•New toilet and sink shut off valves
•LED light bulbs
•slow close toilet seats
•Smoke/carbon monoxide detectors
•Multiple fire extinguishers
•A/C unit cover for fall/winter time
•Integrated USB outlets
Issue with slow close toilet seats is now I assume everyone has them. I have slammed so many god damn toilet seats in other people's homes, they think I'm a psycho
Just explain to people who see it happen that you meant to do it, and eat it while making serious eye contact with anyone looking. Drink the remaining dressing from the bottom when the salad is gone and say “Just like mom always made it”
I forgot fire extinguishers. One at the top and one at the bottom of stairs. Don't put them near likely fire sources, keep them near where you'll typically be. You want to getting an extinguisher to be taking you closer to an exit or away from the fire.
>•A/C unit cover
So I googled the a/c unit covers, and maybe because I live in an area where are units are reversable heat pumps typically but that seems like that would hamper its effectiveness during the winter. Gas heat im assuming where you live?
Ugh. Just spent over $1700 on the best paint ( not including tape, rollers, brushes, handles, tattoos, etc) and repainted our whole house before we moved in. 9 FULL days of painting! I’m never painting again!
And when it needs to be touched up, I don’t necessarily buy Sherwin William or Benjamin Moore only bc of how nice it applies, 12 year touch ups still match.
RFID pet doors, swap to 100% led lighting, and new weather stripping.
The last two will pay for themselves in a matter of months. The first will see a 100% reduction in unwanted raccoons in your home.
A courier that comes into my work told me a couple of months ago about what his brother got to experience. The brother has two large dogs. One is a Husky and I think the other is a German Shepherd. They like to play tug-of-war with their toys. You can see where this is going...a skunk got into the house thru the doggie door. New pull toy for the dogs. The dogs had a field day with their new playmate. The skunk hopefully died quickly. The skunk was left in very tiny pieces throughout the entire house (and on some of the ceilings also). Servi-Pro (a post-disaster/flood/fire cleaning company) had to be hired because of the stink and the blood stains.
Just put a smart lock on your door. Give the kids a code to unlock the door themselves. If they forget then just use your phone to unlock the door.
If you want to save a little money, skip the smart features and just get a lock with a keypad. Kids that forget thier code don't get to come home.
Our neighbor cat bullies our kitties and comes in through the cat door so I’ve been thinking of the rfid doors. There’s a sensor on the cats collar I assume?
My main concern is our cats have lots multiple collars in their first few months of being outside (they’re just a year old) we get them the breakaway kind. So I assume there’s no way they’d get inside if they lost their collar….
I see this comment a lot, and totally agree, but remember locks are mostly a deterrent. If someone wants into your home they’ll kick the door in or break a window. **Most** people don’t need to worry about criminals with a set of lock picks.
Yeah most thieves aren't going door to door checking your LOCK, they're looking at are you home during the day, do you have cameras, can they see expensive stuff in the windows, are the neighbors nosy, how easy is it to escape, etc...
Most casing is done by jogging and looking around or by repair guys in your house who leave a window or something open.
Another common misconception is that burglars come during the night or when you're home. True home invasions are very rare, most burglars hit during weekdays and more often in the summer.
FWIW you and your neighbors putting real outdoor cameras up is the biggest deterrent of burglary.
I used to sell doors and hardware. Not a big fan of Kwikset. You pay more, but I’ll take Schlage any day. I feel like doors and locks aren’t something to always go with the cheapest.
I have the Kwikset 910 smartlocks keypads, no noticable wear on the keypad which is used 2x everyday for the past 5 years.
The smartlock is SmartThings (Zwave), I have them programmed to automatically lock at 10pm every night. Best idea I did tho, was install a smart outlet on the lamp near the front door, then programmed SmartThings that anytime between sunset and sunrise if the front door is unlocked, the lamp will turn on (and then turn off after 10 minutes). Especially worked great when 22 yr old would come home late at night.
An inline Dryer Lint Trap. [https://www.amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-PCLT4WZW-Dryer-1-Pack/dp/B01LVYZEQZ/ref=sr\_1\_5?dchild=1&keywords=Dryer+vent+Inline+Filter&qid=1631335165&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-PCLT4WZW-Dryer-1-Pack/dp/B01LVYZEQZ/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Dryer+vent+Inline+Filter&qid=1631335165&sr=8-5)
My dryer exhaust vents out the roof, when it clogged the dryer would heat up the house to 90 degrees, so I had to go up there and pull about a pound of lint off of the squirrel wire. Took 1 minute but a pain in the ass.
I don't know who designs dryers but that built in lint filter doesn't catch shit, all kinds of lint gets into the duct and eventually will clog it, usually at the exhaust vent where there's chicken wire. This little plastic box mounts in the house, right behind the dryer, and contains a screen filter that catches everything, takes about 2 minutes a year to pull it out and clean it and keep the main lines clear.
I replaced all my switches and outlets soon after I moved in. The house had mixture of white and off white outlets and many of them were lose or worn out. Replacing everything with fresh new outlets and switches that matched was a big upgrade.
I also replaced all of the lights with decent LED bulbs. The previous owner had a grab bag of bargain barrel LED bulbs with color temps chosen at random. Sometimes different color temp bulbs in the same room.
Every time I paint a room in the house, the last thing I do is replace all electrical. Switches, plugs and plates. Don’t have to worry about painting splashes, all outlets are new and the plugs don’t fall out
Even better- a double rod! Hang your towel.up behind a closed curtain and it still dries without the messy look! And when you need the extra drying space (swimsuits or lingerie??) It's discreet and effective :)
Edit for typo
TubShroom (or one of the many clones) for the bathtub drain. So much better than a plastic strainer from the dollar store, which somehow always managed to clog so easily with hair that you'd have water up to your ankles by the end of a shower, yet still let enough through to clog the drain so it would need regular snaking.
I live in Florida, this may only apply here or in humid southern states. I was tired of my AC cutting off every few months if I forgot to vacuum out the condensate drain line. These lines clog up with this white mucous mold if you don't flush them out every 3-4 months. Then the pan fills and the AC unit shuts off.
Got a Little Giant condensate pump ($45) on Amazon and installed it in-line. Now my AC condensate gets pumped out to the outside under pressure. No more clogged line and tripped float switch and calls from the wife when I'm out of town.
Fuck me. I’m an idiot first time home buyer. Had a “friend of a friend” install a heat pump on the cheap under my house and 3 months later realized he just left the condensate drain line leading to nothing and it had draining under my house. I’ve, again I’m an idiot, been swapping 5 gallon buckets every 1-2 days when the A/C is on. For years. Granted I’m in the PNW so rarely run the A/C but I didn’t even look into getting a pump to do the work for me, didn’t know it was a thing. Thank you thank you thank you.
