As your family grows and as your kids get older, your home may start to get more and more cramped. This is when you know that your family has outgrown your home. In this situation, you have two choices – renovate or relocate. The following post explains more about what you should do if you outgrow your home.
Signs you’ve outgrown your home
There are a few tell-tale signs that your family has outgrown your home:
You’ve got a baby on the way and no extra bedroom
Many couples move into one-bed apartments not expecting to have a baby any time soon. However, things don’t always go to plan – next thing you know, you have a child on the way. Your baby will likely be able to share your bedroom for the first year. But eventually they’ll need their own space.
The kids are getting too old to share
It’s common for siblings to share in their younger years. However, as your kids get older they may eventually start yearning for their own space. Once your kids approach their teenage years, you may start to experience arguments and the build-up of stuff may get too great – it could be time for an extra bedroom.
There are always queues for the bathroom
Having to share one bathroom can get frustrating if you’ve got a large family. You could find that there are always queues in the morning and this is often the cause of arguments. A home with an extra bathroom could be needed.
You need your own living space
Have your kids and their friends taken over the living room? Do you need a space where you can watch your own TV and do your own relaxing? This could be another sign you’ve outgrown your own.
When to renovate
You may be able to make extra space without moving. Converting unused space should be the first consideration. This could include turning a loft into an extra bedroom, converting a garage into an extra living space, turning the cupboard under the stairs into another small bathroom or even turning a one bed apartment into a two bed by converting half the living room into a makeshift bedroom.
An extension could be another solution. This is likely to cost a little bit more than a conversion, however you can bring down costs by comparing contractor quotes and shopping around for supplies like scaffold boards and beams. An extension may not be possible unless you have the available land and planning permission.
When to relocate
Adding space by renovating may not be practical. In such cases, relocating could be a better option. Moving to a bigger home can often be more expensive than renovating – particularly in the long run. The home will not only be worth more, but will likely come with higher energy bills. It’s possible that you may be able to get around this by relocating to a cheaper area. A three-bed property in a remote location could cost just as much as a two-bed property in a central location. You need to weigh up which is more important: location or cost?