10 Things You Must Put in Your Next House

Americans love getting a deal, which might begin to explain why so many consumers flock to shopping malls on Black Friday. Of course, they aren't always ending up with a real bargain, but sometimes this doesn't matter. As long as an item or service has a high perceived value to people, there’s a good chance they’ll choose to buy it. 

That is why staging is so important, as well as adding improvements to your home that have a high perceived value. By creating this higher perceived value, you will stand a better chance of closing the deal with buyers. Try offering higher value at a lower total cost. For example, if your kitchen was inexpensive to build, but looks like it costs you a fortune to have installed, you will have accomplished raising the perceived value of your home. home. 

Here are a few ideas of ways to make your home stand out.

Radiant-heated bathroom floors

Forget fancy water-filled tubes embedded in concrete. You can now buy simple mesh-and-wire mats that install fast and easy under ceramic tiles. The cost range is quite wide to do your homework. They all come with a variety of thermostats and configurations. 

An average Electric Floor Heating Kits runs on 120 volts and puts out roughly 12 Watts Per Square Ft., capable of heating an area of 20 sq. This feature eliminates waking up to a cold bathroom floor. 

Stone counter tops 

Sea Grass Limestone Countertop

Kitchen counters play a huge role in establishing value in a kitchen. Many older homes came with melomar type counter. Upscale kitchens upgraded those to butcher block. 

Over the years, decorating tastes changed, and most upgrades today include a granite counter top as a minimum feature. Counter tops are trending towards more exotic stones, metals and glass. There are many choices in quality and color. Choose wisely as quality can greatly vary.    

Glass tiles

Yes, glass is cool and getting cooler. And yes, it’s pricey, but can make a room stand out. If you have a smaller budget, use glass sparingly as a kitchen or bath backsplash to liven things up. Glass themes like our example and add creativity and style. It reflects light, shimmers with color, and is virtually maintenance-free. If you shop carefully, you can buy it for as little as $7 a square foot from importers directly.

Dual flush toilet

Yes, now we have high tech push button toilets. It's all part of the effort to save water. Each button on a dual flush toilet uses a different amount of water based upon whether or not you are flushing liquids or solids. Literally, number 1 or number 2. Go figure. One can only imagine the perceived value of a dual-flush toilet installed in a powder room close to a public area.  The pricing is about $250, but there are deals everywhere. That is about $130 or so more than a standard toilet, but adding a dual flush can save a typical family of four up to 6,000 gallons of water per year.

Low-flow showerheads

The California Energy Commission adopted new standards for shower heads this past August in a move that will eventually lead to the toughest water use rules in the nation. Read more here..

There’s a chance you’ve used a new low-flow showerhead and don’t even know it. And that’s the point. These units use air to deliver the same robust performance as a traditional showerhead, but with a flow rate of 1 gallon per minute as opposed to 3.5 gallons a minute. THere are different designed that use turbines built into the units.  

Tankless water heater

An on-demand (or tankless) water heater is an excellent choice for an endless supply of hot water. They cost a bit more than your average tank style unit, but instead of heating water at a constant temperature 24 hours a day, the energy-saving unit only activates when there is a need for hot water somewhere in the house. What's more, it hangs on the wall saving floor space, and you have the option of installing it inside or outside your home. 

Remember, once you make the change to tankless, you will always want to make sure you have enough drinking water on hand in case of emergency. 

Water re-circulator

Whether you have a tank type or a tankless water heater, one of your best strategies for saving water is by installing a water recirculation system. If a tankless water heater is a little too edgy (and costly), you can still give your home buyers instant hot water by using a high-efficiency conventional heater and a water re-circulator. With the push of a button, the device circulates ambient-temperature water from the line so hot water is instant and nothing is wasted down the drain waiting for the water to get hot.

Folding patio-doors

Nothing says open floor plan like folding patio doors. This feature allows you to completely remove the barrier to your private outdoor areas. In 2007, four out of the most popular 10 products among BUILDER readers were folding patio-door systems. Here's why: When closed, these doors look like any other, but they fold up like an accordion to provide access to the great outdoors. Full-wall installations are pricey, but you can reduce cost with a two-panel system.

Central vacuum

A central vacuum cleaner is a built-in system consisting of a power unit, collection canister, and hose. Connected by special pipes installed within interior walls, the system collects dust and deposits it in the centrally located canister. Five times more powerful than an upright, it’s quiet and efficient. Plus, an entry-level system can cost as little as $800. Most people who have lived in homes that have had them prefer having it than not having it. The convenience of not having to lug heavy equipment around the house. 

Insulation 

Insulation isn’t sexy, but when it’s 95 degrees in the summer or the mercury dips below freezing in the winter, your buyers will thank you for this, even if they didn't see the perceived or real value when they first signed the sales contract. Forget the entry-level insulation, and go for something that will really stuff the wall and the roof. While you’re at it, don’t forget the attic. 

Material manufacturers have applied some interesting technology like this pictured product that takes phenolic foam as the core material, which is reinforced by Aluminum foil on both sides. It is of light weight, high performance, on-combustible, fire-proof, excellent thermal insulation and heat preservation, which is widely used as walls and partition boards.  

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