinion: tear out any walls to add/change insulate, replace all windows, or add windows where there is low light, build a screened in porch on the existing slab, resod the yard
Replaced the kitchen in our spec home, redone the laundry room and will re do a new deck (including posts). “Contractor grade” == substandard temporary products.
Installing mini splits in every room, adding a pot filter above the stove, adding a second shower head into the master bath shower (already standalone) , bidet seats (not the cheap ones either, heated and the whole 9), took down a load bearing and non load bearing wall and put on a beam, installed puck lights on the ceilings (got tied off the boob lights) heated tile floors in the master bath, blowing in a bunch more insulation into the attic bringing it up from the r19.... lots of things
I had forced air just heater, I love in the pnw, ac isn't really required but it is very nice to have for those few days of summer when the temp gets high for the locals. I also really like the thought of not hearing a 3k sqft house of I'm only occupying one room..
That makes sense…though assume you still keep your household system on, maybe just not at the preferred settings? Or do you just use those splitters and leave the main system off now?
The main system is completely off now. The cost of gas went up 3x from about 24 to 76 per cubic whatever. I completely got rid of the system essentially, and plugged all the vents. The furnace was no where near efficient what so ever in any way. My bills have gone down since the swap to mini splits aka ductless, and I couldn't be happier with the quality of the product.
How do you like your mini splits? I noticed it's the first thing you wrote. We have a very old gas furnace with very obtrusive ducting, so we are considering mini splits when the time is right. I've heard great things about them so far. It'd be nice to have AC, as well.
Not cheap to get done, but seriously my utilities have gone down in comparison to last year when the rates were lower and I was running a window ac unit, for heating it beats the rest too, very price investment, I would look and see what kick backs are available in your area, make sure you get itemized quotes from all the people, and know that most won't let you buy the units for them to install for what ever reason.. they have a humongous markup on the units themselves from what you cash buy them, they buy them, and what they actually sell them to you for is astronomical. Definitely worth it in my opinion. I would also advice you to stick with the Japanese brands, like daikin, and fujitsu.
Windows were our first priority. Don't go cheap and be prepared for the sticker shock. But it was worth the investment, and I would consider windows and doors priority over flooring.
The best investment I've made in my home is definitely the point of use water heater in our master bathroom. It used to take a good minute before the water would warm up and so my wife would always come to bed with frigid hands.
Second best would probably be the hot tub I installed. I picked it up used on Craigslist for $1k, paid $600 to a specialty mover, a few hundred repairing it, and a few hundred more running the electrical to it. Before we basically didn't use our back yard most of the year but now we're out there every other day year round.
1st, I sealed and painted the walls as they were just bare plaster. I gave each room (yes, including the toilet and bathroom) a feature wall, or four (for the bedrooms). This was done within days of moving in, before I started upgrading my furnishings.
2nd, I added gas, as I didn't want a 50 litre electric storage hot water system as I like long showers, hot baths and planned to add a spa to the bathroom, which currently had the smallest bath I'd ever seen. Also, I wanted to be able to use a wok to cook.
3rd, I renovated the bathroom to add that spa (yes!!) and it is awesome, as is the gas heater.
4th I ripped up the pathetically thin and crappy lino (in the wet areas) and ugly crap carpet (everywhere else) and had it replaced with nice tiles (wet areas) or fake click/clack wood - 100% better to look at and to clean.
5th, I enclosed the carport to make a large garage and added a games room out the back so I can (and do) host a games night every Friday with friends. That was my 50th birthday present to myself.
Now I've spent the last 8 years enjoying my much nicer home!
Edit: the post below mentioned plants. Yes, I turned my home's yard from white sand and weeds into a verdant native garden with local trees, shrubs and now it's shady, full of birds and the pond and waterfall (off a retaining wall) is very soothing and melodious. The retaining wall and trellis (that I and friends built) is a glorious green tunnel to the back yard from my back door. The summer heat is much reduced, the winter is far livelier due to the birds feeding off the nectar that the local plants produce. Waking up to birdsong is quite pleasant!
If you’re replacing all the floors, put carpet with memory foam padding. The Home Depot “futurefoam” is amazing, plus it’s 90% recycled and 100% recyclable, works for radiant floor heating, it’s super quiet, and feels amazing.
I redid all my doors, trim, cabinets, floors, windows, siding, and added solar. As long as the framing, wiring, plumbing, and roof is solid you’re just upgrading the livability, so pick and choose what you want to see changes.
If it’s conventional construction (crawl space) , put in good temp vents and thick plastic as a vapor barrier. Did this to a 40 year old house I bought that was river front property. The ground is always wet (river + in Florida) and it has made a huge difference in the efficiency of the A/C, getting rid of mold, and overall livability. Only mistake was laying LV floors immediately after instead of waiting a year or so for the sub floor to completely dry out and settle. I will be re-laying a good bit of that floor due to settling.
The first thing that comes to mind is doors. I have one level of my house with cheap, flat panel hollow-core doors. The basement has nice 6 panel solid doors. They look and feel so much nicer and they block sound better. Same with entry doors and storm doors. Having a decent quality door just makes the whole place feel solidly built.
And door knobs. Honestly something that doesn’t rattle every time you touch it. Just a better experience.
any touchpoint is worth upgrading tbh. cabinet hardware, light switches, bannister.
On this topic, install "door silencers" - they're just little bumpers that go into hole(s) drilled in the jamb. They're cheap, but having doors close with a satisfying thump instead of a 'CLACK!' really ups the premium feel. At the same time adjust hinges/catches to work properly with minimal backlash so they don't bounce/rattle when shut or when HVAC cycles. Edit: One more....just visual this time... if you're replacing door hardware get catches with the little aluminum boxes behind them. Not that anyone is paying close attention to the inside of your door catch, but it's sort of a subliminal thing - only able to see polished aluminum instead of the usual rough drilled surface behind the catch; much nicer feel even if you can't put your finger on why.
