These New Home Upgrades are Popular in 2022

You can feel great about spending on your home and lifestyle by getting new home upgrades recommended by builders and experts. Upgrades, like smart features, upgraded bathrooms, and high-end appliances, are included by some home builders. You can usually add them with an upgrades package when they aren’t. A combination of practical upgrades will improve the security and efficiency of your home while also allowing you to make it accommodate your lifestyle.

These improvements bring value to your daily life—and most of them increase resale value. While some of these concepts require significant expenditure when renovating, many are optional or already added in brand new homes. Before starting any home improvement project, check out the local building code standards to guarantee optimal security and compliance or hire a general contractor. 

Stylish Roofing, Help Keep Your Home Cool

Heat and saving energy are issues that everyone is concerned about right now. It’s preferable to invest in cool roofs for tranquility and energy efficiency. A cool roof roofing system can help minimize heat from the sun through reflection and thermal emittance. They deflect more sunshine and retain less heat than regular roofs, enhancing indoor comfort and reducing energy consumed to cool the home.

When buying a newly built home, there are options in some communities to add a roofing system that helps cool your home. Reflective coatings, sheet coatings, tiles, shingles, and metal roofs are all options for cool roofing. Getting a new roof gives you the most roofing options. Otherwise, you can add reflective coatings or reflective elements to an old roof to get some advantages of a more energy-efficient roof system. 

Showers with a Zero-Threshold

Zero-threshold showers are an attractive upgrade if you’re building your house or upgrading your current bathroom(s). It takes a little more effort and money, but it’s well worth it if you want to protect your investment and make your home easier to sell in the future. Change to a shower that doesn’t have the lip or border of a standard shower floor basin to remove barriers and achieve a sleek design. This accessibility design style is functional and elegant. Plus, homes are becoming more contemporary, meaning your zero-threshold shower will help increase your home’s appeal. 

Smart Home Features

Smart home features are becoming more prevalent as technology improves and becomes more affordable. If you’re improving an existing home, you can quickly get intelligent lights, thermostats and much more with little labor required. Some builders include a wide range of smart features that help reduce your home’s energy use and improve your living standards if you’re buying new. Ask about upgrade options, some builders have different packages and some include some smart features in the base price of the home. Over the years, smart home features will become more and more popular, don’t forget them when looking for upgrades in 2022. Check out this list of the most popular smart features for ideas and more information. 

Kitchen Countertops

Countertops are an essential aspect of the look and efficiency of your kitchen. They visually make an impression, and they have to put up with food preparation, spillage, craft time, and frequent wiping. It’s worth spending on new countertops if your cabinetry is good. Quartz and granite countertops are available from most home builders for those buying a new home. There are pros and cons to different countertop types. Check with local professionals to determine which countertop types are best suited for you and your home. 

Upgraded Garage Doors

There are various options for new garage doors. A new garage door is a fast and easy to boost curb attractiveness, especially with many great designs. A new garage door with better sealing or windows for fresh light might improve your garage’s coziness. Furthermore, when it comes to resale value, a garage door restoration has one of the best returns on investment. As with most upgrades, some new home builders include upgraded garages in their homes, and others have them as optional upgrades. 

Front and Backyard Patios

For the past couple of years, interest in outdoor areas has surged. A new deck, whether large or little, is a simple method to increase the value of your home. Patios can be a versatile room where you may work, play, and entertain with just a few sets of lighting and furniture. 

Even though lumber has become more pricey and a wood deck may seem unnecessary, you can be confident in its resale value. On the other hand, composite decking is long-lasting and environmentally safe, with a high return on investment. Patios included in new homes will likely be best suited for entertainment and relaxation. If you’re renovating your house, you’ll have the ability to design and build the patio of your dreams. In either case, patios help with your resale value and are in demand. 

Radiant-Heat Flooring

A radiant heating system, installed beneath the floor, warms rooms from the bottom up, producing uniformly distributed heat that is comfortable for your feet. The installation of a radiant system in your home necessitates the removal of existing flooring. While this is a significant undertaking, the upgrade has numerous advantages. Radiant heat is not only more luxurious than rattling radiators and rumbling forced-air vents on frigid mornings, but it is also quieter.

Radiant heat is becoming increasingly popular, even in outdoor living spaces. It’s also more energy-efficient and can be installed in various places. Radiant heat floors can be used with authorized vinyl and laminate flooring. Still, it works best with ceramic and porcelain tile and natural stone.

Tankless Water Heater

It is preferable to replace a standard water heater with a tankless water heater that is both space and energy-efficient. Instead of continuously spending energy to keep a large tank of water warm, a tankless water heater provides on-demand hot water. It uses energy only to heat water when and to the required temperature. Tankless water heaters are compact, can be placed on the wall, and take up less space. 

Due to the purchase cost and installation fees, which may include rerouting gas lines, tankless water heaters have higher upfront expenditures than typical water heaters if you’re improving your home. They also last approximately twice as long as a regular unit. Another advantage of a tankless unit is that the capacity of the tank does not restrict your hot water supply. Check with your home builder to see if they have tankless water heaters or have an option to add one. 

Lighting Fixtures

Light is practical, adding brightness and warmth to a room by its very nature. Of course, lighting comes standard in new construction homes, but they are not all created equal. Some builders have upgrade packages allowing you to add on high-end lighting; others include designer lights in their standard packages. If you’re renovating your home, take the time to get a professional opinion on whether or not your home needs additional lights on top of your upgrade choice. Make your money go further by concentrating on areas that require the most illumination, such as the kitchen and restrooms.

Wrapping Things Up

A real estate professional will know what upgrades add the most value to your home in your local area. Look to spend money on upgrades that add value and help your home sell quickly when it’s time. Check out the features included in the home you buy and any optional upgrade packages your builder has available. If your builder upgrades some features while building your home, it may save you thousands.