It’s a fact, space can often be at a premium in new-build homes. More often than not the overall footprint is smaller than that of an older, traditional property. There’s valid reason for that when you consider that land on which to build new homes is in short supply.
We’ve put together some tips to maximise space in a new-build home. A few clever, creative ideas can really make the difference. Find out more…
Light and mirrors
When we talk about light, we’re not referring to the actual lighting of the room. We are referring to the tone of the décor. Now, what’s great about buying a new-build home is that all the rooms are handed over to you in a neutral, plain colour palette.
This is done to ensure the properties appeal to all manner of buyers. But it also makes it easier for you to put your own colour stamp on rooms if you so wish. While the current trends for home décor include darker shades of blue and green, if you want a room to appear bigger, then keeping a light shade throughout will do the trick.
Another trick to make a smaller room look instantly appear bigger is to use mirrors. If you have the wall space, choose a large mirror for the best effect. Position your mirror in a space which makes the best use of the light coming into the room. This will help to open the room up, bringing an illusion of it looking much bigger than it actually is.
Be clever with kitchen storage
When you move into your new-build home, your budget might not stretch to too many big changes or significant home improvements. So, it’s even more pertinent to get the most out of the storage space you have. Especially in the kitchen.
Rather than replace units for bigger ones, look for solutions you can use within and around them to gain extra room for storage. One such storage hack is to get hold of a spice rack – there are options for tiered racks in cupboards as well as those you can attach to the wall.
If you do have a bit of wall space, see where you can add some extra shelving for jars of dried goods, even mugs or smaller plates. You could even make a feature out of a utensil rail running alongside and above your work surfaces.
Look out for storage solutions which can be attached to the inside of your cupboards doors too. Especially under the sink, where a little plastic rack can be used to keep your cloths and sponges neat and tidy leaving more space for bottles and cleaning sprays.
Picking up such items will cost you less than any radical changes to the kitchen and will bring you extra room in cupboards and drawers for other household essentials.
Bespoke furniture made to your specification
Trying to fit different pieces of furniture of varying sizes into a room doesn’t always work. It can make your living arrangements feel disjointed, especially in an area like the lounge. The spare rooms is also often too small for too many pieces of off-the-shelf, packaged furniture.
This is where you might benefit from some customised woodwork.
While it can be costly to have bespoke furniture made for you, it’s a worthy investment. It gives you the chance to be creative and clever, having something designed to suit you and the way you live. Whether it’s maximising storage space or building workspaces which fold away at the end of the day, there are lot of creative ways to get the most out of your space.
You can add shelves within alcoves or above doorways.
Media units are great to help raise and centralise the television, providing chance for extra storage space beneath.
You might also be able to build some extra seating in your home, using window ledges.
Use sites such as Instagram and Pinterest to get ideas for customised furniture for your home.
Functional furniture to save space
If you need to buy new furniture for your new-build home, it’s best to choose functional pieces. Dual purpose furniture really helps in a small space.
If you’re shopping for beds, look for those with extra storage underneath. This is great place to keep bedding, towels, even thicker clothing such as jumpers.
In the lounge, nesting tables can be very handy if you need several surfaces when everyone is in the room. They are easily moved around and at the end of the day you can tuck them away again.
When it comes to dining, you might sometimes need space for the wider family, but not all year round. In that case, you should look for an extendable dining table so you can go bigger when the time arises.
And if you go for a bench rather than all chairs around the table, you can save even more space. Just think, you then won’t have to store extra chairs somewhere else in the home.
You’ll no doubt have seen plenty of ottomans and foot stools on the market. These don’t just look great in your home; they also bring the added benefit of extra storage too. When you look for one, try and buy one with a lid which lifts so you can store toys, bedding, even make-up and toiletries.
Understairs storage
It’s a growing trend, and more and more woodwork businesses are cropping up offering their services for understairs storage. Transforming the space under your stairs to something more useful than a deep cupboard which is hard to navigate inside, makes sense.
Looking on Instagram, there are some very creative solutions for understairs storage. You can have pull out drawers for gloves, hats, and scarves, to in-built shoe racks. We’ve even seen wine racks be built into the understairs cavity.
Extra space in the garden
Much like the properties, gardens of new-build homes are also quite modest. We all want more room in our gardens for socialising and entertaining, but where do you put everything else?
If you’ve already filled the shed or the garage, then look for an outdoor box with a lockable, liftable lid for the children’s toys. Toys can easily end up scattered everywhere and getting damaged by the elements, so it’s good to keep them away and under cover.
When it comes to pots for small plants, or herbs, then consider going vertical with your displays. Outdoor shelving attached to a brick wall can work wonders. And don’t forget about hanging baskets, which will leave you with more floor space.
Your shed can probably hold much more than you realise. But you don’t want to have it so crowded you can’t move in there. Instead, be creative with shelving and hooks to make use of all the wall space you can.
Keep on top of clutter
Once you’ve been in your brand-new home for several months or longer, you want to make sure you don’t run out of space.
It pays to keep on top of clutter and things you no longer use. If you get into the habit of clearing out unused, unwanted items regularly, then you will find your storage space will remain adequate over a longer period of time.
Plus, if you only buy what you need food-wise, not only do you reduce unnecessary waste, but you also avoid over-filling your cupboards and losing much-needed space.
To maximise space in a new-build home while you live in it, make sure you don’t accumulate too much ‘stuff’ as you go.
Are you looking for a new-build home to move into? Here at New Homes Place we can make your home search quicker and easier. We list hundreds of new homes for sale across the UK from housebuilders large and small. Type in the town or city you want to live in or near and start your dream new home search with us here.
