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Health & Fitness

Melanie Atkinson: Not All Space Is Created Equal

Unused space can make a house feel cramped! Is your house the right layout for you?

I once owned a house that was big on paper but small on useful space.  The floorplan had very large formal living and dining rooms and an upstairs bonus room that my husband had adopted as his Man Cave.  Since we didn’t do much formal entertaining, other than every third Thanksgiving and Christmas, my formal areas spent most of the year collecting dust. The Man Cave was…well…you can guess what I thought of that space. 

In the end, we were living in about 2000 sqft of a 2800 sqft house.  I had 3 little boys and a dog.  I felt like I couldn’t walk a step without stepping on a plastic dinosaur with wickedly sharp spikes in its tail.  We debated how we could convert the unused space, but eventually decided to move to a floorplan that better suited our needs. 

Useable space is something I encourage all of my buyers, especially the first-time homebuyers, to consider.  Look past the square footage of a house and look at the layout, first and foremost.  I also encourage buyers to think ahead at what the next 5 years may hold for them.  Are they going to have children?  Is it possible that a parent may move in?  Will you be working from home a lot?  Are they expecting to have long-term guests?  Do they expect to be entertaining on a regular basis?

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I have noticed several changes to floorplans over the last decade that provide options for homeowners looking to make more efficient use of the space in their home.  For instance, in a lot of newer homes, formal living rooms have the option of being converted into a den.  This has become a very popular option due to the fact that more people are working from home.  There are also the entertainment options, such as theatre rooms and outdoor living areas.  For the kids there are lofts, playrooms, and community desk areas.

For those of you that find yourself in a house with some inefficient space, you have a few options.  First, if you can afford to do so, you can start looking for a house that has a layout that better suits the needs of your household. 

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Second, you can permanently convert the current space in your home to something you consider more useful.  For instance, I had clients in Westchase who converted their formal dining room into a playroom for their kids.  They had a licensed contractor do the work and it was a beautiful space in the end.  Please keep in mind however, that a permanent change may not appeal to everybody when you decide to sell your house. 

Third, your current spaces can start playing double or triple duty.  Have a guest room, but not too many guests?  A Murphy bed takes up very little space and allows that room to also be used as a craft room/den/playroom.  Have a formal living room but no fancy furniture to put in it?  You can make it a nice game room with a poker table or a pool table.

Personally, the first option worked for us.  We have a 2-story house now so all of the legos, dinosaurs, cars, and superheroes are kept upstairs.  Now I only have to step on them half of the time.

Melanie Atkinson is a Westchase area Realtor with The Wood Team at Coldwell Banker.  She can be contacted at melanie.atkinson@floridamoves.com or 813-368-6084.

Please go to Facebook and "Like" The Wood Team or follow me on Twitter @CBMelanieA

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