There is no denying that the way we use our homes has changed over the past few decades and the interior space is ever-evolving to meet our needs and desires. With house prices soaring, it is no great surprise that people are improving rather than moving (unless of course you have an unlimited budget...but let's face it, most of us don't have this luxury!).
I think back to when we bought our current house almost 14 years ago, just after getting married. Whilst it needed some work doing (my husband's best friend commented many years later than on helping us move, he questioned what on earth we had done!), the open plan lounge/diner and separate kitchen really appealed to us. The house was perfect for two twenty-somethings who liked to socialise with friends and weren't too keen on cooking!
A few years down the line, our daughter came along, followed a couple of years later by our son. Now, if you've ever had children, you know how much stuff comes with them, especially toys. Our beautifully tidy open-plan space now looked like a permanently over-stocked toy shop! Now don't get me wrong, I love my children and their toys but we (meaning I) craved a space where I could relax in the evening away from bright plastic toys. And so we started to plan our ground-floor extension which would give us just that, as well as a playroom for the children and a large kitchen-diner where we could cook (we got there eventually) whilst the children played.
After a few tough months of renovation (watch out for that on a future blog post!), we got there and we had what we considered, and still do, to be the perfect downstairs space for us.
You'll notice I stressed downstairs, because fast forward five years and we've just finished our upstairs extension. The decision was yet again to move or improve as it was becoming clear that my eight year old giant would not be fitting in a box room as a teenager! Given that house prices in our area were astronomical, and the fact that we have poured so much time, love and energy in to our home, we took the decision to extend again and we now all have the space we need as the children get bigger.
Our homes grow and evolve as we do, and so rather than moving, it may be worth considering improving instead. What may have been perfect for you twenty, thirty or forty years ago, may not be what you need now. It's certainly not the easy option, but it does give you free reign to create your ideal space (relative to your budget of course) and really make your home work for you.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and please feel free to get in touch if you think I can be of assistance in your project.
Also, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming blog posts on the reality of renovating (it's not all pretty, but it is totally worth it!).
See you soon,
Amy
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