3 Home Upgrades That Are Worth Considering With All The Heatwaves *

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Heatwaves used to be a rarity that everyone looked forward to. Summers were fairly mild, sitting in the low 20s for most of the time, and then you’d get the odd day where it would soar to the lofty heights of 25 or 27 degrees. It didn’t happen very often, so you enjoyed it when it came around – and you’d be lucky to get maybe one or two heatwaves a year. 

Nowadays, they’re way more common – and way worse. 

You get a few weeks every spring/summer when the temperature goes into the 30s for a few days, and our insulated homes can’t deal with it. You’re trying to get to sleep with a thermostat that tells you your bedroom is 28 degrees, and it’s insufferable. It’s caused many homeowners to consider a few home upgrades purely to combat these heatwaves when they come along. They’re more common than they’ve ever been, so perhaps these three home improvement ideas are finally worth it. 

A Pool

More and more homeowners are genuinely considering the idea of a pool in their garden. This doesn’t have to be a full-blown swimming pool, but something that lets you cool off in the heat can make a huge difference to how you feel. Specialist pool builders will work with you to come up with a design that suits your home and can give you something new to enjoy in the garden without ruining the aesthetic. 

For a lot of families and homeowners, plunge pools look like a fantastic idea. They’re big enough for you to sit in and relax as the water cools you down. Also, if you talk with the pool builder, you might be able to install a heat pump that transforms the pool into a hot tub in the winter. 

Air Conditioning

Yep, we’ve finally reached the point where air conditioning might actually be a cost-effective upgrade. If your house is especially good at retaining heat, then an AC unit lets you cool down immeasurably. You may also be able to use it throughout the colder parts of the year, but as a dehumidifier or air purifier. 

That makes the investment feel more worthwhile, but even if you only use it to cool down, most people will be thankful for their air conditioning during a heatwave. You might turn it on for a total of 4 weeks in the entire year, yet it’ll still go down as your best home upgrade ever. 

External Shading

You can cool down your home by trying to block the sunlight before it passes through the windows. Curtains and blinds help to an extent, but external shading is a much better choice. Some homeowners are upgrading their windows with external shutters to block the sun and stop it from entering their homes – others go for wall-mounted awnings, particularly if they have a patio door. 

Pick your poison, but any type of external shading will go a long way to cooling your home down during the day. 

These types of home upgrades felt silly just a few years ago, but now we’re genuinely living with the reality of multiple monstrous heatwaves throughout the year. Our homes aren’t built to withstand heat, so it makes complete sense to upgrade wherever you can to combat the scorching weather.