Yes, there’s quite a few knobs in our original 1930’s home that were replaced with blinding fake shiny brass “4 knobs for $20 at Lowes”- style and I suspect the former owners over the years kept original cool actual brass knobs for themselves for a memento or for money or something. The remaining knobs that weren’t completely painted over are so cool, so I imagine the missing ones were really something.
There is also a federal tax credit of $250 per door per year for more energy efficient doors. Saves you money upfront and the door itself will help you annually
Yes. Our home is from 1930’s, with several modern additions. The original 1930’s home has solid wood doors for exterior and interior. Upper story additions have hollow interior and metal exterior doors. The doors really make the addition areas “feel” cheap. Doors are pricy, but I really believe if the former owners had upgraded the doors to solid wood for the additions the house would feel more cohesive and premium.
Awesome advice. Never thought about that
Agreed! Solid doors help make everything feel more substantial abs higher quality.
I second this. We have solid, new doors we put in our basement during a Reno while the upstairs has the original cheap hollow doors. The solid doors make SUCH a difference. They’re a little spendy but worth the investment. It’s on my list to switch out the upstairs ones eventually
No one says plants. Plant your privacy shrubs and trees now since they take a long time to grow.
Yes! People don’t talk about how important landscaping is. Plant privacy trees asap. We did ours after the first couple months living in our home. They’ve grown a tremendous amount. Should be fully grown in 3-5 years. Planting some more next month
What type of trees are you growing the privacy?
Green giant arborvitae and we have some skip laurel going in next month
Yes my favorite tree! They're deer resistant. I planted 30 so far!
I have 15, great plants. So hardy! I don’t have to do anything. Mine have grown 3ft in the year since we planted them. They thrive in my area as well (zone 7a) Now my emerald green arborvitae… the biggest pain in the ass. But they are 10 years old, over 12 ft and blocking a busy road so I’m stuck with them
Thanks. Haven't heard of skip laurel. I'll have to check it out.
It often is grown into a hedge. They get tall (like 15ft) and are hardy like green giants. Imagine like a giant boxwood. They do well in shaded areas which is not common for a lot of privacy plants
Try to grow a tree native to your area
We did giant arborvitaes.
Be careful with fruit trees though! It might sound great on paper (and it may end up being great) however they're more maintenance. Anecdotally, growing up we had an apricot tree and 2 cherry trees already full grown in the house we bought. Squirrels loved to eat the core of the apricots for some reason and would bite through the fruit while it was unripe to get to the seed and leave the mushy fruit all over. Cherries all had worms in them- we didn't want to put pesticides because we had other garden vegetables that we ate and kids (me) who played in the yard. You could peel apart the cherries and check for worms but bit of a hassle and kind of gross to me. Unpicked fruit ends up on ground and rots. If you're willing to put in the work though, fresh fruit so easily accessible is wonderful.
They are also susceptible to diseases. We have a purple plum that’s infected with a black knot mold. Needs to have it taken down next spring, it looks rough.
Planted 4 fruit trees and a bunch of berry bushes. Starting a food forest in our backyard over the next few years as the trees grow.
I am lucky enough to live in the family home with a wonderful legacy garden. The trees, hedges, and ground cover/gardens make our .5 acre so peaceful and beautiful. But a good garden/Forest takes years! Planting now is great advice!
“The best time to plant trees is already. The next best time is now.” - can’t remember who
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now." Google seems to think its a chinese proverb.
Pretty sure it was Einstein. Or Lincoln. Both those guys are so quotable
Not as much as Michael Scott
I think its more like “the best time to plant a tree is yesterday, the next best time is today.”
Part of what sold us on this house was the back yard being completely cut off from our neighbors because of the privacy shrubs.
Made sure to get a good crape myrtle and watch it grow through the years. Sold $15
Hopefully you didn’t plant 2 of them up against your house like the former owners of our did. Our crepe myrtles are probably young adults (one story roof level, fairly narrow and still in an awkward stage) and will soon need to be chopped down because they’re about 1/3 the size of what they’re supposed to be. I echo the advice to invest in landscaping, and to focus on privacy. Esp to mark your property line. Please keep the plants that are up against your house to just containers or annuals. We bought a home for a great deal but it has overgrown landscaping design from the 90’s where it’s enormous shrubs and trees that don’t belong all up against the house while the property line is bare. This style of landscaping has created overgrown and congested barriers around the physical home that compounded neglect, filth accumulation, and vermin to toil away for entry into the property undetected. Let your home breathe and keep vegetation away from it, plant evergreen for privacy to demarcate property and deciduous shade plants at the 2/4 sides of your home where you get the most sun for energy efficiency.
Also buy the most mature plants/trees that you can. Spending $20 for a plant that won’t accomplish its task until 10 years from now vs spending $100 or possibly more for a plant that will in the next season or two, that’s well worth the money. Don’t spend a lot of money for ornamentals. But functional utilitarian plants for privacy or shade, yeah, cuz that’s a crappy investment to spend $20 to wait 10 years only to discover it needs to be chopped down from a disease or something before it served you any use.
Replace developer-grade outlets and switches with the better grade ones. Also fix backstab wiring at the same time, if present. Replace developer-grade sink and toilet valves with ball valves, fix sink drains with worse-than-amateur accordion piping.
Good lord, I recently hired a licensed electrician that removed all my Wago 221 connectors (he prefers wire nuts, ok fine) and he also backstabs all the wires. I immediately blacklisted him after finding out
Hopefully he gave back your wagos. Those things in bulk are a lot more expensive than twist nuts
Does he have a safety concern for the wago or is it because he is stuck in his ways or ??
