Home Improvement Checklist: Which Projects Pay Off in Terms of Beauty, Comfort, and Home Value?

A pleasant-looking home is always an asset to any neighborhood. As a homeowner, one of your primary responsibilities is to enhance and maintain the look of your property. By doing so, you will not only have the chance to improve your interior comfort, but your overall home value as well. Investing in home improvement projects is the best way to boost your home’s condition. From interior to exterior upgrades, you can do a lot to freshen up your home and take your design to the next level.

Whether your project is as simple as fixing damaged fixtures or as extensive as getting a new room addition, remodeling your home can be a rewarding experience in terms of beauty, comfort and value.

The money you decide to spend on your remodels will be a long-term investment in the enjoyment of your home. Let’s take a closer look at some of the interior and exterior projects you should consider.

Interior Home Upgrades

Indoor home improvements are truly beneficial for any homeowner, not just because they can impact on the way you live, but also because they offer the biggest bang for your buck in terms of value, beauty and comfort. Regardless of how long you plan on staying in your home, it’s essential to know which indoor upgrades will provide a healthy return on investment. Two projects stand out according to various studies: bathroom and kitchen remodeling.

1. Bathroom Remodeling

Your home’s bathroom should feel like a sanctuary. No longer considered merely a utilitarian space, many view bathrooms as a place where they can relax before going to work or where they can unwind after a long day. If this doesn’t sound like your own bathroom, maybe it’s time to plan for an upgrade. Even the smallest modifications can breathe new life into your space, after all. Whether you want to add storage or enhance its appearance and efficiency, investing in bathroom remodeling provides countless benefits for you and your family.

As one of the most important parts of your home, you need to make sure it is up-to-date with the latest and most innovative features. To make this a reality, you may consider tackling various updates, such as:

Cabinet Refacing – As its name suggests, cabinet refacing involves giving your bathroom cabinets a new “face” by overhauling all visible portions, like its doors and drawer fronts. As it replaces all exposed areas of a cabinet, refacing makes it look like you got new ones without actually doing so. While this project is an affordable way to give your bathroom cabinets a fresh look, it doesn’t mean you have to compromise style to enjoy savings. Traditional wood veneers are a standard option, but refacing materials in various patterns, colors and textures are also available for you to take advantage of.

• Rigid thermofoil – The least expensive veneer you can choose, rigid thermofoil doors are composed of a PCVC film bonded to fiberboard. These doors can be made to look like real wood.

• Laminate – Laminates feature a protective layer that makes them water-resistant. They come in numerous colors and patterns to make matching your home’s design elements easier.

• Real wood – Real wood veneers offer unmatched classic appeal. Gorgeous as they may look, however, these are the most expensive of your options for cabinet refacing installation. Real wood veneers are available in various colors, such as maple, ash, birch and oak.

Shower Conversion – In today’s fast-paced, modern lifestyle, we often need something more practical in our bathroom, such as a shower unit. When space is at a premium in your bath, all you need to do is convert your tub into a shower. Shower conversion is a complex upgrade, as it involves accurate measurements to make sure that everything is up to code without compromising flow of movement in your space. The ideal measurements for a tub-to-shower conversion are:

• Depth: Min. 32 to 34 inches (from tile wall to shower door)

• Ceiling Height: Min. 80 inches

• Shower Stall Floor Area: 30 by 30 inches (not including shower bench)

• Toilet Location: 15 to 18 inches between toilet center and shower door

• Toilet-to-Wall Distance: Min. 21 inches; Recommended – 30 inches

Before making any necessary modifications, though, be sure to check your local building codes for the minimum requirements.

Walk-In Tubs – Have trouble walking because of old age or a serious injury? Walk-in tubs offer the best solution to have a stress-free bathing experience. Designed with swinging doors, they allow you to get in without hassle—a feature persons with mobility issues can benefit a lot from. Walk-in tubs also have seats set at a comfortable height, letting you to get back up easily once you’re done. They can also come with anti-slip flooring and handrails for improved safety.

2. Kitchen Remodeling

Along with the bathroom, your kitchen is arguably the most essential room in your home. Not only is kitchen a utilitarian space, it’s also a place where families and friends gather to bond over cooking or preparing a meal.

