17 Things You Should Add to Your Renovation to Make Your Home Run Better

A renovation is a chance to make your home prettier, but it’s also a chance to fix all the little things that make your home annoying to live in. Think beyond new cabinets, flooring, and countertops. What if groceries could go directly from the garage to the pantry? Could dirty laundry travel downstairs without a basket? Could you plug in the vacuum without hunting for an outlet? If you’re already opening walls, moving plumbing, or changing the layout, consider adding some of these practical features while you have the chance during your renovation project.

Key Takeaways

• Use a renovation to improve how you move groceries, laundry, supplies, and other belongings around your home.
• Features such as Costco doors, laundry chutes, dumbwaiters, and intercoms can eliminate repetitive household tasks.
• Add outlets, charging locations, lighting, and storage based on where you actually use things.
• Plan for cleaning equipment, trash, recycling, packages, pet supplies, and other everyday necessities instead of finding places for them later.
• Some upgrades are significantly easier to install while walls, ceilings, or floors are already open.
• Think about how your household may change over time, not just what works right now.
• Check building codes, permit requirements, and safety requirements before adding features that travel between floors or penetrate walls and floors.

1. Add a Costco door

If your garage shares a wall with your pantry, consider adding a small door between the two. Sometimes called a Costco door, this pass-through lets you move groceries directly from the garage into the pantry instead of carrying everything through the house. Pull into the garage, open the little door, and start putting bags and bulk purchases through.

Placement matters. You want the opening somewhere that’s convenient from the garage but doesn’t eliminate useful pantry shelving. Also think about what you’ll actually pass through it. A tiny opening might work for grocery bags but not a giant package of paper towels.

Because the opening connects your garage with your home’s interior, don’t simply cut a hole in the wall. Garage separation and fire-safety requirements may affect how you need to build the opening.

2. Bring back the laundry chute

The laundry chute deserves a comeback. If bedrooms are upstairs and your laundry room is downstairs, a chute can save you from hauling overflowing baskets down the stairs several times a week. You open the door, throw in clothes, and they travel down the chute into a laundry basket in the laundry room.

Place the opening somewhere convenient, such as:

• A hallway
• A bathroom
• A bedroom
• A linen closet
• A walk-in closet

A laundry chute passes through floors and walls, so this is another project where building and fire-safety requirements matter. It’s much easier to plan one during a major renovation than decide you want one after everything is finished.

3. Install a dumbwaiter

If you have several floors, a small residential dumbwaiter can move belongings between them. A dumbwaiter is basically like a tiny elevator for moving things between floors. For example, it can send laundry to the second floor without you lugging it up the stairs.

Depending on the design, you might use one to transport:

• Groceries
• Laundry
• Cleaning supplies
• Boxes
• Dishes
• Pantry supplies
• Household necessities

A dumbwaiter is a much more involved project than adding a few shelves, so plan for it early. You’ll need to account for its shaft, access points, electrical requirements, structural needs, and safety features.

4. Install a whole-house intercom

You don’t have to yell up the stairs that dinner is ready. A whole-house intercom lets you communicate between rooms or floors without walking across the house or shouting.

You could place stations in areas such as:

• Kitchen
• Bedrooms
• Home office
• Garage
• Workshop
• Basement
• Playroom

Modern smart speakers can perform some of these functions, but a built-in intercom may appeal to households that want a permanent system that isn’t dependent on someone having their phone nearby.

If you’re already opening walls, it’s a good time to consider any wiring the system will require.

5. Put outlets inside cabinets and drawers

Think about all the things that need to charge in your house. Now imagine not having them scattered across the countertops. A charging drawer in the kitchen or entryway can keep cords and devices contained. In the bathroom, an outlet inside a vanity cabinet can give electric toothbrushes, shavers, and other devices a permanent home.

Outlets inside cabinets or drawers can create dedicated charging locations for:

• Phones
• Tablets
• Smartwatches
• Headphones
• Electric toothbrushes
• Hair tools
• Rechargeable batteries
• Small appliances

Electrical installations need to meet applicable codes, so include these locations in your electrical plan rather than improvising with extension cords later.

