Not to worry, there are plenty of other ways you can create more space in your homes with a few ‘thinking outside the box’ tactics. In many cases it isn’t a case of adding space with extensions, but utilising the space you do have more effectively, so it in turn works better for you.

Storage, Storage and more Storage

First things first, let’s take a look at storage solutions. It seems that storage is high on the agenda for most homes and something we can never have enough of. Over a lifetime, we accumulate possessions and sometimes it’s a struggle to throw things away with the justification that “this gadget will definitely come in handy one day” or “these jeans will be back in fashion in ten years’ time”. It’s this sentimental thought process and not wanting to waste anything that can cause cupboards, drawers and even rooms to be full to the brim with unused items.

Of course, this isn’t the case with every household, as many people aren’t prone to keeping everything, but they still genuinely suffer from a lack of storage space. However, there are numerous ways you can keep all your items stored away neatly and in an organised fashion to utilise the space more.

Built-in Storage Solutions

Whilst built-in wardrobes and cupboards aren’t a new phenomenon, the modern designs we see now are far better equipped to coping with multi-functional storage. They are not only a great way to deal with a storage issue, but also can add value to your home and use space more effectively too.

The great thing about built-in storage solutions, is they can be closed units fitted with swing or sliding doors, open style shelving or a combination of the two, so you can fully incorporate your storage into the room. The versatility of built-in storage units allow you to create an area to meet your exact requirements and to make use of even the smallest or oddest shaped spaces. For example, if you have a recess in your home under the stairs, in your lounge or bedroom that doesn’t get used properly, why not create a bespoke shelving unit or cupboard so you can actually use the entire space for stashing away shoes, toys, books or anything you like.

If you’re looking for larger storage solutions, it can be a great idea to opt for a built-in unit that spans across a whole wall or certainly a large part of it in bigger rooms. This maximises the amount of storage space you’ll get with the unit, but at the same time creates continuity, with the unit becoming a focal feature rather than a randomly placed freestanding block of storage. Fitting mirrored doors will also make the room feel bigger and lighter, which is particularly important in smaller spaces.

Modern built-in storage also provides numerous ideas for storing items in your unit too, from compartmentalised drawers for smaller items to hanging hooks and with some designs, you can even create a built-in working desk or dressing table, which makes them perfect for home offices, vanity units or kid’s bedrooms.

Tidy your drawers

Whilst we’re on the subject of keeping things organised, even if you don’t have built-in storage solutions, you can still make a difference to those overflowing drawers in your kitchen, bedroom, lounge or bathroom.

Drawers are a great place for tidying away small items, such as stationary, jewellery, paperwork, takeaway menus and pretty much anything that you want to keep, but don’t want on show. However, in many cases things get chucked in a draw and soon get lost, but you can create simple, organised drawer storage solutions by creating your own draw tidy using small boxes or trays and clipping them together. With a myriad of different sized compartments, everything will be neatly in its place and you’ll find more space for storing additional items as the space is used more effectively.

Brilliant Boxes and Baskets

Other great ways to add additional storage solutions into your home is investing in some good quality boxes or baskets. Storage boxes, along with baskets, are versatile and practical. They come in all sorts of designs – clear plastic, painted wicker, printed cardboard, vintage wood – and a whole host of different shapes and sizes too. This means that you can get really creative with using boxes and baskets as storage solutions in your home. Add baskets to shelving or cupboards, so you can easily store more things on the shelves in the baskets, but they’ll be nice and neatly stowed away in a stylish way, with all items out of view. Or invest in a dual purpose footstool or coffee table that has hidden storage inside.

Also, don’t forget about the amount of dead space underneath large furniture, such as beds and sofas. Make use of that wasted space and choose some shallow boxes on wheels that can easily be pulled out and put away for those items that you don’t necessarily need access to every day. This could be rotating your summer/winter wardrobe, DVD’s, books…the possibilities are endless and so are the sizes of storage solutions available – so you’ll certainly find something to suit.