Each of us has different needs and wants when it comes to achieving our dream kitchen. Whatever kitchen theme you want, the following updates can be incorporated into almost any design, helping ramp up the things you love about your space:

Countertops Installation — Whether granite, quartz, marble, stainless steel, concrete, or laminate, modern countertops  typically feature a smooth surface that works seamlessly together with your cabinetry, wall, flooring or appliances.

Flooring Makeover — Your best bet is to keep your kitchen floor plan simple. If you want to take advantage of patterns, however, it’s best you stick with neutral blocks of color. In addition, be sure to choose a material that is slip-resistant to avoid accidents when using the space. Your top choices are vinyl, cork, laminate, and rubber flooring.

Lighting Upgrade — See your kitchen in a whole new light (literally) by changing lighting fixtures. Do away with decades-old ceiling lamps which not only look outdated but are also bound to be highly energy-inefficient. Opt for smaller studio lights for a less cluttered look and for concentrated lighting. Around kitchen sinks and counters, consider recessed lighting to maintain sleekness without hampering visibility.

Exterior Home Upgrades

Does walking into your home after a long day of work give you joy? Or does it stress you out with everything that needs to be repaired or replaced? Whether it’s applying a fresh coat of paint to your home or committing to a major renovation, enhancing the beauty of your home’s exterior can generate feelings of pride and joy. Exterior renovation projects can offer more flexibility to your living spaces, as well as provide excellent benefits that will improve your lifestyle in many different ways. When it comes to enhancing your home’s beauty, comfort, and value, these exterior upgrades are totally your top choices:

1. Door and Window Installation

Doors and windows are two of the most visible parts of your exterior. Naturally, they play a significant role in boosting your overall curb appeal and value. If you want to make a subtle change to your exterior that will definitely make an impact, take a closer look at these upgrades:

Doors –  To make the most out of this home improvement–whether it’s entry, patio, or storm doors you’re thinking of–get replacement doors that best suit your home’s specific needs. To guarantee you choose the right door, you need to consider these three important factors:

• • Durability – Aside from effective weather resistance, your door should also keep your home secure from outside threats. This will depend on your choice of door material, which will include fiberglass, like Heritage and Signet fiberglass doors, and steel, like Legacy steel doors.

• Energy Efficiency – New doors can also help you maintain a more energy-efficient home. Just make sure to augment the door material with advanced glass options. Top door companies use modified low-emissivity (low-E) glass, which help reduce heat transfer in your home. By helping stabilize indoor temperatures to keep your home cool and comfortable, low-E glass prevents your HVAC system from overworking, which in turn, leads to more energy savings.

• Style. Hinged French or sliding glass? Both door styles come with excellent aesthetic and functional advantages. Sliding glass doors, for example, save on space, eliminating the need to reconfigure your room’s layout and furniture placement. A sleek, contemporary appearance also makes them an attractive home addition. Hinged French doors, meanwhile, serve as instant focal points because of their classic design. Their wide opening allows for considerable, smoother traffic, which makes entertaining a breeze. Both door styles may come with expansive glass to maximize your viewing area and let in significant amounts of natural light.

Windows – Shopping for new windows can be easy—if you know what you are looking for. When you go window-hunting, it’s essential that you’re clear about what you want to get out of your window purchase, as this will help you decide on the “right “ windows more easily. Here, we take a look at some of the popular window styles and their distinctive benefits:

• • Double hung windows: Superior ventilation, easy maintenance

  • Casement windows: Excellent lighting and ventilation, versatile in design

  • Picture windows: Panoramic outdoor views, great thermal performance

  • Sliding windows: Easy operation, sleek design, space-saver

  • Bay and Bow windows: Sophisticated style, additional floor space

  • Specialty windows: Unique shapes and sizes for every need

When choosing new windows, it It’s pretty much a given that they must be of good quality. Selecting top-quality window frames can help reinforce their strength and performance. For instance, composite materials, such as Fibrex®, are among the leading choices because of their natural strength, ease of maintenance, and insulating properties. Other top choices are vinyl, wood, and fiberglass.