What Homeowners Would Use Their Winning Lottery Money On

With lottery fever fresh in the minds of countless Americans in awe of the historic $1.8 billion Powerball prize this September, it's not unusual for billionaire-hopefuls to imagine what life would be like if suddenly there was a large influx of cash in their lives. Some would likely want to travel the globe, while others would spend their money on flashy accoutrements like boats or cars. But for many, the dream of a new life is most tangible in the form of a new house. Real-life winners prove this to be true, with shows like "My Lottery Dream Home" highlighting lucky lotto winners finding a suitable forever place to call home.

But just because you win the lottery (or dream of it), doesn't mean your current home needs to be cast aside. Instead, you can dream of using your newfound wealth on updating and renovating your house so that it fits all your needs and accomplishes some of your biggest wishes. Have you always dreamed of having a beautiful pool in your backyard? With a lottery win, you can make it a reality. Need a new kitchen? You can start that life-changing renovation without hesitation, thanks to your new financial security. Whatever your home dreams may be, your lottery winnings can help you achieve them. And these types of projects are some of the best investments and most exciting upgrades a lottery winner can make ... can't hurt to manifest and dream, right?

Installing a security system after winning the lottery is an easy decision that can bring you peace of mind during a time of incredible change. While new wealth offers financial freedom in a way you may have never thought possible, it can also attract unwanted attention, especially if you can't claim your winnings anonymously. Sadly, more wealth often brings more burglary attempts or unexpected visitors, and a robust security system is a proactive way to protect both your health, wealth, and most importantly, your mind.

For a lottery winner, the benefits of solar power go beyond saving money on bills. Solar panels can make your home far less reliant on traditional power grids, providing a great investment. In fact, solar panels actually can increase your home's value. In the event of an emergency or power outage, you can also still produce your own energy to keep your house running smoothly. While a full solar system can cost tens of thousands of dollars — a price that's out of reach for most — it's a no-brainer for a lottery winner looking for smart, long-term upgrades.

While having a lavish pool right in your backyard may sound like a luxury and something lotto winners should add to their homes, take caution — pools are often a renovation that homeowners regret. The most expensive pools can run upwards of $100,000 to install and up to $4,000 (or more) a year to maintain. At the end of the day, the cost of a pool might not be commensurate with the value of the home itself. With that said, if you win big from the lottery, such installation and maintenance fees aren't anything to be afraid of.

It's likely true for many homeowners that, if given the chance, they'd paint their house a color that they like more. Exterior paint is a big upgrade to boost curb appeal, but because of sticker shock, many homeowners put it off for years to save up. Depending on the size of the house, a paint job like this one can cost upwards of $10,000, which, to an average person, can feel like too high a price tag. However, on a billionaire's budget, you could paint your house however you'd like, whenever you like.

A kitchen remodel usually tops the wish list of big house renovations, and incidentally, these projects also have one of the biggest returns on investments in terms of property value, too. But like with many other ideas on this list, the price tag is just too costly to consider on a whim. However, you can deck your space out with all the best kitchen appliance brands, configure it exactly how you want, and get all the best gadgets and decor pieces with that unlimited lotto budget. Go for it, build the kitchen of your hosting dreams!

Still using that bedframe from your college days or those mismatched plates and silverware that you inherited from relatives? With lotto earnings, you can upgrade all your furniture and high-use items that were always "good enough" but not totally what you wanted, nor all that pretty to look at. Gone are the days of having to be budget-minded at IKEA or thrifting to find a houseware; rather, you can turn to designer lines like Arhaus or Pottery Barn, brands that assure both quality and style.

Lighting is always a challenge in rooms with little or no opportunity for natural light to come in. A fix that's also quite expensive? Skylights. Maybe it's the fact that you have to cut through the ceiling and pay close attention to structural integrity, but as a lotto winner, you can liven up a space by splurging on a skylight in places it would make sense. Think spots like the kitchen, bathrooms, or even bedrooms, where having some natural light helps make the space feel just a bit more pleasant to be in.

Speaking of bathrooms, these rooms are another a great return on investment when you renovate them, but they're another pricey project. The cost is often prohibitive for a full-scale remodel, but with some cash in hand, you can tear up and rethink the bathroom you have. Reconfigure the room with the layout, materials, and finishes that you've always desired. Want to move some plumbing around? While it would be a costly project, it's now feasible as a lotto winner. Want to add some fancy marble counter tops or a Japanese bidet? Nothing is stopping you!

Another typically cost-prohibitive project that will make your total square footage skyrocket is finishing out your basement and attic into usable, livable spaces. Imagine being able to add bedrooms or bathrooms in that space. In a world where adding an extra bedroom to the house can increase your overall home value up to 15%, it's not a bad return. Attics and basements are also prime places to put in dream extras that you normally wouldn't have space for. Think luxurious at-home spa, an expansive gym, or a giant walk-in closet.

As a lottery winner and newfound billionaire or millionaire, all your long-overdue outdoor maintenance can finally get some attention. Projects like rebuilding a deck, adding a concrete slab, building a gazebo, or even just starting a yard can all be tasks with high costs attached (a gazebo alone can cost upwards of $8,000), but you can knock them all out with your lotto winnings. Make the perfect backyard oasis, particularly if you love to entertain, complete with a movie viewing space, outdoor bar, outdoor kitchen, or even a tennis court if that suits your fancy!

Just because you're a millionaire/billionaire, doesn't mean you have to shy away from earning more money, and a savvy lotto winner should look to further investment to maintain wealth. Thus, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on your property is a fantastic idea for additional rental income, whether you have long-term renters or short-term vacationers. Adding an ADU or retrofitting a space in the house to become one is no small task since you'll need to add bathrooms and likely at least a kitchenette to make it viable. Take the opportunity with lotto winnings to make this investment.

