As one decade ends and another begins, it is the perfect opportunity to take stock of your lives and evaluate where you can make some changes.
One of the best ways to transform things is around the house, with even simple alterations having the potential to make a real difference to daily life.
Improvements to energy efficiency, safety & security, bedroom renovations and home automation are amongst the modifications worth considering heading into the 2020s.
Read on as we look at six changes you could make around the house to kick-off the new decade in style.
Boost home safety and security
Keeping your home and personal possessions safe and secure is undoubtedly the biggest consideration for anyone who owns or rents a house.
Smart devices have revolutionised home security, with motion sensors, cameras, doorbells and locks all helping to create a safer home environment.
Wireless technology is at the heart of modern home security, allowing people to monitor their home wherever they are in the world.
This type of tech has the capability of sending notifications to your mobile device or linking to your home via cameras.
Installing new safety and security features is a great way to invest in your home and has the added benefit of helping to lower household insurance premiums.
Revamp your bedroom
Numerous studies have shown that adults need between seven to nine hours sleep every night to ensure they get a sufficient amount of rest.
This means that people spend around a third of their life in the bedroom, making it one of the most important parts of any household.
Transforming your bedroom into a welcoming haven of tranquillity is potentially one of the best things you can do to improve your life heading into the new decade.
Optimise your sleep by choosing the right mattress for you, whether it’s a queen or a king, firm or soft. You are spending a third of your time on it so do your research and pick the best possible option within your budget.
Bedroom furniture, carpets and soft furnishings are other key elements you need to consider to create the perfect sleeping conditions.
Embrace solar technology
If you’re aiming to make a big change around the house heading into the new decade, you could do far worse than thinking about solar technology.
Solar panels have become increasingly prominent on houses over the past few years, with an increasing number of people recognising their benefits.
The panels use photovoltaic cells to harness the sun’s energy, converting it into power that can provide heat or light for a home.
Installing solar panels does require a costly initial outlay, although this is generally recouped within around 10 years from the installation date.
With an expected lifespan of around 25 years, installing solar panels is an investment that is well-worth considering for any household.
Get automated
If you’re looking to make your life run more smoothly, automating your home is the perfect way to achieve this.
From Amazon to Google and beyond, there are a plethora of the world’s biggest companies who claim to have a product that will help you automate your life.
The likes of Alexa and Siri have become a staple part of modern society, changing the way people manage their homes.
Regulating temperature, controlling lighting and playing the latest music are amongst the ways automated devices can make your life run more smoothly.
Automating your home also helps to reduce your carbon footprint, making it a sensible eco-friendly change to implement at the start of a new decade.
Give your heating a health check
Many people rely heavily on their household heating systems during the winter months, making it a vital part of any home.
Maintaining boilers, heat pumps and radiators is often overlooked, potentially exposing people to serious issues.
If it has been a while since you maintained your home heating, the new decade presents the ideal opportunity to rectify this.
Use the services of a fully-qualified engineer to clean out dust and debris from your system, thus reducing the chances of triggering respiratory issues amongst any householders.
Heating systems that have been seriously neglected have a higher risk of causing carbon monoxide poisoning, highlighting why maintenance is so important.
Invest in your home’s exterior
Improving the exterior of our home is an excellent way to enhance its look and also increase the value of your property.
Treating vulnerable surfaces with weatherproofing products will protect your home against the elements, helping to ensure that you don’t get any nasty surprises during inclement weather.
Getting your garage in good order also makes sense, so spend time throwing out items that are clogging up this valuable space.
If you enjoy the outdoor life, invest resources into creating a space that allows you to make the most of spells of good weather.
Decking, patios and barbeque areas are great ways to enhance your enjoyment of the outdoor area around your home.