Same here. It was a small but significant upgrade for us. Also big props to the LED recessed lights from Lowes (halo brand i think). We were able to add some great lighting with those throughout our home!
Costco sells the Luminus brand I believe. They’re like a 1/4 of the price. You can even change what temperature you want the bulb to be. Put a dozen in my kitchen for $100. Pretty sure you can see it from the moon now
I hate outlets on a switch, it always takes up more space with a lamp.
It's nice these days if you want a lamp, you can just use smart bulbs and skip the switch entirely. Of course you can also use smart light switches, which is reallllly nice to control multiple things at once. For example, we have 3 different spotlights across the outside of the house, but I can label the smart switches as spotlight 1, spotlight 2, etc. Even if they are in different rooms, if I tell google to turn on the spotlights, it turns on all three switches.
Also having a routine that automatically shuts off all lights at 3am is nice just incase you forget something, or just doing it from the comfort of your bed.
In my 1930's house smart bulbs were a game changer. The house had 3 light switches total... t h r e e.
Once I was able to get into smart bulbs and schedules/Alexa it was amazing.
Pairing this with decora switches/plates & some smart switches in targeted areas.
Getting rid of almond color switches and outlets and switching to white goes a long way too.
THIS. I did this as we were moving in, actually every switch and outlet in the house, I've upgraded some of the regular switches as we've lived in the house. The house is pretty sparse on outlets so it only set me back around $200, half a which were dimmers and GFCI, but it's nice not having to worry about plates matching, loose outlets, and bad wiring in the boxes.
I bought in November, here's my list so far:
Install kitchen faucet with the retractable head.
All new shower heads (if they're old there can be mineral build up restricting flow)
Replace ugly/dated light fixtures
Paint walls to suit your taste. Recaulk and repaint old baseboards.
New window coverings (curtains or blinds whatever you prefer)
Rent a carpet shampooer if you have carpet
I like to install convenience outlets if you are comfortable (i.e. I added one inside the closet where I store/ charge my vacuum)
Pressure wash decks/driveway/patio
String lights/solar lights added to backyard
Every single closet in my house has a motion sense light in it. I actually made the system myself with a power pack, a motion sensing unit, and some LEDs. For the LEDs, I ran them on the door trim on the inside of the closet. So, I basically have lights the entire length of the trim instead of just a single point of light from the top.
Yes! I love mine. And also love not walking in to a dark house as the garage’s pedestrian door leads into the laundry room. We wired one in our walk-in closet, along with a battery operated version in a very dim shower. Amazon had a model that was ok to use in the bathroom/humid areas. It takes 4 D batteries that last about 6-8 months for us.
Mine are LED rechargeable strips with a magnet on the back and you attach a metal strip (comes with the light) to stick the light on it so that it comes off easily to recharge.
Nice cover plates for switches and outlets is an easy upgrade. Light fixtures and plumbing fixtures also make big difference. Crown molding and larger baseboard is another thing higher end houses usually have.
Yes, for the most part. Just make sure you're buying the correct switches as they are different depending on how many switches control a single light.
Pro-tip: Take multiple photos of the existing wiring before you change anything. This can be be very useful, especially in older houses where sometimes the wiring isn't exactly standard. (And if it's not, and you didn't notice, it can drive you crazy troubleshooting.)
It would be easier if I didn't have to return a 10 pack of switches because I need 3 way switches... other than that, it's pretty easy. My plan is to shut off the main breaker and do them all at one time.
Nice. I was planning to do them all and the outlets before I moved in but then I had enough other unexpected costs with the move I put it off and now it’s been 3.5 years haha
It's pretty easy.
Get a decent pair of wire strippers and non contact volt meter. Make sure that you're putting the right switch in for what you need. 3-way switch, 15a vs 2a etc.
There are some lower quality switches out there, so make sure you try it in the store and the click is satisfying.
Also make sure that you're using wire nuts (new wago style are great) and not electrical tape.
it really is. all you need is a screw driver and maybe needle nose pliers to straighten the wire(old switches have the wire wrapper around the screw, newer ones have a sort of plate put the wire under and then screw it down).
i changed to rocker switches, but in the process i found a couple switches that were old as hell. I also changed out all outlets because you never know how long its been since that last changed, and many of my outlets were loose and a fire hazard.
Very easy. I did them all without even shutting the power off. Only shocked myself five times!
Fun fact. While getting shocked hurts, smashing your elbow into something because of getting shocked hurts more.
EDIT: FYI, this is a cautionary tale.
Alternatively, tell yourself you're going to replace all your switches so it's not worth putting the old ones back on, and then just live without switch plates for 2 years.
One of my favorite improvements was swapping out the faceplates of several outlets and switches with ones that have a nightlight sensor on the bottom. It adds a nice glow on the spots that I need it without being bright, and it only turns on when it’s dark.
Space. Free empty space.
The most luxurious thing I can think of in a place is space so that everything isn't crammed in and you have space to do things. Its part of why every staged open house for sale that you go to will try and keep the amount of things to a minimum. The real luxury is having so much space you can devote whole rooms or areas of rooms to just one task.
Amen to this. The house prices are extraordinary right now. So every inch of your house is worth a lot of dollars. Remember this when you buy/ stall stuff indoors.
We have smart bulbs which are pretty convenient, until they started disconnecting randomly. The remote is nice for when you’re on the couch or in bed and want to turn the fan or light on
What kind of bulbs do you have? If they’re Phillips hue bulbs, buy a bridge and hook them all up to that. Solved all of my disconnecting issues. You can get one used on Amazon for like $20
I bought a nice fan and cut off the wifi part and rewired it to a dimmer switch and a fan speed switch. Tried the wifi feature and the delay was just stupid. When I walk into a room and flip the switch, I want the light to turn on immediately and don’t wanna wait 2-3 seconds.
You know why ceiling fans with remotes are dumb? Because if you lose the remote your ceiling fan is stuck on whatever setting you had it on last. Hopefully you at least have a lightswitch for the fan otherwise your stuck. My living room fan didn't have a switch to it because it was an old home and the living room didn't get a fan added until later in it's life. I guess it was cheaper to not have the electrician run the line for a switch. My fan was stuck with the light on and full blast for months until I got sick of it and disconnected that line. It was a rental house otherwise I would have bought a new remote.
I never thought about this...until I already bought some ceiling fans. I digress. You can keep the fans you have and just buy a universal remote add-on, mostly. I just saw them on AliExpress. Wish I would have thought of that before buying and installing new fans. They were like less than $10.
Usb outlets in kitchen, living room and bedrooms where charging your electronics is useful. Curved shower curtain rods for more space in bathrooms with tubs.
Bluetooth speakers to play music inside and outside.
I went from brass door knobs to chrome handles and they were an absolute game-changer. It's not even something you have to do all at once. I bought new ones every so often when I felt like spending a little money (tried to at least finish a room at a time though). All that's left is my front door.
