There are an infinite number of reasons that you may need more space. You may need more room to accommodate your growing family. You have in-laws moving in. You want to create room for an office or gym – the list goes on. But how can you get more room without moving to a new house? Let’s dig in.
1. Create Outdoor Storage
You might have more room than you think — you just need to do a little decluttering. To start, take all of your non-essential items such as boxes of holiday decorations, camping gear, and gardening tools out of indoor storage spaces and relocate them to outdoor storage.
These are some outdoor storage options you can use:
- Garage
- Garden shed
- Shipping container in your yard
- Storage under your deck
You can also take this as an opportunity to purge non-essential items. Sell that gym equipment that you don’t use anymore, donate those boxes of clothes that don’t fit, recycle broken electronics, and throw out junk that’s collecting dust.
2. Finish Your Basement
Your basement can serve as untapped precious real estate. Basements provide plenty of space and opportunity for guest rooms, home offices, supply closets and more. So, finish the basement. Add vapor barriers and insulation to the walls, and then put up a layer of drywall. Add basement-friendly flooring over the foundation. Install more light fixtures in the ceiling to stop the area from feeling dark and gloomy. Then, paint and decorate.
3. Convert Your Garage
Is your garage sitting unused, either empty or full of junk collecting dust? If so, you should consider converting it into an extension of your home whether it be a bedroom, office space, or gym. It’s likely that you already have the framing for the building complete, and may just need electrical and plumbing connections installed. Half of the construction work is already done!
4. Use a Shipping Container
If you have a lot of property but are short on areas of your home that you can reorganize or repurpose, you might be able to use a shipping container to create a detached storage or living space. As long as your local zoning laws allow you to build the structure, you can buy shipping containers online and convert them into anything you want.
It could be a tiny guest house that your friends or relatives stay in when they spend the weekend. It could be an office that you can work in, away from the distractions of your house. It could be a work shed where you delve into your hobbies in peace.
5. Plan an Addition
Perhaps the most straight word way to increase the square footage of your house is with an addition. Whether it’s expanding your home outward into your yard, or expanding its upward to add another level to the house, your options will depend on the size of your property, your local zoning laws and your budget.
Stop feeling cramped and crowded in your own home. You can make more space by converting your garage, finishing your basement, installing an addition, buying a shipping container or increasing outdoor storage. Make these changes today!
Article Submitted By Community Writer
