How to upgrade your home and life with little tricks for under £80

Who knew a toilet seat could have such a transformative effect on your life?

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference to your life, happiness and wellbeing.

And it’s often the tiny changes to our homes that we put off for ages, but then wonder why we waited so long to do afterwards.

Feeling content at home is essential to happiness, and there are lots of little things you can do to upgrade your living environment.

From investing in luxury bedlinen to patching up walls, people have been sharing the best ways they’ve upgraded their homes and lives for under $100 (£80).

One of the most popular suggestions was the installation of blackout curtains. “I grew up in the country and live in the city,” one man explained on the Reddit forum, adding that he has “a really hard time sleeping if it's not 100% dark.”

And we all know not getting enough sleep has an impact on everything we do.

Similarly, another person advised investing in a high-quality pillow - “well worth it to help get a good night’s sleep,” they said. Many sleep experts recommend silk pillowcases too.

Other people shared the little DIY tasks they’d done that have made a huge difference to their lives.

Many waxed lyrical about the merits of a no-slam toilet seat: “Nothing makes you wince at yourself more than slamming an acquaintance's toilet seat because your muscle memory has been trained by a no-slam toilet seat.”

Others advised to fix the little problems in your house while you still live there: “When my wife and I decided to sell our house, we made it showroom-ready. We took paint samples from each room, brought it to a hardware store, and along with some plaster, fixed all the holes and paint problems in the house for about $60 and one afternoon.

“I felt so stupid afterward. Why didn't I do this before? Why did I wait until I'm about to move out?”

And one of the top suggestions was the simplest: “A 49 cent metal hook I screwed into the side of my computer desk so I have a place to hang my headset.”

It’s a genius idea that would save many people from rolling over the cable of their headphones with their computer chair and getting stuck.

Some people swore by technical improvements such as motion sensor lighting, a nightlight in the loo, a pinpad instead of traditional lock on the front door and a 10 foot charging cable for your phone - one man said it was a “game changer,” and many agreed.

Change the game and upgrade your life.