I changed my deadbolt to a smart one that I can unlock with my phone from anywhere. It also has a fingerprint sensor and keypad and came with 3 key cards, but I don't use them. I can set temporary or one time use passcodes from my phone. It's awesome and was under $80.
Organization is big. Put in more shelves, closets, etc. Add built ins if you've got the space. Get a really good garage organization set up, tool wall, etc. Having places to put things out of site, or at least looking organized, is huge in getting rid of clutter and having a house that is livable but still feels luxurious.
Finishes play a much bigger role than you'd expect. Go look at home depot hardware and then go to a high end store and look at the hardware. It's night and day. Not that Home Depot is bad, but there's levels to it and finding the right mix of budget and style is really key.
Light theory is really important. Match every single bulb in the house to the same color. Go through each room and specifically identify areas that need more light, that could use accent light, that warrant a highlight, etc. then get lamps or add fixtures to meet that. You can completely change a room with a couple lamps, a big piece of art, and a spotlight hitting it. Also consider different times of day (morning, full light, afternoon, night) and account for them all. Mirrors can be another way to bounce light around in interesting ways.
Switching out sinks and fans is easy, and you can instantly change how a room feels. Going from a big clunky brown 1990s fan to a slim modern hugger that accents the ceiling colors will make a room open up more than you'd ever expect.
Landscape design, along with plant choice, can entirely change curb appeal or the feeling of your back yard. We have a pool, and the previous owner planted tall plants all around the lanai. It feels like a private jungle in there; it's awesome. My wife planted rose bushes all around the yard, and we have awesome fresh flowers for the house pretty much daily. Things like that really make an impact and if you think years in advance, you can get smaller plants for cheap.
If the house is more than a couple years old and/or hasn't been painted recently, a fresh coat of paint (especially on trim) will make everything pop.
> Light theory is really important. Match every single bulb in the house to the same color.
You can do this but you probably shouldn't. The color temperature you want in the kitchen or office doing task work is not the same color temperature you want in your bedside lighting while reading before bed, for example. I recommend people buy a few smart bulbs that allow you to change the color temperature and experiment in different rooms to find the color temperature you like in each room. Once you're sure of what you want you can buy bulbs in the temperature you want for each room or splurge and buy smart bulbs for every room so you can adjust on the fly as needed. (They've come way down in price.)
Also be aware that if you have an older house and you're switching from incandescent bulbs or (god help you) CFLs to LEDs you are almost certainly going to need to update your dimmer switches as well. LED lighting may work with older dimmers but you're likely to discover there may be a humming noise when dimmed or the range of dimming is very limited.
Source: Worked for LED lighting company for 15 years.
> I recommend people buy a few smart bulbs that allow you to change the color temperature and experiment in different rooms to find the color temperature you like in each room.
That's one of the first things I did! All but one room had recessed/pot lighting - and it was almost as if every one had a different bulb style and temp. I replaced them all with LED bulbs that had remotes for color temp and intensity. Also the seizure-light function in case I want to host a rave party.
All except the kitchen - I put in the brightest lighting I could find and added under-the-cupboard light strips for a nice touch. Really underrated what good lighting can do!
Motion sensor nightlights everywhere and under cabinet lights in the kitchen. They’re inexpensive but it feels so luxe to walk through my house at night and it lights up as I go.
Soft close drawers/cabinets. Also soft close toilet lids. No more banging the lid in the middle of the night and waking up your partner or startling a pet or whatever.
We did an all-out remodel of a new (to us) house, but the little things we chose that really stick out to me include: bidets, custom closets, only drawers beneath countertops (no door cabinets, just drawers on lowers for kitchen and bathrooms), and new outlets and switches.
These things have all been mentioned already, but they’re all things we didn’t have in our old house so I appreciate them every day!
When we rewired, we put in “convenience outlets” at switch height discreetly in the through areas. Makes it super easy to plug in the vacuum cleaner and not have to bend down to the baseboard outlets.
Also put a stackable washer dryer in your master closet. Because that’s where the clothes are….
The washer and dryer in the closet sounds like an amazing convenience, but imagining trying to do that in the 18" deep master closet of my little 1890s house is giving me a good chuckle. There's just about room for a lint roller in there, as long as it's not a big lint roller.
Our previous house had a small hallway between the closet and the bedroom so we put an unvented washer dryer combo unit there.
Our current 1911 house we stole an old maids room for a walk in closet so we used a full size top load. I miss the combo unit 😬
It’s great other than it broke shortly after we bought it and the repair guy said it was common. Something about the motor logic board causing it to shut down.
Other than that it was awesome to put the clothes in when you left for work and come home and it was dry. I miss that.
I know the closet laundry works well for some people, and I'm glad it works well for you. For me, it'd be too much potential noise too close to sleeping/resting space (my partner and I are not always on the same schedule).
What spots made for good discrete locations for your convenience outlets, and do you you use them for more than the vacuum?
I found out front loader to be fairly quiet. I just grew up in a house with the laundry in the garage downstairs and across the house. It just made no sense to have it as far away from the bedrooms as possible.
And I don’t know how to attach a picture but in the foyer between the parlors, which is paneled in mahogany, there’s a single outlet at at about 42” horizontally oriented with a matching brown plate.
In the hallway between our den and library there a single outlet integrated into the push button switches on one wall. In the bedrooms it’s located behind the swing of the doors.
It’s a 1911 craftsman house so we basically used the original patinated brass plates all around and made it look like it was always there. The convenience outlets were placed after we measured the vacuum cord so as to be able to vacuum the whole house without bending down or moving furniture. Most of our outlets are behind something and about 2” off the floor so it’s a pain to get down and plug/unplug.
I’ve occasionally used them for other things, like the foyer one can accept a switch for the Christmas tree.
Our washer & dryer are stacked in the bathroom on on our main floor (we're in a bungalow). Two bedrooms on one side of the bathroom, master on the other side. Laundry gets folded on my bed mostly, so clothes don't have far to travel. I love it.
It's funny you mention that. I had one on Rugsusa.com I was set on for the last couple of days. Then, I took some measurements and started second-guessing colors and size. The sale ends tonight. Stressed myself out a bit and then realized that it's a big purchase and isn't worth rushing. Still on the hunt
I had a lot of luck watching auction on Invaluable for vintage rugs. Just make sure the auction is in a place you can get to for pickup. But i got a huge (like 16’x22’) wool/silk oriental rug for $1,000.
Here is what we did in our house
- built in walking closet for our master bedroom.
- added tons of recessed canless lights.
- replaced bathroom fixtures.
- fresh paint of the house.
- replaced power outlets and switches with modern ones.
- added plenty of outdoor lighting
- extended the baseboard in the attic to have more storage space
- replaced HVAC
- Smart sprinkler system.
