Your home must be a perfect place to live in not only today but more so in the future. As technology progresses quite rapidly, so do people’s lives since technological innovations pretty much cover all facets of daily living.
While it’s a fact that you can’t technically predict everything that will occur in the future, you can at least make some scientific guesses as to what a home would look like a decade or more from now. And by doing so, you can lay down the foundation of your futuristic home with some essential features that are available today.
Here’s a quick look at five upgrades that you should get to future-proof your home:
Sustainable energy source
Scientists and environmentalist groups are unified in saying that the fossil energy sources that people use right now would eventually run out. Coal, oil, and natural gas are the three fossil energy sources that many countries use right now, but not forever given that these energy sources are finite in nature.
As such, you need to look ahead and consider equipping your home with renewable energy sources to have it ready for the inevitable reality of fossil energy sources running out.
For one, you may consider hiring a local residential solar installation company to outfit your home with the technology, which is among the most commercially successful clean energy sources right now.
There are other renewable sources of power that you may consider, such as wind, biomass, and hydropower. These options depend on your home’s locations and would serve as great alternatives to the power that comes from the grid.
Invest in smart technology features
The homes in the future will surely have all sorts of jaw-dropping amenities that would make daily life much easier and more comfortable. If today’s smart home technology is any indication, we can only surmise that there will be better consumer tech products to be introduced starting as early as a few years from now.
Beginning from smart bulbs that turn on and off at pre-determined hours to smart speakers that activate through voice commands, you can actually enjoy your own smart home now without waiting for the future.
Multi-billionaire tech mogul Bill Gates, for one, has been living in a home that has smart technology embedded in its very fabric: a pricey $127.48 million fabric for that matter called Xanadu 2.0.
While a house such as Gates’ is now the one you should be after, it won’t hurt to have similar smart products like the ones he has such as smart bulbs and smart speakers, as well as smart thermostats and smart TVs.
Think of energy-efficient features
Aside from smart amenities and a renewable energy source, you should also look into the possibility of having eco-friendly features that will help you conserve energy and care for the earth at once.
Among others, consider investing in power-saving home appliances, tankless water heaters, double-pane windows, and spray foam insulation.
These energy-efficient and eco-friendly features will surely bring down your monthly power bills and lower your carbon footprint. They will also be instrumental in making your home more comfortable and inviting as well.
Senior-proof your home
If you intend to have your parents live with you when they reach senior age, then you should begin senior-proofing your home right now
This would entail installing handrails on the bathroom and other areas, having glass doors that open and close automatically, installing slip-proof flooring, and investing in a chairlift or similar feature if you have a second or third floor. Some companies specialize in senior-proofing private residences, so be sure to check if you could afford their services.
These upgrades may seem costly at first, but keep in mind that your parents would benefit from them and you might, too, if you intend to stay in your current home when you reach seniorhood.
Make your home suitable for remote work and distance learning
If there’s one reality that the current COVID-19 pandemic made people realize, it’s that situations can change almost overnight and cause disruptions in how the world works.
Right now, there are billions of students and workers across the world who were forced to work or study remotely as part of the global efforts to curb transmissions of the deadly virus. There’s no logical reason to think that such a similar incident won’t happen in the future, so it’s best to prepare your home for it today.
Be sure to invest in turning a spot inside your home or on your yard into a study area or home office. It should be equipped with high-speed internet and WiFi, some office furniture, and have soundproofing to ensure clear audio reception on your recipient’s end.
With these excellent additions, your future will be ready for most of what the future will look like in terms of home living.