<p>It&#8217;s entirely possible for a home to age well. But its appliances don&#8217;t stand as good a chance. While vintage has high value, the charm of old styles don&#8217;t extend to appliances. Homeowners want their home&#8217;s hardware to be top-of-the-line and performing at the highest level available, and at all times. That means old appliances eventually have to be shown the door.</p>
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<p>But when it comes to choosing appliances, it&#8217;s not always easy to figure out which ones are worth replacing. To do that, you need to consider the appliance&#8217;s current performance as well as what newer models have to offer. Here&#8217;s a guide to help you make the right decisions that will upgrade not only your appliances, but your entire home.</p>
<p><strong>Wall oven</strong></p>
<p>Traditional ovens have a lot of space dedicated to them, which isn’t an efficient use of space in small kitchens. A wall oven is much more discrete. Nestled into your cabinets, it&#8217;s more out of the way and can be stacked on top of other features to give you better use of the area.</p>
<p><strong>Energy-efficient washer/dryer</strong></p>
<p>Electricity and water costs can get out of hand quickly when an older washer/dryer unit is in service. Newer models are designed to be much more efficient, and they look much better than their predecessors. Look for front-loading units like a Samsung washing machine and dryer units that are EnergySTAR approved.</p>
<p><strong>Countertop range</strong></p>
<p>A range is a classy installation that gives a modern look to any kitchen space. It&#8217;s also an important feature for keeping your air clean during cooking. Check out some of the more ornate and classy options to expand your conception of what a range can do for your kitchen.</p>
<p><strong>Refrigerator</strong></p>
<p>New refrigerators like those from Whirlpool offer a number of great new features never seen before. Built-in water dispensers may be standard, but stainless steel is really big in today&#8217;s market, as are glass windows and extra-wide units. You can even purchase a refrigerator that blends in to the wall and cabinetry, improving the visual quality of the kitchen.</p>
<p><strong>Wine Coolers</strong></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re a fan of wine, a simple cooler or a built-in wine rack can be a great touch in the kitchen, giving the room a sense of refined elegance. Not to mention the fact that a cooler will have your wine ready for consumption at a moment&#8217;s notice.</p>
<p><strong>Lighting</strong></p>
<p>Most homes are built with standard, plain lighting. Spice it up with something different. Install professional features like track lighting and backlighting in the kitchen to provide beautiful contrasts. And if you have individual pieces you&#8217;d like to showcase, accent lighting is a great supplement. Overall, lighting alone can reshape how a single room looks, and it&#8217;s much cheaper than making other, larger changes to a room. Review your home to see what rooms could benefit greatly from such a change.</p>
<p>By improving the appliances, you can increase the modernity of even an older home. That will make you more comfortable in your home, and when you go to sell the place you&#8217;ll enjoy much tighter competition from prospective buyers. Even if you can&#8217;t make these changes all at once, take your time and upgrade appliances as your finances allow to enjoy an ever-modern home.</p>
<p>Joseph is a technology buff with a knack for DIY home projects. In his spare time, he enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other brands he loves.</p>

Appliance Upgrades: A Better Home