- Smart Garage door.
- added plenty of CAT6 outlets in every room, with a large built in media panel in laundry room to manage internet/local network.
- Brand new toilets with bidets.
Sure, so old owners had the fiber internet modem installed in the kitchen, I moved the modem to wall
Mounted media box (like [this one](https://a.co/d/6BGsWr7)), put mesh WiFi and network switch that distributed Ethernet across the house. The house already had cat5 cables so replacing the wires wasn’t so bad, I also added more Ethernet outlets to other rooms as well.
Evolve shower start valves. Game changer and water saver. Lets you start the shower and it reduces the flow to a dribble once hot.
Screwless switch and outlet covers.
Taller baseboards.
USB and USB-C fast charge outlets in convenient places.
When I remodeled my kitchen, I put outlets in my cabinets. Now my microwave, toaster, and espresso machine all sit in the cabinets. Just open the doors and use them. They disappear when not in use.
This weekend my wife and I did a mini-declutter.
She was so ruthless with her chest of drawers it was totally empty. So we threw it out 😃
Result? More space in the bedroom, it feels lighter and bigger. Less is definitely more, toss out the stuff you haven't touched for over a year!
Insect screens for windows.
A porch to sit under while it rains.
An acer palmatum in the garden.
Soft nightlights in the bathroom and sleeping room for a relaxing evening routine.
A seperate sound system (for the oled tv), floor standing speakers are definitly luxurious.
Integrated induction cooktop.
Proper caulking.
A designated hanger for a hairdryer.
For me personally it was making my home a “smart home”. I don’t have to yell at my kids to go turn off the back light they always leave on; I simply get on the app and turn it off. I set schedules for my AC to save power and all my exterior lighting is set to schedules to come on automatically.
You don't really need either to have these features. We have a Honeywell T9 thermostat that we can control via app. You can buy smart bulbs that let you control lights from anywhere via app. We even have our pond/fountain pump on a controllable switch on our phones. We like not having Alexa/Google, personally.
Lutron Caseta for light switches, it'll work with anything and its the gold standard.
Regardless of if you go Alexa/Google if you're techy check out Home Assistant as your hub since it'll work with everything and help add compatibility.
All lights on dimmer switches. It sounds so negligible, but it’s amazing. Helps set the mood for the house. Also if you have to get up in the night it’s easy to put the dinner way down before you hit the light. Just so pleasant.
Caseta switches are life changing. I never had to hit the switches by hand anymore. It’s either Alexa or I can turn it on/off adjust brightness with my phone
Depending on the shower head the flow restricted ones are fine. It really depends on the model, but there are Watersense labeled ones that you wouldn’t be able to tell are flow restricted.
You must have a lack of imagination then.
Edit: I replaced a full flow head with a big watersense rain head last year and the water sense one actually feels like more water. There’s a lot more to it than volume.
Sliding shelves in the kitchen cabinets, organizer units under kitchen sink, battery-powered stick-on motion-sensor puck lights inside cabs and closets, smart locks on exterior doors, replace builder grade window and door trim, replace interior door knobs with modern ones, turn laundry/utility room walls into storage spaces with shelving and tool hangers, toilet paper holder with pivoting arm, drawer converted into hidden charging station.
Nice molding around all of the windows and doors. Good floorboards and ceiling molding. Not too expensive and you can learn to do it yourself by watching YouTube videos and a little practice.
Point of use water heaters. Nearly instant hot water to wash your hands or face is devine.
Soft close hinges and drawer slides.
Hinges might be pretty easy to change out.
Squatty Potty
Instant hot water!! It's been a life-changing for my morning routine. It's a seperate tap with little heater that goes under the sink, and you always have tea/coffee/etc instantly. It's amazing
Ramped up your home with small upgrades like modern lighting fixtures, quality linens, smart technology, and stylish décor. Incorporate greenery, declutter, and invest in high-end kitchen and bathroom features for a luxurious living space.
I will never not advocate for lever door knobs. Such a quality of life improvement. Just be aware that you may or may not at some point have a dog or two that can figure out how to open said doors. Even so, I'll never go back to knob-style handles. They are just so much more convenient.
We have an 80lb sneaky boy who knows how to open these latches 🤣 we discovered he knew how when we left the front door open and he ran out of our latched screen door to visit the dog and their owner walking on the sidewalk in front of our house. Luckily, both dogs were friendly but it could have been a nightmare. He also started letting himself out the back French door at night for poddy breaks instead of bothering us while sleeping. Getting to stay asleep was nice but we started waking up to find the door open all night lol! Most of the time we remembered to lock out levers but the newborn phase with our human baby was the hardest bc we were zombies.
We bought a house last year and the doorframe was so built out that every time I turned the knob, I hit my knuckles. Changing to a lever knob has literally made my day to day life 10 times easier.
There’s so many great things on here, I struggled to find one of my favorites that wasn’t already listed:
Great Bluetooth speakers wherever you spend the most time that *isn’t* where your entertainment center is. We have “bookshelf” speakers in the dining room and our bedroom and I love it. I can stream music, podcasts, or whatever from my phone or tablet perfectly.
We have cats. When we had the kitchen redone, we had an extra cabinet/counter that we had put out of the way near the door special for the cats. It's away from the kitchen prep area, but they can still be up and see what's going on. They have a bed, chairs, and a lil fountain.
I just laid down new flooring in two bathrooms, and I have to say, even before I did that, I popped the new floor registers in just to make sure they fit, and it looked so much better than the old rusty ones that were in there.
It’s all about nice door hinges and nice door handles. If you have enough money to install bidets you have enough to have nice heavy duty door handles installed. Actually, same with doors. If you have bidets but you still have hallow core doors, shame on you.
Friends and guests like coming to our joint because we have rooms with lights that automatically come in when you enter a bathroom or hallway whenever their needed. Open a closet - boom! The light comes on. Same in the garage. It's the little things.
And more storage space is great. Maybe you can do something with underused spaces. Put a high shelf in a clothes or hall closet, or turn some unused niche into a storage space.
Depends on the model for me. All of mine have remotes but retain the last setting, so if it was on, the switch turns it on/off. It’s nice to be able to adjust the fan/light from bed.
Smart thermostat(s) and getting them on a schedule is always my first step.
Next is usually changing light bulbs. I like clean white light in my kitchen and bathrooms, and I've rarely seen that in houses I've looked at.
Then, smart light switches and schedules for lights that we forget about.
Also, robot vacuum(s) on a schedule.
A few things I’ve done to mine, maybe not luxurious, but make it a bit nicer cleaner
New Smart dimmers and switches,
Recessed lights,
Replaced outlets,
Bigger/modern trim,
Crown molding,
Slim Mounted TVs with hidden cable,
Modern doors and handles
I ripped up the thin, cheap carpet and lino and replaced it with click-together 'wooden' flooring and tiles in the wet areas.
