Home Improvement Ideas for Small Houses
There are actually a lot of home improvements you can make to a small house. If there is enough land surrounding the house, you can always expand and add another wing and more rooms to the house. You can knock down walls and expand a room on the inside of the house. You can close off a larger room and turn it into a smaller room and a bathroom or two smaller rooms.
If you don’t have enough room to build outward, build up; adding another story to a smaller house turns it into a larger house. There are also lots of creative ways to add storage space and make rooms look bigger than they are from inside. The best part is that you are starting with a small space, which means that home renovation won’t be quite as expensive if your house were much larger. Some more ideas for small house renovation follow.
Take a look at the house. Then look at your budget. What do you want or need most from this small house? Most people look for a bigger kitchen, a bigger bathroom, or more bedrooms than what the house has.
Decide what is most important to you and most affordable for you and tackle that part of the house first. If you have enough to expand and one or more of the bedrooms are located just off the kitchen, you might be able to expand two exterior walls. Expand these two walls outward to create more space for these rooms on those two sides of the home.
It is always smart to look at a remodel through the eyes of a buyer. What would you want if you were going to buy this house but it didn’t have anything? Looking at your house this way helps you focus your time and money on what you will do first.
That depends. It depends on whether or not you spot areas of the home that need some restoration, repair, or replacement work first. Then it depends on your plans to expand either outward or upward.
Let’s say that you don’t have to replace the roof, the slab foundation, or the insulation. Let’s also say that you plan to build out rather than up. The kitchen and bath areas are essential to any home. Remodelling these rooms first updates them and makes them comfortable and inviting places for you, your family, and any guests. Then you can work on remodelling the living room and bedrooms, plus any other rooms in the home.
If you consult home resale value websites, they will tell you that the kitchen and bath areas are the most important and often most expensive rooms to remodel. However, taking time and money to remodel these areas is financially sound. It increases your small home’s resale value as well as its size, a double bonus. If you can’t afford major changes, start with something small and build on that.
Small fixes can help in the remodelling process too. If you get to the point where the bathroom and kitchen are finished and you want to move on to other rooms, simple changes help. For example, new paint color on the walls and changes in furniture and draperies alters the room well.
Using products like cable clips to prevent unsightly cords from hanging around and tripping people is a good idea. Installing a security system with cameras or locks on the window sashes can help too. Many smart devices available can provide significant and modern updates to your small house.
Keep in mind that whatever project you decide to tackle, you will need tools and equipment. Make sure you know exactly what you need and how to get it. Part of a remodel job is often the expense of tools and supplies, but there are ways to make this affordable.
All of the previously mentioned devices and additions you can make to your home can be purchased online at places like Amazon or eBay. You can also shop thrift stores or second-hand stores that may occasionally have what you are looking for. If you are speaking specifically about actual tools to help with construction, demolition, and fixing things, there are great options for that as well.
For example, you can rent just about any tool or piece of machinery from a hardware store or rental store. Borrowing it for a few bucks a day to complete your home remodelling and renovation projects is far cheaper than buying a power nailer or a skid steer. This is especially useful if you don’t plan to use such tools and machinery often. Even professional contractors are known for renting tools and machinery when they don’t want to buy them.
Additionally, there are some discount hardware stores. They sell tools and equipment wholesale. You can pick up what you need for all your products at exceptionally low costs.
Make a list of what you want to do in terms of projects and remodelling. Then determine how you will complete the project and what it will cost. Find out where you can get what you need at a reduced cost to reduce the expenses associated with your project. Then get to work.
Originally published at https://www.bluekeyworld.com on November 26, 2020.
