Moving to a bigger home can be a necessity in some cases. However, there are other times when you may be able to make do with the space you have. Whether you need an extra bedroom for your growing family or are fed up with queues to your single bathroom, there are many ways to create the extra space you need without having to move. If you otherwise love your home, it could make sense to stay and consider some of these pointers.
Cull the clutter
In some cases, freeing up clutter in your home could give you the space you need. Precious space could be taken up by clothes, toys or hobby equipment that you never really use. Consider items in your home that take up a lot of unnecessary space and consider selling or donating them.
Convert unused space
Got an attic or garage that is currently sitting unused? This could be the perfect place for an extra bedroom, bathroom, office or living space. If these spaces are currently full of seasonal items that you don’t want to get rid of, you could always move them into storage – companies like SMARTBOX Solutions, Inc. provide storage units. This could allow you to turn these spaces into more practical rooms. Converting a room will usually be a lot cheaper than upsizing, although it could still cost a lot depending on the condition of the room.
Invest in an addition
Building an addition could also give you the space you need. This requires owning your home and having land to build upon, as well as a permit to build upon this land. It’s also more expensive than converting space. However, in most cases, it will be cheaper than upsizing and will allow you to customize the extra space that you need to your specs.
Embrace multi-purpose rooms
In small apartments and tiny houses, it can sometimes be worth embracing multi-purpose rooms to make the most of the space. A separate room to use as an office or gym may not be necessary – you may be able to simply use a dining room or living room as a part-time office. There may be ways to cordon off parts of a room for privacy or use collapsible furniture such as collapsible tables, collapsible desks, sofa-beds and murphy beds. It’s not as convenient as having a room dedicated to different purposes, but can otherwise be a great way of getting by.
Think long-term
Some people don’t think long-term when upsizing. If you’ve got older kids sharing a bedroom, but another is likely to move out soon, you should consider whether it’s really worth moving to a larger home when a bedroom may come available soon. In fact, once kids start moving out and you get a little older, it’s generally not worth upsizing. While it’s nice to have plenty of space for guests, a lot of this space will sit empty most of the time and it will be more space to maintain. Your current home could be cozier and easier to manage.
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