Both the world and your lifestyle are ever evolving, and that means it’s essential to ensure that your home is equipped to meet your future needs as well as your current ones.

Enter futureproofing, an approach that involves incorporating design and technology that adapt to shifting requirements for comfort and safety. Here are three key areas to focus on when upgrading your home to better guarantee its suitability for years to come.

Efficiency and sustainability

When planning for the future, two factors to keep in mind are your home’s longevity and your finances, both of which you can bolster by making changes based on efficiency and sustainability. For one, improving your home’s energy efficiency may put less strain on your systems and lower your cost of living. Consider solutions that can positively impact your heating and cooling, such as upgrading your home’s insulation, installing new windows and doors, and choosing Energy Star appliances when your current ones need replacing. Though certainly more of an investment, solar panels are another great option due to the renewable energy they produce, reducing your dependence on gas or oil and, in turn, shrinking your energy bills.

Similarly, implementing water-saving features can make your home more sustainable and lower your expenses. For example, you can switch out your bathroom’s fixtures for low-flow versions to lower water consumption without sacrificing performance. If you’re a gardener, you could also collect rainwater to use for irrigation or install a smart irrigation system that adjusts watering schedules based on weather conditions and soil moisture. (Just make sure you comply with local ordinances for water retention and usage.)

Changing needs

While it’s tempting to design your home for the life stage you’re in right now, you should instead create flexible spaces for greater adaptability as your needs shift over time. One way to do so is by modifying certain rooms to serve multiple functions, such as by making your home office double as a guest room. Also, invest in furniture that can be reconfigured to suit different purposes and maximize space: think ottomans that provide both seating and storage and foldable tables that can be put away when needed.

In addition to these general upgrades, identify specific changes you can make based on your current life trajectory. For instance, if you’re a parent with young children, focus on creating spaces that will grow with them. Forgo overly specific themes in favor of more neutral designs, and invest in multifunctional pieces that can be converted for other uses down the line, such as a crib that could transform into a child’s bed when the time comes. With such versatility, it will be easier to make better use of your spaces as your kids get older.

Conversely, if you’re on the verge of retirement or have a multigenerational home, look into age-in-place design ideas that can make your house accessible for everyone in the long term. Some good options include modifying doorways for wheelchairs and walkers, creating no-step entryways to minimize injury risk, and installing grab bars and handrails to enhance safety.

Technology

The world is becoming increasingly digital, so it’s important to make sure your home is equipped with a robust connectivity infrastructure and high-speed internet to support numerous smart devices for multiple family members. Structured wiring, Wi-Fi boosters, and integrated ethernet ports can help ensure that everyone is and will continue to be up and running as technology grows even more essential for school, work, and connecting with loved ones.

It may also be worth integrating smart upgrades for climate control, lighting, and security, all of which can be run with a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Nest. These enhancements can greatly improve the convenience, safety, and efficiency in your place and potentially reduce your energy costs.

Futureproofing your home is all about creating a living space that is sustainable and adaptable, equipping it to withstand the test of time and handle any changes that may arise regarding technology, your lifestyle, and your physical mobility. By making these kinds of improvements, you can better guarantee that it will remain comfortable, valuable, and ready for whatever your future holds.