What's a modest home upgrade with a high return on quality of life?

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh, if money were no object ... I would SOOO love to have a hot tub or Jacuzzi somewhere in my house. With my arthritis/ fibromyalgia/ bad knee(s) and my GC's bad back and knee, this is rapidly becoming, not a luxury but a necessity.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Pull-down kitchen faucet.
Single basin sink for large dishes (or washing small animals).
Super thick cabinet/drawer bumpers to prevent slamming.

You can install soft-close hardware so even if you (or others) "slam" drawers, they will "easy-glide" closed. Ask at your hardware store.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Pull-down kitchen faucet.
Single basin sink for large dishes (or washing small animals).
Super thick cabinet/drawer bumpers to prevent slamming.

Love these! We replaced our faucet a month or so ago, and we got one where the sprayer pulls out of the faucet itself.
I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I love it. We're in the midst of a kitchen renovation. We pulled out all the cabinets and now only have solid wood, freestanding cabinet units. I'm far too short for the upper cabinets, lol. But on the other side of the kitchen, where the dishwasher, sink, and range are, we'll still need regular cabinets. And we're going to go with the slow-close ones that don't slam. We're also replacing our sink with a single basin, enameled cast iron option.

These aren't necessarily cheap upgrades, but we do own our home so the return is all ours, and we're doing all of this over a period of a year or more. That way we're spacing out the costs.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Oh, if money were no object ... I would SOOO love to have a hot tub or Jacuzzi somewhere in my house. With my arthritis/ fibromyalgia/ bad knee(s) and my GC's bad back and knee, this is rapidly becoming, not a luxury but a necessity.

I get this. I've been tested for lupus and other autoimmune stuff this year. The blood work was normal, but I am in constant pain. Joints and back/neck/shoulders mainly. There are many other symptoms I've dealt with as well, but still no answers. A jacuzzi sounds amazing!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I get this. I've been tested for lupus and other autoimmune stuff this year. The blood work was normal, but I am in constant pain. Joints and back/neck/shoulders mainly. There are many other symptoms I've dealt with as well, but still no answers. A jacuzzi sounds amazing!

Ugh. Sounds like fibro. , gently, lol.

 

[SnackMeat]

I've told my SO that if we ever have the money, we will have a mud room entrance-way, just for all of the dirty-but-still-okay-to-do-dirty-work clothes, and to cut down on laundry.

As far as what we have done--

Solar lights in the garden makes it handier to do work after dusk in the summer when it's been too hot to manage being outside.

Fire pits, especially moveable ones so I can sit them on top of patches of khaki weed and have a campfire, clear brush, and clear a patch of this insidious weed.

Sun tarps. Only about $30. We have several. Bright and happy. We've had them in different spots. In the fall I have used them as tarps to gather fallen leaves and drag to the lightning bug breeder section (just an out of the way corner where the eggs will be undisturbed til next year,) and to wrap garden beds in something colorful over winter.

Window fans with mesh netting.

Insulation. And sealant that has an insulating effect on roofs. We are night owls so our bedroom has polyiso boards cut to size and painted for the windows. We have two windows that we open for the window fans but one doesn't have any polyiso, and the other has a removable two part board so we can have the window and fan on but still block light and heat, or else have the whole thing shut up to avoid window drafts. Sleep is so much better with what are essentially black out insulation boards.

 

[azurbanclucker]

Grain of salt, I live in the Sonoran Desert. Mileage may vary on the level of improvement on quality of life in other places, but these are things we've reaped rewards from.

1. UV reflecting window film. Helps control heat entering the house on hot days. This one can be renter-friendly as a lot of these films are static-cling so they're easy to apply and easy to remove.

2. Modernize your windows! Window tech has made massive advances in the last 5-10 years and the cost of upgrading, while steep, pays for itself in 5 or so years in energy savings. The difference in the house is immediate in helping keep warm in winter and cool in summer, as well as cut down on drafts and dust.

3. Ceiling fans. Every room you can install them in. Helps keep air circulating in the house, and sitting under one on a hot summer day is so so nice.

4. Modernize your heating/cooling solution. Window unit old? replace it with something more modern and energy-efficient. Is your furnace a leftover from the last century? Consider updating it. Again, these are not small costs, but the return on investment is short, and the savings on energy and improvement in efficiency are instant.

4a. Smart thermostats. Even for older heating/cooling. A smart thermostat like an ecobee can help manage the units more efficiently, saving you money and providing you the ability to remotely manage and monitor them. (renter friendly, just don't toss the old ones so you can replace them when you move out)

5. Replace the weatherstripping on doors and windows every few years. Keeps bugs out, helps prevent drafts, saves you money. (renter froendly but really your landlord shuld be doing this for you)

6. WINDOW SCREENS. How do you people live with no screens on your windows?

7. Security cameras. They're cheap, easy to set up (many have battery options if hardwire power is an issue), and provide you the most critical thing for your home. Information about potential outside threats BEFORE you open a door. I understand a bear or moose may not ring the doorbell, but a motion camera will tell you if one's outside before you go out in your slippers with a bag of trash. (renter friendly)

8. Rooftop solar with a paired storage battery. This one is super spendy and takes a while to pay itself off, but in an area with lots of sun, is a no-brainer. Your panel should be wired to pull from the panels/battery first, THEN the feed from your utility. Cut your 'leccy bill down to nearly nothing. If your utility allows it, you can often end up with credit back from them because you are contributing excess electricity back into the system. This one is not at all renter friendly, unfortunately, but will add value to your house in resale as a homeowner.

9. A dishwasher. I don't care what it costs, it's worth it. Get one. Stop handwashing everything (some things still need to be handwashed, I know). Unless you are happiest with hands covered in palmolive, your quality of life will instantly improve the second you hit the start button on your first load.

I could go on for ages about things like home automation and networking, but that audience is fairly limited.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Ugh. Sounds like fibro. , gently, lol.

I've wondered. This all started in December 2023 with hives. They started on my legs then progressed to all over my body, head to soles of feet, every single day. I got no relief. Multiple meds, OTC and prescription, did not help. I ended up the ER when I woke up with my face swollen, eyes almost swollen shut, and a tight throat. Emergency meds got that swelling down, but next day it was business as usual.

There were zero changes that could have prompted an allergic reaction, and that was ruled out. Those hives lasted every single day from early December 23 to the very end of July 2024. Then poof, gone as fast as they came on.

But the all over pain never left, sadly.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Wow! Sounds awful! How you doing now?

 

[jxp]

A wood stove is our list! Our home was built in 1900 and actually has a flue in the wall for a stove pipe already. Just have to decide on which stove.

If it hasn't been used in a while please make sure you clean it out well before starting a fire.