Five Ways To Make Sure Your Home Works As Hard As You Do
For many homebuyers, the size of a property is often top of the list of selling points when selecting a new home. And as everyone knows as a general rule square footage equals higher value.
Over the past year more people have stayed at home for longer periods than they are used to, and have been using the home for multiple purposes such as work and exercise as well as eating, relaxing and sleeping. It is no surprise then, that now more than ever people are wanting bigger homes.
But for those whose home does not have the ample proportions they dream of all is not lost. Often simply by using the space better, and employing clever tricks, homeowners can give the appearance of having more space, and can make the home work harder. Owners can increase their home’s worth both in how much they love their home day to day, and in real terms for potential future buyers.
We look at five ways you can maximise your home’s potential, make it feel bigger, better organised and more suited to your needs.
- Office in a cubby
The home office has raced to the top of the home-buying wish list over the past year, as more and more people see the benefit in homeworking. Many properties do not benefit from the luxury of having a discreet office space. However, it has been shown that there are mental health benefits to having a specific area in the home for work that can be shut off from the rest of the home when work is done for the day. As well as benefitting the stress levels, a bespoke work area has been shown to increase the value of the home too.
Think creatively about where the home working space could be. Is there an underused area with room for a built-in desk? Is there a room which could be repurposed as an office, or one which could double up as a guest room and work space? Bespoke fitted under stairs offices are becoming popular, where a closet is replaced by a desk and shelves, neatly shut away when not in use.
- Open up closed off spaces
A good way of making the home feel larger is to open up unused space. It sounds obvious, but all too often space in the eaves of the roof is closed off, or a large underused closet in a bedroom conceals extra, luxurious floor space.
By making small remodelling decisions when decorating, like employing a builder to take down an internal wall, you can make a huge difference to the way your home feels.
- Access all areas
As homeowners get older, there may be parts of the house which are harder to access, be they first floor spaces with steep stairs, or a garage or basement which can no longer be reached for storage.
By installing a home elevator, difficult-to-access areas are once again usable spaces for the home owner, effectively increasing the size and therefore the value of the home.
Residential elevators can also help make the home’s layout work better too. For example, if the main staircase is at one end of the house, by adding an elevator at the other side of the house, you create two ways to access the second floor, making the home easier to move around.
- Create a library
It’s perhaps a little obvious, but a way to make a home seem larger is to have less clutter within it. We can declutter all we like, but life brings with it the need for a certain amount of ‘stuff’ to accumulate. By creating storage purposely for our own needs, we can minimise the mess.
For example, all book lovers will know that to cut down on books is almost impossible. In creating a home library, you not only have a beautiful way to show off your book collections, but you keep your floors and spaces free from clutter, making the rest of the home feel bigger.
- Walk-in closet
Although opening up spaces can be good to make your home feel more roomy, occasionally by creating new spaces for specific purposes, you can make your home feel like it is bigger. A walk-in wardrobe is a luxury, and gives a space for all the clothes and accessories, keeping the bedroom clear of clutter.
Keeping the clothes in one place also helps make laundry day more efficient, and again helps the house to work harder for the home owner, ultimately adding value.
Recent Comments