6. Give your robot vacuum a garage

If a robot vacuum is part of your cleaning routine, plan a permanent parking place for it. You could create an opening beneath a cabinet, mudroom bench, built-in, or other piece of cabinetry where the vacuum can return to its dock.

Make sure the space has enough clearance for the vacuum and dock, plus an outlet. If your vacuum has a larger self-emptying or self-cleaning station, measure the entire setup before designing the opening.

7. Create a vacuum closet with an outlet

Your regular vacuum deserves some planning, too. Create a closet tall enough for your vacuum, stick vacuum, mop, broom, and other cleaning equipment. Then add an outlet inside. You can charge cordless vacuums without leaving them hanging on a random wall or sitting in the corner of a room.

Use the remaining space for attachments, cleaning cloths, replacement filters, mop heads, and other supplies.

8. Consider a central vacuum system

If you’re doing a major renovation, you may also want to consider a central vacuum system. Instead of carrying a vacuum around the house, you connect a hose to built-in wall inlets. Dirt travels through tubing inside the walls to a central collection unit.

Some systems can also include sweep inlets near the floor. Sweep crumbs toward the inlet, activate it, and they’re pulled into the system. A sweep inlet can be particularly handy in a kitchen, mudroom, or other area where you’re constantly sweeping up small messes.

9. Add more outlets than you think you need

One of the easiest ways to make a house frustrating is to have outlets everywhere except where you need them. During your renovation, think about where you actually use electricity.

Consider outlets near:

• Nightstands
• Desks
• Sofas
• Entryway tables
• Kitchen counters
• Bathroom vanities
• Closets
• Garage workbenches
• Craft areas
• Holiday decorating locations
• Outdoor seating areas

You may also want floor outlets in large living spaces where furniture sits far from a wall. Plan them before the drywall goes up.

If you put holiday lights in the same windows every year, why are you running extension cords across the room every December? Add outlets near places you regularly decorate.

That might include:

• Mantels
• Stair railings
• Windows
• Rooflines
• Porches
• Built-in shelves
• Outdoor trees

Even if you don’t use them year-round, conveniently placed outlets can make seasonal decorating much easier.

10. Add lights inside closets, cabinets, and pantries

If you’ve ever used your phone flashlight to find something in the back of a cabinet, fix that problem during the renovation.

Add lighting to dark storage spaces such as:

• Pantries
• Linen closets
• Coat closets
• Walk-in closets
• Deep cabinets
• Display cabinets
• Utility closets

Motion-activated lighting can be particularly convenient in spaces where your hands are usually full. Open the door, the light comes on, and you can actually see what you own.

11. Create a real drop zone

Think about what happens during the first 30 seconds after everyone walks through the door. Shoes come off. Bags get dropped. Keys land somewhere. Mail gets tossed on the counter. Jackets end up on chairs. Build a place for those things by building a drop zone.

Your drop zone might include:

• Hooks
• Shoe storage
• Drawers
• Baskets
• A bench
• Mail storage
• Key hooks
• Charging outlets
• Backpack storage
• A trash can
• A mirror

Put it near the entrance your household actually uses every day, not necessarily the formal front door.

12. Build in a package drop

If you receive frequent deliveries, plan somewhere for packages to go. A covered package area near the front door is the simplest option. During a larger renovation, you could consider a more integrated package box or secure delivery compartment.

Think about visibility from the street, weather protection, package sizes, security, and how you’ll retrieve deliveries from inside. Don’t make the opening so small that only a paperback book fits through it if you regularly receive large boxes.

13. Make trash and recycling easier

Trash and recycling are everyday tasks, so give them a good location. A pull-out cabinet can keep bins out of sight in the kitchen. If your household separates recycling into several categories, give each one a defined place.

Also think about the route from the kitchen to your outdoor bins. If taking out the trash requires carrying a leaking bag across three rooms, around the sofa, and through the front door, see if your renovation can create a shorter route.

14. Add a utility sink where the mess happens

A utility sink doesn’t have to live exclusively in the laundry room.

