Happiness-inducing renos
Here are some renovation ideas that can make you happy in your house. They’re often the simplest. I give these a perfect joy score of 10!
Painting. Painting the whole interior of your home or even just one room can be very, very satisfying. There’s some evidence that color has an explicit impact on your mental state. Plus, painting is like erasing mistakes. Throw in the relatively low cost, speed, and ease of this project and the happiness factor is obvious.
Home office addition. This is all about solving problems. If you’re working from home and find yourself balancing your laptop on your knees in the bathroom, creating a dedicated office space can make you feel like you’re a professional.
New or refinished wood floors. Like paint on the walls, that new floor shine feels like shedding the mistakes of the past (like the time you dragged the couch to a new spot and left deep gouges in your floor). Plus the durability of the final result is an improvement that can last years, very satisfying.
Closet renovation. I don’t know about your closets, while the public-facing parts of my home might be neat and tidy, my closets are sometimes overflowing nightmares. Organizing always feels good, so it’s little wonder that creating order out of chaos in our closets makes us happy.
Attic conversion. Conquering an area of your house currently ruled by spiders is always going to make you feel better. Not only do you turn a dark and slightly dangerous place (where you can easily misstep and fall through the ceiling) into a functional and useful space, you gain square footage and increase your home’s value.
New insulation. This might be a surprising one, but not if you think about it. Not only does new or upgraded insulation improve your home’s energy efficiency, which feels good, it can make your home more comfortable, which makes people want to spend more time there.
Happiness-inducing outdoor projects
Home renovations outside the house hit a little different, but access to outdoor spaces can have a huge positive impact on your overall happiness, so it’s not surprising that some of these projects score high on the joy scale.
In-ground pool. A pool makes people want to spend more time in their homes, and gives them a higher sense of enjoyment of the property. Not only can you cool off and get some good exercise in a pool, you can also throw some pretty cool parties around one.
Landscape lighting. Another perfect joy score involves adding light to your outdoor spaces. Solid lighting design outside can turn a dark, scary yard into a beautiful spot you want to spend time in. It can increase a sense of security, since you can actually see what’s going on. Plus, it doesn’t have to be a complicated project, some solar lights, used thoughtfully, is all you need.
New patio or deck. Like the pool, a new patio area or deck makes people want to use their outdoor spaces more, because they have comfortable areas to relax. A new patio or deck turns a blank canvas into an entertaining space or a spot for decompression, cocktails, and enjoying the fresh air.
Fire feature. Fire can have a positive psychological impact. It can be relaxing and meditative. It can make our outdoor spaces more inviting, gives them more personality, and increases the amount of time you can enjoy your yard, patio, or deck because it lets us use those spaces even when it’s a little colder outside.
(Source: House & Home)