Easy kitchens

Another area in many homes that suffer from storage shortages is the kitchen. It’s a place where you need easy access to ingredients, dishes and pans; and whilst a complete kitchen extension or remodel may not be an option, you can make a few tweaks to maximise the space usage to make getting to everything nice and easy. And don’t forget there are decorating and design elements that can make a space feel larger even if it is not, such as light colours on the walls or large white porcelain tiles on the floor that reflect the light back into the room.

Innovative kitchen storage solutions, include pull out cupboards and shelves, rotating corner cupboard shelving and cupboard and drawer organisers that make life so much easier. These clever storage solutions can be added to most existing kitchen units, so you can adapt keep your spices organised with pull out wire drawers, or get to those hard to reach bowls at the back of the corner cupboard.

Another great way to utilise space in cupboards and drawers is with Tupperware and plastic boxes with lids. They not only help to keep ingredients fresher for longer, but stacking tubs and boxes will use more space in your cupboards so you can fit more in, plus they make finding items easier too.

Hang It or Shelve It

A key to getting more space in your home is to create additional floor and counter space. Of course, furniture takes up the large majority of floor space, but you’d be surprised at how much of your space is taken up unnecessarily with clutter. This is where getting items up off the floor and onto the walls can make all the difference.

Incorporating hooks and hanging areas can have a dramatic effect. It doesn’t matter whether it’s hanging your jewellery on hooks on the wall next to your dressing table, rather than taking up valuable space in a drawer, having extra hanging space for coats, scarves and hats or incorporating a hanging area for kitchen utensils or pots and pans that currently take up space on the worktop or in cupboards.

Shelving units can also allow items currently taking up valuable floor space to be stored effectively. It works incredibly well in well used areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, where you have a number of items that sit on the floor or worktops. With some stylish shelving or even a closed wall unit, you can get items such as cleaning products, spare loo rolls, cooking utensils and spices up off the floors and counters and in their own allocated space.

Decluttering = Space

Whilst creating additional space with clever storage solutions is great, it doesn’t always solve the problem of clutter, as you can simply be transporting stuff from one area to another and simply putting it out of sight and out of mind.

This is why if you are looking to create more space in your home, it’s also a good idea to have a good old-fashioned clear out. No one is saying you should get rid of everything, but taking a more objective and realistic approach to your belongings can help to create additional space.

Knowing exactly what you have and where it’s stored will mean you can house your belongings in a more structured and organised way. Sorting through items and categorising them in terms of the frequency of their use, will make sure that the items you need most frequently are easily accessible, whereas things that are used once, maybe twice a year aren’t taking up valuable front row space.

If you’re worried about things going to waste, why not donate to charity shops or friends, as well as sell good conditioned items on classified websites. That bit of extra money could go towards a built in storage unit!

Consider Your Home Layout

It’s amazing that when you live somewhere, you soon become accustomed to the layout of the furniture; and what in many cases was a temporary layout, remains that way for years, despite the fact it may not actually use the space particularly well.

Where you position your furniture, as well as the size and style can play a significant role in how big or small your home feels and the amount of space that is utilised. Choosing the right position, size and style of furniture appropriate for your home can make all the difference to the amount of space you have to live in.

For example, a huge, chunky dining room table that seats 8 people, will swamp a dining room that’s really only designed to fit a table of 4-6 people. In this instance, you may want to consider downsizing to a smaller table that also has the option to expand for more seating as and when you need it. Also, think about the positioning of furniture, do you have your sofa in front of the bay window in your living room? Have you considered how much space behind the sofa is wasted? Moving the sofa against a wall, can open up the room and allow you to use the recessed area more effectively, whether it’s incorporating additional chairs, a coffee table or storage.

