It’s no secret that certain home upgrades give you more bang for your buck. Whether you’re purchasing a brand-new home or looking to renovate your existing home, deciding which features to upgrade is an important decision. While a lot of the decisions will be based on personal preferences, the following list will give you some ideas you won’t regret.

Professional Landscaping

The way your home looks from the outside can really set the tone. It’s important if you’re trying to sell, but it also gives you a sense of pride knowing that your home is one of the best-looking ones on the block. You can certainly get ideas and instructions to guide you to a lush landscape online or in magazines, but it’s hard to go wrong with professional landscaping. It takes all of the guesswork out of the equation so that you can sit back and enjoy your home. 

Take time to talk with the landscaper about the type of maintenance you’re willing to do. Certain types of designs might require less weeding, mowing, or watering.

Patio

If you love entertaining, you’ll probably want to allocate some of your upgrade funds to creating a backyard that’s welcoming (especially to get our backyard ready for summer!). Do this with a professionally designed patio. This might be a wooden deck off the kitchen or an elaborately paved space with a fire pit and grill. The size and scope of this type of project will largely depend on your needs and the size of your backyard, but it’s smart to talk to the builder about including this in the package.

Extra Kitchen Storage

No matter how big your kitchen is, you’ll always appreciate any upgrades that give you extra storage space. For instance, choosing cabinets that extend up to the ceiling can give you an extra shelf for storage, and pan drawers are deep enough to store all of your pans neatly. All this extra space allows you to keep those rarely-used kitchen gadgets out of sight until you need them.

Other Kitchen Upgrades

Almost everyone wants a kitchen that's both functional and beautiful. According to HGTV, people who do a major remodel of their kitchen generally recoup about 91 percent of the costs when selling the home. If you’re buying a new home, though, you have the opportunity to start with a lot of high-end upgrades that will maintain their value. In many cases, it’s more affordable to install these things in the initial build than it would be to replace them 10 years later.

Finished Basement and/or Attic

With a finished basement or attic, you have more living space to spread out. It’s the perfect choice for anyone who wants an extra bedroom or a large family area. If you’re going to add a finished basement or attic to your new home build, ask the builder to design a space that could be multi-purpose. This has better resale value than something specific, such as a bar or a workout space with a wall of mirrors. 

There are also ways to budget for a basement design, so talk to your builder about your options. Additionally, you may want to consider the benefits of adding a basement suite and making some extra cash.

Upgraded Bathroom Tiles

The bathroom tiles might seem like a place where you’d want to save your money, but upgraded tiles can make a big difference. They’ll give your bathroom a luxurious feel that’s hard to get when you’re using the same old vinyl tiles that everyone else is using. For an added bonus, consider asking if the builder can install radiant heating in the floors. You’ll never have to worry about cold feet when you step out of a relaxing bath.

Energy Savings

Upgrades that save energy are often worth the added expense because you get some of that money back in the form of lower utility bills. Heat in your home can escape through the windows, so spring for the high-quality ones. Custom blinds can also improve energy efficiency, and many builders offer an option for this. Surprisingly, upgraded insulation is another huge money-saver. It’s not something that most people think about, but it certainly goes a long way toward keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Carpet Padding

If you love the feeling of a nice, plush carpet under your feet, you might think about getting upgraded carpeting throughout the home, particularly in the bedrooms. However, you might not have to do that; you can get a similar effect by choosing upgraded carpet padding underneath a standard carpet. It won’t cost you a lot of money, and it can extend the life of the carpet.

Your money is valuable. You shouldn’t waste it on upgrades that you don’t really love. Think carefully about what’s most important to you in a home and choose upgrades based on what you’ll use.

Photo credits: living room, kitchen, night garden