Your home is your castle. It is your refuge from the rest of the world. It should be a place you love, a place that you feel totally comfortable in.
A big element of that is the personal touches. There are many ways to invest in your home to make it truly your own, from upgrading windows to getting creative with landscaping.
These elements not only make your home more personal, but it can also just make it a more pleasant place to live. Those who take pride in their homes and see their personality in their homes are going to be more motivated to take good care of their houses. With almost half (47%) of couples arguing about cleaning when they live together, finding the motivation to care for your home is vitality important to your happiness.
Check out these seven tips for how you can invest in your home to make it truly personal to you.
1. Be Creative with Your Garden
We are starting with the outside of the home! The garden is a great place to play around and really let loose. There are no rules when it comes to your personal garden, so why not try something different?
A garden can encompass so much more than just plants. Sure, you can include trees, shrubbery, flowers, and all the rest, but you can also think about pathways and lighting when you are designing your perfect home garden. An attractive and well-lit pathway can make your backyard more charming and more accessible.
The garden is a great place to start to invest in your home. There is low-risk with a garden. You can really get creative and just see what happens by adding different plants and types of lighting, among other things. You might even build a patio to enjoy that garden from or look into lawn ornamentation such as statues.
If you need some inspiration, try visiting a local floral boutique. There, you can get an idea of what is in season, what will do well in your garden’s environment and what might take a bit more care and attention. You could speak with a florist to get ideas about how to care for plants and design your garden starting from those suggestions.
If you’re looking for a more functional garden, you could invest in fruits and vegetables instead. Both are relatively easy to grow. Look up which plants are in season near you to figure out where to start.
A fruit and vegetable garden is a great way to invest in your home. It is a low-cost investment, first of all, and also a low-risk investment. If the plants don’t quite work out, no harm, no foul. You can always start new plants when the seasons change.
However, if your garden is successful you can enjoy the (literal) fruits of your labor. There is nothing quite like eating and cooking with food from your own backyard. See what thrives in your backyard. It might even give you some new recipe and meal ideas.
2. Add Art to Your Home
A garden is a simple way to invest in your home. For those with grander ambitions, you might look into starting a fine art collection in your house.
This is, obviously, a much larger investment. Fine art comes at a higher price than a strawberry plant starter, but it is a long-term investment. Your garden will come and go with the seasons, but an art collection is something that will stay in your home for as long as you do. It can be a major point of pride and something you can display to visitors to your home.
If you want to add art to your home, figure out which style suits your aesthetic. Remember that when you invest in your home you are really investing in yourself, so you should figure out what appeals to your tastes.
Maybe contemporary art is particularly interesting to you. Or perhaps you enjoy the classics more. Whatever the answer is, it should be deeply personal. Your art collection should reflect you as a person, otherwise why invest in your home in this way?
Also spare a thought for how you want to display the art. Do you have a room dedicated to art? Or perhaps it is better suited to being displayed throughout your home. Do you need lighting for the pieces or any kind of special protection so they are not damaged? Is there a window letting natural light in that could fade paintings?
These are all important considerations when making such a large investment, so think about them before you commit to adding art to your home.
3. Expand Your Kitchen Collection
A kitchen is a great space to explore. You can go the simple route and add just a few cost-effective things, or, if you have the means, you can really go big and redesign your entire kitchen in order to make it more personal to you.
If you choose to invest in your home this way, first consider what you use your kitchen for the most. Maybe it is just a place where you gather for meals. Not everyone is a chef or has ambitions to be the world’s greatest home cook. That’s OK! Simple improvements and upgrades can still make your kitchen feel a lot more comfortable and personal.
If you are more ambitious, the kitchen can be a place where you really invest in your home to make it very personal to you. You might even check out a restaurant equipment company for some specialized types of devices and appliances that you simply can’t get most places.
Those for whom cooking and food are a passion can get a lot of benefit out of investing in their kitchen. If this is a place where you plan to spend a lot of time, it is worth it for your happiness, in the long run, to make the ideal kitchen for your needs.
