Congratulations! You’re officially moved in to your new home. With any new home, there are going to be changes that need to be made. Even if you bought your dream home, you’re going to have to do a little home renovation for it to be just how you want it. But don’t be discouraged! This is good news. New home upgrades are exciting! This means you have an opportunity to decorate and restyle your house however you want it. Turn your house into a home with some personalized new home upgrades.
Chances are, the home you bought isn’t in perfect condition. Even the nice homes need work, but maybe you bought a bit of a fixer-upper. Here we’ll assume the worst-case scenario and prepare you for all the potential new home upgrades you may need to make, all the way from residential roofing services to the lighting fixtures in your kitchen. A surprising 35% of remodeling jobs involved the whole home, so for that reason, we’re going to cover any and all potential new home upgrades you may need to do.
Roofing
Chances are, the roof for the house you purchased is likely in good shape. If it wasn’t, you’re dealing with a fixer-upper house. That’s not a problem! Fixing a roof is no issue for the handy-man you are or for the contractors you hire. The first thing you’ll need to decide is whether you’re going to do it yourself or hire contractors. This may depend on how much work needs to be done. If all you need to do is replace a few shingles in a couple of small problem areas, there may not be any need to call in professionals. However, if you’re looking at a total roof replacement, it may be best to hire roofing contractors.
If you’re doing it yourself, just be careful while you’re up there. Replacing a few roof tiles can be relatively simple as long as you know how to stay safe at such a height. Your roof is incredibly important for the structure of your home. For this reason, you won’t want to make any costly mistakes. Make sure you’ve done your research before you attempt to fix your roof. The added danger of being so high up may not be worth the risk.
Gutters, Siding, and More
While you’re up on the roof, you’ll want to make sure the gutters are in-tact and emptied. Should any of the gutters be missing, you’ll want to get that fixed right away. This is another task that’s relatively simple so long as you know what you’re doing and how to stay safe on a ladder. Additionally, clearing out the gutters is a good thing to do once you first move in so you can get an idea of how quickly they fill, what sort of debris you may see in there, and allow for runoff to flow as smoothly as possible without any blockage.
Damages to your gutters can cause leaks and additional damage to the rest of the house. For this reason, checking and cleaning them is a good first step. Additionally, this will let you know if one of your new home upgrades will be replacing or fixing your gutters. You wouldn’t want to go into the fall season without knowing whether they are functioning properly or not.
Similarly, how is the siding of the house holding up? This may not be an issue if the house you bought is in good shape. Typically you won’t see damaged siding on a house unless it really needs work. However, it’s possible that you may be unhappy with discoloration or other stains or wear from the weather. Perhaps your new home upgrades include redoing the siding altogether to better fit your aesthetic for the home. Either way, a simple check over the siding is a good idea. This is an area where checking what your home insurance plan covers will be beneficial. Certain damages due to weather are often covered. This could help save you some money while you focus on other projects you want to have done.
While you’re dealing with the appearance of the home, consider your entry doors as well. Is the front door of the home exactly how you want it? When was the last time it was replaced? A big way you can save money on your home is by making sure your windows and doors are properly sealed and fit the way they should. This is because about a third of your home’s heating and cooling will leak through cracks in your windows and doors. For this reason, replacing your front door may be less of an aesthetic reason, but a necessary part of your new home upgrades.
Landscaping
While we’re talking about the curb appeal of the home, you’ll want to consider your landscaping as well. Chances are, some landscape work was done prior to you buying the home. This is because most realtors suggest it be done to help ensure the purchase from a new buyer. As a result, you may need to consider landscape pest maintenance if what is already there has gone uncared for. Its likely critters could have made a home in the recently planted shrubs that have since gone unattended. If you’d like to keep these critters from entering your home or worsening the growth of new landscaping, consider calling an exterminator to remove the pests. Similarly, this is something you could do yourself, as well.
Consider also that you may want some privacy for your new home. Your new home upgrades may include a fence to keep unwelcome visitors from coming on your property or maybe even to serve as a subtle noise barrier from nearby traffic. Perhaps you have children and this fencing could be used as a way to child-proof your yard from potential hazards like previously mentioned oncoming traffic. It may also help protect any additional landscaping from bigger critters.
