What did you indulge in at the house, what did you give up?

Thank you EveundGerd, it is nice to know that the expense for the blinds might come back a little bit in the heating costs. : Do you have folding shutters or ones that roll on rollers in front of the window? Operated by hand or electric?

Thanks EveundGerd, it's nice to know that the expense for the blinds might be partially recovered through heating costs.

I strongly doubt that. A shutter is ventilated with outside air, how is that supposed to insulate? Heat protection through shading: sure, but it doesn't insulate.

We don't have anything yet we are still planning. But we are considering proper old-fashioned folding shutters, the most important ones (the ones you close every evening) definitely electric, the rest without a drive.

I strongly doubt that. A roller shutter is ventilated with outside air behind it, how is that supposed to insulate? Heat protection through shading: sure, but it doesn't insulate.

We have experienced that rooms cooled down faster when the roller shutters were up. When the roller shutters were down, the rooms stayed warm longer. No joke! We tested this once. However, in our old building, with plastic roller shutters and double glazing in aluminum from 1975.

Whether this still applies to the shutters installed today, we cannot say yet. We are doing the interior fittings but are still at the beginning. The principle of roller shutters has changed a lot.

And the window glazing as well. Triple glazing is almost standard nowadays.

Oh interesting question, I'll join in too:

We treated ourselves to:
- a large eat-in kitchen
- 2 built-in showers
- an extra kids' bathroom
- a converted attic with a proper staircase
- electric shutters everywhere
- integrated fly screens in the bedroom windows
- a higher knee wall (1.50)
- a large hallway with space
- an extra room solely for the technology
- a tiled fireplace

and these are what we gave up or had to give up:
- a walk-in closet (*cry*)
- an unnecessary basement
- a nice garage (instead only a carport - because of setback requirements)
- the integrated fly screens in the living room
- solar or photovoltaic panels