Well, it’s very easy to blame the size of the house when daily life starts feeling cramped. Like, of course, the kitchen feels too small when two people can’t open drawers at the same time without doing that awkward little side-step dance. Oh, and of course, the entryway feels ridiculous when shoes, coats, bags, mail, keys, sports stuff, and one random reusable shopping bag are all pretty much shoved into the same spot.
Clearly, here, it makes total and complete sense that the brain jumps straight to, “This house is too small.” But chances are, your home probably just needs a refresh rather than you just moving out of it completely. Like maybe the house feels small, but chances are, it’s probably the layout itself that’s ruining your experience in your own home.
More Square Footage Won’t Fix a Bad Layout
Alright, so it really comes down to that right there. Again, it makes sense to think that, because theres barely a layout if the space is small, and you would think only large spaces have layouts, or well, good layouts, but that’s not always true either. But again, more room, more storage, more breathing space, all very appealing until, well, you remember how expensive all of that is.
But more space doesn’t automatically mean a home works better. Sure, that might not be grand to think about, but think about it; a larger kitchen can still feel awkward if the fridge, sink, and stove are badly placed. So clearly, there can be a bad layout there. Even for a living room,
a bigger living room can still feel cluttered if there’s nowhere for everyday stuff to go. But the same can be said for a spare room, which can still become a dumping ground if the rest of the house doesn’t have proper storage. So, you could see if a home remodeling contractor can help you out (so please don’t DIY this). Like they might be able to help change the layout of your kitchen, tear down some walls, add some built-in add-ons to the walls, open up a doorway more, things like that.
The More Frustrating Spots are the Most Telling
Every house has little pressure points, and homeowners usually know exactly where they are because they complain about them constantly. The doorway everyone blocks. The kitchen corner nobody can move through. Or maybe the hallway is just filled with shoes, and you nearly trip over one every time you walk through there. Maybe there’s only one bathroom, and everyone fights for it in the morning.
But these things, these habits, and these rooms, well, they’re telling you that it’s not matching how you and your family live. So it’s probably just time to change it up.
Obviously, the House Should Fit the Life
Well, that and the family too. But a lot of homes were designed for a version of family life that may not exist anymore. Like maybe your home is from the 1950s, well, the way a family lived then doesn’t match family life now. So that could mean that the kitchen is closed off, but everyone wants to gather there.
Maybe the formal dining room takes up space, but homework, snacks, and everyday meals happen somewhere else. Maybe theres a formal living room, which, to be honest, here those are really useless, and they don’t have their place in modern times.