It may also serve to your advantage to familiarize yourself with the boundaries of your property. For example, should there be trees or shrubs that you like or dislike, knowing whether they’re on your property could be established through bordering a fence. Installing a fence could be a fun family activity for all to participate in or could be an easy project for contractors to do. Whatever you decide, fencing is a project worth considering for your new home upgrades.
Inside the Home
Once you get inside, the opportunity for more of the fun, personalized projects becomes abundant. From the flooring, wall color, lighting, and furniture, there is a lot to cover.
Let’s start with the kitchen, as for many, this is one of the most important rooms in the home. For your new home upgrades, you may want to consider altering the cabinetry or countertops. For the cabinetry, a simple coat of paint can do a lot to change the mood of the kitchen. Perhaps removing the doors and creating a section of shelves is more your style. Whatever it may be, allow yourself the freedom to create a space that’s perfectly yours.
In a fixer-upper home, it’s likely you will need appliance repair minimally, if not replacements altogether. Maybe you bought a home that doesn’t have a dishwasher or the kind of stove you want. A common appliance that gets replaced is the refrigerator. Is the one you have too small? Or is it just you and your spouse and you’re looking to downsize? You want the appliances that are going to be best for you. Be sure to confirm whatever decision you make before purchasing anything as kitchen appliances are not necessarily cheap.
When it comes to the wall color, a coat of paint is fairly cheap. In this case, feel free to experiment all you want. If you don’t like something, painting over it is easy and can even be enjoyable for many. When it comes to colors, don’t take things too seriously, because you can always change it later. This is, however, an area where your personal touch can shine through. If you want to make a statement in the home, the wall color is a great place to do so.
Similarly, is the furniture. Are you going for comfort? Style? Or both? This is an area where you’ll want to think things through a bit, unlike the wall color. Furniture can be a bit more expensive so you’ll want to be sure before you purchase something new. That said, statement pieces are possible here as well.
One of the things you’ll want to check when you move in is how your heating and cooling is functioning. This will be especially important depending on the season you move in. Should you be moving in the fall and your heating doesn’t seem to work, you’ll want to call a heating contractor right away. You wouldn’t want to go the winter without heat. New home upgrades often include the bare bones of the home, like the heating and plumbing, especially if the house you purchased is more of a fixer-upper.
Chances are, when you bought the home, the heating, plumbing, and likely the electric was in good condition. However, just because that was the case when you bought the house doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check once you’ve moved in. Things can change in the time it takes to actually move. This is true for water heaters, too. It’s always a good idea to check and be sure when you first move in. A surprise cold shower is never fun. Similarly with your electric, perhaps once you’ve moved in you realize certain outlets aren’t working the way they should. All of these things are important to check when you first move in so you know whether or not they will be part of your new home upgrades.
The Backyard
Don’t forget the backyard, either. For instance, perhaps you bought a house with a pool already installed. Once you move in, you’re going to need to do an intensive pool cleaning. This is important not only for the pool itself, but you’re not going to want to swim in a dirty pool.
Even if you’re not opening the pool for the summer, you’re still ging to want to clean it. You may not know how long it has been sitting there collecting and growing algae, and a good clean will help you when it is finally time to open. Not only that, but this will keep the pool in better shape if it’s cleaner in the off-season. Especially if twigs and leaves have fallen from nearby trees or other various debris. These things can damage the lining and clog the filters. If that happens, it’ll result in much more intensive new home upgrades to get the pool up and running again or even to just get rid of it.
Consider also if there is a deck or patio in the back yard. What about a fire pit? These kinds of new home upgrades can be incredibly valuable. Whether it be in actual return value or in the value that comes through quality time with the family, having a deck or patio to sit outside and enjoy is a big plus for a home. This is especially true if you’re able to sit outside and enjoy a bonfire with friends and/or family.
There is a lot to consider when it comes to new home upgrades. There are dozens of projects you can do that aren’t listed here, and even more that are. It will all come down to what you value in a home, what work simply needs to be done, and where you want to let your decorative flare loose. When it comes to actually getting the work done, make sure you’ve made a plan. You’ll want to be careful how much you budget for renovations. Don’t try to do to everything at once. You’ll need to plan out how much you’re going to spend, where to spend it, and then how to actually get it done. Doing things yourself is a great way to help eliminate some of the costs, however, this will mean more of your own time and energy will be spent. Make sure you’ve considered all the tradeoffs before jumping into a project for your new home.
