Create More Space in Your Home

by Brett Freeman

There are myriad benefits to adding space to your house. It can ease the stress of always being in each other's way, reduce clutter, and improve your lifestyle. Oh, and in nearly all cases, adding space will also add value to your home.

Bring Your Living Room Outdoors
Decks and patios have evolved considerably since the days of the cramped square pad struggling to contain a kettle grill and a few plastic lounge chairs. Newer deck designs don't just let you be outdoors, they let you live outdoors. Many decks now include cooking stations or even outdoor kitchens and wet bars, and outdoor furniture has finally evolved from a place to sit to a place to lounge. And amenities such as retractable awnings and outdoor fireplaces can allow you to enjoy you deck practically year-round.

Bask in a Sunroom
If you like to enjoy the outdoors without actually having to deal with things like wind, heat, rain, and bugs, consider adding a sunroom to your home. This is a good way to add living space without incurring all of the expense and frustration of home expansion. New building materials and techniques have also gone a long way towards alleviating most of the problems commonly associated with sunrooms, such as leaking and being too hot or cold much of the year. Low-emittance (Low-e) windows are specially coated to block much of the sun's heat during the summer, and to prevent heat from escaping in the winter. And operable windows and ceiling fans give you even more control over your sun room's climate.

Add a Garage, or Add to Your Garage
Often the problem when your home suddenly seems to be shrinking isn't inadequate square-footage, but rather inadequate storage space. If your closets are approaching the bursting point and your home is becoming cluttered because you have no place to put things, consider adding a garage. If you already have a garage and this is still happening to you, put in a loft. You can literally double your storage space, and finally find a home for all of those things that jam up your closets and junk drawers.

Source:
BobVila.com
Realtor.org

About the Author
Brett Freeman is a freelance journalist. He also owns a landscaping and irrigation company in North Carolina. Previously he has worked as a beat reporter, a teacher, and for a home improvement company, and he used to own a bar/live music venue.