Simple Steps Towards Upgrading Your Family Home
Finding the perfect family home is by no means an easy venture. Chances are you spent a whole lot of time scouring the market, heading to viewings and weighing up pros and cons before you moved into the property you’re currently in. But families grow, needs change and you may find that after a few years, your family home isn’t just isn’t ticking all of your boxes anymore. Now, there are a number of things you can do to make your home more suitable again. The first is to upgrade your current home through renovations. This has the perks of avoiding upheaving your children and allowing you to stay in a property you love. An alternative is to sell your current property and to upgrade into a different property. This has the benefits of you being able to choose a new property that is ideal for you now! Both are appealing options and either could prove great for your family. So, let’s take a moment to look a little deeper into each to help you determine which could prove best for you!
Renovations
Your first option when it comes to upgrading your family home is to stay in the property you already have, but to carry renovations out on it. This can prove best for those of us who really love our current family home, but have found that we’ve outgrown it or simply want more luxury attached to it. It’s also great for families who have homes in the catchment area of a great school, or in a great community, but want to improve the property itself. Put simply, renovations, like a roof renovation from Projects 4 Roofing, are a form of home remodelling that allow you to make significant changes to the structure or shape of your home. Think replacing windows and doors, adding an extension to the property and more. Here are a few of the most popular and commonly carried out home renovations for families.
Extensions
Let’s start with home extensions. Extensions tend to be a firm favorite when it comes to making a property more suitable for a growing family. When you first choose your current home, you may have had less children or pets than you may do now. Home extensions allow you to create the extra living space your family may need to comfortably live within a space. A home extension will add an extra room (or multiple rooms) to your property, making extra space for whatever you and your little ones need. This extension could be an extra bedroom (or bedrooms), it could be a playroom, a games room, a toy storage space, or even a spare guest room where guests can visit your family and stay comfortably.
There are countless types of extension available, ranging from ground floor extensions to multi floor extensions. The best for your family will depend on your individual family’s unique needs and preference. You can create a sunken room when you add your extension to your home and this can be a unique space for a playroom or game room. Make sure to add the best in features to your new space such as energy efficient windows and doors, maybe a pellet or wood burning stove plus you will want to make sure that you use standard ceiling height for your area, so that your new space looks like it flows with the rest of the home. You also need to bear in mind that extensions often take up garden space and repurpose it. Make sure you’re completely okay with having a smaller garden before extending onto it.
A Loft Conversion
Another option if your family requires more space is a loft conversion. A loft conversion allows you to create an extra space within your home without having to extend on the property itself. It takes (relatively disused) loft space and transforms it into a usable, useful and livable extra space within your home. It’s an option that is favored for people who want a smaller renovation product, or families who don’t have sufficient land or space surrounding their property to extend on. Generally speaking, people use loft conversions in a similar way to how they repurpose their extensions – an extra bedroom, a guest room, a play room, a games room or another type of useful living space. If you store a lot of items in your loft and get great storage use out of it, however, this may not be the renovation for you, as you may need to dispose of belongings or invest in external storage solutions for your belongings if you go ahead with it.
An En Suite
A third extremely popular home renovation is having an ensuite added to the main bedroom of your home. Having a family generally means queues for the bathroom at key times, such as before school and work or before heading out for an event. By having an en suite in your bedroom, you can reduce the number of people waiting for the main bathroom and you can also give yourself a little more privacy – being able to head from the shower or bath straight into your own bedroom rather than traipsing across the house in your towel. It’s a luxury that’s truly worth having. En suites are also useful on any guest rooms, as it will give your guests a little more privacy when they use the bathroom or are getting ready in the mornings while they stay with you. En suites are relatively straightforward renovation projects, but you do need to make sure to use reliable professionals (as with any renovation) to guarantee a good quality job is carried out. Read reviews and get recommendations to ensure you get value for your money.
Selling and Moving
Now, let’s move onto the second option – selling up and moving somewhere new. This, of course, is likely to be a longer process, as you have to find a buyer, find the new property you want and complete all of the steps in between. But it can prove to be extremely beneficial for your family. Change can be good and moving really does give you a chance to review all of the options that are available to you and to choose the best of them. Here are some steps you’ll find yourself taking if you do decide to follow this path.
Find the Right Estate Agent
The first step you need to take when selling your family is to find the right estate agent to suit your needs. Estate agents provide you with a straightforward and trusted way of advertising your property to potential buyers on the market. Think about it. If you were going to buy a house, where would you look first? With estate agents. So, if you want to sell your property quickly and for the best price, using an estate agent is an expense you should seriously consider. Make sure to read reviews before signing into anything. This will give you reassurance that other sellers have been happy with the estate agents’ work and services. Sometimes, the best agents don’t have the cheapest fees. It’s often worth paying a little extra for better service.
Find the Right Lawyer
People tend to miss this step out, but it’s extremely important that you get a good quality lawyer. But why hire a lawyer when selling a home? Well, they can simplify transactions, handle any legal issues that may come up, they can help you to create your contract and they can explain your legal obligations to you. This will ensure that the sale goes as smoothly as possible.
Finding the Right House
When you’ve found a buyer, your work isn’t over. You still need to find the right house for your family to move into. This can be complex, as you want to get the right house the first time around. This will minimise further moves and upheaval. Again, this is where an estate agent can come in useful. They can introduce you to all of the appropriate houses available in the area you’re considering living in. Make sure to view any property you’re interested in. Remember that pictures can be flattering and you’ll only know how the property really is by going there yourself and seeing it for yourself. Pictures can cover up issues such as road noise, disruptive or antisocial neighbours and other potential issues. They can also miss out areas of the property that are run down, need repairs or are otherwise undesirable.
Putting in the Right Offer
Once you’ve found somewhere, you’re going to need to make an offer. Generally speaking, it’s best to consult with professionals who can value a house and recommend a fair price. You can also work with a financial advisor to make sure that this is a price that is suitable for you and your family. This will make budgeting your life a lot easier once you’re all moved in!
Of course, upgrading your home in any way is going to be a pretty complex process. But all in all, it will prove worth it when it suits your family better and rids your day to day routine of issues that can be changed. Just remember to take your time. Nothing needs to be a rush. This is going to be your forever home, so you’re going to want to make sure that it’s 100% right for you and your family when you commit to it!