When you’re planning the layout of any room, be it your living room, bedroom, bathroom or kitchen, it’s important to think about the purpose of the room and how you spend your time in there, as well as factoring in walkways. These fundamental elements of planning will make sure you create an area that fits your requirements and isn’t a pain to manoeuvre around.

Where you can, position large furniture such as chairs, beds and sofas flush against the wall, as putting them at an angle will waste space. The same goes for freestanding shelving units, dressers, wardrobes and drawers. Also pay close attention that none of these furniture items are impeding access or walkways as this can make a room feel smaller and less accessible. You want to be able to easily come in and out of a room, as well as walk through it without having to negotiate a lot of furniture on the way.

Avoid Overcrowding

Also be sure that when you’re positioning your furniture that you aren’t overcrowding the room. Sometimes, less is more for creating a well-laid out room that looks spacious and comfortable, so if space is premium in your home, be as minimalistic as you can. Focus on the essential furniture you need in a room first, such as seating, entertainment and storage, then move onto less essential items.

The same rules apply for the size of your furniture. It’s all about choosing furniture that matches the size of your rooms. Unless you have lots of space, avoid large and chunky furniture designs, as these will simply take over small spaces and eat into valuable living space.

As you can see, there are plenty of options for making better use of existing space in your home without the cost of extending. Whether you incorporate clever storage solutions, declutter or reinvest in new furniture pieces, by making some small changes in your home, you can have a really big impact on the space you’re left to work with.

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Can you make your spaces bigger?

Firstly, it is important to consider if you can extend any of the existing rooms within the house in a cost effective way. By simply converting a garage in to a usable room, or adding a toilet downstairs this can make a big difference to the amount of storage space available and the level of comfort for everyone. If there is a large room, adding a small ‘en suite’ can take the pressure off the ‘family bathroom’ and it means that there won’t be a queue in the morning with everyone getting ready at a similar time to leave for work or school. If the new en-suite can be position close to the existing bathroom then that can keep costs down. There are also plenty of good, cheap bathroom fittings available online and a range of inexpensive porcelain tiles – and you won’t need many for an en-suite so it’s an affordable project.

The entrance

Another option is to perhaps add a porch and incorporate a cloak room or storage solution for coats and shoes. Remember that the entrance to the house is the first thing everyone sees when they arrive, so having an area that is clutter free, and where items such as shoes and clothing have a place to be stored is crucial. It may be that the number of people in your house is doubling, so by creating a porch area or cupboard to store the outdoor clothing it will keep everything kept out of sight.

Storage solutions for the living areas

Whether you are updating your existing living area or creating an extra space, the amount of storage available needs to factor in everyone in the house. If it is a house with younger children, they will need their homely comforts and toys to hand to make them feel welcome and keep them entertained. Whether you have older teenagers or younger children coming together, extra sofas or seating is a must. Everyone needs to be able to feel comfortable as this will be an area that is most commonly used and where everyone can come together to relax.

What to use an extra room for?

If you have the luxury of being able to convert a garage in to an extra room, it is crucial to consider everyone when allocating what this space will be used for. By using cube storage solutions, or bookshelves along a wall, you can significantly increase the amount of storage available to everyone involved. It also allows for things to be kept neat and tidy, making the home feel less cluttered. Whilst the majority of items can be stored in other rooms, everyone needs their homely comforts in the room that they will spend the most time.

Cube storage solutions

Cube storage is an ideal storage solution in living spaces. Not only can you purchase colour coordinated boxes to create a colour scheme for your room, these boxes can also hold a lot of items. Each child (or adult!) could be allocated their own box(es) or space to store their things, making everyone feel that their items are just as valued as everyone else’s. Bookcases are also a good choice too as it allows you to store a range of items; CDs. DVDs, or books will all look right at home in one of these. Certain shelves can also be reserved for those all-important family photos showing happy times together.

