If high-end appliances, luxury bath fixtures or self-sustaining, energy-efficient electrical systems move you to emotion, you’d best get investing. While these upgrades are worth the money you’ll spend having them installed, none come cheap.
Media Range Hood
The Siemens media range hood comes complete with a 17-inch LCD television built right in, along with an accompanying DVD and CD player. If you’ve ever thought about replacing the ancient 13-inch countertop model television with something new and innovative, this media range has you covered. Retailing for around $2500, it’s only available in Europe where, apparently, they take their kitchen entertainment pretty seriously.
- Gramophone Maryland / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
Home Theatre
If owning a single room dedicated to home theatre is on your bucket list, start scheduling that overtime. The cost of adding a room like this to your finished basement can begin somewhere in the 30k ballpark, once you factor in a 135-inch screen, HD projector, Blu Ray player and surround sound. Luxury seating runs extra, of course.
Steam Shower
Who doesn’t want a steam shower? If the lure of body jets, aromatherapy, foot massages, wireless music and an interior mirror that won’t steam up haunt your dreams at night, prepare to ante up. A luxury system of this type begins at around $3500 plus installation, but the benefits you’ll reap are more than worth it. Steam showers can help reduce stress, increase blood flow, lower high blood pressure, lessen the effects of respiratory infections and even help you lose weight. Who knew?
- stevebennettbuilders / Foter / CC BY-ND
Marble Slab Countertops
High-end marble countertops are gorgeous. They come in a wide range of natural colours and, because this type of countertop is mined, each slab is unique to the homeowner who purchases it. Marble is durable, attractive and grabs the attention of guests entering your kitchen. It also begins at around $76 per square foot for the really good stuff.
Solar Panels
Having a home that runs entirely on solar power is every energy conservationist’s dream. But even with the accompanying tax breaks offered by many states, solar panels are still unaffordable to most of the population. The cost of a medium-sized system can run you about $25k before racking and installation. Your tax credits will bring this price down, of course, and the energy you’ll save in the future will be well worth the expenditure. But in today’s economy, few homeowners have an extra 20-to-40-thousand dollars lying around collecting dust.
- MarkGuitarPhoto / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND
Wine Cellar
A wine cellar packed with vintage bottles of bubbly is a wonderful thing, but don’t attempt adding this room onto your home unless you have an extra $500 per square foot lying around. You could spend as much as $1500 per square foot on the construction of your dream wine cellar if you use a high-end cooling unit, insulated door, and custom racking and flooring.
Elevator
Speaking of elevating — are you tired of dragging the vacuum up and down the steps? Why not install an elevator in your residential home? A custom home upgrade to the standard medical chair lift, an elevator is ideal for those family members who are physically impaired. It also increases the overall value of your home. It will cost you though. Having one installed can run between 20-30 thousand dollars. (That’s if the building codes in your area allow it).
- riekhavoc / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA
Bowling Alley
Bowling is your life, why not incorporate it into your home as well? Aside from the staggering building cost of $90k and up, it takes a lot of room to install a bowling alley. If you’re living on a palatial estate that has unused rooms for miles, then by all means, build a bowling alley.
Everybody dreams of what they might do if they ever won the lottery at Lottoland, came into a rich inheritance or suddenly woke up as the ruler of a small country. Few people ever get the chance to actually experience it, however. It’s better to count the blessings you own and be happy than to spend your days and nights yearning for the impossible. Not everyone was meant to live like kings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the riches you all ready have.
Author: Dan works in the lottery industry. When he isn’t working he loves to play basketball and rugby. He is also trying to learn Russian.
