The Functional Home Renovations That You’re Too Afraid to Invest In

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Who doesn’t love a home renovation? Well, apparently quite a few people. Renovations can be scary times thanks to how much time and money we have to spend on contractors, materials and costly expenses. However, when done correctly, a home renovation can be life-changing. Imagine having an extra room in your loft to do whatever you want with. It could be a hobby room to keep all of your equipment or it could be an extra bedroom to prepare for an unexpected newborn. You could even turn your garage into the gym you’ve always wanted, or you might want to add a luxurious pool to your backyard.

Whatever the renovation might be, there’s a good chance that it can completely change the way you see your home, or even add lots of resale value for when you eventually move on. There are plenty of advantages to getting a home renovation, but are the potential negatives worth it?

Absolutely!

To give you an idea of what you’re missing out on, we’re going to be talking about a couple of functional (and expensive!) home renovations that you’re too afraid to invest in, but we’ll do it by showing you just how amazing and life-changing some of these can be.


Loft Renovation

A loft renovation (or sometimes a conversion) is one of the most exciting renovations you can get. Sadly, it’s also one that can be incredibly costly depending on the condition of your home. Since it involves potentially working around the structure of your property, it can get very costly especially if you have an old home or one that has been heavily modified already. Here are some of the best benefits of converting your loft:

An extra room for anything you need - A loft renovation is one of the best ways to get extra space for anything you could ask for. Be it a room to be creative or a children’s playroom, adding an entire extra room to your home is a fantastic way to get more use from it. This is usually a much better option than moving to a new home or renovating the garage because the loft is typically just an empty void in your home that doesn’t serve many purposes.

Boosted property value - Loft conversions can greatly boost your property value and this can be a dealbreaker especially when it comes to investing for the long-term future of your home. While it doesn’t make much sense to get a loft conversion done just before you sell your home, it’s a fantastic way to add more functionality to your home once you’ve just moved in and started paying off your mortgage.

Increased storage space - Of course, if you just want a cheaper loft conversion then you could always convert it into extra storage space. This usually doesn’t take as much money as changing it into a living space because you don’t need too many extras. Installing a light and a few shelves will be far cheaper than adding windows or potentially changing the shape of your roof.

Loft conversions are fantastic for many different reasons. Understandably, it’s a scary renovation to think about but you’d be surprised at just how much use you can get out of it. It’s one of the most functional home renovations that you could ever invest in and certainly one of the ones you should be thinking about.


Garden Overhauls

People often underestimate just how important their gardens are. People without gardens often long for a backyard for everything from hosting garden parties to having a tranquil place to treat to. However, everyone understands that a garden renovation is perhaps one of the most time-consuming (not necessarily expensive) improvements to consider. The main problem with gardening is that it takes up a lot of your time and it requires a lot of dedication. If you don’t have the time to water all of your plants and trim your hedges and so on, then you’ll need to hire a gardener and this can be incredibly expensive if you have a large one. However, that shouldn’t stop you from considering a garden overhaul for the following reasons:

Fantastic way to add value to your home - Having a beautiful garden is a great way to add lots of value to your home. You’d be surprised at just how much you can increase the value of your home with a well-maintained garden.

Gardening is a fantastic pastime - Gardening itself can be a fantastic pastime that is both good for your health and mind. It’s a form of low-impact exercise that can be surprisingly effective at keeping you healthy.

Building a tranquil retreat to relax in - The garden is often one of the most relaxing places in your home thanks to the tranquil environment you can build and how you can immerse yourself in nature. It’s a great way to relieve stress and soothe your mind.

Adding extra storage space - Yes, the garden needs storage space too! This is especially true if you’re looking into getting some gardening tools or some stronger equipment such as a lawnmower. Most people already have some kind of storage in their garden, but whether it’s a shed roof replacement to renovate your outdated shack or building a small storage bin on the side of your home, you can free up places like your utility room or garage.

Creating a family and guest gathering spot - And lastly, we can’t forget about using the garden as a fantastic place to gather family and friends. Whether it’s a neighborhood barbeque or just to relax, gardens make perfect group relaxation areas.

Garden overhauls might seem scary considering the costs and effort involved, but they’re a great way to boost the value of your home and there are many long-term benefits that come with renovating your garden, making it a project worth thinking about.


Basement Conversions

When we think of basements, we often think of dark, damp and unusable spaces for anything but storage. however, if you have quite a lot of space under your home then it’s always possible to completely renovate your basement and turn it into a fantastic living space, storage area or more. Much like loft conversions, a basement conversion can be really expensive but if your basement is already somewhat being used, then it’s often cheaper because you won’t be digging into the structure of your home. To convince you further, here are a couple of the best advantages of a basement conversion:

Expand your home with extra space - The biggest advantage of a basement conversion is obviously to add more space. Whether you use it for more storage, a living space or just a playroom filled with games and movies, the choice is entirely up to you. Combined with a loft conversion, you could potentially add two or more extra rooms to your house.

Fantastic value for money - Unlike other renovations, a basement renovation usually just involves improving on what’s already in your basement. This often means there is minimal building required and you can simply just fill up any cracks, add walls and a floor then you can furnish it. This makes it a much cheaper renovation project than the others, yet it adds just as much value and extra use to your home.

Improving resale value - Boosting your resale value is a common theme that you can see with these renovations, and it makes sense considering all of the extra features and space you can add to a home through a renovation. This is why we call these functional home renovations; because they’re useful to the homeowner yet they can also be good investments in the future for when we eventually sell our property (if at all).

Usually, no planning permission required - Unless you’re planning to dig up some of the earth to create an exterior entrance into your base or add windows, then you usually won’t need any kind of planning permission in order to start your basement conversion. This isn’t a renovation that you should be doing yourself (unless you have some capable hands ready to help you) so make sure you speak with contractors and discuss your plans before making any major changes.

A basement conversion is a great-value renovation. You get plenty of extra space at a much lower cost than a loft conversion and it’s a worthwhile investment to think about especially if you’ve just purchased your home.

Final Words

To conclude, don’t be afraid of investing in renovations especially if they appear expensive or time-consuming. If guided by the right contractors, a large-scale renovation can be made easier to manage and the entire process can be painless.

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2 comments

  1. Having a lovely outdoor space adds so much joy to a home. You'll have a good outdoor space for the kids to run around. A lovely place for a party and a spot to relax and enjoy a good breeze. DO you have any decorating tips for a small outdoor space?

    ReplyDelete

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