Redditors Share the 5 Best Purchases They’ve Made for Their Homes

Have you ever felt like your home was just one last purchase away from being perfect? We certainly have, even if we know that it’s never quite true. However, while it might not be the last thing you ever buy, one key addition can sometimes make a huge difference in how your home looks and feels. To get some ideas for what that one key addition might be, we took a look at our favorite online resource— Reddit.  

It turned out that we weren’t the only ones seeking home improvement advice on Reddit. When Reddit user chance__ asked, “Reddit homeowners, what’s the best purchase you’ve made for your home?”, almost 1,500 people responded. And even though the thread is from six years ago, the answers are still relevant today. From saving money to potentially saving your marriage, here are five purchases that Reddit users swear made the most considerable difference to their homes.

Being engulfed by a shower curtain that appears to have a life of its own is not fun. Reddit user sovietdancnbear learned this the hard way, which is why he installed a curved shower curtain rod in his shower. “[It now] feels like a bigger shower,” he says. The only downside? A curved shower curtain rod takes up more space outside of the shower than a traditional straight rod. If limited bathroom space is a deal-breaker for you, TellMemMorePlz suggests opting for a model that rotates. A rotator rod will give you extra space in the shower—without taking up precious bathroom space. 

If you’d rather sleep-in than wake up with the sun, live in an area where outdoor lights stay on all night or have young kids that wake up at the crack of dawn (and you’d prefer they didn’t), it might be time to invest in blackout curtains. According to Reddit user delcoda, “These are also useful if your house heats up fast from the sunlight but has terrible air circulation, making it impossible to cool down.” Just make sure that you set your alarm. Otherwise, you risk sleeping in until noon. 

Saving money by spending money might sound counterintuitive, but if you’re determined to lower your energy bills without sacrificing comfort (i.e., bundling up in winter and stripping down in summer), consider splurging on the Nest Learning Thermostat. “My schedule changes day to day so having a thermostat change the inside temp[erature] at a certain time of day is wasteful,” says Reddit user say_my_name_2. “104 [Fahrenheit] out today? Turn on the Nest using my phone as I leave work. Too cold while sleeping? Roll over and crank the heat without leaving the comfort of the covers. Run into a friend while doing errands and decide to stay out late? [C]hange thermostat from the bar.” 

Wouldn’t it be great if you could keep your floors clean without so much as lifting your finger? With a robot vacuum, you can. Redditors rave about one robot vacuum in particular, and no, it isn’t Roomba. A user that has since deleted his account says, “Try a [N]eato robot [vacuum]. It’s freaking amazing and kicks Roomba’s butt. Instead of flicking stuff toward the opening it actually sucks the carpet like a regular vac. It knows where it’s going and then heads back to charge when it needs to.” Still not convinced? Redditor canehdianman claims that “damn thing saved my marriage.” Now that sounds like a pretty good advertisement for a robot vacuum to us. [Editor’s note: a Neato was a top pick for our robot vacuum Best List.]

While you’ve probably heard about the pros and cons of cotton sheets versus linen sheets, Redditor haberdasher42 stands firmly behind their bamboo sheets, saying they’re softer than both cotton and linen. Reddit user Minnelli agrees and adds that bamboo sheets “help you stay cool in the summer and warm(er) in the winter.” Don’t feel bad if you had no idea bamboo sheets were a thing before now—you’re not the only one. We rounded up bamboo along other organic sheet options last year.