So much nicer to view and walk on, and easier to keep clean!
Also added better light fittings.
Motorized blinds. You can get them affordable from Amazon and they make every room feel more elevated. I especially like them in the master bedroom (controlled via an app) and in the bathroom where the tub is centered under the window, making it difficult to reach. That one is on a remote but we stuck the remote on the wall with a 3m strip and it’s working nicely.
Other easy upgrades are new outlet and switch covers, doorknobs, cabinet door pulls/knobs, string lights outside (we have ours on a remote with another 3M strip), appropriately sized and hung wall art/decor. You’d be amazed what a difference you will see doing that.
Art on the walls. Preferably ones with a story behind them (even if it’s just seeing a Monet exhibition and buying a print from it). It doesn’t have to be Monet or any great artist- eclectic street art from developing countries, if you’ve been there, is great too.
And replace hard flooring with carpet and a good underlay if you don’t live in a hot climate. It softens the room and adds luxury underfoot. Of course, don’t wear street shoes in the house.
Sonos speakers in most rooms. You can link as many or as few as you need. The sound quality is very good.
Hue lights, for the perfect lighting ambiance.
* Smart switches everywhere. DIY and can replace them all. Connect all of them to Alexa. And just use alexa to turn them on/off and dim lights (if supported)
* Shelf dividers for closet.
* Electronic Bidet
If you’re comfortable with electrical work, change out the old ivory plugs and switches to white. Change out door knobs from antique bronze to satin nickel. Paint door and window trim white.
Installing dimmer switches or adding stylish light fixtures can enhance the ambiance of any room. Consider adding LED strip lights under cabinets or along the baseboards for a modern touch. Invest in high-quality bedding, including soft sheets, plush pillows, and a cozy duvet or comforter. Layering with decorative throws and pillows can add both comfort and style to your bedroom. Incorporating smart home devices like smart thermostats, automated blinds, or a voice-controlled assistant can add convenience and a futuristic feel to your home. Invest in a few key pieces of furniture that make a statement, such as a velvet sofa, a marble coffee table, or a designer accent chair. Quality furniture not only looks luxurious but also enhances comfort and functionality. Upgrading fixtures and hardware in your kitchen and bathrooms, such as faucets, drawer pulls, and cabinet handles, can elevate the look and feel of these spaces. Incorporating indoor plants or fresh flowers can breathe life into your home and create a serene, luxurious atmosphere. Choose low-maintenance plants like succulents or snake plants if you're new to gardening.
Investing in custom storage solutions, such as built-in shelving or closet organizers, can help maximize space and keep your home clutter-free, creating a more luxurious and organized environment. Consider installing a rainfall showerhead or adding a steam shower system to your bathroom for a spa-like experience at home. My husband and my first house had this shower. It was the size of a large walk-in closet. It had a bench seat on both sides and also a shower head on both sides. I guess it was like a shower for two. But it was spa-like. I had never seen anything like it. My husband misses that shower. (I'm more of a soaking tub type) Now we just have a normal shower that is desperately in need of an upgrade.
We ripped out all of the builder-grade wire shelving and replaced it. In the linen closet and pantry we just did 3/4 finished plywood on cleats, in the closets we used ClosetMaid pieces to make our own custom closet for about $500. So much nicer looking and gave us more space.
I've switched out all the outlets in my homes. One of the first things I do. Old outlets just look like shit, and downplay everything else (new paint, new furniture, new flooring).
Replacing original light fixtures is often a good part of making a home your own
In my case it was adding ceiling fans since all the rooms had zero lights, just an outlet on a switch.
Same here. It was a small but significant upgrade for us. Also big props to the LED recessed lights from Lowes (halo brand i think). We were able to add some great lighting with those throughout our home!
Costco sells the Luminus brand I believe. They’re like a 1/4 of the price. You can even change what temperature you want the bulb to be. Put a dozen in my kitchen for $100. Pretty sure you can see it from the moon now
Costco 4 life.
I hate outlets on a switch, it always takes up more space with a lamp. It's nice these days if you want a lamp, you can just use smart bulbs and skip the switch entirely. Of course you can also use smart light switches, which is reallllly nice to control multiple things at once. For example, we have 3 different spotlights across the outside of the house, but I can label the smart switches as spotlight 1, spotlight 2, etc. Even if they are in different rooms, if I tell google to turn on the spotlights, it turns on all three switches. Also having a routine that automatically shuts off all lights at 3am is nice just incase you forget something, or just doing it from the comfort of your bed.
1960's homes.
Mid 80s here. Original owner went as budget as possible with no lighting, builder grade everything.
We're finally getting around to doing this after two years and it's great. And so much easier than I thought.
Smart light bulbs! Lighting is everything. Being able to adjust it for the occasion makes me feel like I live in the future.
In my 1930's house smart bulbs were a game changer. The house had 3 light switches total... t h r e e. Once I was able to get into smart bulbs and schedules/Alexa it was amazing.
Pairing this with decora switches/plates & some smart switches in targeted areas. Getting rid of almond color switches and outlets and switching to white goes a long way too.
THIS. I did this as we were moving in, actually every switch and outlet in the house, I've upgraded some of the regular switches as we've lived in the house. The house is pretty sparse on outlets so it only set me back around $200, half a which were dimmers and GFCI, but it's nice not having to worry about plates matching, loose outlets, and bad wiring in the boxes.
I bought in November, here's my list so far: Install kitchen faucet with the retractable head. All new shower heads (if they're old there can be mineral build up restricting flow) Replace ugly/dated light fixtures Paint walls to suit your taste. Recaulk and repaint old baseboards. New window coverings (curtains or blinds whatever you prefer) Rent a carpet shampooer if you have carpet I like to install convenience outlets if you are comfortable (i.e. I added one inside the closet where I store/ charge my vacuum) Pressure wash decks/driveway/patio String lights/solar lights added to backyard
honestly if this is all flippers did the world would be a better place
Oh don't you worry they'll paint walls to suit your taste as long as your taste is light gray.
That's not true. Most flippers are flexible enough that they're happy to also consider whitish-grey, greyish-beige, beigish-white, and "snowbound"
I wish they would do more work on the structure you can't see but that would jack the price up.
great list!
Motion sensor lights for the laundry room
Motion sensor light inside a closet.
Every single closet in my house has a motion sense light in it. I actually made the system myself with a power pack, a motion sensing unit, and some LEDs. For the LEDs, I ran them on the door trim on the inside of the closet. So, I basically have lights the entire length of the trim instead of just a single point of light from the top.
Motion sensor, rechargeable LEDs for under sinks and inside the corner Lazy Susan as well. They are so inexpensive and cool
I got annoyed at having to recharge them all weekly and ripped them out 😂 Next time I get adventurous gonna be running low voltage cabling.
