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10 Home Items Worth the Splurge
And 5 products where it’s OK to skimp
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Key takeaways
- Investing in durable home features and systems can reduce replacements, repairs and energy costs over time.
- Smart home upgrades such as lighting, thermostats and video doorbells improve convenience, safety and efficiency.
- Some household items, including accent furniture, rugs and glassware, can be purchased inexpensively without sacrificing value.
Sometimes a bargain isn’t a bargain if it will cost you more over the long run. That’s particularly true in your home. Sure, buying a refrigerator on the cheap may seem like a deal, but if you have to fix or replace it in a year, it wasn’t worth the initial savings.
“The things you splurge on and invest in should be based on the durability of the item,” says Angie Hicks, cofounder and chief customer officer of Angi (formerly Angie’s List), a digital home services marketplace. “For structural and mechanical things, you want to buy items that will last.”
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But that’s not to say everything in the home is worth a hefty price. For some items, cheaper is the better deal. Often, they’re things you will swap out or won’t use much.
With that in mind, here are 10 home products where going high-end is worth the investment and five where you’ll be fine with a no-frills option.
1. Smart lighting
One technology feature older adults should consider adding to their homes is smart lighting, says Amy Wilson, a Louisville, Kentucky, interior designer and founder of Estate Transitions, which provides downsizing and estate transition services. In fact, she used this lighting option to set timers on her 90-year-old mother’s lamps to make her life easier and safer.
Smart lights can be either fixtures or bulbs. The bulbs alone can cost 10 times as much as a standard LED bulb. But smart light bulbs and fixtures can be controlled remotely through a mobile app or through voice commands; for instance, you can tell your bedroom light to turn on in the middle of the night if you need to go to the bathroom. You can also automate smart lights to turn on at certain times, as Wilson did for her mother. Some even let you customize their brightness and color.
2. Video doorbells
The safety benefits alone can make video doorbells a worthwhile splurge, especially for older adults who live alone, Wilson says. The ability to see who is at your front door before you open it provides a valuable layer of protection, she says.
Some video doorbells allow you to communicate with visitors through an app even if you’re not at home, record videos of activity around your house, receive package delivery notifications and more. The devices range in price from around $40 to $500, and some have subscription fees of $5 to $20 per month.
3. Smart thermostat
Properly controlling your home’s heating and cooling is a surefire way to keep energy costs down. An easy way to do so is with a smart thermostat. These Wi-Fi-enabled devices let you adjust your home’s temperature remotely. Smart thermostats often cost considerably more than traditional thermostats, with some models priced at more than $350. However, the energy savings — and thus the return on investment— may be significant. You can save 8 percent on energy costs, or about $50 per year on average, with a smart thermostat that has the Energy Star label, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Savings could be even greater in parts of the country that experience long, cold winters.
“In addition to saving money, you are saving on your energy consumption,” says Mackenzie Shand, executive editor at Offers.com, a coupons and deals website. “Smart thermostats have several built-in features that allow for more efficient energy use, such as built-in sensors that switch to an energy-saving mode when you aren’t home.”
4. Energy audit
Air leaks from windows, doors and outlets are just a few of the energy sappers that, left unchecked, can jack up your utility bill. That’s why Hicks recommends getting an energy audit, in which an energy professional performs a full assessment of your home to identify drafts, temperature inconsistencies, heating and cooling system breakdowns, and other energy deficiencies.
Energy audits cost between $150 and $900 on average, depending on the size of the home and the scope of the audit, according to Angi.“An energy audit can quickly identify opportunities to reduce energy waste, making it one of the easiest ways homeowners can start saving on their utility bills,” says Hicks.
5. Induction cooktop
Induction cooktops use an electromagnetic field that transfers to pots and pans, generating heat, so there’s no open flame or even a hot coil on the surface that can cause burns or fires. They can cost twice as much as electric and gas stoves, but they’re up to three times more efficient than gas stoves and 10 percent more efficient than electric cooktops, according to the DOE.
Another benefit: Induction cooktops don’t produce indoor air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, that gas stoves do.