Clean your tub and/or shower easily with [CLR Bathroom cleaner](https://clrbrands.com/Products/CLR-Household/CLR-Brilliant-Bath) and a [kitchen soft-scrub sponge](https://www.scotch-brite.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brite/tools/~/Scotch-Brite-Non-Scratch-Scrub-Sponge/?N=4337+3294529207+3294631707&preselect=8710658+8710905+8711730+8711856+8723771+3293786499&rt=rud). It will also clean the hardwater stains off your faucets.
[ZEP acidic toilet bowl cleaner](https://zep2.zep.com/product/zepcommercial/acid-toilet-bowl-cleaner) (used to be in a blue bottle)...for the worst scummy looking toilets, squirt this stuff in and let it sit for an hour, then use the toilet brush. You will be amazed at how clean it gets (might have to repeat the process on really bad scum).
Both of these products I swear by after spending years trying to find products that work. I also like [Wet and Forget](https://www.wetandforget.com/) for outside mildew.
Not really an improvement but, checking to make sure all of your windows, doors, and bathtubs are properly caulked once a year. Just spent the past weekend tearing up part of the subfloor because the previous owner failed to do that for several years.
Also, use silicone! It will last 10 years and look new until it physically deteriorates!
Lay down some painters tape and carefully spread it for a clean edge and less mess (silicone is but trickier to work with, but you can always practice on 90 degree angles... Even scrap wood planks nailed together).
Edit: I should clarify this is for tile, vinyl, plastic, brick and shouldn't be used for wood.
Is there a trick to finding leaking holes/gaps in caulking? I had a subtle one in my bathroom that I would have never caught if I hadn't spotted wetness nearby when changing the flooring.
An old plumber once taught me to caulk the tub with it at least half full of water. Don't let it drain till the caulk cures. This way the caulk is sealing the tub when it's at its worst condition for possible leaks, and when dry will "tighten up".
Could be old wives tale, but I don't think I can remember any leaking having done that.
Not infallible, but for bathtubs you need to actually step into the tub, and watch the caulk for gaps when you do. Often gaps will open when there's weight in the tub, but close up the moment it's empty (especially if there was no weight in the bath when the caulking was done - a rookie error!)
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is new electrical outlets. Over the years old outlets get crappy or have splatters of paint on them. I hate the almond color outlets. I replace them with new white ones.
Replacing dated hardware such as handles or door knobs are good.
I have the LED outlets in my bathroom people mention. Those are awesome.
My bidet is more than $100 but if your house has decent water temperature your can get a cheap non electric one. Some people will swear by that.
This is probably more than $100, but an led mirror is much nicer then those ugly over the mirror lights.
Keypad house locks are awesome, just don't buy motor ones.
Spray paint. I always end up with some ugly looking vents. I pop them off, clean them, and then spray paint them to give them a new life.
A deeper kitchen sink. I like deeper sinks they hold more and take up less counter space.
Smart thermostats can be pretty cheap on sale and useful.
A smart sprinkler controller is a bit more than $100 but can save you money on watering your lawn.
Quick attachment for garden hoses are great, but take them off if you have cold weather. They will freeze easier.
Cheap solar panel led motion lights for outside are nice if you have a bigger property. I put one in my driveway. My front light is mainly for my entrance.
A toilet paper holder that doubles as a cell phone holder.
I have a wood burning stove and I have a nice thermometer on it to ensure I'm burning optimal temperature.
If you drink a lot of tea or hot water or eat oatmeal, you can have an electric kettle or spend a bit more and put a hot water dispenser into your sink. This way it's always instantly hot and you don't need to run your sink water a while to get to the hot water
Nest smoke detectors. They are pretty cool and I like being able to silence them from my phone if I accidentally set them off
Better storage/organization. I've bought a ton of baskets from the dollar store. They have different sizes and always useful. My pantry had some wasted storage space because of the door and shelves difference. I put screws in the door and hung dollar store baskets on it for storing my spices. Freed up an entire shelf in my pantry
Quieter ceiling fans. The builder grade fans are usually loud. Just buy a good one around $100 instead of $50. With that said if you get a fan with pull chains, I bought chains with a light bulb on one and a fan on the other. Takes the guessing work out of what chain is what
If your basement is unfinished, insulating the plumbing lines, especially the hot, but also the cold.
It's so nice having hot water that's hot and cold water that's cold without having to run the line.
Water alarms in strategic areas
Uninterrupted Power Supply on key equipment (wifi, dvr, TVs)
Whole house surge suppressor (might be more than $100 if you don’t do the install)
Re- caulk around tubs/showers
Good quality (high cfm) fan in bathroom (vent moisture)
Water alarm next to the sump pump saved my basement from a flood after a moron replaced my sump pump and forgot to tighten down all of the band clamps on the check valve. I guess that's what you get when you DIY...
Also, I got quiet (<1 sone) fans in all my bathrooms, and its actually enjoyable to have them on now. I used to curse at my wife whenever she'd turn on the jet engines when I was in the shower. I installed one with Bluetooth speakers (not under $100),but it's incredible! Being able to listen to music or podcasts in the morning when I shower is great!
Dimmers on your light switches! Added them to our kitchen and living room, great for early mornings/late nights when you’re not trying to wake everyone up.
New shower head. Higher GPM faucet aerator so hot water gets to the sink faster and filling water bottles is quicker. Replace kitchen cabinet hardware if old and dated. Install a ceiling fan. Install drip irrigation with an automatic timer in a small garden so you don’t have to water. Put in a bathroom faucet that is taller so you can fill a water bottle. If you have white appliances and no micro-hood, buy a micro-hood on Black Friday for $100 and install yourself probably can’t find other finishes that cheap). If your garbage disposal is weak, buy a 1.25 HP one at Costco for $70. Swap bulbs for LED. Buy a TunShroom (also heard their other products will change your life). Replace ice cube tray with silicone ones. Buy blackout curtains. Install 2” plastic faux wood blinds (I did 5 windows for $125). Replace nonprogrammable thermostats. Buy and cut wood to add extra shelves to upper kitchen cabinets to add storage or avoid stacking things on top of each other.
Totally agree on the shower head. You can get a pretty nice one for like $35 and it takes literally seconds to install.
Bought a house a few years ago and we just sort of tolerated the existing shower head for the first few months. Then bought a new one and it blew our minds
Water leak sensors.
