How to build value for the long run
Future proofing your home means being futuristic in your today’s home improvement projects, creating a post-modern home. This has many attached benefits, the obvious ones being that your home will be the envy of the entire neighborhood, it will be more functional and comfortable, and can attract a higher resale value. The biggest benefit, however, is that if your home adapts well to changing household needs over an extended period, you will not need to renovate every few years.
The greatest drivers for future-proofed homes are technological revolution and the growing need for sustainable living. Environmental awareness among millennials (future homeowners) means that your home will be unfashionable if it is not eco-friendly. The same thing will happen if you don’t install smart home technology in your home. Homeowners and aspiring homeowners can follow these tips on how to future-proof today’s homes.
Make your home energy-efficient
Saving energy equals saving the future of our planet, which makes energy-conscious home improvements a key part of the future. There are many ways of making your home energy-efficient, the most common of them being purchasing energy-efficient home appliances such as smart water monitoring. Such appliances are also beneficial to your monthly energy bills—there is no losing with those! Another futuristic energy-conscious home improvement is installing an electric car charging port in your garage because, as you may know, electric cars are phasing out gas extremely fast. Home Flex and Juice Box Pro are among the top-rated home chargers.
Create the ‘future kitchen’
Your kitchen remodeling plans should center on sustainability. Ensure that your kitchen appliances are energy-efficient, that the kitchen building materials are eco-friendly, and as much as you can, recycle, reuse, and repurpose kitchen furniture and other fixtures. Furniture items have to be durable for them to be repurpose-worthy, so it is imperative that you buy only top-quality items going forward. Another important kitchen investment is bringing in the technologies that professional chefs of the future will be using. Everyone wants to be a professional chef in their own kitchen these days, and this trend is likely to continue into the foreseeable future as dining out declines amid the pandemic.
Home automation and smart technology
Smart home security systems, particularly movement-triggered alarms and lights, are extremely valuable to modern and future homes. SimpliSafe offers a variety of smart alarms. Traditional home security features are already as good as obsolete. IoT has also become very huge in homes. People want to monitor their homes from remote locations through video surveillance technology and control their heating and lighting using their smartphones. Senior citizens want automated homes that can remind them to take meds, alert their doctors or caregivers in case of emergencies, and that can basically make their lives as independent as possible. However, as much as automating your home will add livability to it, there is no guarantee that its resale value will increase. At least not in 2020.
Entertainment
With the huge impact that technology has had on the entertainment industry, it is safe to predict that the industry will be quite immersive in the near future. You had better get your entertainment arena ready. Start by adding conduit and wiring for video and data in all bedrooms. If you have the budget for home additions or you are planning to build a new home soon, it will be wise to include an entertainment room in your plans. Build a robust entertainment infrastructure that includes LED video walls, reliable Wi-Fi, interactive gaming, theater-worthy furniture, and futuristic entertainment lights.
Flexible accommodation
Flexible accommodation includes, but is not limited to, multigenerational living and remote-working adaptability. Home designers must make modern homes wheelchair adaptable because of the rising number of disabled and elderly buyers. Life expectancy is on the rise all over the world, after all. Ensure that all bathrooms in your home are wide enough for wheelchairs, the kitchens are open, counters are not too high, and that there are turning circle areas around the property. Install lifts and porters if yours is a multilevel property.
In regard to remote working, set aside a room in your home for a home office and equip it with all the technology and furniture that a modern office should have.
Stay Ready
There isn’t a single proven way of future-proofing your home, so you need to try as many approaches as possible. Start by making your home functional and comfortable for modern living before shifting your focus to making it future-worthy. If it is not comfortable, invest in remodels that can withstand the test of time at least for a decade or two. Predicting future technology is hard considering how fast the industry is evolving, but at least give it a shot!
Monica is an architect. She has eight-plus years of experience in interior and exterior design. Her mission is to inspire others to live their dreams and create their perfect sweet home.
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