Sadly I don’t currently own a home of my own, instead, I rent privately. While I’m lucky to be able to make small changes to my current home to make it homey, stylish and to my tastes, I can’t make ‘big’ changes. The Gamer Bloke and I plan on buying a house of our own within the next few years, and so I’ve started thinking a lot about how I would improve the small home that we would need to buy – property is expensive and first-time buyer deposits only go so far.

 

I know that a lot of couples who buy property for the first time end up buying a house that is far smaller than they would like it to be as their money only goes so far. However, what I also know is that when it comes to smaller homes, there are various ways that you can increase the size of them without breaking the bank.

 

Wondering what I would do to improve the small home that I will, no doubt, purchase as a first-time buyer? Read on for all of my best tips and ideas for making your small home a better fit for your needs!

 

Increase the space

 

While an extension is one of the best options for increasing the size of your home, you have to admit that this kind of work is expensive. If you want your home’s extension done properly, it can be rather pricey, particularly when you account for all of the interior design required for the interior of the extension. That’s why I would look at other options available to me.

 

 

Bring in more light

 

In a small home, it’s all about how you trick the eye into seeing a home that’s larger than it actually is, which is why bringing in more light is essential. There are various ways that you can add more light to your home, and the route that you go down will depend on the time-frame that you have and the budget that you have.

 

Personally, I would add an additional window to my home or French double or triple doors that open out and allow my home and garden to be one large space. Worried about the cost? You can get doors on finance in Leeds to make investing in this kind of home update more affordable. These are ideal for during the warmer summer months when you want to let the summer sunshine into your home. If I wasn’t adding French doors and was only adding a window, I would ensure that it was a large window that has a little window seat situated underneath it.

 

Don’t want to add a window? A strategically placed mirror could be your best friend. By placing a mirror facing a window in your home, you can reflect the light back into the space, making the room feel larger and more open.

 

Get creative

 

I have a family member who owns a barge – aka a type of houseboat – and I always remember how amazed I was the first time I went on it. It was a teeny tiny space and yet, he had made it an incredibly spacious place by getting creative. He had beds that folded down from the walls, desks that popped out from nowhere, and surfaces that appeared as if by magic. I remember being in awe.

 

So I know all too well and that when it comes to making the most of a small space, there are plenty of ways that you can go about doing so. One of the best places that I have found for creative inspiration is Pinterest – it’s amazing the amount of ideas that you can find on here. I am a huge fan of getting inspiration because it allows me to get more creative and come up with a selection of design ideas that I otherwise would not have thought of.

 

So there you have it, a guide to how I would improve my small home if I owned it.