Top 5 Home Improvements In 2021

There can always be room for improvement, especially when it comes to your home. Whether you are looking to improve your quality of living in your home or add some extra value before a sale. Through this guide, there are 5 home improvements that it is time to make in 2021. 

Replace Your Old Boiler

The first area you should look at is replacing your boiler. Your boiler is what gives you warm water throughout your home and also provides your heating, so it is vital that you have a great boiler. 

Do I Need to Replace my Boiler?

There are two ways you can tell if your boiler needs replacing as it will either be constantly breaking down or older than 20 years. A boiler older than 20 years is very inefficient with some being rated as low as 75% efficient.

This means that 25% of all energy generated by them is either lost or used to power them. Compare this to a new boiler that is around 94% energy efficient, meaning that only 6% is being lost. Meaning you will be saving 19% of all energy generated. 

Choosing a Replacement Boiler

When it comes to choosing a new boiler, you will want to make sure you choose the same type of boiler your home currently has. However, when it comes to choosing a brand, you are free to choose whatever boiler brand and model which fits into your budget. Make sure you shop around and find what is best for you. 

Choosing an Installer

Boiler replacement should be done by a professional installer that is gas safe registered. So, when choosing an installer for your new boiler either go with a large company or a local installer. 

Add a Home Office Area

In the last year working at home became the new normal for many people. However, a lot of people did not have an adequate workspace for this new need to work at home. With many companies seeing the benefit of working from home, it looks like it could be here to stay. So, if you have the room, installing a home office area is a great use of some extra space. 

What does a home office need?

There are a few things that you will need to make your home office work:

  • Computer – a home office would not be an office without your computer!
  • A comfy chair – a comfy chair is arguably one of the most important elements of a home office. Especially if you are going to be sitting at your desk a long time.
  •  A desk – if you have been stuck working on the kitchen table during the last year, you will know how important a desk is. A desk allows you to create a workspace where you can concentrate.
  • Lighting – make sure to make use of as much natural light as possible to avoid straining your eyes through the day! Also having a desk lamp can be a real help when it starts getting darker in the evening. 

There are a few other things that a home office can benefit from such as a radio, some plants, and a few personal decorations. All of these items will mean that you can stay focused and add a personal touch to your home office. A radio can also give you the illusion that you are in the office. 

Home Offices Increases Home Value

A home office can also increase the value of your home when it comes to selling time. A home office can add up to 8% to the value of your home. To achieve the higher percentile of this, you may want to invest and utilise a professional refurbishment company to ensure you home office is the best it can be and subsequently secure a better increase on your property value. 

Update Your Bathroom

Updating your home’s bathroom is always a great idea, especially if you are looking to sell your property soon. 

Added Value

A refurbished bathroom can add 5% or more of the value of your home, depending on how much refurbishing you do and other elements of the property. 

Bathroom Updates to Make

There are a few refurbishments that you can make to your bathroom to both add value and make it a nicer room to relax in after a long day of work such as: 

  • Upgrade your shower – installing a power shower head can be a great addition to any bathroom. Or even replacing your whole shower column with a more modern and updated look.
  • Add some storage – Adding more storage for things such as towels and toiletries will allow you to keep your bathroom clean and tidy.
  • Update the colour of your bathroom – updating your bathrooms colour scheme can give the room a whole different feel. Going for a more neutral colour scheme, such as greys or whites, can really make the bathroom feel more open.
  • Install a heated towel rail – a heated towel rail is often seen as a given in many modern bathrooms now so make sure that you have one in yours!
  • Install a new faucet on your sink – installing a new sink faucet can keep your bathroom looking modern and more appealing.

These are only five of the upgrades that you could put in your bathroom. If you have the money a full planned renovation is also a possibility. 

Replace Your Incandescent Bulbs

A great improvement to make in your home is replacing your incandescent bulbs. Incandescent bulbs are fast becoming outperformed by other bulbs on the market. 

Switch to LED Lightbulbs

When it comes to replacing your bulbs, you will want to switch to LED bulbs. LED bulbs are the best bulb for when it comes to saving money. They require less wattage than a CFL or incandescent bulb to produce the same number of lumens, meaning you will be using less energy. They also have a huge lifespan of up to 50,000 hours in some cases. 

Amount Saved

With LED bulbs you could be saving up to £150 a year. Which is a huge saving to be had just for replacing the lightbulbs in your home! It also increases your homes energy efficiency, which is a big thing people will be looking for when buying homes in the future.

Increase Your Kerb Appeal

Increasing the kerb appeal of your home is one of those improvements that many people often ignore but it is one of the most important. 

Make Repairs

If you have any repairs that you need to make to your home, it is best to start with them. Repairing any masonry that may have been chipped or cracked around your property is a great start. Then moving onto any broken gutters that have been causing issues. Also cleaning out these gutters while your repair them will kill two birds with one stone. 

Front Door

It may be worth totally replacing your front door with a different style that is a bit more out there and makes your home stand out. Especially if you are looking to sell your property. Otherwise just giving your door a fresh lick of paint and a clean can be just as good. 

There are five home improvement tips for your 2021! While these are 5 recommended improvements you may want to carry on your home improvement journey after you have completed these.