Yahoo Lifestyle "It Saved So Much Stress And Pain": 23 Homeowners Are Sharing The "1,000% Worth It" Home Purchases And Renovations They Have Zero Regrets Making
There are a lot of responsibilities that come with being a homeowner, and that includes financial ones. However, sometimes those big splurges end up being 100% worth every penny. Recently, I asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share the pricey purchases they made for their home that they have no regrets over, and they're quite literally awesome. Here are some of the splurges homeowners think are worth it:
1."Our sprinkler system. We live in a hot climate where we have to water the plants and grass at least once a week. Mind you, I am a serial plant killer. If it depends on me remembering to water them, they'll die a slow, dry death. Enter the sprinkler system. I set a timer, and voila! Live plants and grass year-round! It's magic!"
—Anonymous
2."A dog door that was cut through our dining room wall leading out to an enclosed dog run. It cost us about $600, and it is a GAMECHANGER. The dogs can come and go as they need, and the area is enclosed, so we don't have to worry."
3."A smart oven with air fryer. I haven't turned my real oven on in a year. My favorite part is the Siri notifications for whenever the oven is done: 'The Eagle is ready; time to check the oven.' I use it every day. The temperature is always consistent, and it requires little to no upkeep. Welcome to the future, where you can proof, bake, roast, and dehydrate all in the same machine."
—Meg, 31, Michigan
4."Mini splits. These zone-heating and cooling systems allow you to heat or cool specific rooms or areas of the house. My house didn't have central A/C, and the central heat was a challenge. If it was a comfortable temperature upstairs, it was freezing downstairs. But then, to bring the downstairs to a comfortable temperature, it would be roasting upstairs — not to mention expensive. The mini splits not only gave me much-needed A/C but also allowed me to warm individual rooms downstairs as needed without cranking up the central heat."
5."Heated floors in the bathrooms. I know it sounds ridiculous — I scoffed at the very idea — but as my house was being built, it was an inexpensive add-on, so I decided to one-up my friends. Holy moley — it is nice stepping out of the shower onto warm tiles."
6."It's not a huge splurge, but when we bought our last house, we opted for one of the national pest control companies to service our house monthly. It costs a little more than the local guys, but it has an excellent guarantee when it comes to termites and rodents. We ended up having mice chew through the drywall inside the garage. The company came out, set traps, sealed up every possible entry point, and returned to ensure they got all of them — all with no extra cost. When we bought a new house, we made sure to continue the service."
—Anonymous, 42, Texas
7."A Dyson vacuum. Almost 20 years later, it's still working. Meanwhile, other name-brand vacuums I've tried in the past stopped working pretty quickly. Yes, the Dyson was costly, but considering how long I've had it, it's more than paid for itself."
8."Hybrid hot water heater — it's electric and has a heat pump! This was a project because the builder originally installed the water heater upstairs directly above the house's electrical panel! So we also had to get a new pressure tank and have new wiring run. All told, it was about $5k, but our electric bill has gone down, and we get hot water way faster!"
9."Having our flooring installed versus doing it ourselves. We did the tile on our kitchen floors ourselves in 2020, and they were messy, to say the least. We just had them redone by a professional, and the cost of having our old floors torn up, disposed of, and redone was so worth it. My parents judged us for not doing them ourselves, but it saved us so much stress and pain."
—Paige, 34, Colorado
10."A Sleep Number king-size split-top bed. My husband and I can adjust each side independently to our desired firmness. We can raise the head of the bed to ease snoring, and we also have the automatic setting turned on, which will adjust the firmness as needed while you sleep. I was having a ton of lower back pain due to arthritis and an old mattress. Now, I don't wake up in pain anymore. Plus, our nights are far quieter since the snoring has been mitigated. A good night's sleep really does lead to better days."
11."A corner sofa. It was about $1,200, but I absolutely love it. It's now in my new home with my girlfriend, and we still love it. Also, the couch has a fold-out bed, which is so useful for any friends staying over."
