4 Important Additions Every New Home Builder Should Consider

Whether your building your dream home from the ground up or looking to do some tweaks on your existing home, there’s always the question of what to include and what to leave out. When it comes to homes, every square metre and addition equals money, so it’s important to consider carefully what’s worth the investment of time and money you’re going to put in, and what is just a money drain. While we all might dream of putting in that pool or fancy home office, the fact is that those simply aren’t the essentials we need for a good home. Here we look at 4 additions to a home that can really add value to the home and to the quality of life for those who live in it.

Secure Doors and Windows

While you may be considering primarily design aspects or cost when you choose your doors and windows, the reality is that secure doors and windows can be much more valuable to the homeowner in the long run. Custom security screens are an addition that can allow you to make your home more safe and secure while retaining your existing doors and windows, so they offer more flexibility in terms of design.

Some people may have the privilege of not having to worry about secure windows and doors. But the reality for most of us is that securing windows and doors provides the added security and a deterrent against break ins that could lead to damage and loss of property – something that every new homeowner wants to avoid.

Insulation

You may not have considered the value of insulation, but the reality is that insulation is a generally inexpensive addition for the value that it provides to a home. Insulation helps to preserve warm or cool air in a home, making heating and cooling costs less. Homes that lack insulation and having plenty of old windows and doors that allow heat or cold in are seen as unattractive to buyers because of the costs required to heat or cool the home. When a home has been upgraded with energy efficiency in mind, it costs less to live in and maintain, and this is a strong point for you or anyone else who is going to live in your home.

It doesn’t cost much to caulk the windows or to apply weatherstripping to windows or doors, but it can make a big difference in savings on your heating or cooling bills. Insulation in the walls and the roof also costs very little, and yet can save 10 times the amount that it costs in electricity bills.

Modern Kitchen

Whether you plan to live in the house or you’d like to sell it in the future, a modern kitchen is an attractive and worthwhile feature in any home. Often seen as the heart of the home, a kitchen can double as a cooking area and an eating/family area, so it can be worthwhile investing in the kitchen, especially if other space in the home is limited.

The other advantage of having a modern kitchen is that you can upgrade the appliances to be energy efficient, so they use less electricity and save you money on your power bill. This is especially important for the refrigerator, which sucks a massive 20% of household energy for its use every day.

Bathroom

Another addition that’s almost always worthwhile is the inclusion of another bathroom or powder room in the home. Many older homes are sadly deficient on bathrooms, and in terms of adding new rooms, a bathroom can be the most obvious and most useful choice to make. Adding a bathroom adds value to your home too and you’re likely to get back more than what you invest in it.

If space is tight, think of where you can squeeze a bathroom in, such as under the stairs or in the place of closets, or see if there are underutilised rooms that could be converted.

With these 4 additions to your home, you are certain to add value both in monetary terms and in quality of life for a better home environment.