Could we start a 'low maintenance home' lessons learned thread?

[Oncemoreuntothebeach]

Our new home needs so much doing to it, new kitchen, new bathroom, insulation, new radiators. I work some silly hours sometimes, so I thought I'd use the renovations as an opportunity to introduce some things that would make life a bit easier.

What I've gleaned from the clever MNers on this board so far is:

•Don't have wooden worktops in your kitchen, far too much maintenance/faff to the keep them looking nice.
•Make sure that your toilet is wall mounted, far easier to clean the floor, but make sure you have easy access to the plumbing if something goes wrong.
•Make sure your kitchen cupboard fronts are flat, it'll mean less nooks and crannies for dust to gather in, and make sure your kitchen cupboards go right up to the ceiling too, so the tops of the cupboards don't become dust traps.

However, I'm sure there's loads more I could be doing to make my life easier! What are your favourite things about your home that make it less of a pain to keep tidy and functioning?

Oooh I like that idea. Remote control fairy lights will do me.

Practical is different for different people.

I dont know if you have heard of Clutterbug but it breaks people down into 4 categories (which also apply to those of us who are neurodivergent and/or have executive dysfunction) and explains the different lifestyles for each category.

I'm a 'Butterfly'... in my new kitchen we will be ripping out ALL the cupboards and replacing them with easy access shelving. While doing this in other areas of my home has greatly increase my productivity and success at routine it would be a nightmare for say a 'Cricket' though.

https://clutterbug.me/what-clutterbug-are-you-test

If you are spending serious money on imported fancy kitchen or bathroom hardware, consider if you plumber is going to be able to get parts for them in ten or fifteen years time.

The answer is no.

Same applies to anything unique really.

If you live near the seaside, your external hardware will corrode if it’s cheap/the wrong materials.

The best place for a broadband connection to be installed is literally the centre of your house, not a lounge corner. It will save you hundreds on wifi extenders (which still have limited range and give us 50mbps when paying for 500). If that’s not practical, the front of the house at the bottom of the stairs is the next best thing (if they are central).

Do a mental check of all your light switches during installation. Our downstairs hall light can only be turned on when downstairs.

Thermostats on external walls get badly affected by cold and wind and will put your heating on far more than is necessary.

Oh, this is meant to be about low maintenance? Oh well.

😂