Adding an extension onto the house is a way to make your space more livable without having to find a whole new space and deal with the headache of moving house. Just because you are suddenly very wealthy, doesn't mean you need to be hightailing it off to Hollywood Hills or the Upper East Side; rather, you can expand your current house and change the layout to make the most sense for your lifestyle or to accommodate your new one. As an added bonus, you'll increase the value of your home in the process.

Updating the landscaping around your house is kind of like a facelift for the curb appeal of the home. Though you're not physically changing the façade, landscaping has the ability to make your home look modern and refreshed. With some increased cash flow, upgrade your yard by taking out anything dead, diseased, or otherwise in bad shape, and design purposeful outdoor areas that complement the style of your home. For a project that can cost almost $14,000 nowadays, your lotto winnings will take care of a sizable tab.

For our potential lottery winners in less-than-temperate climates, take a page out of the Victorian-era playbook and build yourself a greenhouse or conservatory for year-round greenery. Not only do you reap the benefits all year of freshly grown herbs, veggies, and flowers, but your conservatory can also double as a nice sun-soaked sitting room on those days when it's bright outside, but you're also under a foot of snow. Sounds like a great place to curl up with a book or to have an outdoor dinner party, even in rough weather.

Are you a handy person who dreams of having all the latest gadgets for home improvement projects or hobbies? The good news is that as a lottery beneficiary, you'll likely be able to afford all the fun toys that seemed too pricey for their limited or specific uses. All the niche tools you can think of – like a handheld pin vise for miniature model making, or a marking knife for wood working, or plasma cutters for metal working – can all be justified when you have an unlimited budget.

Once you've purchased all those fun new tools, though, you'll need a space to put them in, so in a classic "if you give a mouse a cookie" fashion, you could build a new hobby or makers' space as an add-on to your house. Whether it becomes a wood-working shop, a painter's studio, or a sewing room — that's up to you and your hobbies! If you ever decide to transition the space to something else, you'll have the footprint for an additional room, office, or outdoor shed, so don't worry about this being too niche.

An indulgence if there ever was one, installing a sauna in the house is actually gaining traction for homeowners who like a bit of luxurious relaxation. Nowadays, at-home saunas are not as outrageously expensive as you might believe, and it would only make a small dent in your lotto earnings to add one to your home. Small, portable units are as inexpensive as $200, but of course, if you want the best experience, saunas with all the bells and whistles will be closer to $10,000. The payoff, however, is great for your mental and physical health.

While perhaps not the most exciting project for a newly minted lotto winner, renovating your windows does make your house vastly more efficient than some of the older windows today. It lowers household utility bills by nearly 13%, and though money may no longer be an issue for a lotto winner, there's something to be said about feeling more comfortable in your space. New windows can make your house feel warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, all by efficiently regulating temperature levels without the need for heat or AC to offset external environmental conditions.

Like windows, it's not the buzziest use of lottery money, but increasing efficiency in the home is a worthwhile cause. Smart thermometers, for instance, can decrease your home's energy usage by almost 15% in some cases. This makes the switch not only a good strategy for saving money in the long run (yes, fine, money isn't a problem here, but it's still smart!), but also an environmentally friendly choice. As a bonus, you can use app-based smart appliances straight on your phone, firing up the heat on a cold winter's day before you get home.

The inspiration from this idea is likely straight from Nancy Meyers' creative brain, as she depicts it in "The Holiday", a now-classic wintertime film. As Kate Winslet's character peruses the expansive collection of movies her host in L.A. has in the private, at-home theater room, it only makes the viewer long for a cozy, dedicated space to get lost in films. With your lottery earnings, you won't have to bother ever leaving the house to face crowded theaters for movies; instead, you can just post up at home in this luxurious addition. 

There's something charming about sitting in front of a roaring fire on a cold day, but sadly, many new homes are being built without fireplaces. Considered a vestige of the past by some, existing fireplaces in your living rooms are now often not even operational. However, if you're able to get the fireplace running with your new lotto winnings, whether that's upgrading the chimney or installing a gas fireplace, you could be increasing the value of your home. Houses with fireplaces in them, on average, sell for 13% more than the national median home sales price.

During a "Rock the Block" basement challenge episode on HGTV, network design darlings Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt added a home bowling alley for an entertaining wow factor. While it added major points to their competition (the goal being to add the most value to a cookie-cutter, new build home), it sadly didn't win the challenge; however, it serves as fantastic inspiration on how to add some whimsy (with the cash) to a home space. Just imagine the bowling parties you could host!

Grown-up rockers, this may be the lottery dream. Retrofit an old room into an acoustic dream, soundproofing it so you can jam or sing as much as you'd like without disturbing the rest of your family in the home. Alternatively, you can build out a new podcasting studio if you feel like a career switch in light of your lotto win. For the best sound payoff, be sure to strategically place speakers symmetrically in your space, invest in soundproof doors and windows as well as wall materials, and don't skimp on recording materials.

Wine storage can be a serious business, and if you're a hobby wine collector who happens to also win the lottery, then you have the option of adding a whole bunch of nice wines to your collection and house them in style. Not only is this an investment in fine wines, but it can also be an investment for your home's property value, too. According to Wine Racks America, a built-in wine cellar can increase the house's value by almost 31%, a sizeable sum for the savvy lotto winner.

Fans of Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" all likely share the same dream: To have a massive library inside their homes, complete with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and a rolling ladder for frolicking... sorry, reading. The best thing about winning the lottery is that you can make what feels like an outlandish house dream come true, so what's stopping you? Per the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest personal collection of books is owned by John Q. Benham in Avoca, Indiana, with over 1.5 million tomes. Ready to set a new record with your lottery build?