Many people usher in the new year with the motto, “New year, new me.” As a motivational call to improve their lives, both physically and mentally. Hi, I’m Michelle Irizarry, CEO and broker of Shore Prime Properties. If you’re ready to make significant lifestyle changes, consider these additions that can help transform your living space into a healthier home. These features will also certainly peak the interest of many buyers as maintaining health at home has become a large focus of society lately. Be sure to like our page and subscribe to our YouTube channel so that you can stay up to date with the latest real estate content.
Home gym. By clearing some space in an extra room garage or the basement, you can create many possibilities for building a home gym. People focusing on improving their physical health should consider some of these options for their new workout space. Weights, dumbbells, or a barbell with plates allows you to perform a variety of lifts to build muscle. Kettlebells come in varying weights and can help improve your core strength as well as your stability. A weight bench is a foundational piece of equipment that allows you to perform curls and rows. A squat rack allows you to perform exercises like squats and bench presses.
Cardio. Treadmills allow you to build up a sweat and burn calories increasing your daily steps and most models allow you to adjust the speed and incline. Ellipticals offer low impact workouts that could work your arms and legs. Stair climbers help build lower body strength and balance. Rowing machines focus on your legs, arms and back.
Smaller items. Resistance bands can help improve your strength and are also good for stretching before and after a workout. Jump ropes are an affordable option that focus on muscle endurance and cardio. Yoga mats are great for a post-workout stretch or a full yoga session.
Whole house water filter. Clean water, a must for any household. But the Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that water from the tap can have varying levels of contaminants, such as chlorine, lead and nitrates. However, a whole house water filter helps remove these contaminants from your water. This system is installed where the water enters the house and brings healthy water to every tap in your home. A whole house water filter, not only can help improve drinking water, but can also lead to healthier bathing for improved skin and hair.
Whole house air purifier. Attaching one of these air purification devices to your HVAC system can work to reduce the amount of dust pollen, mold spores, and pet dander that builds up in our home’s air and ease our allergy symptoms. Additionally, whole house air filters can help extend the life of your HVAC system by reducing the amount of dust that builds up inside it.
Central vacuum system. A central vacuum system can improve the overall cleanliness of your home while combating pesky home allergens. Central vacuum systems have greater suction power than standard vacuum cleaners, giving them increased ability to extract dust, dirt and other debris out of your house. The lack of power cords and larger trash capacity take the stress out of cleaning. And the power unit is typically not located within the home, so the noise is minimal.
Natural lighting. Seeing and soaking in more natural light can have several benefits, including better sleep, improved mood and increased vitamin D levels. To add more natural light to your living space, you can increase or replace windows in your home. Skylights and large windows are the best options wherever possible. When you can’t add windows, consider painting your walls a lighter color for a brightening effect.
Noise reducers. Peace and quiet is necessary to ease your mind after a stressful day. However, it’s elusive if you live on a busy street. Implementing noise reducing upgrades can help you find peace. Whether stripping your doors, caulking around your windows and hanging sound reducing curtains, can all help limit the noise penetrating your home. To help buffer the over all noise level add more furniture pieces, curtains and drapes to reduce the acoustics in echoey rooms. Also, consider upgrading your appliances to models designed to run quietly.
Sauna. A good fit inside your home or in your yard, a sauna has many benefits, including soothing sore muscles, relieving sinus congestion and reducing stress. There are a variety of styles to choose from, ranging from dry saunas, heated by fire, hot stones or electricity, to steam saunas that apply water to a heating element. Infrared saunas are a modern option that use light to create heat.
Healthier flooring. If you’re looking to change the flooring in your home, go with options that are non-toxic. You can add floors made purely from trees, such as hardwood, bamboo, and pine, which can be easily cleaned to prevent allergen buildup. As a more budget friendly option, linoleum is long lasting and made of natural materials, such as pine resin, wood flour, and cork dust.
Non-toxic paint. Painting a room or accent wall is a simple and stylish upgrade, but be aware of what is in your paint. Some paints contain toxic chemicals called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. The EPA reports that excessive exposure to VOCs negatively impacts your health in several ways, ranging from headaches to eye, nose, and throat irritation, to organ damage. To avoid these hazards, choose a paint that does not contain VOCs and avoid paint with high concentration of acetone, benzene, formaldehyde, [inaudible 00:06:00] and xylene.
Committing to living a healthier life is a great goal to have. By adding some of these options to your home, you’ll be getting one step closer to achieving your resolutions and making your home more desirable to potential buyers when the time comes to sell. If you have any questions regarding any projects or additions that you could be making around your home to create more value, feel free to reach out to us here at Shore Prime Properties. We are always happy to help. I’m Michelle Irizarry, selling prime real estate at the Jersey Shore.