12."A large walk-in shower with a rain head and frameless glass door. It seems frivolous to some, but we use it every single day, and it is 1,000% worth every penny! We had it built after we closed on the house and before we moved in, which was also the best decision!"
13."A paved driveway! Previously, my spouse and I had a long gravel driveway, which we drove up on a moderately-sized incline to reach the road. A midwest winter plus a steep driveway equals disaster, and we dealt with it for years until finally paving it with asphalt. It cost $10k and was 1,000% worth it. Now, it's so much easier to snowblow with the smooth surface below, and we don't kick gravel everywhere or break nearly as many shear pins. It also retains heat much more, so when it snows, it melts much quicker. If you can afford to do it, do it!"
—Anonymous, 34, Wisconsin
14."A generator to run my whole house. It cost $12k, but we live in the boonies and experience frequent outages. We also don't have to worry about losing our freezer food or staying warm in the winter."
15."We bought a hot tub for our retirement home. We got a very well-insulated one that keeps heating costs down. I didn't realize when we bought it how much it would relieve my chronic leg and back pain. I've used it four to five nights a week for 10 years! Knowing pain relief is just a few steps out on the patio has been life-changing for me!"
16."A bidet. I got strange looks from my family after I installed it, but now there's a line to use the bathroom with the bidet every morning because nobody wants to use the other bathroom. 10/10 would recommend."
—Jon, 39, Utah
17."We had our family room window turned into a bay window. Every dog we've had so far has loved laying in the window, snoozing or watching people and cars go by. It makes the room feel much bigger. We also got automatic blinds for the window, which we control with our phones. It was about $8,000 altogether, but it was absolutely worth the price for us."
18."I was supposed to go to Florida on vacation until COVID-19 shut everything down. I took that money and built a massive covered back porch the entire length of my house. My husband built a porch swing and a few chairs, and our smoker, grill, and Blackstone are also out there. It is my favorite space; I spent many hours out there hanging out with my family."
—Anonymous
19."An induction stove. I had to completely rewire my kitchen to get one, so the total cost of the electrician and the stove ran about $4k. But there will be a federal rebate, so I'll get some back in my taxes next year. More importantly, the induction stove is better than my gas stove for the environment and much safer for my kid and aging parents. And I can boil water in 20 seconds! I love that thing."
20."We are rural and have a well. While the water tested as safe, it was unpalatable. The water was heavy in iron and very hard, and it destroyed our water heater, dishwasher, and several faucets in a few short years. We bit the bullet and paid $6,000 for a deep well pump, iron filter, UV filter, and softener. 10/10 would do it again. It has way better water pressure, my skin and hair have improved, and I don't have to lug big, refillable bottles to have crisp drinking water. I just turn on the tap, and it's instant bliss."
21."A privacy fence. When I bought my home in a neighborhood, you could see into the backyard of every home on my side of the street. I am very introverted, so the privacy fence allows me to feel like I actually enjoy my backyard in peace without caring if anyone else is outside or whatever else is happening. As a bonus, my dogs love it, too!"
22."I guess it's not so much of a fun splurge, but it's definitely an uncommon thing to do where I'm from: wall insulation. Homes in LA definitely don't need it for the cold, so most homes (at least older ones) don't have insulation in the walls. Summers can be pretty brutal, especially now with climate change, so having insulation blown into my exterior walls was huge for me. I don't need to run my AC nearly as often, so I'm saving a lot of money on energy bills, and, as a bonus, I don't hear nearly as much noise from the street."
—Katy, 37, California
23.Lastly: "Buying a home ON the lake. We live in an area with few lakes, so property on the lake is very limited. Homes across the street are half the price, but the views, sunsets, peacefulness, and ability to wake up and look out over the water unobstructed are worth every penny. It was a slight financial stretch; however, three months later, we asked ourselves why we hadn't done this earlier! Best decision of our lives."
—Anonymous
OK, I definitely want a bay window in my future home! And a nice Dyson vacuum. And basically everything else. If you're a homeowner, what did you splurge on that was totally worth it? Let me know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit using this form!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
