Congratulations! You’ve just made a new home purchase, and you love everything about it, but it’s lacking a bit of you. It is not unusual to want upgrades once you buy a home, and the right upgrades are excellent ways to customize your new living space to suit your style and needs more precisely. If you’re ready to turn your new house into your new home, here are some upgrades that will increase the quality of the aesthetics, design, and functionality of your new home purchase.

Start in the Kitchen

Within real estate, it is believed the kitchen and the bathroom are the two most important rooms in the home. An outdated kitchen can completely change the entire appeal of your new home for you. For this reason, many people choose to start in the kitchen when it comes to home upgrades. While a new kitchen can be costly, the below suggestions are some thrifty ideas for revamping the space without breaking your budget. In addition, these are also home upgrades that future buyers will focus on and are excellent ways to increase a return on your investment:

• Swap out old appliances for stainless steel ones
• Re-stain or paint old cupboards
• Change the hardware for items more updated and modern

Illuminate the Space with New Light Fixtures

Updating your light fixtures can be a very simple home upgrade. More importantly, doing so can have a grand impact on the overall aesthetics and functionality of your home. This is also an excellent way to add your own individuality. If your new home has old lights, swap them out for more modern styles; this will promote energy efficiency and can also save you money in the long run.

Consider these home upgrades for your lighting:

• Focus on the light in the kitchen and bathrooms
• Embrace natural light
• Opt for overhead and task lighting

Embrace the Energy Savers

As mentioned, adding energy-efficient options into your home can save you a lot of money. Swapping out all old light bulbs for energy-efficient ones is one of the easiest home upgrades to do, but the other options shouldn’t be underestimated as well.

The following energy-saving home upgrades will make a difference almost instantly, and are definitely worth your time:

• Swap out an old washing machine for one that has energy-efficiency ratings
• Install a tankless water heater

Get Crafty in Closets

You’ll never hear of someone having too much closet space. Closet organization and space is also a home upgrade that future buyers will look at if you decide to sell your home later. As such, you can’t ever go wrong taking on home upgrades that optimize closet space, and these don’t necessarily require drastic action, like breaking down walls in order to extend closet space. With some smart storage options and organization, you can get a lot more out of your space:

• Implement smart closet storage options
• Add lighting in the closets, and update the hardware on the doors
• Repaint your closets as soon as you get your new home (or you may never do it)

Electric Additions

When you buy a new home, you may be surprised to find out that not all houses have a sufficient amount of electric outlets, or that they’re placed in inconvenient locations. If you run into this unfortunate situation, you should definitely invest in some electricity access upgrades, as the right accessibility can bring more enjoyment and functionality to your home, and will add extra value if you decide to sell in the future.

• Add extra outlets on either side of the bed for “his and hers” outlets
• Decrease countertop clutter by adding electrical outlets in the pantry for small appliances
• Add an extra fridge or freezer outlet in the garage

With these home upgrades, you can increase your return on investment while enhancing the experience you enjoy in your new home. When looking to buy, set aside a small part of your budget and time for home upgrades, and the task won’t seem nearly as overwhelming.