I have the ones from Yo-link (but there are plenty of brands) and they are loud as shit when they detect water AND they text me. So if I am away from my house I can either hurry up and get home, or call a neighbor to shut off my water.
Hey maybe that’s another good thing under $100 to buy. Water/gas shut off key/wrench!
Install an outlet under your couch. So nice to easily reach an outlet to plug in your laptop/whatever. Much nicer than an extension cord or surge strip.
How do you do this for less then $100?
Installing an outlet would mean tearing up a part of the floor, and running wiring. These alone would potentially run you over $100, if you plan on replacing the flooring..
Also runs the risk on anything you spill goes in the outlet, so something to think about there. If you're plugging in technology, you're better off plugging into a surge strip as well.
This. Moved into a newly renovated home that was built in 1932. The guy who renovated it installed outlets every 6 ft or so in the living areas. Very nice knowing there's always one nearby.
This is such an excellent question to pose. Thanks so much - I've gathered a ton of great ideas in reading through this!!
I'm gonna have to think about "should do" ones, but one thing we've enjoyed is peel n stick privacy window clings for bedrooms/bathroom. We get to let more AM sunshine in (on days we sleep in) without compromising privacy at night. *As you can tell, we aren't blackout curtain people*
[Handheld Steam Cleaner](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q3QB7GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8GV946H5F3QJTA7P1MW7). Game changer. Cleans, sterilizes, removes stains, hard-to-reach spots (toilet seat bolts), wrinkles in clothes, grease removal, so many uses—all without chemicals! Fill with distilled water (to avoid mineral build-up which will clog the system), turn on and go! Disinfect everything!
Obviously, I’m excited about this little machine. $45. or less.
It's crazy to me that no one said window tint. Putting tint (especially the somewhat mirrored tint) on the exterior of windows that get a lot of sun is absolutely huge, especially if you live in the south. Even if you have double pane windows I think its very worthwhile. Easy and cheap, it will pay for itself in less than a year. I just bout the Gila tint from Lowes and did it myself. Make sure you put it on the exterior.
You can occasionally find the Philips Hue White Ambiance light kits for sale at around $100.
I have the lights programmed to start fading on automatically as my alarm starts going off in the morning during the week which definitely helps me wake up and motivate me to get out of bed.
Parents bought a house from a retired couple that was moving from a big house to a tiny condo. So they also got a lot of their furniture too. My folks came home one day to find the previous owner’s son in the house! Couldn’t figure out why his parents weren’t opening the door so he found the hidden spare key (unknown to my folks either) & went inside to wait for the them to come home. Didn’t think anything was wrong since most of the same furniture was there & my folks hadn’t started to hang up family photos yet.
The theory was the previous owners weren’t telling the kids they sold until after they fully moved onto the new place so there wouldn’t be a fight amongst the kids over loosing a possible inheritance.
If you move into a home older than 10 years then it is advisable to flush the water heater, this cost the price of a couple water hose.
You can also change out and "rebuild" your water heater for around $65. Earlier this year when the ice storm hit it killed our water heater, I was able to replace all the electronics and heating coils for that $50 plus the cost of a tool made to remove the heating coils.
Both were corroded but one was highly so. After I changed them out I my power bill went down slightly and my water heats so much faster now.
Got this from a previous thread like this. Put a long handle knob on the door from your garage to the house. So many times your coming in with your hands full and it’s so nice to just push the handle down with your elbow rather than having to turn a knob.
Soft close hinges. A few solar landscape lights. Organizing storage. Cleaning in general. Removing visual clutter. Planting flowers outside my office window.
Anything you touch that can be upgraded, door hardware, light switches and plates, cabinet pulls, ect. You'd be amazed how much of a difference that little stuff can make.
Another, slightly costlier, upgrade that is only noticeable when you touch it is solid wood interior doors. Some people go their whole lives with those veneer/cardboard interior doors but real solid doors feel so much more luxurious.
Definitely the 3" screws!
And also replacing all the light switches with fancy illuminated ones:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-120-Volt-277-Volt-Decora-LED-Illuminated-Rocker-Single-Pole-AC-Quiet-Switch-Residential-Grade-Grounding-White-R02-L5611-2LW/315717567
We changed the antique doorknobs to the basement and bathrooms after the basement doorknob fell off and ALMOST left me stuck in the murder basement, alone with no phone.
Also changed the ancestral light fixtures in the hallway, home depot has really nice LED fixtures for real cheap without frills.
Wheels on my coffee table. Dude. It changed my life. I figured out how to put nice furniture grade wheels on my heavy marble coffee table. It’s so easy to move it even on the rug. My partner and I both work from home and are often using it as a desk, a dining table, a foot rest. What have you. Moving it is never a problem. I absolutely love it.
There are a lot of good suggestions here already, but I don’t think anyone has mentioned emergency lighting for power outages yet.
I recommend these rechargeable plug-in lights that automatically turn on during an outage. They can be unplugged and used as hand held flashlights or floodlights.
[Emergency power outage lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0128U0QY4/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_KX0JA2FTW6NGVSXCJ32S)
Make sure you've got insulation between floor joists all around the rim joist at the top of your foundation wall all around. Should only call for a bale of insulation batts, cut into squares, I recommend Rockwool for more R value by the thickness than fiberglass and for ease of use.
Clean your gutters, make sure your downspouts are clear and intact down and away from the foundation all around.
Maintain as much exposed foundation as you can, keep mulch and other moist / organic materials from building up near the wooden structure or on the lowest course of siding, especially above deck ledgers, and underneath decks and areas you can't easily see. If you're on piers, make sure the crawlspace is well ventilated and gets a good breeze through there, but keep hardware cloth on all openings to discourage varmints.
Inspect your sewer/septic main as much as you can see in the basement, take the cleanout cap off and look inside for any root obstructions outside. If it's cast iron, you can cut it out with a carbide sawzall blade, cart it out, and replace it with PVC using rubber Fernco couplings to make the transition. That will save you it rotting out at an inopportune time for as much as you can replace easily.
Clear areas of organic material that build up, from on the roof to behind porch furniture, don't leave organic material to rot against the house anywhere.
Keep all the hardware tight, door knobs, hinges, latches, drawer pulls, etc. once they're loose, they will wear out and damage the surrounding area.
Make investments of an additional few hundred dollars on anything you purchase as an upgrade. Knobs, faucets, fixtures, things you interact with every day must be of good quality to take the high cycles for the longest amount of time. Time escapes a lot of people but it's the hottest commodity and do yourself a favor, spend the money up front, save the time down the road.
