When moving or buying something with a bigger space is out of the question – Also many of us just love our home and rather prefer to improve it or moving is just too big of a hassle right! Rest assured there are options rather than trying to buy a home with more square footage. If you love your neighborhood and dread the thought of moving Keep reading, there are several ways to make the space you have work for your lifestyle.
Give Existing Rooms A New Meaning
When your home’s layout doesn’t work for you – Don’t ditch it, Repurpose it! That dining room that doesn’t get used give it some love. Turn it into an office, play area, game room or even an additional bedroom – * possible money maker idea here. Transform a too-small spare bedroom into closet space, a small game room for kids or a workout space. Reconfigure an extra closet to a laundry room with pocket or folding doors and stacking units, and then repurpose the old, larger laundry space into something you actually need, like a pantry, mudroom or additional bathroom.
Make It A Double
If your home is technically the right size for your needs, yet the rooms are too small, make them bigger. For example, if you never use your dining room, and the adjacent living room is ineptly sized, knock down the joining wall (if structurally feasible) to create one large room.
What about combining a too-small kitchen with the adjacent dining room, sunroom or other unused space to create an eat-in kitchen? Usually, even if you still use each space for its intended purpose, such as opening up the dining room to the living room yet still keeping that section to eat in, the lack of a wall can have a big impact on the feel of the space.
Every home has dead space that isn’t fully utilized. Find these areas, and remodel them to achieve the most function out of your square footage. Turn the space underneath the stairs into a closet, built-in bookcase or even a small nook for your pet or kids to hang out and relax in. Finish your basement or attic, if you have one, to drastically increase your useable square footage, and turn large landings or open spaces in a hallway between rooms into a sitting area, play space or office. Adding shelves to rooms can cleanup clutter and utilize vertical space while keeping the floor area clear. Where it’s feasible, opt for built-ins, including Murphy beds, to truly make the best of your existing square footage.
Create Outdoor Living Space
Have space outside for a deck? Why not. Think about it, afterwards you can have a table outside with chairs; giving you more guest entertaining options or more time to spend outside.
Up Up And Away
If you have space between your cabinets and ceiling, you got storage. Use wicker baskets, plastic storage containers, or buy some crafting materials and make your own to match your decor. Feel free to get creative here! Its the perfect spot to store lesser used items.
Make Some Money
Let’s be honest here, do you really need 25 extra bowls? Try selling extra unused plates, bowls, glasses and just maybe you will realize you have more space than you knew; and make some ka-ching in the process. Looking for more? Use that extra cash to create your own storage. Find on a wall in your house and put up shelves, place some stools underneath. Ta-da! You’ll have a place to put your bag, shoes, and hats when you come home.
When In Doubt…Remodel
When a home simply needs more square footage, an addition is the best choice, and there are pros and cons to expanding outwards or upwards. The affordable option is to expand outward, especially with an already two-story home; however, you’ll loose yard space.
To maintain your outdoor living space while expanding your interior square footage, opt for an additional story. This is often more expensive and time-consuming than a ground floor addition due to the structural changes necessary to support another floor; however, you can double your square footage without losing your yard.
Remodeling the inside is the most popular choice! From tearing down walls to making new ones, gives you the freedom to make it your own. Plus if you are thinking about staying in your home for some time, remodeling it to not only fit your needs, but also to your style and personality just might be worth it.
#smalllayouts #remodeling #houserenovationideas
