TODAY'S families come in all shapes and sizes. A home bought for a couple and their two children may still be the family home when they've grown up but stay living with mum and dad until they can get on the housing ladder.
Perhaps an elderly parent or the children of your partner have come to live with you. For whatever reason, houses are having to become more flexible to cater for changing family dynamics. So how can you modify your home to suit you?
Extending
A single-storey extension (say over a garage) could provide a granny flat that shares the same front door but has its own living space. This could also serve a young couple or as an additional bedroom for extra children.
You may be able to add an extension under permitted development rules, so you don't need planning permission. Check with your council first.
Converting the loft
You may not be able to put granny up there but you can re-jig the rest of the accommodation to make it work. How about creating a mezzanine level in the loft space? Consult a professional, as you'll be removing roof beams and will need to comply with building regs. But think about lost storage.
Converting the garage
This an affordable way to create extra room. If you need to maintain the external look of the house, leave a small portion at the front for storage and convert the rest. You'll need to insulate the walls and floor.
Converting the cellar
It's not just sleeping arrangements you may need to tackle. For extra leisure space, think about converting the cellar.
Developing an outhouse
Older, rural properties often have disused outbuildings. You may be able to develop them on the basis that they are dependent on the main house.
Getting planning permission to convert an outbuilding into a separate dwelling will be harder but would allow you to give or sell this to a family member for them to own independently. Get the building surveyed – you may need to demolish and rebuild, which would cost more and raise planning issues.
Building a garden house
If you don't have an outhouse to develop but do have garden space, there are upmarket wooden garden structures that could work for you. Think hard about how it is going to be insulated and heated. Go to armadilla.co.uk for examples.
Re-jigging what you have
If the household purse doesn't stretch to having the house extended or parts converted, then give careful thought to how best to use the existing accommodation. Try:
Partitioning rooms so that siblings can still share but have some privacy. Glass brick walls are a trendy alternative to a stud partition. If an actual wall is out of the question, then partition with room dividers.
Sacrificing a little-used dining room or office to create a ground-floor bedroom. As no permanent changes have been made, it can revert back to its previous use in the future.
Reclaiming space from large rooms or wide landings. Can you create an extra room from an inefficient layout?
For more information, visit www.martinroberts.co.uk