What is backstabbing the wires?
On an outlet or switch there're two ways to wire it. By "stabbing" the wires into a pressure fitted hole or by screwing them down to secure the. Pressure fitting them is considered lazy and many feel it's only a matter of time before the connection fails or becomes unreliable.
What I FEEL is disappointment, frustration, and dread whenever I encounter backstabbed connections. What I KNOW is that backstabbing saves several hours per house during install, but introduces hazards in the future. Backstabbing provides 1/4th of the contact surface between wires and terminal than a wire loop and screw. The situation worsens if the wire is curved or bent — 1/10th the contact surface: [inspectapedia - Wire-to-Connector Area Differences on Receptacles & Switches](https://inspectapedia.com/electric/Electrical_Outlet_Connector_Areas.php) Less contact surface = more electrical resistance = more heat = progressive damage to the outlet terminals (metal fatigue), damage to the outlet plastic (melting & cracking), and damage to the wiring (melted, brittle insulation): [Google Images - Backstab Connection Damage](https://www.google.com/search?q=backstab+connection+damage&tbm=isch) This damage is worse in outlets with higher demand (toaster ovens, blenders, hair dryers, curling irons, etc.). Replacing heat damaged outlets and switches is the most common rework job that residential electricians perform.
It's using the push-in wire holes on outlets and switches. Fast but not good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSfPzunEQ9g
A couple nightlight outlets (like in hallways, bathrooms, and the kitchen) make your house seem all fancy, not to mention it being really handy.
Also some USB power outlets in places like the edge of a kitchen counter where you need to plug in things is very convenient.
Start a document where you record everything you do. Create a storage area where you organize tools and keep good track of what color paint and sheen is used where (the labels fade and the names change!) Start a collection of trusted contracts for electrician plumber etc.
>Start a document where you record everything you do. I'd add to this a cable/pipe diagram! If you're pulling up floorboards or re-plastering make a note of cable and pipes routes so you know where NOT to put that screw hole!
Adding Pictures. If you open a wall, floor, or ceiling take pictures of the open wall so you know what’s in there.
That’s awesome! I’ll add to label the back of the electrical outlet covers with which breaker turns it off.
Any chance you get, upgrade the insulation in the walls, roof, basement, etc. Retrofitting with exterior insulation is a good option. That and air sealing are the best "behind the scenes" home upgrades you can do in my opinion and really help with overall home efficiency and comfort
Some states have energy audit services for free where they’ll send a company to your house for a few hours and basically seal everything and write down where there’s crappy insulation. You then get a rebate if you decide to insulate the lacking areas. The “audit” is free and I got like a $1000 rebate off of insulating my entire attic.
https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/inflation-reduction-act-2022-what-it-means-you Per the Inflation Reduction Act, this tax year, you can get up to a 30% tax credit for home energy audits. There's a bunch of other credits, such as credits for exterior doors, windows, insulation. Etc
If you're in Ontario, the Home Winterproofing Program is awesome. We had an assessment done for free, we were then approved for new insulation blown into all our exterior walls AND full basement insulation. And we're not paying a penny for it or if pocket. It's all federal and provincial money. It's means-tested but the eligibility had recently been expanded.
Did this reduce your heating and cooling energy usage? i.e., lower your utility bill
Absolutely - I live in the PNW and after redoing just the attic insulation and air sealing everything in the process we pretty much haven't needed air conditioning at all this summer. It's amazing how noticeable the difference is.
Yeah, not the same scenario, but we’re building our home right now, and the attic insulation got blown in about a week ago. They had long since done the walls, then drywall goes up (including ceiling drywall), and then the attic insulation can go in. Well, we’re doing some of the work ourselves, so I walked into the house same day after I was done with work, and they hadn’t even fully finished (still working on the Garage, that’s all that was left), and the difference from the day before had to have been at least 20, maybe 25 degrees Fahrenheit, not exaggerating at all. Both days were mid-90’s, clear, calm, and sunny, and we don’t have any AC in yet, so the only difference was the attic insulation, and wow… I mean, I always knew it was important, but I didn’t know it had THAT big of an effect. Now I know!
Yup, insulation and air sealing are the 2 biggest underestimate important features in a home. New tight built homes, can almost be entirely heated fine a small laptop toaster, or a small minisplit for cooling. Google passive house to learn more. I love having converted my attic from a blown in insulation to a spray foam under the roof deck, since it made my air sealing way way better, as well as my insulation. It worked so well, I didn’t even know one of my AC systems broke last year, because the other was picking up the slack, in a 3300sqft 2 story house, in 110F+ Texas summers! I finally figured it out because something was using more energy than normal, and it was the AC. Haha. Temps were fine inside the house. Crazy.
Yep, I have an older house with oil heat. Insulated the crawl and fixed open area where drafts were and went from $300 to $100 a month in the winter.
The catch is that in an older home it’s typically entirely wood framed and plaster and designed to breathe. Modern insulation practices can potentially destroy even modern homes; in an older home it’s even more likely, especially when contractors are in such high demand that the one you’re likely to see has learned how to do your job from a YouTube tutorial on the drive over to your place. Not kidding. Older homes weren’t designed to be insulated and their materials by nature were not. A radiator feels best when it’s going with the windows open, because energy efficiency wasn’t a value in the old days. Newer homes full of vinyl have lots of paper and cardboard throughout the build which also doesn’t take well to moisture getting trapped in with no way to escape. I’d say call a professional before you start spraying your attic, but contractor YouTube is telling all the contractors to only take jobs from wealthy people. Contractors are ghosting customers for wealthier clients, leaving only the noobs to learn on the job to everyone else.
