Our homes are the single largest investment most of us are likely to make in our lives. For many of us, for various reasons, the home we own isn’t quite what we want or need. Perhaps we don’t have a home office or a playroom for the children and sometimes we simply need more space. Rather than move home to another property it is often a good idea to look at options to make improvements to our current property. In this article we will look at some of the top ideas for improving our homes.
Bathrooms
We all know the problem of only having one bathroom in a house. The desperate waiting while someone finishes their shower can be excruciating. One of the top home improvements, not surprisingly, is to add another bathroom. You can convert an existing room into a bathroom or even pinch space from a couple of rooms to squeeze an additional bathroom in.
Loft Conversion
Loft conversions are not the simplest to carry out and you will need a professional to assist you with the building regulations and potential planning permission requirements, but they are worth the effort. Lofts are a great space to convert to a living space as they are essentially a dead zone in your home mainly used for storage of items we normally have little use for. The Homebuilding and renovating website has some great loft conversion ideas for you to consider.
Kitchens
Kitchens are a real asset to any home, and we tend to use them as social areas when entertaining. There are plenty of companies out there who specialise in kitchen designs and they will help you design and build a brand-new kitchen, but you can also make effective changes without totally remodelling your kitchen. Ideal Home have some great ideas for cost effective kitchen makeovers which won’t cost the earth but will give your kitchen a new lease of life.
Garage Conversions
If you have run out of space and a loft conversion isn’t your thing but you have a garage that you don’t tend to use, then a great modification is to convert your garage. You can turn it into a snug, another bedroom, a home office or even a home gym. There is a lot to consider when converting your garage and it isn’t as simple as just bricking up the garage door. Homify have a great guide to take you through some of the things to be considered before you take the leap.
Extension
If you don’t have a garage or your loft won’t give you the space you need then another option is to have an extension added to your home. You might need planning permission and you will need the extension to conform to building regulations so it is essential you employ a professional to help you with the project but the rewards in terms of upgrading your house are significant. There are some great ideas and considerations for an extension on the Home Building website which should give you some ideas of what is possible.
Conservatories
One way of bringing the outdoors inside, especially during the winter, is to add a conservatory or sun room to your home. Typically, a conservatory won’t need planning permission but it will be worth double checking before you start. You will need to also look at building regulations and ensure you comply with them. Ideal Home have some lovely suggestions for your conservatory which will help you when it comes to choosing your design.
Opening up Space
Modern homes have very few solid walls and it is a relatively simple job to open rooms up to create open plan spaces. You could open your kitchen into your dining room and create a large, open plan kitchen/diner or extend your living room to stretch the length of the house. This will give your home a brand-new feel and an air of space without having to add more footprint. So, before you look at adding space, why not look at reconfiguring the space you have?
Re-decorate
If you want to breathe new life into your home and it hasn’t been re-decorated in a while or the carpets and flooring are starting to look a little tired, then spending a little time re-decorating your home, it will make a big difference. Changing dark coloured walls to a lighter colour will give you the feeling of greater space.
There are many ways to improve our homes from larger projects such as building extensions to simpler projects like refreshing the flooring. Whatever you choose to do will make a big difference and help you fall in love with your home all over again.