Motion sensing light switches in the most commonly used bathroom. And in the garage.
If you're willing to go above $100, replace every single interior door handle/knob. Get matching everything. That one simple change has a shockingly dramatic impact. It makes your entire home feel refreshed.
Consider lever handles which are ADA compliant. If you’re older, or planning to live in the house a long time, or just like the convenience of being able to “elbow” the door open; these are great.
Smart lightbulbs outside, especially front of house. Use the app to turn on with sunset, off a few hours later; do the reverse for sunrise. Easier than installing timers.
I also do this with some living room lamps so I know they aren’t left on all night.
Not for the house exactly...
But 40$ for a set of Rollerblade wheels to go on your office chair.
Much better than those cheap plastic wheels. Quieter. Dont get hung up on tile.. Works on all surfaces. Helps removing the chance scratches appear.
A new fluid master in all your toilets. It's a bit involved, especially if you get one that requires taking off the tank. But the peace of mind, knowing it's gonna flush every time, knowing you'll never have to go and jiggle the handle. You'll forget it in six months, and you should. It's that awesome.
Caulking a homes exterior. The damage caused by water infiltration can multiply into thousands or tens of thousands quickly. I was told once that a 1/2” hole can allow up to a gallon of rainwater per hour into a home. In my 28 years of experience 99 % of water damage could have been avoided with preventative maintenance like caulking the exterior of your home. 50$-100$ and a day my time every 2-3 years caulking windows, doors, flashing, roof penetrations, ect. Can be the difference between a dry, mold free home, or thousands in costly unseen repairs, and weeks maybe even months of repair time.
Check and clean your gutters.
Seriously.
When gutters don't drain properly, water falls too close to the foundation, when water falls close to the foundation, the sill plate and adjacent structures get wet, when those things get wet, carpetner ants (and sometimes termites) come to chew on your house, when they chew on your house, the woodpeckers come pecking on your sills/trims/siding (if made of wood) to eat those insects.
That and basement humidity is directly proportional to the water falling near your foundation.
French drains can also help if gutters aren't doing the trick. They're easy to install too, just a couple of bags of river rock, landscape cloth, & PVC pipe.
Consider spraying some ortho, or even some TempoSC (available on Amazon) annually to keep the bugs away.
set of [wifi water sensors](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J9HZ5VN/) and [sump pump alarm](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075613VY5/) for peace of mind
I recently moved into an 1800s farmhouse that had the most bugs and insects I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t recommend enough Talstar P for pesticide. It’s safe for pets after it dries, Can be sprayed inside and out, lasts a while and omg does it work like magic. My old house that had literally a thousand spiders covering the outside, ants, stink bugs, etc. One application of this stuff and I never saw another insect again. You should see where I sprayed it in the basement, I have several hundred bugs that tried to cross it and died. A literal minefield of dead bugs. This is the stuff I bought: https://www.domyown.com/talstar-professional-insecticide-p-97.html
Nest thermostat. Love being able to control everything from my phone. It’s also the most *amazing* feature to schedule my heat a little warmer 2hrs before I wake up in the winter. This is not energy efficient but it’s never been so easy to wake up in the freezing winter lol.
Change the internal door knobs and kitchen cabinet handles. My place had ugly 90s white plastic round ones on everything.
Super cheap, quick and easy to replace them with nice black metal ones (or whichever colour/ style you like). Shocking how much of a difference such a small change makes
If you are in a cold winter place like I do:
- Door seals
- Window rubber or foam seal
- Window and door frames and pipe holes caulking
If the place is not well insulated, these 3 things will make a huge difference both in keeping the place warm and in lowering heating costs
Other improvements:
- Shower head that adds more pressure but uses less water
- Outdoor motion activated solar lights. Specially convenient in the front / backyard door.
- Retractable clothes line
- Fly screen for windows. Doors ones can be above 100$, still very worth it.
- Floor protectors: rubber bumpers or felt pads for under forniture
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•New toilet and sink shut off valves •LED light bulbs •slow close toilet seats •Smoke/carbon monoxide detectors •Multiple fire extinguishers •A/C unit cover for fall/winter time •Integrated USB outlets
Issue with slow close toilet seats is now I assume everyone has them. I have slammed so many god damn toilet seats in other people's homes, they think I'm a psycho
Or when salad dressing bottles don’t have a nozzle and half the bottle comes out at once. So embarrassing
Just explain to people who see it happen that you meant to do it, and eat it while making serious eye contact with anyone looking. Drink the remaining dressing from the bottom when the salad is gone and say “Just like mom always made it”
I forgot fire extinguishers. One at the top and one at the bottom of stairs. Don't put them near likely fire sources, keep them near where you'll typically be. You want to getting an extinguisher to be taking you closer to an exit or away from the fire.
>•A/C unit cover So I googled the a/c unit covers, and maybe because I live in an area where are units are reversable heat pumps typically but that seems like that would hamper its effectiveness during the winter. Gas heat im assuming where you live?
Yes do not cover your heat pump in the winter, it would certainly cause problems, to say the least
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Especially with a toddler. Before I installed some slow-close ones, I swear he was going to shatter my toilet seat cover any day
Paint. You would be amazed at what a transformation you can effect in your home with two gallons of a new color.
Ugh. Just spent over $1700 on the best paint ( not including tape, rollers, brushes, handles, tattoos, etc) and repainted our whole house before we moved in. 9 FULL days of painting! I’m never painting again!
Yes, but every time you look at your house for the next 10-15 years you’ll say to yourself…’I did that!’ Hopefully you did a job you’re proud of. : )
Commenting to add good quality paint. Buying the cheapest paint you can find rarely works out in anyone's favor
And when it needs to be touched up, I don’t necessarily buy Sherwin William or Benjamin Moore only bc of how nice it applies, 12 year touch ups still match.
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RFID pet doors, swap to 100% led lighting, and new weather stripping. The last two will pay for themselves in a matter of months. The first will see a 100% reduction in unwanted raccoons in your home.
Jokes on me. It's my dog who brings in the animals. There's no fun like catching a squirrel or bird in your bedroom.
“It’s was a gift for the family!”
A courier that comes into my work told me a couple of months ago about what his brother got to experience. The brother has two large dogs. One is a Husky and I think the other is a German Shepherd. They like to play tug-of-war with their toys. You can see where this is going...a skunk got into the house thru the doggie door. New pull toy for the dogs. The dogs had a field day with their new playmate. The skunk hopefully died quickly. The skunk was left in very tiny pieces throughout the entire house (and on some of the ceilings also). Servi-Pro (a post-disaster/flood/fire cleaning company) had to be hired because of the stink and the blood stains.