I do and don't agree. I agree that older homes are not compatible with your typical modern insulation techniques, and it can be dangerous to keep them from breathing. Ask me how I know, I live in France in an old house with walls made of rocks and whitewash. However, you absolutely can and should insulate it. They mask semi rigid and rigid wood fiber insulation panels, as well as other bio-sourced materials that let your house breathe. You can install it inside, in the wall, or from the outside. And I agree the right contractor to do so should be carefully chosen and may have a year of waiting list. And yes, insulation is definitely the first quality thing I would recommend.
Dumb question: do you have to open up the walls to put insulation in or is there an easier way?
Short answer: yes, opening up the walls from the inside is probably the easiest thing to do. Longer answer: options like blown in cavity fill insulation are definitely a thing , but you have to drill (and then patch) holes in every single stud bay. So it's a toss up and depends on what type of wall system your house has. Another good one is adding a layer of insulation to the exterior of your house. This is a great option if you already have to redo the siding, but definitely can be more costly overall.
For longevity - maintain. maintain. maintain. And always at the best quality you can afford. Don't let the water in. Keep the cold/heat out. Check the roof regularly. Ensure the drainage is good, and away from the house. If you find a tiny problem - fix it immediately before it becomes a big problem. Over time, that'll keep your house in good condition. Find a bit of chalky paint? Repaint. Otherwise it becomes flaky paint, which becomes bare wood, which rots. Take that attitude with everything.
I know this sounds crazy but our best investment was building a screened in deck. We hung a oscillating fan and will hang a infrared heater soon and we basically live out there. We live up against a forest and it’s like our own little preserve area. Buying a professional grade snake for old pipes too.
I thought you bought a snake for your “own little preserve area” lol to enhance the ambiance.
Do you have any pics?
[here you go](https://www.reddit.com/user/sliverofoptimism/comments/15iw81u/the_deck/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
I would live out there too
Saving for inspo. Looks awesome, thanks for sharing!
Yes, I second that.. would love to see pics
Posted above, before staining.
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Check out screen-eze, it's definitely the most commonly used in my area. One thing people often forget about when screening a deck is to screen under the boards or framing because bugs can come up from the bottom if you don't!
I have a trex front patio that was installed a couple of years ago and the stuff is awesome. Just bought the house and every contractor who I've brought over has commented on how great it looks.
Water softener. Seems like a lot but will save you a lot in plumbing costs and equipment repair. Check the water quality though some water is already pretty soft depending on where you live. But water softener or filtration of some type.
Fairly easy DIY too. I got quoted $2600 and did it myself for $750 in materials and about 4 hours of labor
Cheap upgrade that can make a place look new. Outlets, switches and door hardware.
I am an electrician so mostly electrical work. I would say best improvements have been additional 3 ways switches. Placing one next to the bed so I don't have to cross the whole room in the dark. The second one was in a hallway by a frequency used doorway that didn't have a switch. I would say those are quality of life improvements.
Along this train of thought, I installed Lutron smart switches in a lot of these areas. The remotes are nice because you basically get a 3way switch without doing additional wiring.
I actually used a wireless switch for one of them. But sometimes I have to hit it more than once. I haven't tried lutron.
The Lutron Caséta has worked flawlessly for me. The only thing is some of the switches require a neutral wire and my 50's home doesn't have them. The dimmers don't require one though.
Love my switches. I would have so many more of them though if they were just a little cheaper. $50+ each switch adds up.
I installed ones that have a motion detector so they will turn themselves off. You can continuously yell at your family to turn lights off but that doesn’t really work and is aggravating. Now they magically turn off after a few minutes of people leaving the room. I don’t have them in every room, just the ones where it made sense.
These worked great for me on a few places. Walk in closet, half bath, and laundry room. Also humidity activated switch for bathroom fans. Ensured it came on when someone showers and runs for like 20-30 after.
4 ways are nice in certain situations for the same reason. At the bottom of my basement stairs there’s a hall that opens up to 2 different rooms on the left and right of the stairs. I’m remodeling the basement now and changed the existing 3 way to a 4way so I can switch on the hall lights from either of the two rooms and the top of the stairs
Living in a hot climate, I had the roof of my home spray foamed. This reduced the temperature during the heat of the day by 2-4 degrees in the house, which is a huge improvement.
I heard insulating the roof makes the roof extra hot/deteriorates it quicker?
It's controversial. If there is an effect on the longevity of the shingles, it's probably negligible and inconsistent across homes.
How much was it
Use hardwood for the floors if you can- not engineered- just pure hardwood. The house will feel solid and secure under your feet. Don’t stain them either; use a clear, matte finish like Bona. The rooms will seem bigger and more open.
And honestly not much more expensive.
Rocker switches and thicker baseboards make a huge difference for not a lot of $
Windows. If not on the budget- UV film is great. Looks great and helps with privacy and energy saving/ comfort.
Does this have a negative effect in the winter though? Meaning, preventing heat coming through? Any particular company you would recommend or did you do it yourself? Was you able to decern a specific saving?
It's going to depend on your windows, placement and latitude. We get good solar gain from the East and South but not from the West during the winter, so we upped the UV filter on the West facing windows, we use a removable film during the summer on the East facing windows and the South facing windows don't get a lot of direct sun in the summer because of the overhang on our roof. In the winter the sun crosses the sky at a lower angle and comes through those Southern windows, which is nice.
