Future dwellings will need to reflect changes in our living and working habits. How energy-efficient is yours? Does it utilise the most advanced smart technology? In the future, can it support your parents, who are now adults or your ageing needs as you get older? Continue reading to learn what you can do right away to future-proof your house, from adding home technologies that will make your life easier to making minor adjustments that will have a major impact on your lifestyle and energy expenses.

Repurpose The Loft Into A Living Area

The benefit of getting a loft conversion is that it won’t affect your outside area because it doesn’t increase the footprint of your property. Determine the purpose of the loft conversion first. If light levels and views are favourable, you may convert your eaves into an additional room for living or sleeping. This would increase the value and square footage of your house.

Create A “Smarter” Home 

With the help of smart technology, homeowners may use a smartphone or tablet to remotely manage things like lights, heating, air conditioning, locks, home security systems, and even appliances. There is a wealth of information regarding smart products for home automation on the Internet when searching for terms like “smart house.” 

These devices don’t have to be extremely expensive to buy and install. On the contrary, they will undoubtedly increase the value and livability of your property. Automated alarm systems are highly desirable for any home; many businesses incorporate video, smart technology, and other advantages into their systems. Since these technologies are still in their infancy, suppliers may provide free equipment and installation in exchange for your long-term conditions to use their service.

Make Sure To Increase The Value Of Your Home

Your house serves as both a place to live and an investment. Consider what will likely provide value while keeping in mind what you want from it in the future. For example, add a bedroom rather than construct a conservatory for living space. As a result, you can receive a better return on your investment. Consider the cost differences between beautifying or improving versus extending or converting—in some cases, the latter may be sufficient. 

Think About Alternative Heating Methods 

The future is heat pumps and underfloor heating, but why wait? Although installing these two extremely energy-efficient systems may be more expensive than installing conventional boilers and radiators, the advantages are innumerable.

Because it is simpler to install under existing floors, underfloor heating is more popular in new construction, but retrofit models are also available. Heat pumps also effectively lower energy costs and maintain a cosy environment in your house all year round.

Improve The Insulation Of Your Home

Since heating and hot water account for more than half of the average household’s energy costs, insulating your home’s walls, roof, and floors is crucial. Doing this allows you to consume and pay for less heat while reducing heat waste. 

Insulate any exposed hot water lines and, if you have one, your hot water storage tank for immediate repair. The building’s insulation, however, will significantly impact your energy costs. 

The loft is a wonderful place to start if you want to make a larger investment. It’s also worthwhile to consider whether you can insulate your ground floor. We have additional guidance on floor insulation, including do-it-yourself solutions. 

Consider insulating your walls to take it a step further. A home with inadequate insulation loses about one-third of its heat through its walls. To get proper insulation for your home, you must determine the type of your walls. 

Insulation material can be injected into cavity walls from the outside to insulate many cavity walls. Insulation for solid walls can be placed externally or from the inside. Working with a competent installer is essential since water vapour must be considered whenever solid wall insulation is installed to prevent new damp issues.

Install A Charging Station For Electric Vehicles

It’s time to think ahead as we transition to more environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles. Installing a house charging point is advantageous for the environment, your family’s future convenience, and the convenience of future homeowners. Home charging facilities are typically less expensive than public charging stations, which typically require a fee.

Choose an Energy-Efficient Toilet

To reduce the amount of water used by your home, think about replacing your old toilet with a more efficient, high-efficiency, low-flow model. Both the environment and your water bill will benefit from it. On the other hand, suppose you don’t want to spend much money on a new type. In that case, you can buy reasonably priced water-saving accessories for your cistern that function similarly.

Keep Up With Inside And Outside Maintenance

Check your roof, any flat roofs, and the brickwork frequently for mortar gaps that may require repointing. To prevent water damage, clean your gutters. Better yet, install gutter guards to keep leaves from clogging the pipes. Make sure the sinks and bathtubs inside are effectively draining water. Maintain proper design order by inspecting the door, window, and seals around moist spots. Finally, make a maintenance schedule, including boiler services, drain cleaning, gutter clearing, and painting of outside woodwork and fencing.

Make Future-Oriented Wiring Adjustments 

Depending on your house’s age, it probably wasn’t wired to support advanced technology. As if installing laptops, cellphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other devices in today’s homes weren’t challenging enough, adding a smart TV may result in a wiring nightmare. First, consider where you want Internet, Ethernet, cable, or other wiring access in your home and how that may alter in the future while upgrading your wiring. Next, wire your house appropriately. Running an extra conduit during wiring is a wise idea to handle potential wiring requirements as technology develops, making your home even more future-proof than before.

Use Solar Panels 

Given the current global energy crisis, solar panels can help lower your carbon footprint and household electricity costs, which could be music to homeowners’ ears. In addition, solar panels require almost no upkeep after you have paid for the installation, and new ones should last for about 30 years.