4. Start a Wine or Spirits Collection
A piece that is related to the kitchen is the wine or spirits collection. A wine or spirits collection can be a talking piece in your home. You might even consider building a wine cellar if you are really serious about your wine and how it is stored.
A wine and spirits collection is a great way to display your personal tastes and welcome guests to your home. Alcohol is deeply personal. Everyone has their own, often strong, opinions on what they like best. You can put this on full display with a wine cellar or simply a nice display for wine or spirits.
Even a decent whiskey cabinet can be a great way to invest in your home. You might place it near the kitchen or in another area where guests tend to congregate. It can be a conversation piece when people visit.
More importantly, when you are home on your own, you can retreat to your wine or spirits collection to indulge in something personal. If you invest in your home in this way, you should stick to picking the wine and spirits you like best. Don’t worry about others’ tastes! This collection is for you first and foremost.
A decent set of glasses and cups can be a nice compliment to this investment in your home. It’s one thing to admire the wine and spirits, but most of us will want to also try the alcohol. Invest in some glasses specialized for the type of wine or spirits you like best and keep them near your alcohol and ready to be put into action for yourself and your guests.
5. Upgrade Your Roof
Here’s one you might not have thought of: Upgrade your roof.
The roof is one of the first things people see when they arrive at your home. It is also vital to the structure and health of the home itself. When you invest in your home roof, you are really investing in the entire home.
You don’t need to settle for whatever roof you had when you first bought or built the home. These days, there are a lot of interesting and different options available when it comes to roofing. You can contact a roofing contractor to see what kinds of options are available in your area.
What kind of roof you get depends a lot on where you live and what your budget is. Some people these days invest in their homes by getting solar panels on their roofs. This is a long-term investment. The upfront cost can be quite high, but the long-term payout of solar energy should eventually turn this into a massive benefit for your home.
There are other types of roofs available as well. Traditional shingles are not the only way to go anymore. Some people are even doing “green” roofs, which are literally covered partly or entirely in plants and grass that can help stabilize temperature while making your roof and home more eco-friendly.
6. Check Out the Windows
While you are thinking about your roof, why not spare a thought for your windows as well. One of the best ways to invest in your home is by making sure things like roofs, doors and windows are all upgraded and working well. These are places where heat and cold can escape, and moisture can sneak in, so they are good places to look at when you are thinking about upgrades.
You may want to figure out who the best window manufacturers in your area are before investing in new windows of any sort. The internet can provide a lot of helpful recommendations that are specific to where you live and what kind of climate and weather you experience.
Even if you aren’t replacing the windows, however, you could invest in your home simply by making sure drafts and damage are repaired. You wouldn’t want to lose money via your heating bill simply because of a draft window you never took the time to notice. Sealing up leaks keeps your home healthy and saves you a ton of money.
However, windows are also a place where you can add a splash of personality as you invest in your home. You can personalize things like shutters and drapes to make your home reflect your personality. Don’t be afraid of bold designs and bright colors! It is your home. You should make it look how you want.
7. Make Sure Routine Repairs Are Up to Date
Finally, and on a less exciting note, make sure routine repairs are up to date all throughout your home. This sounds boring, but it is vital. You can invest in your home all you want, but if it is in poor repair then all of those fancy upgrades, beautiful new garden plants and stunning pieces of art won’t matter.
We mentioned windows and roofs above. One key with those areas is preventing moisture penetration. When moisture penetrates your home, it can cause some aches and pains you’ll still be feeling later. Water that damages the structure of the home can cause lasting damage that can be expensive to repair. Invest in your home now to prevent this damage and you will keep your home healthy in the long run.
Another great place to look is things like the driveway and garage. These are constantly exposed to the elements and take a good beating because of that. A fresh coat of paint on the garage door can go a long way, as can some new gravel on the driveway.
Finally, think about things like the electric and plumbing when you are considering how best to invest in your home. These vital components wear down over time like anything else in your home. You should get on top of problems the moment you notice them.
If you aren’t sure where to start, try looking up plumbing and electrical engineering services in your area to find contractors who can help you with any issues you suspect. It is worth it to invest in your home plumbing and electrical systems. When something goes wrong with these, it can pose a major disruption to your life and happiness.