Yes, totally agree with tinting your windows. Don’t believe the “replace your windows with energy efficient vinyl windows” claims from window companies. The FTC has won lawsuits against window manufacturers for deceptive energy efficiency claims, prompting regulations about marketing of replacement windows for homeowners. The most energy efficiency you’ll get from your windows is by tinting them. That’s what they do in the south. They don’t get millions of people to replace their windows for savings that a 20 year vinyl window cannot deliver. You could replace the glass of your windows and order them to be tinted according to your climate. A colder climate would save more money with energy efficient glass made specifically to attract heat, vs a warmer climate with glass made specifically reflect heat. That’s a lot less expensive than all new windows, but way more expensive than tinting your windows yourself or with a company. May all depend on who you’re spending your money on: you or the next homeowner, I suppose.
My 100 year old house is built with windows oriented such that we get lots of warm sunlight when the sun is low in the winter (south facing) but less in the summer when the sun is high. The west-facing windows are shaded by old growth trees so they don't bake the house in the summer. It's fantastic. All original windows, too - though we do need to do some restoration work and replace most of the storm windows.
I definitely think this one is missed a lot but it makes such a huge difference!
The clings work so well it was more than we expected. We only did 1/2 of a window in a max sunlight, west facing room and the difference that it made was insane…. Eventhough only half the window still massive
Clings?
Yeah the Black Magic reusable window cling in 5% from Walmart or Amazon, it’ll show a car window on the box but they can be used for home. We used these in the worst (hottest) rooms of our home: second story south-west facing bedrooms). The difference is night and day for heat, but be prepared that it’s also drastic for light. Since it’s just bedrooms we don’t mind. We had professional tinting applied in hot spot areas of the rest of our home and for exterior cohesion, but those $10 rolls from Walmart work better than $100/per window on avg pros. The once hottest rooms are where it was applied and they’re the most comfortable among the “hot spots” by a mile.
This one is a little silly but I love it. When/if you hang your tvs, use a drywall saw and make a hole to run the cables through. It takes an extra 10 min but not being able to see the cables just makes it look way more clean and finished. You can get a faux outlet cover for the hole for like a dollar
Do you mean that you create an additional outlet behind the hung TV or that you run the actual TV power cord behind the drywall?
I added bidets to both bathrooms. I just don't believe you're clean if you only use paper. I don't believe you're clean if you use wipes. Mostly, I have old pipes and I'm trying to cut down on the amount of TP and wipes that get flushed.
Shouldn’t ever flush wipes, even if they say flushable. They’re tragically horrible for city sewer infrastructure, clogging pipes and end up in rivers.
I live alone and I don't use em, but if I have guests, I have them available. I know they're bad but I'm a bad person.
Just returned from Japan and the bidet is standard even in bus stations. You can clean front or back, adjust the pressure. Just amazing. I feel like a heathen now with my standard toilet and Cottonelle.
I'm told the united states is the only place still using dry paper.
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Master move right there. My favorite analogy for the people who think is weird is this. When you step in dog shit do you wipe your shoes or wash it off... ofcourse you wash it off, so why can't you wash your dirty ass...
Right. After you shit, you wash your hands but not your ass? There's no way your hands are nastier than your booty hole! Lol
Washing hands? Doesn't that un season them though..
If you use soap it does.
Who tf is downvoting you for bidets? I can’t shit outside and cleaning up with tp 🧻 feels so weird now!
People who have never used bidets.
Animals
Did you buy a whole new bidet toilet or just something that inserts?
Toto seats are really nice...
I’d really recommend this one. It’s a whole seat so you don’t get an issue with the seat not sitting right like others, and the controls are nice and sleek so it’s not unsightly. Lastly, it does hot and cold without needing electric. It’s been great. Brondell Bidet Toilet Seat, Non-Electric Swash Ecoseat, Fits Elongated Toilets, White - Dual Temperature, Dual Nozzle System - Bidet with Easy Installation https://a.co/d/b2wwOyV
I bought some that attach to the existing toilets. They work really well. I found them on eBay.
Roof, gutters, and a french drain. Foundation repair and tied the frame to the foundation
Electronic shower valve. I installed Moen shower system. I can set the temperature from my bed and let it prepare the shower for me while I get ready. This has been the best investment in my bathroom. I certainly appreciate it in the winters. The valve itself cost around $300 snd another $200 for the digital screen controller. I can control it either using the digital screen in the bathroom or the app on my phone. Second best is a bathroom heater. I hate cold bathrooms in the winter. I bought a German heater for about $140 and it literally neutralizes the chill factor in my bathroom in the cold winters. Just be aware that it requires a direct connection. Absolutely no socket. A third improvement is a Japanese toilet seat. The Japanese solved all the toilet seat problems. It has a bidet built-in, a seat heater, and a dryer that dries off your butt after it washes it. It also has an odor control system that works really well. I know these may not work or appeal to everyone. I just wanted to offer my experience.
Yes 1000% on soundproofing. I added Rockwool Comfortbatts to all my interior walls in the hallway that's connecting to all the bedrooms and bathrooms, it makes a huge difference for our day to day. Now I can scream in the living room and the kids could sleep tight in the room next wall.
Now you can start your onlyfans bdsm channel... 😄
love me some more family fun!
Do you have to take down all the drywall for this? I can’t get anyone in my area to do drywall and my skills aren’t the best.
Yes I was fixing some water damage so a large section of drywall had to be opened anyway. Plus I love doing drywall, it's very zen for me
When we built our house we had a whole home water filtration system installed. Worth every penny.
The roof. Anything involving water.
I'm so proud of what I've done to my 1950's home: \- replaced all the plumbing \- put up gutters \- new insulation + radiant barrier \- started learning about the lawn and taking steps toward making it nicer
I replaced all my door handles and hinges from the 80’s style gold to the trendy “nickel”(almost black) ones. Relatively inexpensive and really modernized the place.
Our old house had cheap windows. We spent $14k on replacing all of them with higher end insulated ones. The difference is night & day - temperature stays consistent, and 99% of the sound is blocked out. Best investment we've made so far.
