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So you want to have a bigger house. Perhaps you have a new child on its way, or a partner has recently moved in with you. Maybe you’re just sick and tired of living in a cramped home with barely enough space to breathe. Whatever your reasons, sometimes moving house isn’t an option.
Moving can be expensive. It can uproot your family and sever ties to your job and community. You just wish your house could magically grow in size and you could stay right where you are. Unfortunately, such wizardry doesn’t exist, but there are several things you can do to make more space in your home. From little changes to maximise floor space to more extensive conversions, there are so many options as to how to create more space in your home and increase the size of your living space.
If you are looking to create more space in your home, take note of the following tips to get you started.
Declutter
If there’s one thing that makes any home feel smaller, it’s clutter. If your home is strewn with debris such as children’s toys, disorganised papers, random souvenirs and knick-knacks, then you may want to consider the benefits of a more minimalist lifestyle. Minimalism is the art of living with only the things you truly need.
This means clearing your home of useless and defunct items and only keeping those which are necessary for a high-quality life. This isn’t to say you have to throw away everything, but it’s a helpful reference point to keep you focused on what you really need. Take a detailed inventory of all your belongings and decide how much you need them.
For example, you might consider a TV essential for entertainment and winding down after work, but do you really need hundreds of DVDs to go with it? Why not sell them and use the money for a Netflix subscription or use a company like digital converters to change your DVDs into digital copies to save space. Now you can use this extra storage space for something more important. What you get rid of is entirely up to you, but if you want to make a difference to your home, you may need to be stricter than you would like.
If on the look out for a quick and easy service to get rid of bulky waste, check out Lovejunk, an online marketplace that matches you to your cheapest licensed waste carriers or reuse organisation and is free to use.
Be smart with storage
Some people’s solution when it comes to making space at home is renting out a storage unit, now you have cut down your belongings to the things you genuinely need, it’s time to find a better place for them. Keeping things out in the open can make your home feel untidy and smaller, but tucking them out of sight will give you more space. Creating more storage in out-of-the-way places like under beds, under the stairs or at the top of cupboards means you will have the items when you need them, but more room in the rest of your house for your family. Cabinets, drawers, and shelves are great storage options. Just be sure to install them using quality hinges, screws, and drawer slides for longevity and better functionality especially when storing several items. Get some inspiration for storage ideas here.
Rearrange
One brilliant way to create more space in your home is to rearrange the whole layout. If your home has looked the same for years, you might be initially reluctant to take this step, but it could make a huge difference. Repositioning larger items like beds, sofas and cabinets to edges and corners of the room can provide more space for you and your children to roam freely. Think about the layout of your home and where the main foot traffic will be, as you will want to keep these areas clear.
Use the power of illusion
Sometimes, all you need is a few clever tricks to make a room feel bigger than it really is. Adding more light into open spaces can make them feel brighter and larger, and strategically placed mirrors can reflect an entire room and give the illusion of a much bigger space. Bright colour schemes also have the same effect, and striped patterns on furniture can elongate a room.
Make the most of your attic
An attic is one of the most underused spaces of the home, so why not make the most of it? Rather than just letting it collect dust, you could convert into a new bedroom, home office, or living area. This will take a lot more time, planning and money than other ideas, but when compared to the cost of uprooting your family and moving to a larger house, it is a much more practical solution. If you have the technical knowledge and skill, you could convert it yourself, otherwise consider hiring a loft conversion company to do it for you.
You don’t have to move home to have more space in your life. By adopting more minimalist habits, and maximising the space that you already have, you and your family can have more freedom to live a happier, less cluttered lifestyle.