Your family is growing, but your house feels like it’s shrinking. With every new pet or baby that comes, your house feels a little bit smaller – what can you do?
Related: How to Maximize Your Home’s Space
Some people just move when they need more space, but if you’re attached to your house, your neighborhood, or your school district, staying in one place may feel important to you. You have options. There are many things you can do to create more space in the house where you currently live. With some creative thinking and some smart home improvement projects, you can make it happen.
Convert the Attic
An attic conversion is one way to add usable square footage to your house. Your attic conversion could be used for anything from a bedroom to a toy room, a guest room, or a family room. Attic conversions need to be done right in order to make the space comfortable enough to use. Hire a contractor to install insulation, drywall, attractive flooring, and climate control.
You can do this as a DIY project, but keep in mind that blocking any attic vents with drywall and insulation could lead to a buildup of condensation in your home, which, over time could lead to mold and mildew in your home. Do the work right, and know when to get help from subcontractors for various steps.
Finish the Basement
Basement finishing is as big a project as an attic conversion. Most basements need to be waterproofed before they can be properly finished, or you’ll soon see mold start to develop on the walls around your home.
Basements make good family rooms, office spaces, and rec rooms. Be cognizant of the need for an egress window or another way to leave the basement. Often, building codes require that basement rooms have a way out for anyone who may be spending time down there. Hire a licensed contractor to ensure the work is done properly.
Consider a Shed Conversion
Shed conversions are popular now! Turn your backyard shed into an ADU where guests can sleep and the kids can have sleepovers – or turn your shed into a home office where you can finally get work done without minute-by-minute interruption.
Shed conversions are easy to do on a budget, and may not require help from a contractor. If you need electricity, climate control, gas hookups, or plumbing, hire a contractor to help with these parts, even if you plan to DIY the rest. How’s the condition of your shed roof? Perform an inspection of your shed before committing to turning your shed into a usable space.
Convert Your Patio to a Patio Sunroom
Featuring our Vertical 4-Track panels
A patio conversion is another way to add usable space to your house, and with the right conversion kit, the work can be done quickly and efficiently. A concrete slab patio has an existing foundation that makes this type of conversion easy to do without major changes to your home’s structure. You can use your patio for a dining room, a learning room for the kids, a toy room, a rec room, or a home office.
Know your goals and sunroom ideas for your patio conversion before shopping for sunroom enclosures online. Knowing what you plan to use the space for can help you shop for the right enclosure with the proper features.
Related: Home Additions to Add Lasting Value
Open Your Layout
Open layouts are very popular right now because they allow families to use their space in flexible ways. If you live in an older home, your home probably has many walls it doesn’t need. Taking down these walls, provided that they aren’t load-bearing, could make your home’s interior spaces more flexible and more suitable for a growing family.
Take out the interior walls of your house and refinish or replace your floors. Have a plan for using your open layout efficiently. Many homeowners establish “zones” in their open spaces, consisting of clusters of furniture and screens so that their open spaces can be used for different purposes as needed.
Convert Your Garage
Featuring our Garage Side Slider
One more way to add usable space to your house is by expanding your living area into your garage. Most people think of their garages as dark, dirty spaces for holding gardening tools. With the right garage enclosure and a deep clean of the area, you can turn your garage into a perfect toy room, dining room, game room and more.
If your garage is unfinished, hire a contractor to insulate the walls and install drywall. This will help keep the space comfortable even when the weather outside gets hot or cold.
One of the reasons that a garage conversion is so practical is that most garages already have some utilities, like electricity. Some garages even come with their own utility and laundry hookups, which means they have plumbing and gas.
There’s no end to the number of things you can do with a garage conversion. Need a home office? The garage could be the right space for you. Shop for a garage door screen that will allow the proper amount of light into your space.
Related: Create Space for Grandkids—Garage Door Screen
Some Tips
Adding usable space to your house can help you stay in your home comfortably – potentially for many years. It’s important to do it right.
Hire the Right Contractor
Don’t skimp on the contractor – hire the right professional. Hiring an inexperienced contractor may mean making expensive repairs to your conversion within just a few short years.
Collaborate with Your Household
Make clear plans for your space conversion. Get everyone in the household on the same page, and establish clear goals to ensure that the conversion will meet your needs.
Use Quality Materials
Good materials last longer, perform well, and look better. Use quality materials to keep up with the value of your house.
Enjoy Your House…For Years to Come
Don’t let a need for space prevent you from staying in your house. Add usable space today to make your home what you’ve always wanted it to be – and make it possible to stay in your house for the years to come.
