3 renovations that can help prevent health issues

If you're thinking of renovating the house, what are your reasons?

Are you trying to improve the look and feel of the house? Or perhaps, you want to add new functionality to your property, like building a swimming pool with the use of an excavator. It's not surprising if your motivations fall within both of these categories, as they're the most common considerations behind home upgrades. Houzz and Home Australia's 2015 report reveals that almost nine in 10 renovators rated these reasons as 'very important' for their projects.

But what about preventing or addressing health issues? This consideration was far less thought about, with only 39 per cent of people saying it was important to renovations. However, upgrading with this in mind could improve the quality of your life in ways that might surprise you - and it won't prevent you from checking the other two boxes either.

Let's take a look at three renovations that could help to improve the health of you and your family.

1) Hardwood floors

Asthma is a highly common disease in Australia that can obstruct a person's breathing. It's a long-term condition that can cause discomfort at best, and life-threatening reactions at worst.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), one in ten Aussies have asthma. If you or members of your family are amongst this group, you might want to minimise things that could trigger flare ups. Opting to swap carpet for hardwood floors is a huge leap in the right direction.

Allergens like dust mites, mould and pet dander can all cause asthmatic reactions, and is often found abundantly in carpeting. Regular professional carpet steaming is required to truly get rid of these. Wood floors, on the other hand, are easy to clean and maintain and do not trap these substances - which means less asthma triggers surrounding the house.

If you want to install some hardwood floors, ensure you get professional advice first and have the right materials for the job. You'll also need specialised equipment like a staple gun, variable speed drill, a table saw and more, all of which you can find at your local Kennards.

2) Horizontal cabinets

If you're doing a kitchen renovation, have you considered changing your cabinetry? After all, they do make a big part of the design and function of the space. Why not choose drawers that are horizontally long instead of vertically oriented?

As revealed by the AIHW, a whopping 3 million people reported to have back issues in 2011-2012. More than 40 per cent of these people had their activity limited due to these problems. Doing all you can to prevent back issues starts early and must be kept in check regularly.

There are all sorts of small ways you can lower the amount of tension you put on your back, and having horizontally oriented cabinetry is one of them. As you can access most of your equipment without bending over, you'll find yourself stressing out that part of your body far less. This is especially true if you spend lots of time in the kitchen and are used to straining under the sink for pots and pans on a daily basis.

Family Handyman shows that building your own cabinets isn't a particularly tough endeavour, and the hardest part of the job - the doors - can simply be bought online. Head down to Kennards to rent out the tools you need, such as clamps and air compressors.

3) Garden landscaping

Aussies don't need to be told to have a great looking yard. Houzz's report shows that outdoor renovations were far more common across the country in 2014 than indoor ones. However, making your garden look green and welcoming could also help to improve the health of you and your children, killing a few birds with one stone.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, kids' stress levels drop when they see green spaces for even a few minutes. This can help with emotional development, as well as lower symptoms that can lead to anxiety or depression.

Furthermore, a well-crafted yard might encourage them to spend more time outside, which can have a few positive effects on their physical state. Childrens' Vitamin D levels, which help to combat future heart diseases, diabetes and more, increase when they spend more time outdoors. It can also contribute towards improving distance vision and reducing the chance of short-sightedness.

With so many benefits to take advantage of, there are plenty of reasons to go garden landscaping if you have a yard.

And remember, when renovations are done well and tastefully, they very often add to the value of your home - coincidentally the third most frequent motivation as noted by Houzz's report. Then, when it's to sell and move on, your renovations will pay off in dividends.