Creating a second space with a television will accommodate different tastes in programs and channels. If this is possible, it could be that this extra space is also where children’s toys are stored, or a home office is created. By having an additional living area, it means that if anyone is feeling the need for a bit of personal space or quiet, that this can be achieved easily. After a busy day at work or school, having the physical environment that promotes calm and peace can help to relieve stress.

The bedrooms

When two families come together, it may be the case that people who have previously had their own room now have to share. Whilst this can cause conflict, it is possible for everyone to have their own space, even within the confines of one room. In the case of children, beds that contain storage solutions within them are ideal. Cabin beds, or beds with shelving and a desk underneath mean that each child would get their own area to sleep, store their items, and study. A room can also be blocked off in to two distinct areas by using curtains or drapes. A more practical way to partition a room is to use the cube storage previously mentioned and the great thing about this type of shelving is that not only can they totally separate two areas within a room, the boxes provide extra storage solutions for toys, clothing or other personal items. As many shops stock this type of storage, it can be bought in whichever size needed to create two discrete spaces within one room.

Decoration considerations

Decorating can also be a way of distinguish different areas. It could be that the room is painted one colour but items such as wall stickers or pictures unique to each person in the room are used to create a more personal, comfortable environment. On the other hand, the room could be painted in two contrasting colours to create two very distinct (and equal!) spaces. Whichever you choose, it is important that each child is made to feel like they have their own space and create a homely environment for them.

It’s not just the kids that should be considered

As two adults come together, storage and space can also be an issue for them. Even though it is the adults who have made the decision to bring two families together in to one space, the adults too, need their bedroom to feel comfortable and inviting for them. An honest, open discussion is needed beforehand for preferences of colour and choice of storage solution. In the case of a woman moving in to a man’s home, or indeed a new home, the woman may have a preference for having a dressing table, or certain types of storage for their clothes. This will need to be factored in to the space available as these can be quite large!

Clothing storage solutions

Floor to ceiling sliding wardrobes are an ideal way to create lots of space and storage, but the space behind the door can also be adapted to suit the individual. For example, one person may prefer to have more drawers and less hanging space. This can be accommodated by buying drawer inserts for the wardrobe, and reducing the hanging rail space. Because these can be personalised it means that each person will have the correct type of storage for their items.

The bathroom

A bathroom is normally quite a fixed room in terms of the plumbing and the positioning of the suite and his can rarely be easily moved around. However, extending the bathroom or creating an extra space could be hugely beneficial. This is one room that everyone needs to have access to regularly, and quite often at a similar time of day (morning and evenings). If you can enlarge the space or create another one it would be advisable to do so. If you do not have the luxury of doing this, the space can be used creatively to ensure everyone has access to what they need quickly, reducing the amount of time they spend in there.

Bathroom storage solutions

One example of this is a mirror that is also a cupboard above the sink. If items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and other daily essentials are stored here they can be quickly accessed by all. A cupboard under the sink is another ideal storage option to keep cleaning products, toilet rolls and even small towels to hand but keep them out of sight and make the bathroom clutter free. High shelving is an excellent way of storing towels as it keeps them to hand, and keeps the bathroom feeling like a wider, open space. Within the shower or bath, having enough storage for everyone’s hair and body products is an essential and there are shower shelves on the market that would be perfect for this. Everyone has their own preferences and creating enough space for everyone to have their own products will reduce the amount of time spent hunting for things!

The kitchen

Kitchen with Breakfast Bar and Dinning Table

Unless you have the luxury of putting in a whole new kitchen, this is another room that is totally fixed in terms of layout. In this area, it is important to ensure that there is enough cutlery and crockery to accommodate the growing family. Where 6 plates may have been enough for 2 or 3 people, it could be that more need to be purchased to allow everyone to have access to these without having to constantly wash up! If there is a breakfast bar or seating area, it is essential to consider how many more chairs or seats are needed so that everyone can sit down to eat. Whilst a breakfast bar may not accommodate everyone due to its size, having a dining table where everyone can come together for meals is a great way to bring people closer and share special moments of the day. In addition to this, there are many inserts for cupboards that provide storage solutions for many different kitchen items – after all, there will likely be a few extra items coming in to the house to cater for individual tastes.