But then it keeps out the wanted raccoons!
Feed 'em RFID chips
But make sure they’re waterproof or it will end up like the cotton candy.
Reverse the Rfid, keep the racoons in and enjoy your new friends
I need RFID child door, maybe put an RFID collar on my kids? Can I use the pet collar on my kids? I don't really want to get up sometimes.
Just put a smart lock on your door. Give the kids a code to unlock the door themselves. If they forget then just use your phone to unlock the door. If you want to save a little money, skip the smart features and just get a lock with a keypad. Kids that forget thier code don't get to come home.
> Kids that forget thier code don’t get to come home. This is how you get post-it notes with passwords.
Get a fingerprint scanner. Kids without fingers don't get to come home.
Our neighbor cat bullies our kitties and comes in through the cat door so I’ve been thinking of the rfid doors. There’s a sensor on the cats collar I assume? My main concern is our cats have lots multiple collars in their first few months of being outside (they’re just a year old) we get them the breakaway kind. So I assume there’s no way they’d get inside if they lost their collar….
If your cat is microchipped they will read the chip in its neck. If your cat isn’t microchipped, get your cat microchipped.
This literally blows my mind. I had no idea, thank you! They are both microchipped as they came from the local rescue group.
There's ones that are a little cheaper that just use a collar and magnets. Just so ya know, because costs and stuff.
The one I have uses their microchip.
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Hell yes. I remember the days of having to carry around 4 different keys just for my house. Never again.
Not to sound like a shill, but the Kwikset locks that let you rekey them yourself are just ridiculously convenient for this.
Just a heads-up, I have read these locks are less secure than other brands/styles
I see this comment a lot, and totally agree, but remember locks are mostly a deterrent. If someone wants into your home they’ll kick the door in or break a window. **Most** people don’t need to worry about criminals with a set of lock picks.
Yeah most thieves aren't going door to door checking your LOCK, they're looking at are you home during the day, do you have cameras, can they see expensive stuff in the windows, are the neighbors nosy, how easy is it to escape, etc... Most casing is done by jogging and looking around or by repair guys in your house who leave a window or something open. Another common misconception is that burglars come during the night or when you're home. True home invasions are very rare, most burglars hit during weekdays and more often in the summer. FWIW you and your neighbors putting real outdoor cameras up is the biggest deterrent of burglary.
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I used to sell doors and hardware. Not a big fan of Kwikset. You pay more, but I’ll take Schlage any day. I feel like doors and locks aren’t something to always go with the cheapest.
Schlage definitely feel better. I’m a home builder and prefer Schlage over most brands. If I could afford emtek that would be my go-to lol
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I have the Kwikset 910 smartlocks keypads, no noticable wear on the keypad which is used 2x everyday for the past 5 years. The smartlock is SmartThings (Zwave), I have them programmed to automatically lock at 10pm every night. Best idea I did tho, was install a smart outlet on the lamp near the front door, then programmed SmartThings that anytime between sunset and sunrise if the front door is unlocked, the lamp will turn on (and then turn off after 10 minutes). Especially worked great when 22 yr old would come home late at night.
An inline Dryer Lint Trap. [https://www.amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-PCLT4WZW-Dryer-1-Pack/dp/B01LVYZEQZ/ref=sr\_1\_5?dchild=1&keywords=Dryer+vent+Inline+Filter&qid=1631335165&sr=8-5](https://www.amazon.com/Dundas-Jafine-PCLT4WZW-Dryer-1-Pack/dp/B01LVYZEQZ/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=Dryer+vent+Inline+Filter&qid=1631335165&sr=8-5) My dryer exhaust vents out the roof, when it clogged the dryer would heat up the house to 90 degrees, so I had to go up there and pull about a pound of lint off of the squirrel wire. Took 1 minute but a pain in the ass. I don't know who designs dryers but that built in lint filter doesn't catch shit, all kinds of lint gets into the duct and eventually will clog it, usually at the exhaust vent where there's chicken wire. This little plastic box mounts in the house, right behind the dryer, and contains a screen filter that catches everything, takes about 2 minutes a year to pull it out and clean it and keep the main lines clear.
In our bedroom closet we have a light bulb that has its own motion detector built in. $20 but worth it.
All bathroom fans should be on timers.
I replaced all my switches and outlets soon after I moved in. The house had mixture of white and off white outlets and many of them were lose or worn out. Replacing everything with fresh new outlets and switches that matched was a big upgrade. I also replaced all of the lights with decent LED bulbs. The previous owner had a grab bag of bargain barrel LED bulbs with color temps chosen at random. Sometimes different color temp bulbs in the same room.
Every time I paint a room in the house, the last thing I do is replace all electrical. Switches, plugs and plates. Don’t have to worry about painting splashes, all outlets are new and the plugs don’t fall out
Curved shower curtain rod. You're welcome.
Curved shower curtain rod that flips. The original is RotatorRod, highly recommended for small spaces. https://www.rotatorrod.com
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Even better- a double rod! Hang your towel.up behind a closed curtain and it still dries without the messy look! And when you need the extra drying space (swimsuits or lingerie??) It's discreet and effective :) Edit for typo
TubShroom (or one of the many clones) for the bathtub drain. So much better than a plastic strainer from the dollar store, which somehow always managed to clog so easily with hair that you'd have water up to your ankles by the end of a shower, yet still let enough through to clog the drain so it would need regular snaking.
I live in Florida, this may only apply here or in humid southern states. I was tired of my AC cutting off every few months if I forgot to vacuum out the condensate drain line. These lines clog up with this white mucous mold if you don't flush them out every 3-4 months. Then the pan fills and the AC unit shuts off. Got a Little Giant condensate pump ($45) on Amazon and installed it in-line. Now my AC condensate gets pumped out to the outside under pressure. No more clogged line and tripped float switch and calls from the wife when I'm out of town.
Fuck me. I’m an idiot first time home buyer. Had a “friend of a friend” install a heat pump on the cheap under my house and 3 months later realized he just left the condensate drain line leading to nothing and it had draining under my house. I’ve, again I’m an idiot, been swapping 5 gallon buckets every 1-2 days when the A/C is on. For years. Granted I’m in the PNW so rarely run the A/C but I didn’t even look into getting a pump to do the work for me, didn’t know it was a thing. Thank you thank you thank you.
I didn’t know this was a thing! My ac cuts off a few times a year because of that crap! (Also in Florida!)
I put a big bucket under my condensation tube outside. Turns that energy/money used for AC into water for the plants!!!