6. Mattress
You can find a queen-sized mattress for less than $200. But when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, you might want to shell out more to ensure your comfort. “If you sleep eight hours per night, you are spending one-third of your year in bed,” Shand says. “After seeing that number, it is wild to think that we often don’t invest in our sleep.”
She recommends purchasing a high-quality mattress that keeps your head, shoulders, spine and hips aligned in any sleep position, delivers solid temperature regulation and contours to your body to alleviate pressure points.
7. Kitchen countertop appliances
Don’t cheap out when shopping for space-saving countertop appliances, says Kristin McGrath, senior editor at the Krazy Coupon Lady, a coupon and deals website. “You’ll spend more replacing low-quality products than you’d pay once for high quality,” she says.
You can buy countertop appliances from top-rated brands at a discount by timing your purchases right. “If brands like Vitamix, Breville and Ninja are out of your budget, the good news is that plenty of sales drop prices by 30 percent to 40 percent,” McGrath says. You’ll find some of the best deals during Amazon’s Prime Day sales event in July and Black Friday sales in November.
8. Walk-in shower
To age in place, you might need to make some updates to your home. “Renovating a bathroom and making it accessible is the biggest game changer in an older person’s life,” Wilson says. “If you can’t renovate everything, at least have a walk-in shower.” A low-threshold entry can make it easier to bathe, especially if you have mobility issues, she says.
Don’t think of a walk-in shower as a splurge but rather an investment in your safety and comfort.
9. Flooring
Whether you prefer carpet, hardwood or other types of flooring, don’t skimp, particularly in high-traffic areas like the kitchen. You want something that will last, and that you won’t have to repair or replace in short order. “Your floors will take a beating, especially if you have kids and/or pets,” says Hicks.
10. Furnace
A well-maintained quality furnace typically lasts 15 to 20 years. You can get one on the cheap, but it may need repairs or replacement sooner.
In addition, heating and cooling systems, water heaters and other mechanical items vital to running your home are purchases where an up-front investment is worthwhile, says Hicks.
5 Home Items to Buy On the Cheap
Experts say it’s OK to shop for less costly products when purchasing these items.
1. Accent furniture
You don’t have to spend a fortune on a nightstand, bar cart or other piece of accent furniture. Tastes change. That ottoman you loved 10 years ago may be the bane of your existence today. “While it’s typically recommended to invest in quality pieces for larger items like couches, dressers or coffee tables, accent furniture is where you can find fun, affordable pieces for less to liven up your home,” McGrath says.
When deciding what accent furniture to go cheap on, McGrath says to think of those you rarely use. “A coffee table in your living room might be something that needs to be durable and high quality enough to withstand kids and pets bumping into it, and having drinks and snacks set down on it every day without becoming dinged up and scratched. But a small table in the corner that holds a lamp and a framed picture doesn’t need to be as high quality.”
2. Planters
You can elevate the look of your home’s landscaping on a budget by buying inexpensive plant pots and stands. Instead of spending top dollar at a garden center, look for deals online or at discount retailers like At Home, HomeGoods or Marshalls.
Consider maintenance costs when selecting products — ceramic planters offer a classic look, but metal planters tend to be more durable.
3. Area rugs
If you have pets, kids, lots of visitors or all of the above, there’s a good chance your area rugs will take a beating, which is why this is a category where it’s OK to spend less. “Many retailers and brands have upped their game,” says McGrath, “providing quality and convenience when it comes to purchasing area rugs.”
4. Bed sheets
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to purchase a set of high-quality bed sheets. Bedding is available at all price points, and some less expensive sheets provide plenty of comfort.
Be on the lookout for discounts during Presidents Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day sales.
5. Glassware
A nice set of glassware might be at the top of your shopping list, especially if you entertain a lot. But you don’t have to drop a small fortune to get a great set. Thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales are good places to hunt for bargains.
“You can often find pieces for pennies on the dollar at your local thrift store — plus, they’ll be completely unique,” says McGrath.
Daniel Bortz contributed to this report.
The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
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