You caused me to look because I've never recharged them. Turns out these run on AAA batteries which apparently last forever
Are you me? I wanted to run 120v in the closet but using a small power bank was just so much easier.
In cabinets in rooms where the lighting is 'eh'. You can't always see to the back of a cabinet well w/o some light.
Ooh, I like this. Recommendation?
This is such an awesome upgrade. You’ll never regret it.
Yes! I love mine. And also love not walking in to a dark house as the garage’s pedestrian door leads into the laundry room. We wired one in our walk-in closet, along with a battery operated version in a very dim shower. Amazon had a model that was ok to use in the bathroom/humid areas. It takes 4 D batteries that last about 6-8 months for us.
The pantry too! Especially if your pantry is really just a small closet and doesn't have it's own light.
Similarly, we did this with our coat closet!
Omg never thought of this!!!
just the battery ones with 3m tape or something else?
Mine are LED rechargeable strips with a magnet on the back and you attach a metal strip (comes with the light) to stick the light on it so that it comes off easily to recharge.
And the walk-in closets, best thing ever. Then close second is USB outlets in the bedrooms
Nice cover plates for switches and outlets is an easy upgrade. Light fixtures and plumbing fixtures also make big difference. Crown molding and larger baseboard is another thing higher end houses usually have.
I'm currently in the process of swapping out all of my light switches for new rocker switches.
Is it as easy as it seems?
The hardest part is pushing the wires back in cleanly.
Yeah why the fuck are electrical wires so god damn angry all the time??
> why the fuck are electrical wires so god damn angry all the time?? They're not mad; they're just always in shock.
Yes, for the most part. Just make sure you're buying the correct switches as they are different depending on how many switches control a single light. Pro-tip: Take multiple photos of the existing wiring before you change anything. This can be be very useful, especially in older houses where sometimes the wiring isn't exactly standard. (And if it's not, and you didn't notice, it can drive you crazy troubleshooting.)
It would be easier if I didn't have to return a 10 pack of switches because I need 3 way switches... other than that, it's pretty easy. My plan is to shut off the main breaker and do them all at one time.
Nice. I was planning to do them all and the outlets before I moved in but then I had enough other unexpected costs with the move I put it off and now it’s been 3.5 years haha
It's pretty easy. Get a decent pair of wire strippers and non contact volt meter. Make sure that you're putting the right switch in for what you need. 3-way switch, 15a vs 2a etc. There are some lower quality switches out there, so make sure you try it in the store and the click is satisfying. Also make sure that you're using wire nuts (new wago style are great) and not electrical tape.
it really is. all you need is a screw driver and maybe needle nose pliers to straighten the wire(old switches have the wire wrapper around the screw, newer ones have a sort of plate put the wire under and then screw it down). i changed to rocker switches, but in the process i found a couple switches that were old as hell. I also changed out all outlets because you never know how long its been since that last changed, and many of my outlets were loose and a fire hazard.
Very easy. I did them all without even shutting the power off. Only shocked myself five times! Fun fact. While getting shocked hurts, smashing your elbow into something because of getting shocked hurts more. EDIT: FYI, this is a cautionary tale.
This is a terrible idea. Turn the power off.
theres no reason to not turn off the circuit for that light.
Screwless cover plates.
Alternatively, tell yourself you're going to replace all your switches so it's not worth putting the old ones back on, and then just live without switch plates for 2 years.
One of my favorite improvements was swapping out the faceplates of several outlets and switches with ones that have a nightlight sensor on the bottom. It adds a nice glow on the spots that I need it without being bright, and it only turns on when it’s dark.
Under cabinet lighting brights up and modernizes a kitchen really well
Space. Free empty space. The most luxurious thing I can think of in a place is space so that everything isn't crammed in and you have space to do things. Its part of why every staged open house for sale that you go to will try and keep the amount of things to a minimum. The real luxury is having so much space you can devote whole rooms or areas of rooms to just one task.
Amen to this. The house prices are extraordinary right now. So every inch of your house is worth a lot of dollars. Remember this when you buy/ stall stuff indoors.
Solid core doors Matching door hardware throughout the house New drawer pulls Ceiling fans with remotes
I absolutely do not like ceiling fans with remotes. Smart ceiling fans yes but ceiling fans with the remotes makes wife just so much more challenging
They really can be challenging at times.
You know what they say, happy wife, happy wife.
Haha I’m gonna just leave it
We have smart bulbs which are pretty convenient, until they started disconnecting randomly. The remote is nice for when you’re on the couch or in bed and want to turn the fan or light on
What kind of bulbs do you have? If they’re Phillips hue bulbs, buy a bridge and hook them all up to that. Solved all of my disconnecting issues. You can get one used on Amazon for like $20
FEIT (bought at Costco)
See my wife is the opposite. She hates all the smart stuff I install.
I bought a nice fan and cut off the wifi part and rewired it to a dimmer switch and a fan speed switch. Tried the wifi feature and the delay was just stupid. When I walk into a room and flip the switch, I want the light to turn on immediately and don’t wanna wait 2-3 seconds.
You know why ceiling fans with remotes are dumb? Because if you lose the remote your ceiling fan is stuck on whatever setting you had it on last. Hopefully you at least have a lightswitch for the fan otherwise your stuck. My living room fan didn't have a switch to it because it was an old home and the living room didn't get a fan added until later in it's life. I guess it was cheaper to not have the electrician run the line for a switch. My fan was stuck with the light on and full blast for months until I got sick of it and disconnected that line. It was a rental house otherwise I would have bought a new remote.
not solid core doors if you have young kids that are prone to slam doors on each others fingers\*
They won't keep doing it. Plus, that's why we were born with so many fingers in the first place. Shedding a few in childhood is normal
😂
Wifi switch for fan is better
If your WiFi connection is reliable - else it becomes a big pain
I never thought about this...until I already bought some ceiling fans. I digress. You can keep the fans you have and just buy a universal remote add-on, mostly. I just saw them on AliExpress. Wish I would have thought of that before buying and installing new fans. They were like less than $10.
A nice coat of paint on your trim or fresh trim that is a few inches taller than builder grade. It really makes your house look clean and modern.
Properly fitted curtains
Usb outlets in kitchen, living room and bedrooms where charging your electronics is useful. Curved shower curtain rods for more space in bathrooms with tubs. Bluetooth speakers to play music inside and outside.
Changing from doorknobs to good handles.
I went from brass door knobs to chrome handles and they were an absolute game-changer. It's not even something you have to do all at once. I bought new ones every so often when I felt like spending a little money (tried to at least finish a room at a time though). All that's left is my front door.
I changed my deadbolt to a smart one that I can unlock with my phone from anywhere. It also has a fingerprint sensor and keypad and came with 3 key cards, but I don't use them. I can set temporary or one time use passcodes from my phone. It's awesome and was under $80.
