Making Your Home Feel as Big as Possible
2020 has been the year of staying home. The rapid spread of coronavirus across the world and the resultant Covid-19 pandemic has meant that the vast majority of us have spent more time within our own four walls than ever before. Earlier in the year, most countries around the world implemented lockdown or shelter in place measures, which encouraged us to only leave our properties if we were key workers or if absolutely essential (for example, to buy food, pick up medication or help those who couldn’t leave their properties at all for health reasons).
Sure, restrictions have started lifting a little now, but our properties have become our safe havens and many of us are still much more comfortable avoiding contact with others and spending time behind our own doors wherever possible instead. This has all given us all plenty of time to contemplate how our living spaces could better accommodate our needs. Many people and families have found that they need a lot more space to be truly comfortable. Now, you don’t necessarily have to move and upgrade into a larger property to achieve this. Instead, you can make a few changes to your existing property to make your home feel more spacious and enjoyable. Here are a few suggestions to get your imagination going!
An Extension
Of course, the most obvious step to take when it comes to making your home feel bigger is to actually make it bigger. An extension is the perfect way to achieve this. An extension involves expanding upon your current property. If you have space around your home that you don’t mind encroaching on, and building on this space doesn’t impact your neighbours or their property value, chances are you will get permission to build. Just make sure to use the services of a reliable architect and contractors to get the work done properly the first time round.
Conversions
If you don’t have the space to carry out a full extension, or can’t get planning permission for a full extension, you may want to consider a home conversion instead. The most common and popular options here are loft conversions, garage conversions or even basement conversions if you have a basement. This process will see relatively disused space transformed into a functional and comfortable living space. They will add a whole extra room to your property and can make all the difference!
Effective Storage Solutions
In most properties, so much space is taken up by stand alone storage systems. We’ll have storage solutions blocking up areas that we could otherwise be making more use of, or that could be open, creating a more spacious atmosphere. Of course, you can’t just opt to not have any storage solutions, or you’d end up with mess and clutter everywhere. So, what’s the solution? Well, you should start looking into more effective storage solutions that make better use of the space you have. Custom storage solutions are the answer. Consider something like DIY fitted wardrobes. These can fit into corners and other areas, maximising storage space in unusable areas instead of taking up space in potentially useful areas.
Using Visual Tricks
Of course, sometimes just making your home feel bigger will do the job. So, try out some visual tricks that will open up the space. You should start out by decluttering your home. Having unnecessary belongings lying about takes up visual space and can make your rooms feel overwhelming and cramped. Again, effective storage solutions can come in useful here. A second step is to ensure that every room has plenty of natural light. When your rooms become dark, they can automatically begin to feel a little cave-like and cramped. Instead, make sure to flood plenty of natural light through wherever possible. The simplest way to achieve this is to place mirrors cleverly. They’ll reflect light from the windows around the room. If you’re willing to invest more, you could always consider having larger windows fitted or a skylight built.
As you can see, you don’t necessarily have to go through the stressful and costly process of moving house if you want more space to work with, or if you simply want to make your home feel a little bigger. The above steps can all help you to achieve this at a potentially lower cost. Try some of the steps out and see how they come along for you. They really can make all the difference!
