The 15 small upgrades that made a ‘huge difference’ in people's homes
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make big improvements.
A couple snuggling after a hard day working on the house.
When we consider ways to improve our homes, we often think big: new bathrooms, solar panels, or redoing the landscaping. These renovations can be costly and, in these economically challenging times, too much for many people’s budgets.
However, a series of minor tweaks, like mini-makeovers, can breathe new life into our homes. We can make countless small, affordable changes to our living spaces that make them cozier, more functional and energy efficient.
Some minor fixes can increase your property value, too.
Recently, a group of Redditors came together to share some small changes that have made an enormous difference in their homes. It all started when a user named Super_Dupa2 asked, “What small upgrade made a huge difference at your house?”
The prompt was a big viral hit, receiving over 8,300 responses in just one day. Here are 15 small upgrades that can make a huge difference in your house.
1. New shower head
"A better shower. If you can't redo the whole bathroom, just replace the head. This also works if you rent. Just keep the old one in a box, so you can bring the nice one to your next house." — Maartenvanheek
"And a curved shower curtain rod. You get so much more arm space." — Cripnite
2. More chargers
"Methodically buying phone chargers with long enough cables to not have to ever move one again." — ihadtowalkhere
3. Blackout curtains
"Blackout curtains for sleeping. Such a game changer." — blehbleh 1122
"And they keep my bedroom cooler." — BunjaminFrnklin
4. New lighting fixtures
"Fixtures are now properly grounded, the interior looks more updated, and there is more/better light." — SnooCaliflowers9981
"Lighting can absolutely make a huge difference in the way you feel in your room. Get some shoulder-height (when you are sitting) lamps for your living room. You will notice a shift in how much more relaxed you feel when you use those instead of the overheads." — ShoesAreTheWorst
5. Laundry room light
"Motion-activated light switch for the laundry room. Never have to worry about turning off the light when leaving with an arm full of clothing." — Amazing Asian
6. Attic fan
"Attic heat exhaust fan. Our attic used to get up to 140F on the hottest days; on those days, our ceilings were hot to the touch. The whole house was consequently uncomfortable. Now the attic fan is thermostatically controlled to 90 degrees, and the whole house is cooler." — jermleeds
"I added a passive whirlybird that does the same thing. Heat rises and escapes before it can accumulate to those extreme levels. It also happens to be clear acrylic, so now there's always light up there too which helps keep away any vermin." — cantwejustplaynice
7. Hanging artwork
"Spending a day mounting my artwork. It felt so much more like my home after that." — GinGimlet.
"Every time I've moved, I put that off for way too long, then finally break down and do it and the house feels so much better to be in." — Elegant-Nature-6620
8. New blankets
"My wife and I are getting separate blankets. No more fighting about who takes the covers while we’re sleeping. Highly recommend 10/10." — Akumamatata8080
9. Fake stained glass
"I had a window above the stairs the neighbors could see through, so I went on Amazon and spent 40 bucks on some plastic window film that makes it look like stained glass. It turned out AMAZING and lasted forever." — OathofFenanor
10. Bidet
"I get mad when I have to use a different toilet now. I’m truly converted." — Itwasmyshadow
"The worst part of owning a bidet is going on vacation." — TinyPieceofYarn
11. Rice cooker
"I save so much time and energy. Plus, there's less washing up to do since all I need to wash is the pot inside, instead of a saucepan, a wooden spoon, and a colander." — Molwalk
12. RoboRock
"Using a $150 GC my sister gave me for my birthday. I picked up a RoboRock Q5 robot vacuum ($70 out of pocket after the GC). I have it running on a daily schedule at 2 pm while I'm at work, and my hard floors are always immaculate." — Matt314159
13. Solar panels
"Fitted 4 solar panels to my shed roof attached to a lithium battery and inverter. Not the cheapest upgrade at about £1000. But unlimited free electricity in my shed. Can plug all my power-hungry man stuff in there and it’s guilt-free! And when there’s a power cut I just run an extension lead into the house, and I’m good! and way simpler than grid tie-in system."— Badger906
14. New windows
"After living here for 35 years. We had all the windows in the house replaced 5 months ago. The house is so much more comfortable and quiet. It was expensive but worth it. We replaced 11 windows of varying sizes with Renewal by Anderson. All had to be custom-made because of their outdated sizes. The largest was 5’X7’. They are composite materials with heat-reflecting glass. It is incredible to stand behind the window in direct sunlight and open and close them to feel the difference of the heat they block out. The house was definitely more comfortable during the hot summer, and the electricity bill was about 20% lower. They look beautiful, and the crew of 6 guys removed the old and installed the new in one day and did not leave a mess of any kind. We ordered them in the last week in March, and they were installed in the first week of June. Total cost was $23K." — Blizzard7788
15. Get a dishwasher
"It has changed our arguments over dishes." — xuknownx26
"No washing dishes! A handy place to hide all your dirty dishes! A handy place for your clean dishes to dry! And no dish rack on the draining board has freed up loads of space/made it look a lot less cluttered." — binglybleep