You need more space. Whether it involved a call for more elbow room or the wide open plains, the history of humankind boils down to a bunch of people wanting more room somewhere else.
Now that spring is here, it’s likely that the old homestead is starting to feel a little cramped. Unfortunately, the housing market has pushed your dreams of a rock star mansion a few years into the future.
That can only mean one thing: spruce up the digs. There is plenty of neglected space available right in your own home if you know how to look at it.
Let’s take a look at 4 ways you can start building a budget dream home.
The Mythical ManCave – You know they exist, you may have even seen a room that claims to be a ManCave. But the real ManCave, like Bigfoot, lives only in our dreams (or nightmares). The biggest obstacle to building your own ManCave (or WomanCave or KidCave for that matter) is your own perfectionism. So lighten up, don’t take it so seriously, and start clearing out your basement today. You don’t need electrical engineers, stone masons, and professional mixologists. All you need is an entertainment center, a comfy chair, and a minifridge. A weekend yardsale-ing will take of that.
Work it Out – What does a workout mean to you: free weights and baby oil or headbands and leg warmers? In your own basement, you no longer have to endure ridicule at the Fitness Center to burn off a few calories. This is another way to create a whole new life for yourself with a modest investment. Go online for free or used exercise equipment – statistics show that more people give up working out every year than start in the first place by some strange twist of math. Your first workout: Carting off the piles of dirty laundry.
Garage Band – The number one area of your house that needs some attention is…your car could tell you if it could move an inch. If you are an average American family, you treat your garage like a basement, attic, and tool shed lumped into one. Don’t settle for average. Cleaning the garage sounds difficult. Clear out some space sounds like a breeze. Call a professional if you’re still daunted. Need some motivation? OK, how about your very own recording/vinyl to mp3 listening studio? Put up some acoustical foam and lay down some tracks. Now, how cool is your garage?
Craft Barn – Your garage is also the one place in your house that you can hose down without explaining yourself. The only two additions you will need are racks on the walls and foldaway workbenches. Presto! You now have a room for the felting business you’ve been claiming on your taxes. Or throw the kids in the garage on a rainy day and say, “Go paint something.” Your only problem will be scheduling all the neighbors calling to book the neighborhood craft barn. Now there’s an second income you never considered.
So don’t relocate before you renovate. You deserve to live in the kind of house you would want to see on TV, so go ahead and baby yourself a little. After all, your home is your crib.