Things change in our lives, and sometimes homes that were once perfect for our needs can become a little less than perfect over time. We buy items that can clutter up our homes, babies are born, or perhaps we just decide that we’d like to live in a property that offers a little more breathing space. Whatever it is, living in a house that’s a little too small for comfort can begin to grate after a while. At that point, you’ll have two options: go through the busy process of moving to a new property, or find ways to increase your current home’s usable space. If you like virtually everything else about where you live, then the latter option will make more sense.You don’t need to build an extension to make your home bigger (though that is an effective, albeit expensive strategy!). There are plenty of other ways that require significantly less time/effort that’ll achieve similar results. Below, we’ve put together some go-to options which will make your home bigger- and it should have a positive impact on the value of your property, too.

The garage can take up a significant portion of your property’s footprint, yet most homeowners treat it as little more than a dumping ground for items that they don’t want to store in the main part of their properties. Rather than see the garage as an overlooked part of your home, view it through the lens of everything that it could be. Garage conversions are relatively affordable, and once they’re done, you could have a new home office/games room/hangout space. Wondering what to do with all the items currently in your garage? Sell the items you no longer need, and rent a storage unit for the items that you want to keep but don’t need every day.

Your property’s loft could be even bigger than your garage, and just as with the garage, it’s probably being underused- likely even more so than the garage. Most lofts are dark, desolate places that homeowners rarely venture into. So let’s change that. Loft conversions provide a practical way to add an extra bedroom, office, bathroom, or living room to your home, and studies indicate that they can increase the value of the property by as much as 20%. If you want a bigger home but don’t wish to move, then taking another look at your loft could be just the solution you’ve been looking for. 

You can’t make your home’s exterior walls, but you might be able to change your property’s interior walls, and get a home that’s much more functional in the process. Taking down an internal wall can be an effective way to open up space in your property, turning what was once dark and cramped rooms into usable space. Another option could be to add an internal wall, which is a good strategy if you want to add a private space, such as a home office or bathroom.