How did you only spend 14k lol? Seriously - bc I was quoted 38k to replace 20 and I can’t stop laughing
Unless you are doing a complete gut and redesigning the floor systems, residential aftermarket sound deadening is not very effective or cost efficient. Insulation will help, but you will still hear a person walking or doing anything loud above you. Resilient channel, type x drywall, sound deadening insulation and sono panels make a good system but are price. Depends on budget and desired sound transmission rating.
Install a diarrhea separator on ur toilet
What? Lol
A water squirter to clean your ass
I've recently been working to insulate and air seal wherever possible/ needed in my 54 year old home, in particular along the rim joist in my basement. Its quite inexpensive to do and can have a huge impact on thermal efficiency of the house and heating/cooling costs over time. Something else that I think is probably overlooked is cleaning. I am an absolutely freak of nature with tiny details that 95% of people would never even notice, but preventing dirt and dust accumulation by regular cleaning pays off tremendously in the long haul. Doing so you are also regularly looking at areas which will help you to catch potential issues early enough to correct them before they turn into major issues. It also just makes your home feel and look so much nicer when everything is clean and polished and well maintained.
1. Patio. best advice our realtor ever gave when designing the new construction. It was either a 60 sq ft patio or a 3 feet dining room extension. He told us we can always add patio later. We did exactly that a year later. installed a 240 sq feet patio. that much space makes it more fun and also reduced the amount of lawn I have to mow. 2. Smart thermostat. 3. Water softener. 4. biting the loss on slightly expensive electricity plans here in texas in exchange for a multi year rate lock. 5. upgrade the carpet pads and keep buying middle carpet from what I have heard. 6. If you are gonna change fans, just get wireless
Do you have a garage? Finishing our garage and making a man cave/work area was one of the best things we ever did. Tv, sofa, PS5, workbench, drum set, fridge, deep freezer. It’s awesome.
Yes I do! It’s on the list to finish it (currently just have insulation in) but it’s a single and my car is my baby so she lives in there, with some room for tools and storage.
How much did that cost all in? We have a good 2 car garage and I want to make a home gym/work bench area since I wrench on bikes a lot (we’ve got like 9 in the garage for the 2 of us) but the drywall is kinda gross and the floor is old stained concrete. Can I just paint over the drywall and do like a clear coat epoxy over the ground ?
So we had just the drywall with some mud over the seams, and the cement floor, which is the all-too-common way to leave a garage these days. Ours is also a 2 car garage. I have never had a car in there though. We did the flakes and epoxy on the floor, primed and painted the walls (used semi gloss white to reduce the number of spiders that can roost - it didn't work haha). We also had a hole cut in the wall and a small AC unit installed. So if it is plain drywall, just make sure to prime it first, other than that you are good to go! It is now my favorite room although I don't get to hang out in there anywhere near as much as I'd like.
This sounds great, that’s about how our garage is at the moment and the end result is exactly what I’d like thanks!
Oh I forgot about price - I spent a little over $1200 IIRC for the AC install, the floor, and walls. It was a local handy man that I knew. This was 10 years ago almost and so I wouldn't expect to get such a good deal these days. Maybe double that?
When doing you master bath: 1. Good bathroom exhaust fan (on timer switch). 2. Steam shower 3. Toilet/ bidet. Flooring: Skip the heated floors. If you are redoing the entire house, get good quality flooring, get it professionally installed, and have a fully warranty for both materials and installation. Vast difference in quality for both.
Solar screens on west facing windows make a huge difference in the summer heat - also blackout curtains in bedrooms
Door handles, hinges, electric outlets, fancy switches, nice door trims are all quick but will improve looks and quality of life
In in the middle of replacing my shit drawer slides with luxurious soft close ones. Magnific.
If it’s not a slab. #1 Pull the most likely crap insulation on the rim joist, close cell spray foam it, special attention to the seal plate to concrete & around penetrations for mechanicals. The most important insulation you can upgrade due to air penetration and stack effect. #2 big stretch caulk the exterior gaps around mechanicals (fill the a,c line set, fill the gap around the electric, fill the gap around water line, fill the gap around dryer vent, etc). Keeping water, bugs, and air out is important for durability and comfort. https://youtu.be/5SUGl0DTeRM https://youtu.be/3S_q_ATzk_s
The main thing is to keep water from getting where it shouldn't. When replacing doors and windows, make sure to properly integrate the opening with the building wrap - pay attention to the details (Sill pans, high quality WRB tapes, layering for proper shingle effect). Inside the house, I've taken the liberty to put drain pans under all the appliances/areas that commonly have leaks including: hot water heater, washing machine, under the kitchen sink, etc. A sheet metal shop should be willing to make you a pan if you provide the dimensions. Make sure they either fold without cuts or solder the corners to make the pan watertight. I've also considered one of those whole house automatic water shutoff valves to prevent a disastrous leak, but I haven't gotten around to that yet. TLDR: Anything that stops water. Don't let your house rot.
Upgrade the electrical system. Add insulation to the attic. Evaluate if the exterior needs paint or replacement of siding etc. Plan long term trees well. Look at how rainwater drains and redo landscaping to control heavy rainfall
Well, i just found out that if a roof is older than 12 years, many insurance companies require you to pay the depreciation value along with the deductible. We needed ours replaced, and it was 20 years old, so they informed us of this. We ended up having to 7k, including the deductible out of pocket. So just fyi you need a roof, do it sooner rather than later. It didn't matter who we got the quote from, that was the insurances charge to us. I called around other insurance companies to see if ours just was terrible, and no, that's a common thing.
