Homeowners Are Sharing The "Worth Every Penny" Purchases, Renovations, And Projects That They Completely Swear By
Recently, homeowners of the BuzzFeed Community shared the home renovations, projects, and purchases that, although on the pricier side, were 100% worth the money. I'm not a homeowner, but after reading some of these, I definitely want some of these gadgets and features in my future home. Here are some of the best things to splurge on, according to homeowners:
1."The best thing to splurge on is a built-in closet! You can customize it to your budget and storage needs, and it saved us a ton of space and money because we didn't have to buy extra storage furniture. Our closet gave us five times more storage capability, and it looks great."
2."My husband installed motion sensor end lights in all the rooms of our house. They go on when you walk in and turn off automatically as well. At night, it auto-sets not to use the motion sensor, so the lights don't come on whenever you move around in bed! Also, we installed automatic blind closers. They auto-close every night at sunset and open at sunrise! No more reminding my son to open and close the blinds!"
—Sara, 47, Arizona
3."We installed a whole house fan for $2,500. If you have one, you know."
4."If you're replacing carpet, a nice carpet pad is absolutely worth it. It makes even cheaper carpets feel more luxurious and can help hide wear and tire over the years. I replaced mine eight years ago, and it still looks practically new."
—Anonymous
5."The best thing we did when we built our house was put in a gas fireplace. We have the fake logs and vermiculite that looks like embers. I can turn it on, put the flame down low, and just know the chill out of the room. I don't have to clean out the ashes or anything. I've had people say that they like the ambiance of a wood fire, and that's fine! But while you're on your hands and knees shoveling out ashes and making a mess, I can just sit and enjoy the warmth."
6."We use bidets and cloth wipes to eliminate buying toilet paper (toilet paper is available for guests) and microfiber cloths instead of paper towels."
7."We installed an elevator that goes from the main floor to the lower level and a totally automatic whole-house generator. Both were costly, but they were so worth the investment!"
—Anonymous
8."A solar water heater. We got the biggest one we could find, and we love it! We've saved thousands of dollars on our gas bill because of it. We still have a gas water heater, but it stays off for most of the year, as we only turn it on when we've had continuous cloudy days. We've installed a solar water heater in every house we've lived in, and it's very low maintenance."
9."An extended walk-in pantry. We have a pretty open floor plan house, making the kitchen visible from every angle. The toaster, blender, coffee machine, and electric water kettle are all visible, which makes the house look cluttered. Our old pantry was a small closet that backed the garage, so our appliances had no space or outlets. I had the pantry built out and installed a countertop. I can't say enough what it has done for my home (and my eyes). My husband now thinks I'm a renovation genius — which, of course!"
—Anonymous, Texas
10."The best household splurge is a permanent aluminum roof. It'll last long after the house has fallen down, and it came with a 50-year transferable warranty."
11."When I bought my house, the patio doors opened to a ground-level old and cracked concrete patio. So, I had a floor-level covered deck (portico style) built right over the cracks, where I could easily step right out onto the deck, sit, and enjoy my private tree-surrounded backyard. I love it. Yeah, it was pricey, but it was worth every penny."
12."A pot filler! I enjoy cooking and have always wanted a pot filler. In addition to the obvious conveniences and cool aesthetic, I really appreciate the practicality of not having to lift, drag, or slide heavy pots, especially since a major back surgery I had two years ago. Not only that, but the water comes out much faster than my sink faucet, so I fill my large watering cans with the pot filler when I water my houseplants, too."
13."A center island. It's our main food prep area, and it works great as a serving area for guests whenever we have company."
—Anonymous
14."Replacing a wooden deck with a screened-in porch. No more bringing cushions in and out, flies, mosquitos, or hot sun. We added a fireplace, TV, and recliners, and we can be out on the porch for at least nine months of the year!"
15."We have an induction stove and an all-in-one washer-dryer combo. Both are very energy efficient. The induction stove is amazing — it boils water in just a couple of minutes and has a convection oven and a warming drawer. Love it! The washer-dryer doesn't need to vent to the outdoors, which is also very efficient. Fun fact: many states offer rebates if you buy these energy-saving appliances (we bought an E-bike and electric lawnmower and got rebates). We also got credit on our federal taxes."
16.Lastly: "Impact windows and patio doors weren't cheap, but they were definitely worth it in Florida. Now, we don't need to prep the windows before a hurricane. And since we can see what's happening outside, we don't feel shuttered in or claustrophobic while hurricanes are happening. For us, impact windows and patio doors were worth every penny!"
I honestly didn't know I wanted a pot filler until now! If you're a homeowner, what pricier home splurge ended up being 100% worth it? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your experience using this form!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.