After living in your home for a while, there may be some wear and tear in certain areas and your preferences in themes, colors, and general ambiance may have changed. There are likely many changes, both practical and cosmetic, that could benefit your home. It’s advisable to make changes and upgrades to your home periodically for a better resale value, anyway.
So, why not enjoy your home at its best by upgrading now? Some projects need professional skills, but there are several small upgrades you can do by yourself. Are you contemplating making some changes around your home? Below are some important improvements you should consider.
Upgrade to a heat pump.
Being comfortable in your own home is a must. When it comes to finding the best option for a heating source and the best option for your air conditioning needs, you want to find something that is cost-effective and, ideally, something that could take advantage of a natural resource. The answer? Install a heat pump. Heat pumps are an energy-efficient alternative to air conditioners and furnaces. Considering the environmental impacts as well as the financial incentives in home value that energy efficiency brings, it quickly becomes clear that installing a heat pump is a better way to heat and cool your home.
Unlike a traditional furnace and air conditioner unit, heat pumps work through heat exchange. The heat pump uses either an air source for heat or pulls heat from the ground to provide heat to the indoor air. The process reverses to provide air conditioner quality cool air when needed. The unit consists of an outdoor unit (a compressor) and various indoor units (air ducts) to keep the indoor air at optimal temperature. Considering that a heat pump is a device that allows the transfer of heat from one place to another, Griffith Energy Service Inc offers this simple heating and a cooling option to their clients concerned about the impacts of climate change.
One of the unique features of a heat pump is the thermostat expansion valve. This valve continuously adjusts the flow of the refrigerant depending on the outside air temperature. Basically, enough refrigerant is circulated to increase or lower temperature in the house. Contact Griffith Energy Service Inc to request service to see if a heat pump would be the best way to avoid using natural gas, oil, and more than generally may just unnecessarily waste heat and burn fuel.
Upgrade your kitchen.
The kitchen tends to be the focal point of the home. It’s where we come together, where we bond, and where we replenish our bodies. When upgrading the house, making sure the kitchen is efficient and attractive should be one of your first priorities. Especially when considering that a 2018 article from Forbes notes that updating your kitchen will give you the “greatest return on your investment.”
Updating kitchen appliances like the stove, microwave, refrigerator, and dishwasher for energy-efficient alternatives that, ideally, match and go with the décor is a great first step. Another thing to consider is redoing the floors, counters, or adding a backsplash. You can also upgrade the pantry and kitchen cabinets to be more decorative and easier for storing dry foods such as almonds, grains, legumes, cereals, and sugar. If you’ve chosen to follow a vegan diet, an energy-efficient refrigerator and freezer is an upgrade you must consider for keeping your fruits, veggies, tofu, soy products, substitutes for dairy products such as soy yogurt or soy ice cream, vegan cheeses, and the like at ideal temperatures for freshness.
Sure, going vegan tends to get you a far healthier diet, but transitioning to a vegan lifestyle is far from easy. It tends to be easier for everyone to gradually adopt a vegan diet with fewer animal products (especially less meat) and more soy, legumes, and tofu. Whether it’s compassion for animal welfare and the environment, or a desire to reap the benefits of a vegan lifestyle such as weight loss, you need to adopt a vegan lifestyle at your own pace. Once you do your research, you’ll be surprised how many everyday foods and items contain animal products and are going to be off-limits when following a vegan lifestyle.
Bonus tip: before heading to the grocery store for a vegan diet, make sure you’ve done plenty of research regarding how to get enough protein and nutrients following a vegan diet. Also, be sure to research snacks that are vegan-friendly to help you cope with the transition at your own pace.
Take on a project that can be finished in a single day.
A house with cracked paint or old yellowing light fixtures is as unappealing as it sounds. Something as simple as fresh paint or updating light fixtures can restore your home to the glory it once had. Indoors, repainting can drastically change the look and overall feel of any room in addition to bringing texture and helping you see the room in a new way.
Get a new chandelier that completes a room, repaint, or spend the day fixing up the front yard with some gardening to increase your curb appeal. The important thing is to find a viable option to upgrade your home.