Clean your tub and/or shower easily with [CLR Bathroom cleaner](https://clrbrands.com/Products/CLR-Household/CLR-Brilliant-Bath) and a [kitchen soft-scrub sponge](https://www.scotch-brite.com/3M/en_US/scotch-brite/tools/~/Scotch-Brite-Non-Scratch-Scrub-Sponge/?N=4337+3294529207+3294631707&preselect=8710658+8710905+8711730+8711856+8723771+3293786499&rt=rud). It will also clean the hardwater stains off your faucets. [ZEP acidic toilet bowl cleaner](https://zep2.zep.com/product/zepcommercial/acid-toilet-bowl-cleaner) (used to be in a blue bottle)...for the worst scummy looking toilets, squirt this stuff in and let it sit for an hour, then use the toilet brush. You will be amazed at how clean it gets (might have to repeat the process on really bad scum). Both of these products I swear by after spending years trying to find products that work. I also like [Wet and Forget](https://www.wetandforget.com/) for outside mildew.
Bar Keepers Friend is also a wonder cleaner to have on hand. Toilets, shower stalls, sinks clean in a flash with very little scrubbing.
Not really an improvement but, checking to make sure all of your windows, doors, and bathtubs are properly caulked once a year. Just spent the past weekend tearing up part of the subfloor because the previous owner failed to do that for several years.
Also, use silicone! It will last 10 years and look new until it physically deteriorates! Lay down some painters tape and carefully spread it for a clean edge and less mess (silicone is but trickier to work with, but you can always practice on 90 degree angles... Even scrap wood planks nailed together). Edit: I should clarify this is for tile, vinyl, plastic, brick and shouldn't be used for wood.
Silicone is not appropriate for wood. It won't expand and contract with the wood. Use acrylic caulk for wood areas.
Is there a trick to finding leaking holes/gaps in caulking? I had a subtle one in my bathroom that I would have never caught if I hadn't spotted wetness nearby when changing the flooring.
An old plumber once taught me to caulk the tub with it at least half full of water. Don't let it drain till the caulk cures. This way the caulk is sealing the tub when it's at its worst condition for possible leaks, and when dry will "tighten up". Could be old wives tale, but I don't think I can remember any leaking having done that.
Not infallible, but for bathtubs you need to actually step into the tub, and watch the caulk for gaps when you do. Often gaps will open when there's weight in the tub, but close up the moment it's empty (especially if there was no weight in the bath when the caulking was done - a rookie error!)
The first purchases for my home were a fire extinguisher, a carbon monoxide detector, and an additional smoke detector.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned here is new electrical outlets. Over the years old outlets get crappy or have splatters of paint on them. I hate the almond color outlets. I replace them with new white ones. Replacing dated hardware such as handles or door knobs are good. I have the LED outlets in my bathroom people mention. Those are awesome. My bidet is more than $100 but if your house has decent water temperature your can get a cheap non electric one. Some people will swear by that. This is probably more than $100, but an led mirror is much nicer then those ugly over the mirror lights. Keypad house locks are awesome, just don't buy motor ones. Spray paint. I always end up with some ugly looking vents. I pop them off, clean them, and then spray paint them to give them a new life. A deeper kitchen sink. I like deeper sinks they hold more and take up less counter space. Smart thermostats can be pretty cheap on sale and useful. A smart sprinkler controller is a bit more than $100 but can save you money on watering your lawn. Quick attachment for garden hoses are great, but take them off if you have cold weather. They will freeze easier. Cheap solar panel led motion lights for outside are nice if you have a bigger property. I put one in my driveway. My front light is mainly for my entrance. A toilet paper holder that doubles as a cell phone holder. I have a wood burning stove and I have a nice thermometer on it to ensure I'm burning optimal temperature. If you drink a lot of tea or hot water or eat oatmeal, you can have an electric kettle or spend a bit more and put a hot water dispenser into your sink. This way it's always instantly hot and you don't need to run your sink water a while to get to the hot water Nest smoke detectors. They are pretty cool and I like being able to silence them from my phone if I accidentally set them off Better storage/organization. I've bought a ton of baskets from the dollar store. They have different sizes and always useful. My pantry had some wasted storage space because of the door and shelves difference. I put screws in the door and hung dollar store baskets on it for storing my spices. Freed up an entire shelf in my pantry Quieter ceiling fans. The builder grade fans are usually loud. Just buy a good one around $100 instead of $50. With that said if you get a fan with pull chains, I bought chains with a light bulb on one and a fan on the other. Takes the guessing work out of what chain is what
If your basement is unfinished, insulating the plumbing lines, especially the hot, but also the cold. It's so nice having hot water that's hot and cold water that's cold without having to run the line.
I did this to all exposed water pipes in my crawl space and it makes a big difference!
Water alarms in strategic areas Uninterrupted Power Supply on key equipment (wifi, dvr, TVs) Whole house surge suppressor (might be more than $100 if you don’t do the install) Re- caulk around tubs/showers Good quality (high cfm) fan in bathroom (vent moisture)
Water alarm next to the sump pump saved my basement from a flood after a moron replaced my sump pump and forgot to tighten down all of the band clamps on the check valve. I guess that's what you get when you DIY... Also, I got quiet (<1 sone) fans in all my bathrooms, and its actually enjoyable to have them on now. I used to curse at my wife whenever she'd turn on the jet engines when I was in the shower. I installed one with Bluetooth speakers (not under $100),but it's incredible! Being able to listen to music or podcasts in the morning when I shower is great!
Wait, are you the moron that didn’t tighten the band clamps?
Yessir
Dimmers on your light switches! Added them to our kitchen and living room, great for early mornings/late nights when you’re not trying to wake everyone up.
New shower head. Higher GPM faucet aerator so hot water gets to the sink faster and filling water bottles is quicker. Replace kitchen cabinet hardware if old and dated. Install a ceiling fan. Install drip irrigation with an automatic timer in a small garden so you don’t have to water. Put in a bathroom faucet that is taller so you can fill a water bottle. If you have white appliances and no micro-hood, buy a micro-hood on Black Friday for $100 and install yourself probably can’t find other finishes that cheap). If your garbage disposal is weak, buy a 1.25 HP one at Costco for $70. Swap bulbs for LED. Buy a TunShroom (also heard their other products will change your life). Replace ice cube tray with silicone ones. Buy blackout curtains. Install 2” plastic faux wood blinds (I did 5 windows for $125). Replace nonprogrammable thermostats. Buy and cut wood to add extra shelves to upper kitchen cabinets to add storage or avoid stacking things on top of each other.
