Are You Using All of Your Square Footage?
According to a heat map study shown in “Minimalism, A Documentary About Important Things” (Find at: minimalismfilm.com) Americans only use about 40% of our living spaces regularly. The map shows most of the activity in the kitchen/ dining area, then the family room and bathroom. The remainder of the rooms shows minimal use.
Do you have a formal living and dining that you only use on Thanksgiving and Christmas? Square feet in laundry rooms and ‘spare” bedrooms that go underused – space wasted most or all of the year? The fact that a room is called a dining room or formal living room does not mean that’s the only function you can do there.
January through March can be a great time to rethink how your space is used. The snow is falling, the Packers lost (this was originally written in 2017) and the Spring market is about to begin. Now may be a perfect time to decide if you “Love It or List It”. Can you use your space in a different way or is it time to make a move, open a new door?
Formal living room
Are you a book junkie? Is your family musically inclined? Do you craft or sew? Do you love to play board games. Consider lining the walls of this room with bookshelves or shelving with attractive doors to hide items. Place your piano or other instruments in this room. Add some fun wingback chairs and maybe a writing desk or a game table.
When our children were growing up we had a room that we called the talking room. There were no electronics allowed in this area. When our boys were little that is where we would listen to them practice reading. As they grew up we would have reading time together so no one was tempted to watch TV instead of doing homework. When we had company we would often take the adults to that room while the children played in the living room. We had many great conversations in that room with our children and with guests.
Formal Dining Room
Probably the number one room I hear homeowners say they never use is the formal dining room. Consider turning this space into a home office or study. More and more people are able to work at home, at least part of the time. Managing a household generates papers, files and bills galore. Children also benefit from a designated study area for homework and school projects.
Obviously with Wi-Fi and laptops, all these work and study activities can happen anywhere in a home. But designating one room as the study/work zone may help everyone stay focused and keep the paperwork to one area.
Tiny Bedroom
If you have a bedroom so tiny that it’s barely fits a twin bed consider turning it into a walk-in closet or additional bathroom. Converting to a closet can be as easy as hanging shelving and rods. Then when you go to sell if the new owner needs it as a bedroom it is easy to convert back. If you have a little money to invest and could use an extra bathroom, a too-small bedroom makes for a good, efficient bathroom – especially if it’s located next to another bathroom, so the plumbing already exists.
Laundry Room
Just because the name of the room starts with laundry that is not the only activity that can happen in this room. Many homes have laundry rooms with a plethora of cupboard space. Consider storing board games here, your sewing machine and supplies. You could even put your printer in this room if you have counter space.
LIST IT
Or have you decided your home does not fit the way you live? Give me a call! I will provide you with a market analysis so you know the value of your home in today’s market. Then get it ready for sale. Click here for ideas on getting your home ready to sell.
We can find you a home that fits the way you live in the amount of square feet you need.