How to Improve a Spare Room

When buying a house many people want to have a spare room – even though a lot of people don’t actually know what to do with it. I was recently chatting to a friend, a first-time buyer, who is almost ready to put an offer in on a four bedroom house he has seen. When I asked what he planned to do with the other rooms he said ‘he wasn’t sure’ but ‘it’s nice to have a spare room, you never know when it may come in handy.’ Whilst this is true, I think many first-time buyers overstretch their budget to think about their dream place. 

My friend’s house is within his budget but I have seen first time-buyers in the past struggling time and time again to afford a property that quite frankly, they don’t necessarily need. If you’re a first-time buyer looking at other peoples’ properties and wondering how they have such a big house, remember that it took them a while to get there. Too many people looking to purchase their first home get ahead of themselves and compare their property to someone who has been on the ladder for some time. So if you can’t afford a house with a spare bedroom – don’t worry. Everyone has to start somewhere!

But for all those out there that can afford to have a few extra spare rooms, it’s crucial you make them into something and don’t just leave them empty. Not only will this give your house a homely feel and allow you to use all of your space, but room conversions can definitely add value to a property.
Many people work from home nowadays but even if you don’t, turning your spare room into an office can be a great way to use space and can help when it comes to selling – as many people like to have somewhere in the house where they can work. Turning a room into an office is pretty simple. You should pick a color that is neutral and calming and look at buying a desk, computer chair and book shelves to deck out the room. There are lots of little touches, like paperweights and picture frames, that you can add to a desk to give it a more homely feel.

Another idea for a spare room is to make it into a gym. If you have gym equipment stashed in your garage then why not make it a focal point of your property and make a small gym in your spare room? Wooden floors and yoga mats, exercise balls and free weights – you don’t need much to make a room into a place to exercise.
Although the living room is the main place to relax and unwind you could always consider making a spare room into a games/movie room. Buying an extra television, book cases, pillows, lights and a bean bag can help you to transform your room into an extra room to entertain guests in. Investing in posters and movie themed decor could also give your room an extra edge.

When you are deciding what to do with your spare rooms it’s a good idea to get your computer out (I bought mine from a website selling wholesale laptops) and get researching. Use Google to research your colors and decide a theme before purchasing anything and look around for furniture and ornaments – you can usually find a bargain if you look for long enough.