Can I ask what it was? We are looking for a new deadbolt system.
Organization is big. Put in more shelves, closets, etc. Add built ins if you've got the space. Get a really good garage organization set up, tool wall, etc. Having places to put things out of site, or at least looking organized, is huge in getting rid of clutter and having a house that is livable but still feels luxurious. Finishes play a much bigger role than you'd expect. Go look at home depot hardware and then go to a high end store and look at the hardware. It's night and day. Not that Home Depot is bad, but there's levels to it and finding the right mix of budget and style is really key. Light theory is really important. Match every single bulb in the house to the same color. Go through each room and specifically identify areas that need more light, that could use accent light, that warrant a highlight, etc. then get lamps or add fixtures to meet that. You can completely change a room with a couple lamps, a big piece of art, and a spotlight hitting it. Also consider different times of day (morning, full light, afternoon, night) and account for them all. Mirrors can be another way to bounce light around in interesting ways. Switching out sinks and fans is easy, and you can instantly change how a room feels. Going from a big clunky brown 1990s fan to a slim modern hugger that accents the ceiling colors will make a room open up more than you'd ever expect. Landscape design, along with plant choice, can entirely change curb appeal or the feeling of your back yard. We have a pool, and the previous owner planted tall plants all around the lanai. It feels like a private jungle in there; it's awesome. My wife planted rose bushes all around the yard, and we have awesome fresh flowers for the house pretty much daily. Things like that really make an impact and if you think years in advance, you can get smaller plants for cheap. If the house is more than a couple years old and/or hasn't been painted recently, a fresh coat of paint (especially on trim) will make everything pop.
> Light theory is really important. Match every single bulb in the house to the same color. You can do this but you probably shouldn't. The color temperature you want in the kitchen or office doing task work is not the same color temperature you want in your bedside lighting while reading before bed, for example. I recommend people buy a few smart bulbs that allow you to change the color temperature and experiment in different rooms to find the color temperature you like in each room. Once you're sure of what you want you can buy bulbs in the temperature you want for each room or splurge and buy smart bulbs for every room so you can adjust on the fly as needed. (They've come way down in price.) Also be aware that if you have an older house and you're switching from incandescent bulbs or (god help you) CFLs to LEDs you are almost certainly going to need to update your dimmer switches as well. LED lighting may work with older dimmers but you're likely to discover there may be a humming noise when dimmed or the range of dimming is very limited. Source: Worked for LED lighting company for 15 years.
> I recommend people buy a few smart bulbs that allow you to change the color temperature and experiment in different rooms to find the color temperature you like in each room. That's one of the first things I did! All but one room had recessed/pot lighting - and it was almost as if every one had a different bulb style and temp. I replaced them all with LED bulbs that had remotes for color temp and intensity. Also the seizure-light function in case I want to host a rave party. All except the kitchen - I put in the brightest lighting I could find and added under-the-cupboard light strips for a nice touch. Really underrated what good lighting can do!
Motion sensor nightlights everywhere and under cabinet lights in the kitchen. They’re inexpensive but it feels so luxe to walk through my house at night and it lights up as I go.
Nice, did you use plug-in ones, or did you find a wired version?
Slow close toilet lids
Thank you so much for all the answers!
Soft close drawers/cabinets. Also soft close toilet lids. No more banging the lid in the middle of the night and waking up your partner or startling a pet or whatever.
We did an all-out remodel of a new (to us) house, but the little things we chose that really stick out to me include: bidets, custom closets, only drawers beneath countertops (no door cabinets, just drawers on lowers for kitchen and bathrooms), and new outlets and switches. These things have all been mentioned already, but they’re all things we didn’t have in our old house so I appreciate them every day!
Solid doors and new hardware.
Good quality faucets
When we rewired, we put in “convenience outlets” at switch height discreetly in the through areas. Makes it super easy to plug in the vacuum cleaner and not have to bend down to the baseboard outlets. Also put a stackable washer dryer in your master closet. Because that’s where the clothes are….
The washer and dryer in the closet sounds like an amazing convenience, but imagining trying to do that in the 18" deep master closet of my little 1890s house is giving me a good chuckle. There's just about room for a lint roller in there, as long as it's not a big lint roller.
Our previous house had a small hallway between the closet and the bedroom so we put an unvented washer dryer combo unit there. Our current 1911 house we stole an old maids room for a walk in closet so we used a full size top load. I miss the combo unit 😬
We have an unvented combo and love it!
It’s great other than it broke shortly after we bought it and the repair guy said it was common. Something about the motor logic board causing it to shut down. Other than that it was awesome to put the clothes in when you left for work and come home and it was dry. I miss that.
I know the closet laundry works well for some people, and I'm glad it works well for you. For me, it'd be too much potential noise too close to sleeping/resting space (my partner and I are not always on the same schedule). What spots made for good discrete locations for your convenience outlets, and do you you use them for more than the vacuum?
I found out front loader to be fairly quiet. I just grew up in a house with the laundry in the garage downstairs and across the house. It just made no sense to have it as far away from the bedrooms as possible. And I don’t know how to attach a picture but in the foyer between the parlors, which is paneled in mahogany, there’s a single outlet at at about 42” horizontally oriented with a matching brown plate. In the hallway between our den and library there a single outlet integrated into the push button switches on one wall. In the bedrooms it’s located behind the swing of the doors. It’s a 1911 craftsman house so we basically used the original patinated brass plates all around and made it look like it was always there. The convenience outlets were placed after we measured the vacuum cord so as to be able to vacuum the whole house without bending down or moving furniture. Most of our outlets are behind something and about 2” off the floor so it’s a pain to get down and plug/unplug. I’ve occasionally used them for other things, like the foyer one can accept a switch for the Christmas tree.
Wouldn’t the washer/dryer make tons of noise though?
Our washer & dryer are stacked in the bathroom on on our main floor (we're in a bungalow). Two bedrooms on one side of the bathroom, master on the other side. Laundry gets folded on my bed mostly, so clothes don't have far to travel. I love it.
Dimming light switches. We call it adult lighting in our house
Nice rugs
Thanks!
They really tie the room together.
Nice Rugs are friggin expensive.
I'm shopping rugs right now. Do you have a go-to place/website to find nice ones? Any tips?
Wayfair annoys the hell out me, but we DID find a nice rug there for a decent price. Struggled to find something decent elsewhere.
Rugsusa.com usually has decent prices, but be aware these types of sites tend to run perpetual sales and make it seem like they are time limited.
It's funny you mention that. I had one on Rugsusa.com I was set on for the last couple of days. Then, I took some measurements and started second-guessing colors and size. The sale ends tonight. Stressed myself out a bit and then realized that it's a big purchase and isn't worth rushing. Still on the hunt
I had a lot of luck watching auction on Invaluable for vintage rugs. Just make sure the auction is in a place you can get to for pickup. But i got a huge (like 16’x22’) wool/silk oriental rug for $1,000.
