Remodeling Decisions That Add Value: Better Living Areas

The main living room is the central core area of your home.  It is both a private and public space that you share with family and guests.  The main living room should easily connect with dining areas, kitchen, and hallways to bedrooms.  This space should be given top priority in the hierarchy of rooms.  However, too often it is not. 


Sometimes the front door opens right into the living room, and the passage deeper into the house cuts right through it.  Please!  Before you go a step further, stop to imagine how you would furnish and enjoy being in a room like this.  If you home has this layout, consider some serious surgery to correct this problem.  Never allow walkways to cross through the middle of living areas.  This creates an unsettling division within the space which no furniture placement will solve.  If you have this floor plan, face up to it, and make the necessary changes before moving on. 


Most buyers today prefer two or more living areas.  In addition to the main living room, these may include a family room or den, a study, and a game room.  The trend today is to avoid wasted space.  Rooms that are used primarily for display have very little actual use and value.  Consider converting an unused formal living room into a study.  Sometimes a wall can be opened up to bring a seldom used room into a real relationship with the house.  This is much cheaper than adding on more space.  Remodeling tip:  Make better use of the space that you have.  It is cheaper than adding on.


The “greatroom” is a popular layout that combines the living-dining-kitchen space.  This open style is efficient in its use of space, combining multiple uses.  The house seems bigger than it would if divided into small rooms.  You will be able to work in the kitchen and talk with family members and guests in the living area.  If you can open a wall to allow a better connection and more light to flow between spaces, you will be making a change that most buyers prefer.

If budget allows, a gameroom is a space that serves a multitude of functions.  It is a more private living area that is often used for TV watching, computers, pool table, or children’s toys.  The gameroom is often an upstairs common area that connects to bedrooms.  Special media rooms are sometimes added, although the trend today away from extra rooms that receive infrequent use.  Consider combining a media room with pool table, ping pong, or other gathering room functions.


You cannot think about living areas without considering the traffic flow through rooms.  A natural and logical flow will guide people from the front door into the heart of the home – the main living area.  The pathway should not cut through the middle of rooms, or make you skirt around furniture.  Visitors should not be confused as to where to go.  A logical floor plan is crucial to making visitors feel welcome and comfortable in your home. 

A great living area draws people into it in a natural way, and provides a center for common activities.  Remodeling decisions that place great importance on the main living area add value to the home.   



Austin Texas Real Estate and Homes For Sale