It’s kind of a sad fact of life that most things don’t get better with age. Knees, eyesight, that can of beets you’ve had in your kitchen cabinet since Y2K; the list goes on and on. Sure, that expensive bottle of wine you’ve been keeping for a special occasion may be an exception. Usually, the older things get, the less valuable they become. If you’ve ever bought a brand-new car and then looked up its value not long after, you know this firsthand.
Aside from that bottle of wine, there is another thing that does – or, more specifically, can –increase in value over time: your house. Real estate is a great investment, and even if you were to do nothing to your home, chances are good that its value would go up.
However, if one day you plan to sell, it’s worth the cost to make some upgrades. Electrical improvements can give you a high return on your investment. Plus, they’ll let you immediately get more enjoyment out of your home. Here are some to consider.
Extra ceiling fans
Back in April, we wrote a whole article expounding the virtues of ceiling fans. That was when temperature-wise, things were relatively mild. If you didn’t heed our advice and add some new fans to your home, this means you probably had to jack up the AC all summer, which resulted in large energy bills.
If you want a more cost-effective way to cool your home, don’t make that mistake again. Plus, a potential future buyer will thank you (and perhaps also want to pay you more).
Under-cabinet lighting
If your home is like most, the kitchen is probably the hub; the room that sees the most action because, of course, that’s where all the tasty food is stored.
And while you may have enough overhead illumination to see the people sitting across from you while you enjoy a nice beet salad (maybe canned foods do last forever?), that doesn’t have to be your only lighting choice. With under cabinet lighting, you can enjoy a softer glow, which the cooks in the family will especially appreciate.
A new electrical panel
If your home is fairly new, your electrical panel is probably in good shape. However, if you live in an older house, it may be time for a new one.
There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, this is a safety issue. Over time, wires and other connections can corrode, and this can lead to a dangerous situation. In addition, it’s possible that your panel just isn’t up to the challenge of meeting your electrical needs.
If you often experience circuit breaker trips, this is a sign that something’s not right with your panel. Just don’t try to change it yourself.
Landscape lighting
The inside of your home isn’t the only thing you should focus on for your electrical upgrades. With landscape lighting, you can illuminate things like trees, bushes, and flower beds. Plus, there are a lot of options.
You can have lights installed in the ground or perhaps on a pole or other structure. You can also have them line a walkway or driveway. And not only does outdoor lighting look stylish, it also offers extra safety and security.
Backup generator
You may not think a generator is the sexiest thing you can add to your home. In which case, you haven’t been reading Generators Quarterly magazine. However, they certainly serve a practical purpose.
Like an insurance policy, a generator is something you hope to never use, but when the power goes out, you’re extremely glad you have it. And with outages now happening more frequently, a generator gives you – and, again, that fictional future buyer of your home – a lot more peace of mind.
Even if you don’t plan on selling your home, it always makes sense to do things to improve it. If you’d like to get more information on any of these additions or perhaps some others you have in mind, get in touch with Universal Electrical.