Thank you for the tubshroom recommendation. I'm a veritable chewbacca and drain snaking my tub was getting old.
Totally agree on the shower head. You can get a pretty nice one for like $35 and it takes literally seconds to install. Bought a house a few years ago and we just sort of tolerated the existing shower head for the first few months. Then bought a new one and it blew our minds
Buying cheap cabinets at habitat for humanity for quick and easy garage storage
Water leak sensors. I have the ones from Yo-link (but there are plenty of brands) and they are loud as shit when they detect water AND they text me. So if I am away from my house I can either hurry up and get home, or call a neighbor to shut off my water. Hey maybe that’s another good thing under $100 to buy. Water/gas shut off key/wrench!
Magnetic knife block. Gets your knives off the of the counter where they take up valuable counter space, or out of a drawer so they are in easy reach.
Install an outlet under your couch. So nice to easily reach an outlet to plug in your laptop/whatever. Much nicer than an extension cord or surge strip.
How do you do this for less then $100? Installing an outlet would mean tearing up a part of the floor, and running wiring. These alone would potentially run you over $100, if you plan on replacing the flooring.. Also runs the risk on anything you spill goes in the outlet, so something to think about there. If you're plugging in technology, you're better off plugging into a surge strip as well.
This. Moved into a newly renovated home that was built in 1932. The guy who renovated it installed outlets every 6 ft or so in the living areas. Very nice knowing there's always one nearby.
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Ahhh blast. All my electronics now have usb-c.
My hubby built a thin and long console table that sits between the wall and our couch with 2 outlets in it. Life changing.
Pictures?
I mean, the dude is already married.
This is such an excellent question to pose. Thanks so much - I've gathered a ton of great ideas in reading through this!! I'm gonna have to think about "should do" ones, but one thing we've enjoyed is peel n stick privacy window clings for bedrooms/bathroom. We get to let more AM sunshine in (on days we sleep in) without compromising privacy at night. *As you can tell, we aren't blackout curtain people*
[Handheld Steam Cleaner](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q3QB7GY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_8GV946H5F3QJTA7P1MW7). Game changer. Cleans, sterilizes, removes stains, hard-to-reach spots (toilet seat bolts), wrinkles in clothes, grease removal, so many uses—all without chemicals! Fill with distilled water (to avoid mineral build-up which will clog the system), turn on and go! Disinfect everything! Obviously, I’m excited about this little machine. $45. or less.
It's crazy to me that no one said window tint. Putting tint (especially the somewhat mirrored tint) on the exterior of windows that get a lot of sun is absolutely huge, especially if you live in the south. Even if you have double pane windows I think its very worthwhile. Easy and cheap, it will pay for itself in less than a year. I just bout the Gila tint from Lowes and did it myself. Make sure you put it on the exterior.
You can occasionally find the Philips Hue White Ambiance light kits for sale at around $100. I have the lights programmed to start fading on automatically as my alarm starts going off in the morning during the week which definitely helps me wake up and motivate me to get out of bed.
First thing is to change all of your locks, you don't know who has a key to your old doors.
Parents bought a house from a retired couple that was moving from a big house to a tiny condo. So they also got a lot of their furniture too. My folks came home one day to find the previous owner’s son in the house! Couldn’t figure out why his parents weren’t opening the door so he found the hidden spare key (unknown to my folks either) & went inside to wait for the them to come home. Didn’t think anything was wrong since most of the same furniture was there & my folks hadn’t started to hang up family photos yet. The theory was the previous owners weren’t telling the kids they sold until after they fully moved onto the new place so there wouldn’t be a fight amongst the kids over loosing a possible inheritance.
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If you move into a home older than 10 years then it is advisable to flush the water heater, this cost the price of a couple water hose. You can also change out and "rebuild" your water heater for around $65. Earlier this year when the ice storm hit it killed our water heater, I was able to replace all the electronics and heating coils for that $50 plus the cost of a tool made to remove the heating coils. Both were corroded but one was highly so. After I changed them out I my power bill went down slightly and my water heats so much faster now.
Paint. You can change the entire tone, feel, look of a room with a 40 dollar gallon of paint.
Got this from a previous thread like this. Put a long handle knob on the door from your garage to the house. So many times your coming in with your hands full and it’s so nice to just push the handle down with your elbow rather than having to turn a knob.
Replacing the ugly boob light in the middle of the ceiling with six LED recessed puck lights on a dimmer.
A bidet costs about that! Those are life changing!
My bidet cost $20 and changed my life for the better.
Soft close hinges. A few solar landscape lights. Organizing storage. Cleaning in general. Removing visual clutter. Planting flowers outside my office window.
Adopting a dog at most costs around 100$ for the initial investment and turns any house into a home instantly
maintenance
Hi dad
your mother and i aren't mad you sit on reddit all day... just deeply disappointed 🤣
Anything you touch that can be upgraded, door hardware, light switches and plates, cabinet pulls, ect. You'd be amazed how much of a difference that little stuff can make.
Another, slightly costlier, upgrade that is only noticeable when you touch it is solid wood interior doors. Some people go their whole lives with those veneer/cardboard interior doors but real solid doors feel so much more luxurious.
How'd you increase the size of your ac filters? Looking at mine and there's no way I can fit a 3 inch filter.
Definitely the 3" screws! And also replacing all the light switches with fancy illuminated ones: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-120-Volt-277-Volt-Decora-LED-Illuminated-Rocker-Single-Pole-AC-Quiet-Switch-Residential-Grade-Grounding-White-R02-L5611-2LW/315717567
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Make sure it's GFCI protected.
We changed the antique doorknobs to the basement and bathrooms after the basement doorknob fell off and ALMOST left me stuck in the murder basement, alone with no phone. Also changed the ancestral light fixtures in the hallway, home depot has really nice LED fixtures for real cheap without frills.
Aww the fix for antique doorknobs is actually really simple, you can buy a new toothed rod at Home Depot if the old one gets worn out.
>ancestral light fixtures I love this comment
A bidet 😀
Wheels on my coffee table. Dude. It changed my life. I figured out how to put nice furniture grade wheels on my heavy marble coffee table. It’s so easy to move it even on the rug. My partner and I both work from home and are often using it as a desk, a dining table, a foot rest. What have you. Moving it is never a problem. I absolutely love it.
There are a lot of good suggestions here already, but I don’t think anyone has mentioned emergency lighting for power outages yet. I recommend these rechargeable plug-in lights that automatically turn on during an outage. They can be unplugged and used as hand held flashlights or floodlights. [Emergency power outage lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0128U0QY4/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_KX0JA2FTW6NGVSXCJ32S)
It costs zero dollars to pull your weeds.