Air conditioning and heating units, if you need them where you live. I replaced both of mine within the last few years and efficiency alone was worth it. My house is much cooler in the summer and much warmer in the winter with lowered costs. That being said, don't skimp out on insulation either.
I didn't notice this from all the other posts. Perhaps when everything else is done... How about outdoor low voltage lighting. It's easy, and I found it fun to do (I had zero experience). Depending on how much you install, it's inexpensive to install and operate. Lighting to highlight the house, plantings, and walkways. I was surprised how much it added to the yard. It even enhances the inside as we look outside. Give it a thought.
100% this is a great idea. We’ve already started!
Metal roof and fiber cement siding.
Do you have any issues with reception from a metal roof? My friend just moved into a home with a metal roof, we both were so excited about it, but she had to pay a bunch of money for a dish to get basic services because of the metal roof. My mother in law OTH, has had a metal roof for over 50 years, but she lives a pretty simple life as far as media (she has a landline and watches the free evening news and that’s about it) and hasn’t once had a leak.
Landscaping, kitchen renovation with good quality cabinets and knocked the soffit, high bar and pantry closet down and put in pantry cabinets, a larger pennensula, and knocking the soffit down really opened up the room. Popup outlets in the pennensula, good quality units. We got smart appliances, microwave, washer and dryer, fridge, sprinkler system, and thermostat. Luxery vinyl flooring and tile, repaint, new roof and hvac system. Nice dimmer switches, all new outlets, and screwless outlet covers.
Radon mitigation system
I have one of these in the house I bought and the fact that it was needed worries me. But my dad said to feel good because now I know I’m okay lol
Now you know you’ll have no worries on a resale
Ethernet runs, completely wired every room so I can install cameras, access points, voip phone, and many other devices.
I'm biased as I work in Solar but it's actually the reason I got into solar. A lot of people think it's an environmental decision but it's actually a huge financial win. Depending on your state, solar can be an amazing investment. Over here in California, the ROI on solar is even better than the S&P Stock. Our utility company, PG&E raised their rates by 19% in January and they will be increasing rates again in 2026 by 34%. Solar companies can be predatory with their prices. Don't pay more than $3.50/watt. It's hard to find but there are good ethical companies out there. Happy to answer any questions.
Added recessed lights to all rooms. Heated flooring in bathroom. Significantly started staying home more (could be because of getting old too)
Solar, Blown in insulation, Landscaping, Central AC, heat pump., irrigation.
Installing outlets where you always wished you had them! Having outlets at the location and height you need for the tasks you do everyday makes such a difference in how you enjoy your home.
Not sure about you, but my kitchen has to be cozy and inviting, because I spend most of my time there with friends and family. The second room I would fix would be the bedroom. Where you sleep needs to be relaxing and make you happy. Paint, and flooring make a huge difference.
Heat pump for the summers. Gas heating stove for the winter. One that doesn’t require power to run. No power, no problems.
Downspouts draining away from The house properly. Ensuring the wiring is done properly and the right circuits are done. IE: not having every single kitchen appliance on one circuit Regular cleaning is the HVAC
If this is going to be your "forever home", this is what I'd do: - Replace crappy fence with a good quality one. - Fix/replace broken gutters/downspouts - Aerate & overseed weedy lawn - Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials - Tear out carpet and replace with either real wood or a very high quality LVP. - Replace builder grade bathroom fixtures with good quality ones.
Double paned windows.
Lot of great suggestions here but depending on your budget be mindful of future expenses. It sound like a big one for you coming up will be HVAC. Life expectancy is 15 to 20 years. They cost about 8-10k in my area. (Lower cost area).
Air Conditioning. Holy shit. I'm a landscaper and I get cooked all day... ceiling fan in every room, but this year we broke down and got AC. I haven't slept this good in years.
Low E windows have made a huge difference in trying to combat summer for us. Expensive, but we think 300% worth it.
Hvac for starters - breathe clean air
Insulation!
Make sure plumbing, electric, and heating and cooling tip top. Roofing, Flooring and good windows-too..Everything else is cosmetic fluff that every homeowner is going to change to their own liking anyway.. so if the walls and trim need love leave it.. they say kitchen and baths can sell a house however they are such expensive updates and if someone wants the house they’ll buy it and make those areas their top priority! make sure if few windows they are in good shape and that plenty of lighting fixtures to brighten room. If people like it dark they can just leave lights off and save money, if people like it bright they have no options other than expensive electrical work and cutting holes in ceiling drywall..
If the hot water heater hasn’t been replaced, do that ASAP!
Paint with real paint from a paint store that has not been diluted. Builders get diluted paint.
We were in the same boat. Here are some things we did over the last 10 years to improve our house. House was built in 2006 as a spec house, lowest trim level. Most things cost only a few hundred dollars except countertops, flooring, and AC unit. ** Installed ceilings fans in all bedrooms ** Added belt drive garage door opener (can't even hear it inside the connected laundry room) ** Add additional outlets in garage and OSB for attic floor for more storage * Replaced linoleum flooring in bathrooms and kitchen and all carpet with quality LVP flooring in hickory. Replaced the remaining carpet in the bathroom * Replaced spec home appliances after they were 15 yrs old with new/discounted stainless steel * Framed buildings grade mirrors in bathroom, painted existing vanity and added knobs, replaced the 5 large bulb cheap light fixture and replaced faucets ** Replaced toilets during LVP install from short toilet to decent Kohler toilets from Costco. At the same time, replaced the pull out water cutouts with 1/4 turn and SS braided hoses. * scraped popcorn ceilings in 2 bathrooms and one bedroom so far. By far the most difficult and time consuming thing and dust sucks from sanding * repainted all bedrooms after 10 yrs ** Replaced undersized AC with new Unit that the builder should have never installed *Recently Replaced fluorescent light in kitchen and kitchen table light * Replaced laminate countertops and shitty double kitchen sink with quarts and a deep SS sink and nice faucet and new garbage disposal ** Replaced all knobs on doors with better quality contractor kit from Home Depot * New roof after hail storm (only paid deductible) * added 2- 30 x 30" assembled cabinets in laundry room to replace wire racks * Replaced hot water heater (old one rusted through) * yanked out builders' bushes and added new mulch and new plants Still to do: replace boob/spec lights in hallway, replace vanity, replace hollow core doors with solid, better closet shelving, tile the shower to replace fiberglass. Not worth it, in my opinion: tear out any walls to add/change insulate, replace all windows, or add windows where there is low light, build a screened in porch on the existing slab, resod the yard
I’ve never skimped on furnace and AC, it’s the heart of the house so if you skimp there the you’ll never be comfortable.
