OMG, why didn’t I / we do it before?

[VeryExpensive]

The loft ladder, loft floor put in and shelving all around. No more monkey acrobatics trying to get in and out of the loft, from a too short fold out ladder, fetched from a garage on a cold wet dark December night and then needing to go back. It smells fresh of wood like a log cabin.

It’s like a new sanctuary - spending spree tomorrow for clear boxes and already 2 bags of clutter to take to the skip, it’s not going back up.

What has been your absolute house update revelation, big or tiny?

We’ve had a loft ladder for about 20 years now. One day - any time soon - we’ll actually install it … 🤣

(Bought it in last house, moved with it 19 years ago, still not in.)

A big patio
We never used to sit in the garden because there was nowhere to sit!

Totally hear you. I never knew loft ladders were a thing. Growing up y dad always had to do the jump up from the too short foldable ladder from the garage.

1st house we owned, there was a carefully positioned airing cupboard that dh could step in to and jump up from there. I wasn't tall enough.

2nd house had a loft ladder already there. Game changer!

You're living the dream OP! That's been on our to do list for the whole 19 years we've lived in our house.

Velux window put in the roof, builder build a light shaft (?) the same size as the window into the windowless bathroom.

My only regret is not getting the power operated version. (I was talked out of it because more can go wrong with them and it was before my accident, so the long pole was more manageable than it is now)

Portable air conditioner - can actually sleep at night when it's hot and I don't spend the summer months tired and irritable

Alexa lightbulbs and a Hive. The kids all leave after me in the morning and now I don’t get home to a well lit furnace that’s been going for 8 hours to nobody’s benefit. I can just pop on the app and turn it all off from my desk. Genius!

I agree with the loft ladder being a game changer. Trouble is, our loft is now crammed with random clutter.

Dh and I have a house with three small bedrooms. We lived here for the last ten years with a small bedroom, just room for fitted wardrobes and a bed, with a small window. No bedside lockers could fit. Then a small double room for a guest and a box room full of junk.
I measured up and realised that it would be perfect to knock the two smallest rooms into one. It’s absolutely fantastic. We have a superking bed, lockers and still plenty of room. A large window positioned perfectly symmetrical each side of the bed too. The old room now has a futon for guests, and we keep all our clothes in that wardrobe so don’t need one in the new room. I just love it!

Oh I’m so with you on the loft. If I’d known how cheap it was I’d have done it years ago. Our loft hatch was tiny, you could barely pop your head through it. Now we have a huge hatch, proper ladder and full boarding. It is so damn good. The space we’ve freed up, the rows of boxes all neatly labelled with their contents up there! It blows my mind that we didn’t do this 20 years ago.

Ooh, actually, this too. Alexa routines are life changing.

What’s a bedside locker?

@Devonshiregal I imagine a bedside table.

Hall storage, specifically white Ikea shoe storage, the ones with the pull down fronts. We had the hall gutted last year, previously it was all dark and dingy and we had a small cheap four tier wooden shoe rack from Argos and lots of hooks at both adult and child height for coats and bags, these were overloaded, there were far too many shoes for the rack so they were all loose on the floor and all sorts of crap got dumped on the top shelf of the shoe rack.

We moved some of the hooks to the inside of the understairs cupboard door, left a few each of high and low ones on the hall wall and installed a long run of the Ikea storage units which hold all the shoes, there is a nice long surface along the top (admittedly that does attract a bit of stuff dumped still but it is soon tidied up and it has a nice plant on it now). Bought a nice new runner and doormat, it looks a million times better and we can always find our shoes.

Similar to the attic one but we tanked the cellar and put on proper stairs and moved all the pet clobber and washer and dryer down there. Amazing.

Pulled up all the carpets and replaced them with vinyl and laminate, with rugs in front room and bedrooms.
Cat puke? Sorted. Kid puke?No problem. Spilled drink? It's fine.

Also a cordless vacuum has made things so much easier!

The ring camera is great for when a delivery is due but nobody can be in all day. Can just pop on and ask them to leave it in the outhouse.

My DH installed a loft ladder a while back, a mere 20 years of leaping from the too short ladder/step! Brilliant! Boarding the loft, amazing and the previous owners installed a Velux, life saver in the heat.

Yes to removing carpets downstairs, we have tiles and laminate, amazing with 2 dogs who like swimming.

@changedusernameforthis1 hard floors all the way! I have teens and animals. Couldn't go back to carpet now.

It’s a bedside cabinet with a couple of drawers.

Converting our under-stairs cupboard into a mini utility so that I don’t have to go into the garage to do laundry. The garage is only accessible from outside so it’s revolutionised my life, especially in winter!

Velux window to let the heat out in summer.
Tap with a stretch arm - amazing!!

A vacuum cleaner for upstairs and one for downstairs.

Over time I've invested in loads of storage for the kitchen. We have lots of cupboards which are so impractical so I bought high sided rolling storage boxes. Best recently was a shelf which goes on the back of the door which is perfect for drink bottles especially. So good to get them organised.

Something like this

In my new kitchen I have three double floor cupboards with deep drawers rather than doors, so much more accessible than cupboards and shelves.

I kept the cutlery drawers and now have three, one with cutlery, one with all my spices in a rack and one using a cutlery insert for foil, cling film, greaseproof paper, plastic bags and various bag sealers. I feel so organised!

I bought the pull out drawers for kitchen base units, they just stick with extra strong tape to the original shelves. No more scrabbling to reach tins at the back of the cupboard, just pull out the drawer & get what I need. I've put them in every unit, even the ones that go into corners, I've just put things I never use, but don't want to throw away in the corners. Made a spice & herb drawer instead of having a miscellaneous crap drawer, I bought square jars that fit in the drawer for everything & a label maker to put labels on the lid, it's the drawer next to my hobs where I would most likely need the spices while cooking. Everything bought from Amazon.