So I've been thinking about how to increase my living space and give the girls some breathing room. I've spent countless hours playing on http://www.floorplanner.com/, designing endless variations on a theme - more room.
Should we add a room to the middle of the back?
Should we add it to the back corner and remove an existing window?
Should we convert the garage to a bedroom/music room?
We've gone round and round about what to do. It's just so darned expensive to do any of it. And the garage room would need to be able to revert to a garage if a future buyer wanted it that way instead of as a room. Too much wasted money and effort. I've driven myself and my poor husband crazy with thinking and talking about it.
The real fact of the matter is that the girls don't mind sharing a room right now. We fit just fine with what we've got, and there are better ways to use our money when we're talking that much in one chunk.
My goal is to work on living a more simple life, and remodeling is not simple.
Here's another alternative using their existing space more effectively:
I'm not a huge fan of bunkbeds, because they are a pain to dress in linens. But, it's not my room. My girls like this concept. It would give them space for homework desks. It would work beautifully in their long, narrow space. It's one tenth, or less, of the cost of a remodel.
What do you all think?
Bunkbeds. I'm a big fan. They're not easy to change linens but really saves space in a bedroom.
ReplyDeleteI love the beds! When and if you decide to do the remodel, I like the second alternative of adding it to the back corner and remove an existing window. The garage option is cool, but you will miss the garage now that you use your garage.
ReplyDeleteBesides, who knows, maybe we could talk you into moving a little closer to family and you can find a nice little 4 bedroom house. LOL
I'm guessing you're no longer interested in our picket fence beds then?
ReplyDeleteWhat is that silver orb that keeps moving around the backyard?
What about triple-stacked bunks? That would still give you fairly full access to change the sheets and take up even less of a footprint. You'd sacrifice a little headroom, but they'd still be twice as big as those tube hotels in Tokyo.
That's correct, we can't fit the picket fence beds. Dang. The silver orb is our trampoline. Triple stacked bunks are just too claustrophobic when the ceiling is already only 7 feet 8 inches high.
DeleteI would be tempted to build the extra bedroom off the end of the house and lose a window for the sake of continued family harmony! How much would it cost? It would probably be worth having the extra space. It would be really hard to have 3 girls in that room for very much longer. The bunk beds also look really cool and would work for another 2 or 3 years. I like the garage conversion idea, but if you have to put it back to a garage to sell, then that's a waste of money and you like being able to use the garage as a garage. I love how you did all of those drawings, Sierra. You are so talented!
ReplyDeleteMay as well add two rooms if you're doing one. What are the other homes in the neighborhood like? You don't want to overbuild for your neighborhood because you won't get a full return on your investment (i.e. a shack in Bev. Hills is worth more $/sq. ft. than a mansion in the middle of the slums).
DeleteOh, and the CAPTCHAs on your blog are a pain to decipher.
All homes in our neighborhood are single level 3/1.5 or 3/2 ranches around 1200-1350 square feet. There are a couple that have additions on the back, but certainly not the majority. Our current house value is so much lower than when we bought in 2010, even patching the nail holes in the wall wouldn't get us a return on the patch compound. I think the more pertinent question is, why did we buy this in the first place? The answer being, it had everything we needed, and a huge backyard.
DeleteSorry about the CAPTCHA quirk. I have no control of that, as far as I know.
I think I posted that bunk bed picture on pinterest awhile ago - I think it would be the way to go for now...you've still got several years before the teenage years are in full swing, and like you said, there are a lot of other things that could be done with that much money - probably for now at least, the girls would agree they'd rather spend it on something else. So yeah, I'd vote for the cool bunk bed option :c)
ReplyDeleteWe live in a nice new flat, as the Aussies say. We didn't spend all that much;and, when we need, we can restore it to it's pristine original condition. So price it out. How long will you use it? What is the amortization? When you're done, the garage has nice painted and insulated walls and a painted and insulated ceiling. Douhet's garage started that way and looked great. It'll look great again.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I agree with Mom's desire. Love ya