Small houses can feel roomy if remodeled correctly.
Small houses can be cozy, but they can also be challenging. The lack of space means that you have to figure out ways to not only make use of the space the house offers, but to do so in a way that makes it seem large and open. When you remodel a small house, make it an into an opportunity to get the most out of the house's space while making overall improvements. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Locate and study the home's floor plan. This can tell you the overall square footage and identify the weight-bearing walls. If you cannot get this information, you can hire a home inspector to help you.
2. Consider the existing rooms and improve their use. For example, when you have a series of small rooms, you can knock out walls between them to make them larger multi-use areas, like an open kitchen that connects to the living room. Take into account which are the weight-bearing walls. You may need to install engineered beams to redistribute the weight.
3. Examine the hallways. If the small house has wide hallways, make them narrower, and move them to the back of the house. This will help to make rooms larger.
4. Reposition doorways. Moving the doorways to the edges of the room from the center can help you get more space out of the rooms. You can even replace traditional doors with sliding doors.
5. Make the house tighter. When you are taking down walls, improve the insulation in the rooms. Replace the windows with double- or triple-glazed windows that are energy efficient. If some of the windows have southern exposure, enlarge them to make use of this free heat from the sun. Replace the windows of the house on the north side with smaller ones, and orient the rooms so that they face south with the hallways running along the north side of the house.
6. Improve heating and ventilation systems. This will help make the house more energy efficient. Consider smaller, efficient systems such as: propane, which it 90 percent efficient; wood pellet furnaces; ventilation systems that passively heat the incoming fresh air using the warm air already in the house. Another heating option is radiant floor heating, which keeps the house warm via tubes of warm water circulating beneath the floor. Solar panels also can be added to heat the water and generate electricity.
7. Redo the storage in the house. Install built-ins, redesign closets to make them more organized. By keeping your home organized, you will be able to have more usable space inside the house.
8. Choose solid colors, such as blue or brown, to make rooms appear larger. Light-colored wood floors and simple, elegant cabinetry also can add to the cleanliness and orderliness of the house.
Tags: make them, energy efficient, help make, make rooms, north side, Replace windows, small house