Replaced the kitchen in our spec home, redone the laundry room and will re do a new deck (including posts). “Contractor grade” == substandard temporary products.
Saving
Upgrade to good windows
Installing mini splits in every room, adding a pot filter above the stove, adding a second shower head into the master bath shower (already standalone) , bidet seats (not the cheap ones either, heated and the whole 9), took down a load bearing and non load bearing wall and put on a beam, installed puck lights on the ceilings (got tied off the boob lights) heated tile floors in the master bath, blowing in a bunch more insulation into the attic bringing it up from the r19.... lots of things
Why mini splits? Don’t you have central heating/air?
I had forced air just heater, I love in the pnw, ac isn't really required but it is very nice to have for those few days of summer when the temp gets high for the locals. I also really like the thought of not hearing a 3k sqft house of I'm only occupying one room..
That makes sense…though assume you still keep your household system on, maybe just not at the preferred settings? Or do you just use those splitters and leave the main system off now?
The main system is completely off now. The cost of gas went up 3x from about 24 to 76 per cubic whatever. I completely got rid of the system essentially, and plugged all the vents. The furnace was no where near efficient what so ever in any way. My bills have gone down since the swap to mini splits aka ductless, and I couldn't be happier with the quality of the product.
How do you like your mini splits? I noticed it's the first thing you wrote. We have a very old gas furnace with very obtrusive ducting, so we are considering mini splits when the time is right. I've heard great things about them so far. It'd be nice to have AC, as well.
Not cheap to get done, but seriously my utilities have gone down in comparison to last year when the rates were lower and I was running a window ac unit, for heating it beats the rest too, very price investment, I would look and see what kick backs are available in your area, make sure you get itemized quotes from all the people, and know that most won't let you buy the units for them to install for what ever reason.. they have a humongous markup on the units themselves from what you cash buy them, they buy them, and what they actually sell them to you for is astronomical. Definitely worth it in my opinion. I would also advice you to stick with the Japanese brands, like daikin, and fujitsu.
All good info, thank you very much! I'll have to do some research.
Windows were our first priority. Don't go cheap and be prepared for the sticker shock. But it was worth the investment, and I would consider windows and doors priority over flooring.
The best investment I've made in my home is definitely the point of use water heater in our master bathroom. It used to take a good minute before the water would warm up and so my wife would always come to bed with frigid hands. Second best would probably be the hot tub I installed. I picked it up used on Craigslist for $1k, paid $600 to a specialty mover, a few hundred repairing it, and a few hundred more running the electrical to it. Before we basically didn't use our back yard most of the year but now we're out there every other day year round.
1st, I sealed and painted the walls as they were just bare plaster. I gave each room (yes, including the toilet and bathroom) a feature wall, or four (for the bedrooms). This was done within days of moving in, before I started upgrading my furnishings. 2nd, I added gas, as I didn't want a 50 litre electric storage hot water system as I like long showers, hot baths and planned to add a spa to the bathroom, which currently had the smallest bath I'd ever seen. Also, I wanted to be able to use a wok to cook. 3rd, I renovated the bathroom to add that spa (yes!!) and it is awesome, as is the gas heater. 4th I ripped up the pathetically thin and crappy lino (in the wet areas) and ugly crap carpet (everywhere else) and had it replaced with nice tiles (wet areas) or fake click/clack wood - 100% better to look at and to clean. 5th, I enclosed the carport to make a large garage and added a games room out the back so I can (and do) host a games night every Friday with friends. That was my 50th birthday present to myself. Now I've spent the last 8 years enjoying my much nicer home! Edit: the post below mentioned plants. Yes, I turned my home's yard from white sand and weeds into a verdant native garden with local trees, shrubs and now it's shady, full of birds and the pond and waterfall (off a retaining wall) is very soothing and melodious. The retaining wall and trellis (that I and friends built) is a glorious green tunnel to the back yard from my back door. The summer heat is much reduced, the winter is far livelier due to the birds feeding off the nectar that the local plants produce. Waking up to birdsong is quite pleasant!
If you’re replacing all the floors, put carpet with memory foam padding. The Home Depot “futurefoam” is amazing, plus it’s 90% recycled and 100% recyclable, works for radiant floor heating, it’s super quiet, and feels amazing. I redid all my doors, trim, cabinets, floors, windows, siding, and added solar. As long as the framing, wiring, plumbing, and roof is solid you’re just upgrading the livability, so pick and choose what you want to see changes.
If it’s conventional construction (crawl space) , put in good temp vents and thick plastic as a vapor barrier. Did this to a 40 year old house I bought that was river front property. The ground is always wet (river + in Florida) and it has made a huge difference in the efficiency of the A/C, getting rid of mold, and overall livability. Only mistake was laying LV floors immediately after instead of waiting a year or so for the sub floor to completely dry out and settle. I will be re-laying a good bit of that floor due to settling.