Has the time come to make some upgrades to your home? Are you fed up with having to hand wash and need a dishwasher? Or have you been going to your local laundry centre and using a Speed Queen and different Speed Queen parts? Maybe you are looking at your bedroom and think it could do with a refresh or that your bathroom needs a complete overhaul – there are so many different upgrades you can make to your home.
No matter your budget, however big or small it may be, there are always some changes that you can make to your home to upgrade it. Rugs, artwork and plants can quickly change the dynamic of a space, whereas replacing furniture can make a quick change, but it’s more expensive. Either way, we are sure you can upgrade your home to a certain extent.
To help give you some inspiration, we have put together our guide on eight ways to upgrade your home. From affordable to expensive, we tried to include a variety of methods, to give everyone an option.
Affordable Upgrades You Can Make to Your Home
Artwork on the Wall
It’s affordable, effective and adds a touch of your personality! One of the quickest ways to upgrade your home is to install artwork onto your walls. You can hang pictures on the wall to reduce any large blank spaces, whilst using that artwork to add some colour into the room. Visit your local DIY shop to see what pieces of artwork they have, or head on over to Pinterest for some inspiration. If you enjoy taking your own photos, you can get some of these printed out and hung up, for you to look at each day and feel proud of what you have taken. There are plenty of online stores that can print your photo in sizes as large as A1 or even bigger.
Rugs on the Floor
Another option that is very affordable is to buy a few rugs and place them around your home. You can use a rug in your dining room, under the dining room table. You can use a rug in your living room under your coffee table, or a rug in your bedroom, under your bed. No matter the room size, they come in all shapes and sizes, helping you find one that matches the style of the room you currently have. You can also move them around throughout the year, constantly changing the feel of each room in your property. By moving them around, you will also find they last longer.
Lighting Throughout Your Home
Lighting can be used in any room of your home and instantly change the feel of a room. You can use floor lamps to brighten up the corner of a room, table lamps to light up your bedroom or a wall lamp to highlight an important part of your wall in your living room (for example, over a nice piece of artwork that you have hung). A lot of lights can be connected to your smart devices such as Alexa or Google Home, meaning you can speak to them to turn them on when you get in.
Medium Upgrades You Can Make to Your Home
Change the Flooring
We mentioned using a rug to change your flooring above, but another option which is more expensive is to change your flooring in a room completely. Depending on your budget, you could change a carpeted room with laminate flooring or marble flooring. Alternatively, you could replace the carpet with a different colour or style. All the different types of flooring you can get will have different USP’s, so make sure you do your research on which is best for you, if you go down this route.
New Furniture
Picking new furniture is great fun! There is so much enjoyment when going down to your local furniture shop and trying out new sofas, laying in the different beds, picking a dining table or new furniture pieces for your bedroom. There are so many different pieces of furniture that you can buy or replace, so our advice would be to replace the oldest and continue to do so, throughout the year. If you are trying to save some money, one of the best things to do is browse your local marketplaces, such as Facebook Marketplace or eBay. More often than not, you will find a variety of bargains that you can take advantage of. Stores like Ikea are also good to look at as the furniture is often more affordable and you can visit their store to see it in real life.
Upgrade Your Tech
You can always upgrade the technology in your house. Technology is always being updated with new TVs being released, new phones, new game consoles, smart technologies and more, yearly. Take a walk through your property and take note of anything that could be replaced. Then visit your local gadget shop and see if there are any gadgets that you can use to replace what you already have. You’ll be amazed at the number of technology pieces out there that you never knew existed. A few examples of useful technology in your home include a smart thermostat, a security camera on your front door (ring doorbells are good for this) tv which doubles up as a piece of art or a smart assistant such as Alexa, Siri or Google Home.
Expensive Upgrades You Can Make to Your Home
Redesign Your Kitchen
When was the last time you upgraded your kitchen? Have you changed it since you moved in? A lot of people leave their kitchen as the last upgrade as it can be more expensive, however upgrading is well worth it. Over the years, there have been many new designs becoming available for your kitchen with new technologies being released. Wine fridges are more common and so are surfaces which you can cut directly onto. If a new kitchen is something you are considering, the best thing you can do is get a couple of kitchen experts to provide you with a quote.
Extend Your Home
A big change that a lot of people consider is extending their home. Depending on the type of property you live in, you could build into your attic to add another room or extend the back of your garden and add a conservatory. If you have a garage, this is also a way you can extend your property, whilst also adding value. Of course, an extension can have a large price tag but when complete, it adds a completely new function to your home. Your new space could be for your children to enjoy, a games room for you to enjoy, an office for you to work in or an additional bedroom, should you require one. You could always try the room as one thing, then in the future change it, if you find you need other uses for it.
Install a New Bathroom
There are so many changes you can make to your bathroom to update it. For one, if you don’t have a bath, having one installed can make a big difference. You can also have new tiles for a different feel or change the flooring to add colour or a new dynamic. A lot of people like to go down the route of having a shower cubicle and a bath, although this is dependent on space. When having a new bathroom, always get multiple quotes to ensure you get the best price possible. Hiring someone who can give you an animation of your bathroom can also help as they bring the room to life.
Buy a Hot Tub
A hot tub is a very premium purchase, however, it will be an instant hit with your friends & family members and you will love it as well. There are many different shapes and sizes of hot tubs, helping them fit into the smallest of spaces. They are also more affordable than a lot of people expect (even though they are more pricey compared to other options). If you are considering a hot tub, the best thing to do is visit your local hot tub store as they will be able to assist you in getting the best one for you.
We hope we have given you some inspiration on upgrades you can make to your home. As mentioned above we have tried to cover a variety of price points, in order to give you some affordable and more expensive changes that you could make. Some changes you can make this week, others may need some planning and an expert to come in.
What changes will you be making to your home and why will you be making them? Will you be making any changes from the above guide and do you think we are missing anything in our article that you think we should add? Let us know in the comment box below, we look forward to hearing from you.
