Part of owning a homestead and moving to the country means you get to experience a more traditional way of life. You strip everything back and move away from the busy city life, living in a more rural manner. Still, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some country home modernization.
When you purchase a country home, it will likely be quite old and traditional. In some ways, this is great – and it’s exactly what you want – but in others, it can be a bit problematic.
Thus, you need to make a few modernizations that improve your home without making it lose its traditional and rural look and feel. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways in which you can do just that:
Country Home Modernizations
Upgrade the Windows
The windows are a great place to start with country home modernizations. Many rural properties were built decades ago. Think about it, when new homes are built, they’re built in more urban areas closer to cities.
So, country homes are rarely new, meaning a lot of them can be out of date. There’s every chance that the windows are too thin as they are single-glazed.
In which case, you need to find a window replacement company that can come along and upgrade all of the windows in your home.
From here, you now have thicker windows that are more insulative and soundproof. You may also want to upgrade the frames as well, seeing as they might be made of wood that has started to rot.
All in all, this is one of the fantastic country home modernizations as your home is improved, but it still looks traditional and rustic.
Get a New Boiler
Similarly, the boiler in your country home could be extremely old. As a result, it is nowhere near as energy efficient as you’d like it to be. To make matters worse, country homes are known for being colder places in the winter.
There are a couple of reasons for this, the first of which is that these homes tend to be larger and more spacious. Secondly, you have no other homes nearby, sort of generating heat around you.
Therefore, the winters can be very cold, particularly when you have a dodgy old boiler.
Consequently, a simple new boiler installation is all that’s required. Get your home equipped with something more energy-efficient and powerful, so your home stays warm in the colder months.
Again, it’s a simple country home modernization to make your home embrace modern comfort without losing its original style or feel.
Install fiber internet
Now, this might not be something you’re able to do. It depends on the internet coverage in your area. Still, a lot of country homes do qualify for fiber internet.
It is basically the best and fastest internet you can buy right now. You might be off in the country living a rural life, but you’ll still need a good internet connection!
Think about the things you might stream on your TV, or possibly even the work you do online. An internet connection is needed, and the default one you inherit could be awful.
There’s every chance the previous occupants didn’t bother upgrading the internet as it wasn’t an issue for them. Especially if they were of the older age, which a lot of country dwellers are.
Regardless, test your internet when you move in, and, if you feel like you need an upgrade, search for “internet providers in my area” and compare your options to get the best possible internet installed. This lets you stay connected while still enjoying the country experience.
Fiber Internet is another of the best country home modernizations.
Switch to energy-efficient lighting
Another of the country home modernizations is a focus on energy efficiency. You see, when older homes were built – particularly those in the countryside – energy efficiency wasn’t a big deal.
So, a lot of the lighting fixtures and things in the home are not designed to help you save energy. As such, you need to spend time replacing all of the lights and making them more modern.
The great thing is, you can still have traditional lighting fixtures, but the light bulbs themselves can be more eco-friendly. Now, you use less electricity when you have the lights on, so your country home is far more efficient.
Final Thoughts on Country Home Modernizations
Of course, there are plenty of other country home modernizations you can make to your country home. However, most of them will transform the look and feel of the property. If you want to create a modern country home, then that’s totally fine.
Nevertheless, the beauty of having a homestead and living in the country is that you enjoy a lovely rural experience. Making your home too modern might ruin that, but it’s all down to personal preference.