Outgrown Your Space? Signs It’s Time for a Home Remodel

There comes a time when many homeowners realize they’ve outgrown the place where they reside. This can happen for a variety of factors. For instance, more people might be living here than had originally been planned. Someone in the household may have started a home-based business. Solutions might include finishing a basement or attic or building an addition onto the home.

Possibilities

Many homes in this part of California, particularly the older ones, don’t have basements. Those that do could have the basement finished for extra living space. If anyone will sleep there regularly, building codes require an exit point aside from one stairway to the first story.

Some houses have a large attic above the ground floor that could be converted into living space. The home might have been constructed as a 1-1/2 story but never had the top-level completed. If there is no interior stairway to the upper level, the space is best suited for a home office, craft room, or mother-in-law apartment.

An addition is possible if there is enough available footage on the lot where this room would fit into the floor plan. An extra bedroom or two might be constructed onto the bedroom section of a ranch home, for example. A sunroom could be added to the living room.

When homeowners have decided how they want to proceed, they may hire a contractor who provides these services.

Reasons for Needing Additional Living Space

More Residents Than Originally Planned

Parents may have more children than they had planned for. This could have been a happy accident or the result of a blended family with stepchildren. If space is so tight that one household member is sleeping on a sofa bed in the living room, that’s a definitive sign the household has outgrown its living space.

Private Bedrooms for Older Kids

Older kids might really want to have private bedrooms if possible. In fact, sometimes teenagers are so eager for this opportunity that they set up a bedroom in an unfinished basement. When a family member takes this step, having a contractor create a more comfortable environment is appreciated.

Adult Children Moving Home

Homeowners might extend an invitation to an adult child who has become a single parent to move back in. Especially if this young man or woman is experiencing serious financial struggles, coming home for a while offers a distinct advantage. There might not be two available bedrooms at this point, though. The rest of the kids might still be living at home, or bedrooms may have been converted to other uses.

Even before the pandemic, some 47 percent of adults in the age range of 18 to 29 were living with at least one parent.

A Home Business

Someone in the family may have begun a home business and needs more space than a corner of the living or dining room. This could be anything from running an online resale store to managing an e-commerce business. When projects and equipment overflow into the surrounding area and nobody can eat at the dining room table anymore, it’s time to consider creating a private space for this office. About 15 million businesses are run out of someone’s home.

Making Decisions

At this point, the household residents must decide between moving into a larger home or staying put and remodeling. If they like everything about their current abode beside the size, building more living space is a reasonable decision. Moving can be a hassle, and house prices have increased dramatically in this region in recent years. The family can boost satisfaction with their home by hiring a general contractor to finish the basement or attic or construct an addition.