Even if you love your home, there are always ways to make improvements. In this post, we’ll outline some simple ways to make any home even better – and more valuable – to you is the present and homebuyers in the future.
As always, let us know any questions you have by contacting us online or giving us a call at (503) 537-0158.
Make sure your home is well-maintained
Ensuring your home is kept in good condition is the best way to improve your home.
Before investing in any other improvements, make sure your home is properly maintained. If your home’s fundamentals aren’t in good shape, it doesn’t matter what else you do to it.
We recommend seasonally inspecting your home to make sure the important parts of your house are kept in good condition. Take a walk around your property and check the:
- Roof
- Siding, including exterior paint
- Foundation
Leaky, damaged roofs spell trouble
Leaky roofs can cause damage to other parts of your home quickly, particularly in the rainy Pacific Northwest winter months. Roofs don’t last forever, and an investment in your roof is an investment if your home’s longevity and structural integrity.
Signs you need a new roof include…
- Curled and buckled shingles
- Missing shingles
- Shingle fragments in your gutters
- Daylight peeking through gutters
- Your roof was installed 20-25 years ago
Smart-home integrations
There have never been more ways to bring your home online and make life more convenient.
The best way to do this? Smart home integrations.
A number of smart home assistants from top technology companies allow you to connect and command a number of your home’s functions all in one place. Our favorite smart home assistants are:
You can control all of these home assistants with your voice, allowing for a seamless, integrated experience for managing your home. Home appliances and functions you can manage include….
- Kitchen appliances
- Lighting
- Security cameras
- Thermostat
- Window treatments
Audio systems
With a speaker set that connects to your home assistants, such as a Sonos audio system, you can have audio accessibility throughout your home with the simplicity of audio command. If you love entertaining these systems are particularly great, as you’ll be able to play DJ without having to manage the music next to the speaker.
Security System
The price of a security system is a small price to pay for your family’s safety. Even a simple alert system will help stave off intruders and provide “insurance” to anyone breaking into your home. There are even systems that will alert the police if they detect motion in an entryway in the middle of the night!
Other benefits of security systems include:
- Lowering your homeowners insurance premium
- Determent of crime
- Extra protection on the loss of your valuables
- Notification of fire or gas leaks in your home
- Peace of mind
A new interior paint job
A simple way to change or improve the atmosphere in your Portland home is to paint the interior of one or a number of rooms. Unlike a roofing or other serious project where you should always hire a professional, interior paint jobs can be completed by yourself, making it a simple and affordable project.
With interior paint jobs you can have fun choosing colors to match your home’s decor. If you have bolder furniture for instance, it can be great to go with more muted colors. Simple furniture? Go with a bolder color!
The great thing about interior paint jobs is you can always change it back or to another new color if you don’t like it, making it a low cost, low risk home improvement project.
Energy Star appliances
Your home’s appliances are the engine that keep your house running. New, energy efficient appliances will keep your home modern while keeping energy costs down (and the environment less affected).
The fact is that appliances have come a long way in the last decade. Energy Star appliances go even further, meeting the EPA’s energy efficient specifications and reducing energy use by 10-50% compared to standard appliances.
You can find the Energy Star rating on…
- Refrigerators
- Washers and dryers
- Televisions
- Stoves
- Air conditioners
Improve your outdoor space
A great way to improve your home inexpensively is to improve your outdoor living space. Despite the rainy winter months, we have some of the most beautiful weather in the country here in the Pacific Northwest. When it’s beautiful, it’s truly beautiful. Why not make your home just as comfortable outside as it is inside?
A great way to do this if you have a patio or deck is to invest in a furniture set that you love. When you have furniture outside, it transforms the space into a living space you and your family can enjoy during the summer. You can even add a grill to have a weekly barbecue or celebrate holidays like the Fourth of July or Labor Day.
Other ways to improve your outdoor living space:
- Garden: Cultivating a garden allows you grow your own produce or flowers. In addition to looking beautiful, it affords you the opportunity to enjoy delicious food.
- Fire pit: a fire pit or outdoor fireplace gives your family a place to spend a beautiful summer night roasting marshmallows and telling campfire stories – all within the confines of your home. What could be better!?
- Landscaping features: Newly planted trees or bushes can add a fun and unique element to the landscaping of your home. You can even add boulders or other non-plant features to add a magical element to your yard.
Is your roof in good condition?
Ensure your roof is in good condition before investing your money into any other home improvement projects. At Fivecoat roofing, we offer:
If you have a leaky roof or just simply think something is wrong, contact us today online or give us a call at (503) 537-0158.