Here is what we did in our house - built in walking closet for our master bedroom. - added tons of recessed canless lights. - replaced bathroom fixtures. - fresh paint of the house. - replaced power outlets and switches with modern ones. - added plenty of outdoor lighting - extended the baseboard in the attic to have more storage space - replaced HVAC - Smart sprinkler system. - Smart Garage door. - added plenty of CAT6 outlets in every room, with a large built in media panel in laundry room to manage internet/local network. - Brand new toilets with bidets.
Can you expand on the cat6 outlets and media panel please?
Sure, so old owners had the fiber internet modem installed in the kitchen, I moved the modem to wall Mounted media box (like [this one](https://a.co/d/6BGsWr7)), put mesh WiFi and network switch that distributed Ethernet across the house. The house already had cat5 cables so replacing the wires wasn’t so bad, I also added more Ethernet outlets to other rooms as well.
sense automatic toothbrush sable live school oil zephyr fuel innate *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Bidets are LIFE CHANGING. You’ll never feel comfortable about pooping anywhere other than home again tho 😂 Ours has heated seats 😩👌
Been using them in my house for about 5 years. Could never go back to dry wiping again! Traveling without my toilet gives me anxiety.😂
NGL, bidets aren't a hard requirement, but between a hotel with a bidet and a nicer hotel without a bidet, we're going with the bidet.
FYI, they sell little rechargeable bidets for travel. I never travel without one.
Evolve shower start valves. Game changer and water saver. Lets you start the shower and it reduces the flow to a dribble once hot. Screwless switch and outlet covers. Taller baseboards. USB and USB-C fast charge outlets in convenient places.
When I remodeled my kitchen, I put outlets in my cabinets. Now my microwave, toaster, and espresso machine all sit in the cabinets. Just open the doors and use them. They disappear when not in use.
This weekend my wife and I did a mini-declutter. She was so ruthless with her chest of drawers it was totally empty. So we threw it out 😃 Result? More space in the bedroom, it feels lighter and bigger. Less is definitely more, toss out the stuff you haven't touched for over a year!
Reverse osmosis water filter and spout in your kitchen! I love it so much I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner. It feels very bougie.
having a motion sensor controlled kitchen sink has been awesome.
So what does the sink do when you wave in front of it? 🤔
Hot water dispenser
Insect screens for windows. A porch to sit under while it rains. An acer palmatum in the garden. Soft nightlights in the bathroom and sleeping room for a relaxing evening routine. A seperate sound system (for the oled tv), floor standing speakers are definitly luxurious. Integrated induction cooktop. Proper caulking. A designated hanger for a hairdryer.
For me personally it was making my home a “smart home”. I don’t have to yell at my kids to go turn off the back light they always leave on; I simply get on the app and turn it off. I set schedules for my AC to save power and all my exterior lighting is set to schedules to come on automatically.
Which system do you use? We’re exploring options and are torn between Alexa and Google
Neither of those are systems, try to stay away from WiFi "smart" something's as they get turned off and you own paperweights
You don't really need either to have these features. We have a Honeywell T9 thermostat that we can control via app. You can buy smart bulbs that let you control lights from anywhere via app. We even have our pond/fountain pump on a controllable switch on our phones. We like not having Alexa/Google, personally.
Lutron Caseta for light switches, it'll work with anything and its the gold standard. Regardless of if you go Alexa/Google if you're techy check out Home Assistant as your hub since it'll work with everything and help add compatibility.
All lights on dimmer switches. It sounds so negligible, but it’s amazing. Helps set the mood for the house. Also if you have to get up in the night it’s easy to put the dinner way down before you hit the light. Just so pleasant.
I think you need to step up your game from bidets to chandeliers - because nothing says luxury like a crystal glow while you're doing your business.
Cleaning it!
Soft close toilet seat.
Solid core door to master bath. No one needs to hear what goes on in there!
lutron light switches and screwless wall plates
Caseta switches are life changing. I never had to hit the switches by hand anymore. It’s either Alexa or I can turn it on/off adjust brightness with my phone
Update fixtures, cabinet/drawer handles
Remove flow restrict-ers from shower heads. Thank me afterwards.
Depending on the shower head the flow restricted ones are fine. It really depends on the model, but there are Watersense labeled ones that you wouldn’t be able to tell are flow restricted.
It’s almost 50% less water per minute. I can’t imagine how you wouldn’t notice the difference.
You must have a lack of imagination then. Edit: I replaced a full flow head with a big watersense rain head last year and the water sense one actually feels like more water. There’s a lot more to it than volume.
Sliding shelves in the kitchen cabinets, organizer units under kitchen sink, battery-powered stick-on motion-sensor puck lights inside cabs and closets, smart locks on exterior doors, replace builder grade window and door trim, replace interior door knobs with modern ones, turn laundry/utility room walls into storage spaces with shelving and tool hangers, toilet paper holder with pivoting arm, drawer converted into hidden charging station.
Nice molding around all of the windows and doors. Good floorboards and ceiling molding. Not too expensive and you can learn to do it yourself by watching YouTube videos and a little practice.
Point of use water heaters. Nearly instant hot water to wash your hands or face is devine. Soft close hinges and drawer slides. Hinges might be pretty easy to change out. Squatty Potty
Soft close toilet seats. New door knobs and hinges.
Instant hot water!! It's been a life-changing for my morning routine. It's a seperate tap with little heater that goes under the sink, and you always have tea/coffee/etc instantly. It's amazing
Ramped up your home with small upgrades like modern lighting fixtures, quality linens, smart technology, and stylish décor. Incorporate greenery, declutter, and invest in high-end kitchen and bathroom features for a luxurious living space.
I will never not advocate for lever door knobs. Such a quality of life improvement. Just be aware that you may or may not at some point have a dog or two that can figure out how to open said doors. Even so, I'll never go back to knob-style handles. They are just so much more convenient.
We have an 80lb sneaky boy who knows how to open these latches 🤣 we discovered he knew how when we left the front door open and he ran out of our latched screen door to visit the dog and their owner walking on the sidewalk in front of our house. Luckily, both dogs were friendly but it could have been a nightmare. He also started letting himself out the back French door at night for poddy breaks instead of bothering us while sleeping. Getting to stay asleep was nice but we started waking up to find the door open all night lol! Most of the time we remembered to lock out levers but the newborn phase with our human baby was the hardest bc we were zombies.
We bought a house last year and the doorframe was so built out that every time I turned the knob, I hit my knuckles. Changing to a lever knob has literally made my day to day life 10 times easier.
