Most homes in the Hamptons reflect an air of elegance, beauty, and charm. Yet, the seaside elements can cause your home to need some refinements. Additionally, you never want your home to start to look dated. Rather, if you want your home to be the envy of your neighbors, you always want to be looking for home upgrades to set your home in the Hamptons apart.
While it can be tempting to just pick and choose various projects, it is better to consider these home upgrades that increase home values. Should you ever decide to sell your house, you will be able to recover most of the costs you put into the upgrades.
#1: Finish the basement.
If your basement is not finished or is used for storage, consider renovating it. You can convert it into a game room or playroom for your children. You could renovate it and add more bedrooms and bathrooms.
If you have a huge basement, you may want to get an indoor bowling alley installed or use part of the space for setting up a customized indoor golf simulator. Some people also install indoor pools so they can enjoy swimming year-round.
#2: Upgrade to a luxurious wrought iron front door.
Wrought iron doors are durable and designed to withstand the elements, sea air, and changes in temperature in the Hamptons. There are single and double entry front doors with a wide range of options and customizations.
You can even have a custom-design door manufactured just for your home. Do not forget to also upgrade your other entry doors with a luxurious style wrought iron door, like a french bi-fold iron door or trendy wrought iron pivot door.
#3: Upgrade your garage doors to wrought iron or all-glass frameless garage doors.
Wrought iron garage doors complement wrought iron entry doors and further enhance the appearance of your home. If your home has a more modern look, all-glass frameless garage doors are the perfect upgrade.
#4: Enhance exterior lighting and landscaping elements.
There are several different types of improvements you can make to your exterior lighting and landscaping elements. With lighting, considering adding LED lights to walkways, overhead lights, and other such areas.
For landscaping, you could have new walkways installed, covered pergolas, or create a quiet space with a zen garden. Colorful plants and shrubs are also great additions to further add to the curb appeal of your home.
#5: Install an inground pool.
Many homes in the Hamptons have inground pools. If yours does not, consider adding one. If you already have a pool, but it is smaller, consider expanding it into multiple layers with waterfall-like features, lighting, and other enhancements.
#6: Install an outdoor covered kitchen and entertainment area.
An outdoor kitchen with a grill, outdoor pizza oven, sink, and other appliances is a great upgrade to make. Covering the area is also a great option to consider. There are sliding doors you can include so you can easily enclose the area and enjoy it year-round.
#7: Add a guest house.
Another upgrade that adds value is having a separate guest house. You can build a one- or two-bedroom condo-style home for guests to enjoy when they visit. Your guest house also makes a great place for the in-laws to stay when they visit.
#8: Add an apartment above your garage.
Another addition you can consider is a second floor above your garage converted into an apartment. This room could be used as a home for live-in staff, guests, or adult children. If you have a large garage, you could add several apartments.
#9: Remodel your kitchen.
Gourmet kitchens are very popular and trending in luxury homes. When planning your kitchen remodel, remember to include energy-efficient, smart appliances, ceramic flooring, marble or quartz countertops, and hardwood cabinets.
If your kitchen was recently renovated, you can invest in a minor kitchen remodel where you change the color of the cabinets, get new fixtures, change out cabinet hardware, and so on. Simple changes like these can give your kitchen an entirely new look.
#10 Update the interior paint colors.
Home interior paint colors are constantly changing based on current trends. Blues and grays are popular colors, right now, as well as jewel tones. Another popular trend is adding natural wood elements to the walls and ceilings and using an off-white paint color to make the natural wood elements the focal point of the room.
#11: Refinish or install hardwood flooring.
If your Hamptons home already has hardwood floors, you can have it stripped and refinished in a different stain color. If you have laminate or carpeting, you should consider replacing it with the elegance and beauty you get from natural wood flooring.
#12: Make energy-efficient upgrades.
You can improve the energy efficiency of your home with various types of upgrades, including:
- Add more insulation to your attic.
- Replace your heating and cooling system with a new, more efficient model.
- Replace light fixtures and lighting with energy-efficient fixtures and LED lights.
- Have solar panels installed on the roof of the home.
- Replace windows with thermal windows for improved efficiency.
#13: Upgrade to smart devices throughout the home.
There is a wide range of smart devices that can boost your home’s value, such as smart thermostats, smart security systems, smart locks, smart security cameras, smart lighting systems, smart smoke and fire detectors, and so on. Many of these smart devices can be interconnected and integrated with your smart home personal assistant.
#14: Renovate your bathroom.
Large walk-in showers are in high demand in luxury homes. Features in the shower that people enjoy are steam shower heads, multiple shower jets, LED lighting, waterproof HD TVs, waterproof sound systems, heated smart toilets, radiant floor heating, whirlpool bathtubs, and spa-like features.
#15: Enhance open floor plans by making them adjustable.
Open floor plans are great when you want to have the openness they provide. Yet, one current trend is people want the option to add privacy and close off open floor plans. The easiest way to have the option between the two is with floating walls.
Floating walls slide open, lock in place, and look like a regular wall. When you want to open up the rooms, you unlock the sections and easily slide them out of your way. A good interior designer will include the option to have them slide into an existing wall so they can easily be hidden away like a pocket door.
#16: Install fireplaces in different locations in the home.
You do not need to worry about a chimney to have a modern and stylish-looking fireplace in various rooms in the home. Natural gas and electric fireplaces are perfect for adding fireplaces in areas of the home where a chimney is not accessible.
Current trends find fireplaces in bedrooms and bathrooms. In the living room and other places in your home where you might have older wood-burning fireplaces, there are updated fireplace designs with improved efficiency.
#17: Install a beachfront cabana.
If you have a beachfront home with beach access, you should consider a beachfront cabana. There is a wide range of styles and designs, as well as sizes available. Having a cabana allows you to enjoy spending the day relaxing on the beach but with added comforts, such as a bathroom and shower and changing areas.
What Home Renovation Projects Are Best to Do First?
When you are considering different home renovation projects to complete, you want to start with those that add curb appeal to your home, such as installing wrought iron entry doors and all-glass frameless garage doors.
Another consideration is whether you are selling your home. If you have time to sell your home and are not in a hurry, you will want to take care of as many upgrades as you can before you list the home to further increase its value and appeal to potential buyers.
Furthermore, if you have household staff with experience in performing various types of upgrades and renovations, you can often get projects completed faster and to your specifications regardless of whether you intend to sell your home.
On the other hand, if you have to hire an interior designer and contractors, you will want to take care of renovations in the fall, winter, and early spring when these professionals are not as busy and can fully concentrate on your renovation projects.
Last, if you have not updated your home’s exterior in several years, you may want to start with home exterior improvements first. By taking care of the exterior first, your home will be the talk of the neighborhood, as it will look stunning, elegant, and gorgeous.
As can be seen, there is a wide variety of upgrades that increase home value for your Hamptons home. Sometimes a few simple upgrades may be all that you need—like new wrought iron doors.
To find the perfect wrought iron doors, iron gates, iron garage doors, all-glass frameless garage doors, and other iron products for your Hamptons home, please feel free to contact Universal Iron Doors at 818-771-1003 today!
