Whether you’re a new homeowner, an old homeowner, or even a new old homeowner, there are several things you need in order for your house to work. Roof? Check. Front door, back door? Check, check. Couches, TV, and closet space? Check, check, check. These kind of things are just essential: it’s hard to have a house without, say, an indoor plumbing system.
While many of the above items may quite literally come with the territory, others are things you must purchase. There are the necessities: living room furniture, bedroom furniture, a kitchen table. Then there are the luxuries: a trampoline for the kids, a hot tub, marble counters for the bathroom. Though these entities may be on separate ends of the spending spectrum, sometimes it’s easy to find luxury in the simpler things, things that will add comfort to your life without debt to your checking account.
A Bigger Bed: Whether you have little kids who crawl into bed with you whenever they have a bad dream or dogs who think your bed is theirs, a bed can hardly ever be too big. If there’s one thing most people want while they sleep it’s space. A larger bed can give you that. Get rid of the double you and your spouse, your three-year-old, and your two German Shephards are sharing and splurge on a King.
A Separate Freezer: This day and age is the age of Bulk. From shoppers at Costco to patrons of Sam’s Club, people buy groceries like a giant meteorite is scheduled to hit Earth any moment. The one problem with buying bulk lies in freezer space: a lot of food is freezable – bread, chicken, beef – and one tiny freezer compartment isn’t going to house it. Instead of trying to force your freezer closed, or keeping it shut with duct tape, invest in a separate one you can keep somewhere convenient, such as the basement or garage.
Carpet that is Anything but White: whoever invented carpet cleaning probably also invented white carpet: they likely knew it would be a lucrative color. Nothing makes a house look dingier than dirty carpet and no carpet gets dirtier than carpet that is light. Mud, wine, food, pet hair all show up on white carpet like a spotlight on a dark stage. Do yourself a favor and get the carpet that isn’t going to proudly display every morsel of dirt that has ever entered your life.
A DVR: It’s true: some people get a DVR and they never ever leave the house again. Who knew that watching twelve hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer a day could be so gosh darn fun? You don’t need to get this excessive (and you probably won’t even have to quit your job) in order to enjoy the benefits of a DVR. With VCR’s being so “The 20th Century,” DVR’s are the future of recording. Having one allows you to skip commercials, schedule recordings, keep track of your favorite shows, and watch your “Parental Discretion Advised” shows after the kids have gone to bed.
Ceiling Fans: Ceiling fans are sometimes thought of as a visual enhancement – giving an otherwise plain ceiling some character – or thought of as entertainment – giving your guests something to swing from at your next raging party. But, it turns out, ceiling fans serve more than these purposes. In the summer, ceiling fans work to circulate cold air, helping to keep your house cool and breezy. In the winter, they do the opposite: since hot air rises, ceiling fans direct it back down. This keeps your rooms more toasty and allows you to spend money on your next raging party, instead of your heating bill.
Posted in Home By