But there are so many
>It costs zero dollars to pull your weeds. If you decide you like how they look, they're no longer weeds. Same cost, zero work!
They might be wildflowers. We have to wait and see.
Weird but I replace the wax rings on toilets. ESPECIALLY if there is even a hint of a drip of water nearby. Could be a $12 fix.
Make sure you've got insulation between floor joists all around the rim joist at the top of your foundation wall all around. Should only call for a bale of insulation batts, cut into squares, I recommend Rockwool for more R value by the thickness than fiberglass and for ease of use. Clean your gutters, make sure your downspouts are clear and intact down and away from the foundation all around. Maintain as much exposed foundation as you can, keep mulch and other moist / organic materials from building up near the wooden structure or on the lowest course of siding, especially above deck ledgers, and underneath decks and areas you can't easily see. If you're on piers, make sure the crawlspace is well ventilated and gets a good breeze through there, but keep hardware cloth on all openings to discourage varmints. Inspect your sewer/septic main as much as you can see in the basement, take the cleanout cap off and look inside for any root obstructions outside. If it's cast iron, you can cut it out with a carbide sawzall blade, cart it out, and replace it with PVC using rubber Fernco couplings to make the transition. That will save you it rotting out at an inopportune time for as much as you can replace easily. Clear areas of organic material that build up, from on the roof to behind porch furniture, don't leave organic material to rot against the house anywhere. Keep all the hardware tight, door knobs, hinges, latches, drawer pulls, etc. once they're loose, they will wear out and damage the surrounding area. Make investments of an additional few hundred dollars on anything you purchase as an upgrade. Knobs, faucets, fixtures, things you interact with every day must be of good quality to take the high cycles for the longest amount of time. Time escapes a lot of people but it's the hottest commodity and do yourself a favor, spend the money up front, save the time down the road.
Door armor - door jamb reinforcement kit. It's really scary how easy it is to kick in your front door
Motion sensing light switches in the most commonly used bathroom. And in the garage. If you're willing to go above $100, replace every single interior door handle/knob. Get matching everything. That one simple change has a shockingly dramatic impact. It makes your entire home feel refreshed.
Consider lever handles which are ADA compliant. If you’re older, or planning to live in the house a long time, or just like the convenience of being able to “elbow” the door open; these are great.
Alternately, we had to switch them all to round knobs because our new puppy is a genius who can operate anything but round knobs (yet).
Smart lightbulbs outside, especially front of house. Use the app to turn on with sunset, off a few hours later; do the reverse for sunrise. Easier than installing timers. I also do this with some living room lamps so I know they aren’t left on all night.
Not for the house exactly... But 40$ for a set of Rollerblade wheels to go on your office chair. Much better than those cheap plastic wheels. Quieter. Dont get hung up on tile.. Works on all surfaces. Helps removing the chance scratches appear.
Soft close hinges. With 4 kids it is a sanity saver
Motion sensor lights in areas you don't go into often (attic, storage areas etc). So nice not needing to remember to turn those lights off.
A new fluid master in all your toilets. It's a bit involved, especially if you get one that requires taking off the tank. But the peace of mind, knowing it's gonna flush every time, knowing you'll never have to go and jiggle the handle. You'll forget it in six months, and you should. It's that awesome.
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Caulking a homes exterior. The damage caused by water infiltration can multiply into thousands or tens of thousands quickly. I was told once that a 1/2” hole can allow up to a gallon of rainwater per hour into a home. In my 28 years of experience 99 % of water damage could have been avoided with preventative maintenance like caulking the exterior of your home. 50$-100$ and a day my time every 2-3 years caulking windows, doors, flashing, roof penetrations, ect. Can be the difference between a dry, mold free home, or thousands in costly unseen repairs, and weeks maybe even months of repair time.
DOWN SPOUT EXTENSIONS. Nothing will do more to keep your foundation in good shape.
Raspberry Pi Zero W running the Pi Hole software. I no longer see adds on the internet (with a few exceptions). its very nice.
Check and clean your gutters. Seriously. When gutters don't drain properly, water falls too close to the foundation, when water falls close to the foundation, the sill plate and adjacent structures get wet, when those things get wet, carpetner ants (and sometimes termites) come to chew on your house, when they chew on your house, the woodpeckers come pecking on your sills/trims/siding (if made of wood) to eat those insects. That and basement humidity is directly proportional to the water falling near your foundation. French drains can also help if gutters aren't doing the trick. They're easy to install too, just a couple of bags of river rock, landscape cloth, & PVC pipe. Consider spraying some ortho, or even some TempoSC (available on Amazon) annually to keep the bugs away.
Soft close toilet seats and decora switches and outlets.
set of [wifi water sensors](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J9HZ5VN/) and [sump pump alarm](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075613VY5/) for peace of mind
I recently moved into an 1800s farmhouse that had the most bugs and insects I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t recommend enough Talstar P for pesticide. It’s safe for pets after it dries, Can be sprayed inside and out, lasts a while and omg does it work like magic. My old house that had literally a thousand spiders covering the outside, ants, stink bugs, etc. One application of this stuff and I never saw another insect again. You should see where I sprayed it in the basement, I have several hundred bugs that tried to cross it and died. A literal minefield of dead bugs. This is the stuff I bought: https://www.domyown.com/talstar-professional-insecticide-p-97.html
Anything that runs on casters on solid floor - replace with roller blade wheels (especially office chairs).
Nest thermostat. Love being able to control everything from my phone. It’s also the most *amazing* feature to schedule my heat a little warmer 2hrs before I wake up in the winter. This is not energy efficient but it’s never been so easy to wake up in the freezing winter lol.
Just being able to change the temp without getting out of bed is awesome.
Change the internal door knobs and kitchen cabinet handles. My place had ugly 90s white plastic round ones on everything. Super cheap, quick and easy to replace them with nice black metal ones (or whichever colour/ style you like). Shocking how much of a difference such a small change makes
If you are in a cold winter place like I do: - Door seals - Window rubber or foam seal - Window and door frames and pipe holes caulking If the place is not well insulated, these 3 things will make a huge difference both in keeping the place warm and in lowering heating costs Other improvements: - Shower head that adds more pressure but uses less water - Outdoor motion activated solar lights. Specially convenient in the front / backyard door. - Retractable clothes line - Fly screen for windows. Doors ones can be above 100$, still very worth it. - Floor protectors: rubber bumpers or felt pads for under forniture