Considering all spaces available

Looking at all the different areas within the house that could be adapted for a growing family is an ideal way to create extra space. It is a matter of looking what is available and consider how it can be used in a different way. Using the existing cupboard space, such as those under the stairs (if you have some!) or airing cupboards more efficiently, can create the much needed storage space that is needed for all the extra items that will be brought in to the home. The option of outdoor storage is also not to be forgotten. An outdoor shed is a great way to store items that won’t be affected by changes in weather.

Using attic or basement space can also add more room for everyone coming together. It can be a simple DIY job, such as boarding out the loft space which will allow items that are not needed regularly to be kept safe and sound, without cluttering up the existing space. Quite often people have sentimental items that they wish to keep, however don’t need to have access to on a daily basis. The attic is a perfect place to store these items. The attic can even be used to create a whole extra room or space. A basement can be an excellent area to place an extra freezer or fridge to store the additional food. If the plumbing is in place washing machines and dryers can be moved to basement areas creating extra living space in your kitchen areas.

Bringing everyone together happily

As you can see, there are many factors that need to be considered when combining two families. The most important thing is to ensure that each person feels like that they have their own space and feels ‘at home’. By utilising storage solutions, or using the space more creatively, it can be easy to bring together two families in to one abode. Making sure that everyone’s thoughts and opinions are shared will help to create harmony and bring two families together easily. Giving everyone a sense of the new house becoming their home, is the ultimate goal. It can be difficult to come together in a home however it is easy to make everyone feel valued and welcome with forward planning. Whether it is extending the space, adapting the space, or creating extra storage, there are many options available.

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New build homes have always had a certain appeal with their shiny new kitchens and bathrooms and free of someone else’s clutter but are they really as spacious as they seem or are show homes designed to give the illusion of space with neutral colour schemes and the use of undersized furniture? Research from the UK government’s national archives by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) has assessed whether there is actually sufficient space in new homes for the furniture that couples and families need for everyday living and for the storage of personal possessions. Is there genuinely enough room for residents to cook, eat, relax and socialise in new private sector homes?

The CABE research reveals that many purchasers of newly built homes do not feel that the space in their homes is sufficient for basic everyday activities and it suggests that new private homes require more space to be fit for purpose. In a densely populated country such as the UK it might be thought that there simply is not the space available to build larger new homes or that the price of larger homes would make them unaffordable to the majority of home buyers, but further research by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) shows that even in other European countries with the same density of population, the average house sizes are larger.

Prior to 1980 minimum space requirements for local authority housing were defined and these were generally adhered to by private sector house builders. However, these standards no longer exist, although minimum space standards are still required for social housing but, not surprisingly, according to CABE much of the new build private sector housing no longer meets the basic space needs of the residents. Consequently the UK has substantially smaller new homes than almost all other European countries.

11,000 households were interviewed as part of CABE’s research and the results revealed that the space required by homeowners was not readily available. Two or three bedroom houses, originally designed as family homes, but frequently occupied by young couples without children still did not provide adequate space, even with the extra bedrooms. This suggests that some so-called “family” homes are not adaptable enough to function well for growing families without extending them.

Adequate storage is another basic necessity of every home, whether it’s small or large. Everyone needs somewhere to store clothes, household equipment, food etc., but the majority of new homes simply do not have enough storage space. Moreover, due to the limited space for furniture items it is not possible to buy freestanding storage units and actually fit them into the main rooms of new homes.

Of course new homes have their advantages but if you are looking for space to have the freedom to buy whatever furniture you like, plenty of storage space for all of your belongings or, at least, room for your own storage units, think carefully about the advantages of a brand new home and whether the disadvantages might not actually outweigh the advantages, particularly in the longer term as your family grows and your storage requirements increase.

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