Unless your home was built in the last year or two, it’s likely to be full of outdated features and systems. Some of those items may add to the home’s charm, but many distinctly will not. Replacing the outdated with modern versions or smart technology can save you time and money.
Here’s a look at some of the things your home doesn’t need anymore—and how they can be replaced.
1. House keys
Carrying around a set of jingling keys in your purse or pocket may soon become a thing of the past, with electronic and digital locks becoming a more convenient option, says Melanie Hartmann, owner and CEO of Creo Home Buyers in Baltimore.
“This is fantastic for those times you lose your key, lock yourself out of the house, or someone needs to get into your house in an emergency when you are not able to let them in,” Hartmann says.
Electronic locks rely on a code or a fingerprint to open, and you can control some with your smartphone, says Justin Riordan, an interior designer, architect and founder of the home staging company Spade and Archer Design Agency.
2. Telephone jacks
Homeowners continue to cut the cord on landline telephones. In fact, more than half of U.S. households had only wireless service in 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The upshot? You can remove these phone jacks completely. Alternatively, replace phone jacks with an internet cable outlet for hard-wired internet, or an access point to improve a home’s Wi-Fi, says Christopher Sterle, founder of Acoustic Design Systems in Las Vegas.
“A hard-wired setup will always deliver the fastest connectivity,” he says.
———
3. TV cabinets
Mounting TVs on the wall is a go-to solution for many homeowners these days—so TV consoles and cabinets just clutter rooms, says Kayla Goldstein, an architect and interior designer.
To accommodate wall-mounted TVs, installing an outlet on the wall at eye level when you’re seated and another one at 18 inches above the floor has become a standard practice.
Riordan predicts the 18-inch outlet will be obsolete in five years, by which time no components under the TV will be needed.
4. Traditional water-heater tanks
Many homes still have tank-filled water heaters. This limits the amount of hot water available, and they can spring a leak, causing extensive damage.
Switching to a tankless water heater is a more energy-efficient, safer option, Wallace says.
“Tankless water heaters occupy less space, are more energy efficient, and supply a constant flow of hot water,” he says.
Here’s more on the benefits of a tankless water heater.
———
5. Manual thermostats
“In some homes, you’ve still got to push a slider on a thermostat and hope you remember to turn it down when you’re away,” says Matthias Alleckna, an energy analyst at EnergyRates.ca. But the days of this old-school technology are numbered.
New programmable thermostats, like the Honeywell smart thermostat($160, walmart.com), turn heat and air systems off and on automatically. Often, they can be controlled with your smartphone.
They are also better for the environment and save homeowners money on their energy bills, Alleckna adds.