Create an Extra Room to Boost Your Home

When remodelling your home, you always need to consider ways to make the investment and the effort work for you. This means you need to put your money where the value is. According to the 2008 Cost vs. Value report, this includes projects such as deck addition, kitchen remodels, roofing replacement, window replacement, and, of course, a room addition, because you can never get enough space in a home. This requires careful considerations about how you are going to use your spare room, or how you are going to make one if you don’t have it. Here are some hints that will help you decide.

Creating something out of nothing

So, your house has an entryway, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, a bathroom, and a bedroom, and you have no way of using your basement or attic for creating the extra space you need? Don’t worry, if one of your existing rooms is large enough, you can set up a wall to create a tiny space which can be used as a home office, walk-in closet, nursery, or another purpose that doesn’t require too much floor space. Gypsum board room dividers are affordable and easy to set up, and they can significantly boost your home’s value if you know how to use them well without compromising the functionality of the original room.

Take it to the attic

Sometimes in the search of additional space, there is no other place to look but up. Attic conversion requires putting the focus on the ceiling, so you need to make the most of it by finishing it (e.g., moulding, wood panelling, or beadboard panelling) in a way that will complement the room’s design and function. Regardless of the function you decide on, you will need to use the tiny wall area to create built-in storage and seating. Windows are also a thing to consider, and the dormer style is the ideal option. Skylights are the second best. You also need to provide the space with safe access by building a traditional or spiral staircase (the latter of which takes up less space). Finally, all that is left is to decide whether you are going to use the attic as a master suite, a kids’ room, a guest room, a home office, or something else.

Now go (not quite) outside

Alfresco is one of the biggest architectural trends right now because it allows you to connect with nature while at the same time being in a room that can be used all year round, regardless of the weather. It can provide you with additional entertaining space, a recreational room, a playroom for kids, an outdoor kitchen, etc. Professional Millbrook Homes architects have a lot of experience with building alfrescos in Australia where the sun can be pretty harsh and proper covering is a must. If you live in a specific climate, you need to know that this is a crucial factor in building this home addition.

Use the space below your home

Basements often look cold and even scary, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be given a makeover which will turn them into a comfy family room, a movie theatre, a home library, a wine cellar, a gym, a home office, or anything you desire them to be. Some of the “boring” things that are must-dos when it comes to cellar conversion are waterproofing (e.g., tanking, cavity membranes), layered lighting (because basements usually get little to no natural light at all), a safe staircase leading down, and insulation.

Other useful ideas

Some of the other things you can do to create an additional room in your house are to convert your garage (unless you are using it for your car, garden supplies, and similar things), adding on above the garage, creating an outdoor living room on your porch, repurposing a large shed, and using the space below the staircase for a home office or a reading nook.

Remember that the projects you decide on have to be coordinated with your local regulations. It is better to check the regulation before you pay the architects and contractors than for the authorities to put a stop to your plans when they are already in motion.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.