HOME STYLERS BLOG: Low Cost Home Makeovers - 11 handy tips. Number 3. Room Use.

I was recently invited to Grand Designs Live in Birmingham, to talk about home makeovers and how to keep costs down, whether you're selling your home or want to enjoy living in it. To follow is a summary of the suggestions I made, with lots of 'Before' and 'After' photos as illustrations.

ROOM USE - how do you use each room and do you need to make any changes before the makeover?
• Make each room work for you and your family at this point in time and keep adapting as things change
• Balance the house. If there are a couple of rooms that are never used, but the whole family competes for space in the remaining rooms, you've got it wrong.
If the makeover is for selling. purposes..
• Carefully consider what your buyers need - ask your Estate Agent. Maybe a dining room, not a playroom? Maybe a third bedroom, not a study?

Before - a large room - sitting room or dining room?

After - as it should be

Before - An office, a snug?

After... a Dining Room

Before... a dining room? A utility? A playroom?

After - an office

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Before - use every room

After - now it won't be a forgotten space

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Before... Name that room?

After - the second bedroom

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Before - name that room?

After - a dining room

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Before - balance the house - this bedroom was in place of a dining room, so what was then a four bedroom house only had a living room and kitchen. Very unbalanced.