Posted on Monday, September 30, 2019
Of course, it’s in early January that we often start thinking about fitness regimes, so here’s a thought - what about preparing your home in advance of your well-being goals for 2020. Even if you break your New Year fitness resolution after two and a half weeks, you’ll still have a healthy home to enjoy.
Here are four ways to create a healthy home as well as to put some handy extra long-term value into your property.
1. Convert a spare room or a garage into a gym
One of the biggest turn-offs about joining a gym is having to clamber into the car to drive there. Depending on the journey, this can turn a half-hour gym session into a 90-minute chunk out of your day.
Turn a spare room or your garage into a gym and instantly you’ll save yourself so much time - not to mention all those monthly gym subs. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the conversion and gym equipment can be surprisingly inexpensive on websites such as eBay.Before you convert the space, close your eyes and visualise the kind of décor that would inspire you.
We sold a house recently where the garage had been a gym. The wall which the running machine, cross-trainer and exercise bike all faced, was covered with a huge poster depicting a Caribbean beach - palm trees and all! You can see how that would inspire anyone to take their exercise seriously.
2. Improve the air quality in your home
Have you ever considered how dust, paint particles, mould, pollen and pet dander are lurking in your home? Floating through the air, these substances can cause breathing difficulties especially for the elderly or family members suffering from asthma or emphysema. Install a whole-house air purifier and you can massively improve the air quality in your home. You might also think about buying a portable humidifier to maintain moisture at a healthy level.
3. Connect your home with the outdoors
We’re all becoming so much more aware of the critical importance of eco-friendly living. You may be thinking of introducing greener products and ways of life to your home. Houseplants are a great way to start. They convert carbon dioxide into oxygen - a tremendous health benefit. Potting a Ficus or Dracaena is a good place to start. Why not plant some herbs, too? There’s no need to buy parsley from a supermarket when you can snip a few sprigs in your own kitchen. And tidy, well-kept plants are a great way to make your home feel and look attractive to potential buyers.
4. How do I get more natural light?
The contribution that good quality light makes to a healthy life is massively underestimated. What we need is plenty of light during the day and an absence of it at night. Both are really important. Light really impacts on levels of melatonin and hormone in our bodies. Try to think about how you can arrange your home to make maximise efficient use of natural light.
Open-plan living styles typically lend themselves excellently to this school of thinking. Avoid too much artificial light. This has been linked to headaches. If you’re planning an extension, consider the effect it will have on natural light levels in the rest of the house. Conservatories are, of course, wonderful for light. But other forms of extension can be greatly enhanced if they have large windows or even an atrium in the ceiling.
So these are just a few ideas to help make your home a healthier (and therefore a happier) place to live. They may well add a few handy pounds to its value too.
For advice on ways to add value to your home, get in touch. We’d love to help.
Call us - 0121 7054040
Or send us an email - privilege@simonburthomes.co.uk
Or call in. The kettle’s always on -
Malvern House
New Road
Solihull
West Midlands
B91 3DL