Upgrades that will make your home happier
It is said that as you get older you become wiser, but as homeowners grow older, do they become happier?
According to a nationwide homeowner happiness survey conducted by HomeAdvisor, the answer is yes. This was the case of Bob and Joanie Johnson, who dropped their youngest child off at college in August 2015.
Although they needed time to adjust to their children no longer living at home, they soon realized they had extra time and money to devote to home projects. Many parents who become empty nesters have this revelation and start focusing on projects that have been placed on the back burner while kids were in the house.
“It makes sense that empty nesters have the highest happy home scores,” said Karen Ruskin, HomeAdvisor’s Happiness Advisor. “They have likely settled in a community they enjoy and plan to stay. This group also generally has the most economic stability and time to make their house a happy home.”
The survey shows that individuals in the empty-nester stage have higher happy home scores across the board compared to all other stages of life. The main factors that contribute to their happiness are their communities, location and features of their homes. Compared to other stages of life, empty-nesters feel the safest in their communities, most connected to their neighbors and are also the happiest with the condition of their homes.
Overall homeowner happiness boils down to a combination of three important factors: accessibility to attractions and services, community and dwelling. Interestingly, research shows that accessibility and community play a far bigger role in happiness than dwelling.
“A homeowner’s identity and quality of life is much more likely to depend on aspects like weather, for example, as that influences activities accessed in one’s community and affordability over how many bedrooms and bathrooms they have,” Ruskin said. “Homeowner happiness is really about location, location, location.”
This rings true for the Johnsons, who are far happier with the accessibility of services in their community and their neighbors than other life-stage groups.
Come on, get happy
Karen Ruskin, HomeAdvisor’s Happiness Advisor, offers these four tips to make your home a happier place:
1. Upgrade and remodel your home. Update the landscaping or change out cabinet hardware. These modest to moderate changes can transform your home into a place that fits your needs.
2. Make sure you have adequate gathering space. Family rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and patios are great areas to focus on to create an entertainment experience for you and your guests.
3. Get to know your neighbors. Research shows that the happiest homeowners enjoy and feel comfortable, as well as safe, with their neighbors and community. To reach this comfortability, try organizing a neighborhood event.
4. Make your home a place you want to stay. The happiest homeowners feel their home is their favorite place and somewhere they want to stay long term. Get comfortable, hang art, put up those family pictures that are sitting in a box, paint the walls or plant a garden.
Find more tips for becoming a happier homeowner and further survey information at http://homeadvisor.com/survey.
Easy home upgrades
Whether you recently purchased a new house and are looking for ways to add your own style and personal touches or are looking to upgrade your longstanding home, it’s essential to add style and function when completing any home-improvement project. From adding light and ventilation to updating your home’s safety, closets, facade or back yard, you can take advantage of these ideas to enhance the aesthetics of your house and improve its livability and capabilities.
Combine safety with style
Home safety has never been so stylish, or convenient. For instance, First Alert’s easy-to-install Atom Smoke and Fire Alarm packs all the power of an advanced photoelectric smoke alarm into a miniature, non-intrusive design and features an advanced smoke entry system designed to reduce the chances of false alarms along with a loud, penetrating siren. The 10-year sealed-battery Atom provides added home protection and eliminates the need to replace the batteries for the life of the alarm. For more information, visit http://firstalert.com.
Go for natural light
There’s no better way to breathe new life into interior spaces than decorating with light. One idea: Velux Energy Star-qualified, solar-powered fresh air skylights bring natural light and ventilation into the home and carry a 10-year, no-leak installation warranty. Along with available solar powered blinds, the skylights operate by remote control, closing automatically in case of rain. Costs will vary, but a new solar skylight installation typically ranges from $1,800 to $2,400 after a 30 percent federal tax credit. To find dealers and certified installers, visit http://whyskylights.com.
Enhance your storage space
Whether it’s a lack of space, too many shirts or pairs of shoes, or simply not enough time to get organized, you can eliminate the mess and enhance your closet’s storage space in a weekend with a system like ClosetMaid’s SuiteSymphony line. Available in multiple finishes, it adds stylish organization to both walk-in and traditional closets and is customizable with accessories such as drawers, door fronts, shoe shelves and expandable hang rods. Find more organization solutions at http://ClosetMaid.com.
Refresh the curb appeal
Looking to upgrade and instantly enhance the look of your home? Install a new front door, such as one from the extensive line of fiberglass exterior doors from Feather River Doors. Hand-stained oak and mahogany doors are among the most popular, accentuating elegant wood grain details that instantly improve a home’s curb appeal. They’re energy efficient, low maintenance, secure and available in custom sizes and colors, exclusively at The Home Depot. Check out the options at http://featherriverdoor.com.
Boost backyard appearance
Every back yard requires that special finishing touch. If your outdoor living quarters are missing that unique “something,” install and decorate a pergola to bring it all together. A pergola is the perfect spot for hanging plants, setting up a shaded canopy or creating an exquisite entrance to your personal garden. The options are nearly limitless, whether you’re building from scratch with raw materials or purchasing a ready-to-install version that can instantly improve the look of your lawn. Research the different types of pergolas available before deciding what’s best for you and customize it to fit your needs — it’s the ultimate creative space for the outdoor artist in you.
This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Upgrades that will make your home happier."