How to Renovate Your Home to Make It Uniquely Your Own

If you own a home that just doesn't seem to suit your needs, but you don't want to sell it and move to another location, you might consider a home renovation. A large-scale renovation can turn your current house into a space that works for you and your family in particular, and can also mean being able to improve the home's insulation, energy efficiency, and overall appearance. Note a few ways you might renovate your home to make it uniquely your own.

Downsize

When people renovate their homes, they often think of adding to the space with another story or a back sunroom. However, you might find that your home offers more space than you need, and that it's becoming difficult for you to keep up with its maintenance and cleaning. A larger house also means more money spent on utilities, for heating and cooling all that space. Consider renovating to downsize; you can have a contractor actually remove the upper story, a large enclosed front porch, or a back family room that's never used, and convert a living area to a master suite so you're still comfortable in a smaller space.

Windows

If your home seems dark and dull, white paint on the walls isn't always going to help; consider, instead, a renovation to add oversized windows and bring in lots of sunlight and brightness. In the bathroom, you might choose stationary windows over the tub. In the living room, a large picture window can offer an unobstructed view to the outside along with lots of sunlight in the space, and you might even remove a cabinet or two from the kitchen to free up wall space for windows. Skylights can also help to brighten any dark and dreary room.

Elevating the ceiling

If you want the appearance of more space in your home but can't expand the footprint, you might consider elevating the ceiling. A contractor can remove the ceiling that is above the living room for a grander and larger area, if the room above is not being used. The second story can also be removed in a section of the home and the roof expanded with timber roof trusses. These thick beams are very attractive, so they can be left exposed and visible; they also hold up the weight of the roof, allowing you to eliminate standard joists and studs. Your home can then look larger and more spacious and may even enjoy more light and air circulation through all the rooms.