Summer Is a Great Time to Upgrade Your Home

It’s very unlikely that there is a homeowner who has not thought of making changes to his house to make it a better place to live in. Time and money are often the biggest constraints to turning the ideas into reality. If you are one of those who has not yet been able to make the longed-for changes, summer is a great time to get started. As for the finances, here are a few budget-friendly ideas to consider and modify into changes that work for you.

The starting point is to identify a room that is unused or underused. If unused, then there is nothing stopping you from turning it into a space that you can use. If underused, find another space where these few activities can carry one so you have a blank canvas to start on your upgrading project.

The Options

• A guest room or additional bedroom: If you have a lot of visitors, a guest bedroom makes a lot of sense. Do not make the mistake of overdoing things in an effort to make your guests as comfortable as possible. Start with the basics – a bed, sitting space and some storage. Add on to this once you have the essentials in place.

• A home office: This can be for everyone. The adults can work here, the kids can do their homework and when nothing else is happening, it can be a place to chill out.

• A reading room: To take the chilling-out idea further, a quiet corner of the house away from the bustle where you have a private space with comfortable furniture to put your feet up and read/relax is always going to be welcome.

• A home cinema: This is always going to be popular, but keep in mind the space available has to be suitable for the size of the TV and sound system you will be installing. Also, you will need to ensure eating for the family and the friends who will start to drop in more often.

• A man/woman cave: This may appear to be a bit selfish, but everyone needs a private space of their own. As long as you are not forgoing a space that is important for the whole family, there is no need to feel guilty about creating a cave to have some “me-time.”

• A studio or hobby room: A dedicated space for doing the things you enjoy is great. If possible, allocate time for all the family to use it so no one feels ignored or left out.

All these ideas can be turned into reality within the space and budget you have available. The key to being successful in your endeavours is to be realistic about your needs, the way you plan to use the space available, the time you can devote to the project, and, of course, the budget. With these four pillars to base your plans on, there is no reason to not be successful.

Whatever changes you decide to make, do not forget that changes to a home have operational costs. A new room means lighting and ventilation will be required. Putting in a new window may not be possible, and even if it is, expensive structural changes may be required. Also, external obstacles may restrict the amount of light that enters. The same constraints apply to an increase in the ventilation. Increasing the lighting by using electrical lights adds to your power bill. And air conditioning in the newly created space will really push up your electricity consumption. But there is a way to overcome these problems Tubular skylights consist of small but powerful sunlight collectors that are mounted on the roof. The light is carried to the interior of the house (through walls and ceilings, if required) by special tubing to the area that needs more light. These devices provide natural daylight in the room all day long and consume no electricity. Installing a tubular skylight does not require any structural modifications to be made to the building. Tubular Skylights from Solatube, the world leader in this product are available with ventilation add-ons to solve your ventilation problems, and light add-on kits mean the same daylighting fixture can be used at night. This avoids cluttering up the ceiling with multiple fixtures. Daylight dimmers can be added to control the brightness in the room. And then there is the tax credit available which makes the cost of a tubular skylight so attractive.

Whether or not you are making changes to your home, installing tubular skylights adds value, comfort, good health and economy to the house. Getting started only requires contacting Sunlight Concepts, the Solatube Premier Dealer for the Bay Area. The free consultation will help you find the right tubular skylight model for your needs and give you all the information you need to make an informed purchase decision.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is summer a good time to renovate your home?

Summer offers better weather, more daylight, and extra time to focus on home improvement projects.

What is some budget-friendly room upgrade ideas?

You can transform underused rooms into a guest room, home office, reading nook, home theater, or hobby space without overspending.

What is a tubular skylight and how does it work?

A tubular skylight captures sunlight through a rooftop dome and channels it into your home using reflective tubing, providing natural light without using electricity.

Do tubular skylights require structural changes to my home?

No, tubular skylights do not require major structural modifications, making them a simple and efficient home upgrade.

Can tubular skylights also help with ventilation?

Yes, Solatube Skylights offer ventilation add-ons and light kits, allowing for airflow and nighttime lighting from a single ceiling fixture.