Depending on your household, one might be useful in the:

• Garage
• Mudroom
• Workshop
• Craft room
• Laundry room
• Pet area

Use it for washing muddy shoes, cleaning paintbrushes, rinsing gardening tools, soaking stained clothes, or handling other messes you’d rather keep out of the kitchen sink. A deep basin and pull-down faucet can make it even more useful.

15. Create a pet station

If you have pets, plan for their stuff during the renovation instead of squeezing it into whatever cabinet is left over.

A pet station could include:

• Food storage
• Leash hooks
• Treat storage
• Grooming supplies
• Towel storage
• Food and water bowls
• A feeding drawer
• Litter supplies
• Medication storage
• Toy storage

You could also add a pet-washing station in a mudroom, garage, or laundry room if bathing muddy dogs is a regular part of life. 

16. Put a faucet where you actually need water

Sometimes the smartest renovation upgrade is simply shortening the distance between a task and a water source.

Depending on your property and lifestyle, consider water access in places such as:

• Garage
• Mudroom
• Patio
• Garden
• Outdoor kitchen
• Workshop
• Pet-washing area

If you’re constantly dragging a hose around the house or carrying buckets from the kitchen, adding another water source may eliminate a surprisingly annoying chore.

17. Build storage around how you actually live

Don’t add cabinets simply because you have an empty wall. Before finalizing your renovation plans, make a list of the things that are currently difficult to store.

Maybe it’s:

• Luggage
• Holiday decorations
• Bulk groceries
• Small appliances
• Sports equipment
• Cleaning supplies
• Craft supplies
• Tools
• Pet supplies
• Board games
• Extra bedding
• Coolers
• Folding chairs
• Paper products

Then design storage around those things. Measure large belongings before cabinetry or shelving is built. A beautiful 12-inch-deep cabinet isn’t particularly helpful if the thing you desperately need to store is 16 inches deep. Use high shelves and harder-to-reach areas for things you rarely need, and keep everyday items within easy reach.

If your renovation requires temporarily clearing furniture and belongings out of several rooms, this is also a good time to decide what should return when the project is finished. Donate, sell, or recycle things you no longer need. A storage unit can give you somewhere to keep furniture and other belongings during construction so workers have room to work and your possessions are away from the mess.

Renovation ideas FAQ

What home renovation upgrades make everyday life easier?

Look for upgrades that reduce the number of steps involved in chores. Laundry chutes, grocery pass-through doors, better storage, strategically placed outlets, utility sinks, charging drawers, and improved lighting can all make routine household tasks easier.

What is a Costco door?

A Costco door is an informal name for a small pass-through door between a garage and pantry. It can be used to move groceries and bulk purchases directly into the pantry without carrying them through the house. Because garages may require specific fire separation from living areas, the opening should be planned with local code and safety requirements in mind.

Are laundry chutes still used in homes?

Yes, laundry chutes can still be incorporated into some homes. They’re especially useful when bedrooms are on a different floor from the laundry room. Their design and installation need to account for local building and fire-safety requirements.

What is a dumbwaiter used for in a house?

A residential dumbwaiter is a small lift designed to move objects between floors. Depending on the system, homeowners may use one for groceries, laundry, dishes, boxes, or household supplies.

What should you add while walls are open during a renovation?

Consider electrical outlets, charging locations, lighting, wiring, network connections, intercom wiring, plumbing, storage niches, and other features that would be harder to install once the walls are closed. The best choices depend on your home’s layout and how you use it.

Where should you add extra outlets during a renovation?

Think about where you charge devices, use lamps, clean, work, decorate for holidays, and use appliances. Nightstands, closets, bathroom vanities, kitchen cabinets, desks, garages, outdoor spaces, and living room furniture areas may all benefit from strategically placed outlets.

What storage should you add during a home renovation?

Design storage for the things you already struggle to put away. That could include bulk groceries, cleaning supplies, luggage, holiday decorations, sports equipment, small appliances, pet supplies, tools, linens, and folding chairs.

How can you make a renovation more functional?

Plan around your daily routines before focusing entirely on finishes. Trace how groceries, laundry, trash, packages, shoes, cleaning supplies, and other frequently used items move through the house. Then look for opportunities to shorten those routes, eliminate unnecessary steps, and give frequently used belongings a convenient home.