It’s hard to know what to believe about the UK property market at the moment. One minute the Government is offering help to prospective buyers to get a foot on the property ladder and the next minute we are being warned about a ‘house price bubble’ which could burst at any time. Whether you are planning to sell your home or are contemplating staying put for a few more years, there are plenty of ways in which you can maximise the space in your home to make it seem larger than it really is.
Space Beats Location
According to a recent report by Moneywise location is no longer the chief factor in deciding where to live. Nowadays it’s all about the available space, possibly thanks to the housing market doldrums that we’ve all become used to.
Where families would often start out with a small one or two bedroom property and trade up for a bigger home once families and salaries had grown, we have become more accustomed to making do with what we have and improving our current living space accordingly. Take a look at any suburban street and you will see extensions, loft conversions and even former garages being pressed into service as extra living space.
Must Read : Update Your Living Room with Modern Decorating Ideas
There is a current trend for pressing even the humble garden shed into service too as additional living space, and with generous planning laws covering low-level garden construction, more and more people are realising that this can be an extremely cost-effective way of creating additional room within the home.
If You Haven’t Got It, Fake It!
When you’ve converted every available piece of your home into additional living space but you’re still feeling a little cramped, don’t automatically assume that there’s nothing more you can do. There are plenty of simple ways of creating the illusion of space even when it seems as though your possessions have all but taken over.
The first rule of space is ‘no clutter’, so ruthlessly go through your possessions and bin, recycle or sell anything which is no longer useful to you. At the same time you should assess your furniture and check that it is comfortable and practical. Many pieces of furniture these days have multi-purpose applications and this can make all the difference for any home where space is at a premium. Look for beds with hidden storage, seating that converts into spare beds and coffee tables with cupboards, drawers or shelves built in.
Light, neutral colours create the illusion of space, so get busy with tester pots of paint and wallpaper samples to see what a difference a change of wall covering can make. At the same time you should ditch any patterned or coloured carpets and floor coverings as these can make a room look dark and dingy. Online stores such as Forrest Furnishing have a fantastic selection of floor treatments alongside their furniture ranges meaning you don’t have to trawl round the shops looking at the available options.
Keep ornaments and pictures to a minimum for a minimalist effect and add plenty of mirrors to reflect available light and create the illusion of extra space. You won’t believe the difference that a little careful planning can achieve.