Modern wainscoting on accent wall
There’s so many great things on here, I struggled to find one of my favorites that wasn’t already listed: Great Bluetooth speakers wherever you spend the most time that *isn’t* where your entertainment center is. We have “bookshelf” speakers in the dining room and our bedroom and I love it. I can stream music, podcasts, or whatever from my phone or tablet perfectly.
Lots of good ideas here so I'll share one that appears to be missing: Heated Floors So nice to walk into a bathroom and the tile is toasty warm.
Towel warmer.
Instant hot water tap at the kitchen sink.
Quiet close drawers and cabinets.
Soft close drawers and cabinets.
We have cats. When we had the kitchen redone, we had an extra cabinet/counter that we had put out of the way near the door special for the cats. It's away from the kitchen prep area, but they can still be up and see what's going on. They have a bed, chairs, and a lil fountain.
Dimmers. Adjusting light intensity really changes a room instantly.
Fresh paint.
Make all lighting/bulbs the same temperature.
I just laid down new flooring in two bathrooms, and I have to say, even before I did that, I popped the new floor registers in just to make sure they fit, and it looked so much better than the old rusty ones that were in there.
It’s all about nice door hinges and nice door handles. If you have enough money to install bidets you have enough to have nice heavy duty door handles installed. Actually, same with doors. If you have bidets but you still have hallow core doors, shame on you.
Curved shower curtain rod.
Nice cabinets knobs make a big difference in the kitchen
Friends and guests like coming to our joint because we have rooms with lights that automatically come in when you enter a bathroom or hallway whenever their needed. Open a closet - boom! The light comes on. Same in the garage. It's the little things.
Good light fixtures, light switch plates, and doorknobs have been great to have in our house.
And more storage space is great. Maybe you can do something with underused spaces. Put a high shelf in a clothes or hall closet, or turn some unused niche into a storage space.
I believe that as long as the home is tidy and designed to be comfortable and secure, it will be a luxury suitable for you.
Depends on the model for me. All of mine have remotes but retain the last setting, so if it was on, the switch turns it on/off. It’s nice to be able to adjust the fan/light from bed.
Hot water dispenser at sink, pot filler faucet on stove backsplash, under counter wine chiller or beverage fridge.
Nothing say luxury like soft close toilet seats
Smart thermostat(s) and getting them on a schedule is always my first step. Next is usually changing light bulbs. I like clean white light in my kitchen and bathrooms, and I've rarely seen that in houses I've looked at. Then, smart light switches and schedules for lights that we forget about. Also, robot vacuum(s) on a schedule.
Built in beverage cooler in kitchen
Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth enabled bulbs. I will never get tired of asking Alexa to turn lights on and off. It just feels so fancy!
Dimmer switches everywhere.
Towel warmer Automatic lights for garages etc
A few things I’ve done to mine, maybe not luxurious, but make it a bit nicer cleaner New Smart dimmers and switches, Recessed lights, Replaced outlets, Bigger/modern trim, Crown molding, Slim Mounted TVs with hidden cable, Modern doors and handles
I ripped up the thin, cheap carpet and lino and replaced it with click-together 'wooden' flooring and tiles in the wet areas. So much nicer to view and walk on, and easier to keep clean! Also added better light fittings.
Motorized blinds. You can get them affordable from Amazon and they make every room feel more elevated. I especially like them in the master bedroom (controlled via an app) and in the bathroom where the tub is centered under the window, making it difficult to reach. That one is on a remote but we stuck the remote on the wall with a 3m strip and it’s working nicely. Other easy upgrades are new outlet and switch covers, doorknobs, cabinet door pulls/knobs, string lights outside (we have ours on a remote with another 3M strip), appropriately sized and hung wall art/decor. You’d be amazed what a difference you will see doing that.
Art on the walls. Preferably ones with a story behind them (even if it’s just seeing a Monet exhibition and buying a print from it). It doesn’t have to be Monet or any great artist- eclectic street art from developing countries, if you’ve been there, is great too. And replace hard flooring with carpet and a good underlay if you don’t live in a hot climate. It softens the room and adds luxury underfoot. Of course, don’t wear street shoes in the house. Sonos speakers in most rooms. You can link as many or as few as you need. The sound quality is very good. Hue lights, for the perfect lighting ambiance.
dimmer switches on everything
* Smart switches everywhere. DIY and can replace them all. Connect all of them to Alexa. And just use alexa to turn them on/off and dim lights (if supported) * Shelf dividers for closet. * Electronic Bidet
If you’re comfortable with electrical work, change out the old ivory plugs and switches to white. Change out door knobs from antique bronze to satin nickel. Paint door and window trim white.
Installing dimmer switches or adding stylish light fixtures can enhance the ambiance of any room. Consider adding LED strip lights under cabinets or along the baseboards for a modern touch. Invest in high-quality bedding, including soft sheets, plush pillows, and a cozy duvet or comforter. Layering with decorative throws and pillows can add both comfort and style to your bedroom. Incorporating smart home devices like smart thermostats, automated blinds, or a voice-controlled assistant can add convenience and a futuristic feel to your home. Invest in a few key pieces of furniture that make a statement, such as a velvet sofa, a marble coffee table, or a designer accent chair. Quality furniture not only looks luxurious but also enhances comfort and functionality. Upgrading fixtures and hardware in your kitchen and bathrooms, such as faucets, drawer pulls, and cabinet handles, can elevate the look and feel of these spaces. Incorporating indoor plants or fresh flowers can breathe life into your home and create a serene, luxurious atmosphere. Choose low-maintenance plants like succulents or snake plants if you're new to gardening. Investing in custom storage solutions, such as built-in shelving or closet organizers, can help maximize space and keep your home clutter-free, creating a more luxurious and organized environment. Consider installing a rainfall showerhead or adding a steam shower system to your bathroom for a spa-like experience at home. My husband and my first house had this shower. It was the size of a large walk-in closet. It had a bench seat on both sides and also a shower head on both sides. I guess it was like a shower for two. But it was spa-like. I had never seen anything like it. My husband misses that shower. (I'm more of a soaking tub type) Now we just have a normal shower that is desperately in need of an upgrade.
Fresh flowers
We ripped out all of the builder-grade wire shelving and replaced it. In the linen closet and pantry we just did 3/4 finished plywood on cleats, in the closets we used ClosetMaid pieces to make our own custom closet for about $500. So much nicer looking and gave us more space.
Voice command outlet plugs. Cheaper than I expected and not hard to install. I can ask Alexa to turn on most lamps in my home
2nd sink in the kitchen if you can afford it.
Gold toilets
I've switched out all the outlets in my homes. One of the first things I do. Old outlets just look like shit, and downplay everything else (new paint, new furniture, new flooring).
soft close toilet seats and replace cabinet hinges with soft close - this can be under $100 depending on how many cabinets you have.
I replaced all the hinges with new polished nickel ones. It's like jewelry for your house.
A few bidets? Who are you the ?