As a homeowner, more square footage brings a lot of advantages. It can be as simple as more room to move around freely, but it can also add the possibility for implementing other things, such as new pieces of furniture or niche areas.
Regardless of your main intent, one thing is clear: changing your floor plans doesn’t come easy or cheap. It takes a lot of planning and work, often involving additions, breaking walls and putting them back up again – it’s a lot.
But there are clever ways you can gain square footage without changing floor plans. This is a combination of tips that basically all boil down to saving space in smart ways by reducing clutter, removing unnecessary elements, and therefore gaining more room. Keep reading to learn more!
“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. – Dalai Lama
Sofa bed
Lots of people have guest rooms that are almost never used. An easy way to gain that room back is to instead have a sofa bed in your living room for eventual visitors – easy to set up when you need, and it stays hidden otherwise.
And even better, now you have a free room to do whatever you want with, whether it’s for a proper home office, playroom for the kids, or another idea altogether!
Ottomans
Simply adding an ottoman to your living room isn’t a bad idea, but we have to stick to the theme of gaining square footage. This means that just adding this without removing another piece of furniture is taking up more room, not less.
However, ottomans are great when used in combination with other changes. For example, by making more closet space and perhaps using a corner to make some shelves (we’ll get into that), an ottoman can store whatever’s left and you can lose the dresser – thus saving you precious space in the bedroom or living room.
Storage bench
Do you need some storage space in your living area, but can’t give up seating? Then a storage bench is the way to go. You can get rid of the extra chairs or maybe even a chunky sofa and create some much needed extra space.
This solution stores enough that even lets you get rid of a chest and dresser at the same time.
Storage headboard
The great thing about a storage headboard is that it adds a lot of storage space and it basically frees you up from having to use bedside tables. Particularly good if your bedroom needs some space to breath or if you have too many books or decoration items to place.
Racks and hangers
Racks and hangers are great for mudrooms and entryways – a way to add some comfort without taking up any space. And better yet, you can either go for a simple wall installation (some of which can be made non-permanent for extra flexibility), or those standing coat hangers that can be moved.
It’s one of the cheapest ways to increase square footage without changing much at all!
Pegboard
A pegboard is a nice alternative to shelves and desks full of drawers, since you can hang them up on a wall and add small containers for whatever you need. Pegboards are very useful for a garage too, since you can hang all your tools there and free up messy drawers or boxes full of stuff.
Use vertical space
This ties into the topic of using shelves whenever possible, but the general idea is to free up the ground floor, since this is one of the most effective ways on how to increase square footage of a home.
If you have dressers, bedside tables, center tables – anything that’s cramping up your ground floor, there should be a consideration to remove those items and use vertical space to store their contents.
You can also remove closet doors to make extra space!
Storage bed
Bedrooms are often some of the busiest rooms in the house in terms of real estate. An elegant solution to this space problem is to use the bed as a storage container. This can be done in different ways:
First, by using boxes and baskets to store clothing, shoes and other items under the bed. Second, a lot of beds are already designed in this way, making it even easier. Some work like a big chest so you can store things inside it, and some have compartments under it. Either way, there’s enough there to replace a dresser or small closet and save you a lot of space.
Tip: Don’t want to invest in a new bed? Contact a local carpenter and request a free quote to add some drawers to your bed or maybe even build some shelves around your headboard.
Learn to fold clothes properly
Folding clothes the right way can save you A LOT of space in a dresser or closet, sometimes up to the point of fitting everything in just one place instead of two. Besides, there are even more economical ways to fold and store out of season clothing, taking up as little space as possible and saving you tons of room.
Make doorways and windows bigger
Though this will require some more complex professional work, it's an excellent solution for rooms that feel claustrophobic even after doing all you could to create space.
Small doorways and windows naturally make the room feel smaller and darker. Widening the doorways will automatically make the area feel more spacious, like it has more room to breathe.
Making the windows bigger or changing it for a model that opens more will let more light in, which helps in two ways: by making the room brighter and allowing for a better view of the outside.
Need a more dramatic redesign of your home? Get free quotes from an additions and remodels expert in your area today!
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