In today’s world, most people are quickly alerted to great opportunities for living and work. There can be a lot of competition for places to live in desirable destinations. The market for affordable housing in Utah can be especially tight right now, so if you’re on a budget, it can make sense to save on space with an eye towards expanding with home additions later on.
A growing demand for housing
According to statistics from the US Census Bureau, from 2016-2017 Utah lead all states for housing growth at slightly over 2%. Yet due to the influx of newcomers, the population continues to grow and supply is struggling to keep up with the demand.
People move here for various reasons. All across the state are beautiful parks and landscapes – some even visible right from your home. There’s access to the outdoors and a variety of winter sports, along with growth in job opportunities and diversity. This development leads to a rise in the costs of both rent and homeownership, which for a third of households accounts for at least 30% of income spending.
Pay for what you need
Building financial stability starts with spending less than you earn, but not all people are willing to cut costs when it comes to housing. American culture has ingrained in us the need for owning a house that reflects ourselves and our success – even if it costs more than we probably should be spending.
However, in order to make sound decisions with an eye towards the future, it may be that the best decision when it comes to housing would be buying small. Think about what you really need at the moment, and spend only what you need to cover that. Things may change in the future – you might be reassigned or otherwise have to move out of state, for example. And should you decide that you’ll need more space down the line, you can always remodel or add extensions.
Adding an attic for kids
If you do purchase a smaller home on a limited budget, one of the reasons you may later decide to remodel or expand your home would be raising kids. And adding an attic to your house – or converting an existing one – can be a great way to create space without external expansion of your floor plan.
In older houses, attics might not be associated with comfort or fun – in fact, sending a child to the attic might even be a form of punishment. But this can be changed simply by planning your attic specifically to be spacious, accessible, and fun.
There are a lot of inspired ideas online for child-friendly attic conversions. With good design, the attic can become their favorite place in the house. The slanted angles of the roof can impart a unique look to the room, and the height often offers an exciting view of the surrounding neighborhood.
You can paint the room in bold colors and really experiment with décor, since visitors aren’t going to see this part of the house. Well-placed windows can greatly increase the brightness and sense of space. And keeping furniture to a minimum, near the edges of the room, creates a wider floor area for children to mess around and play in – all without getting in anybody’s way.
Making use of your attic as a children’s bedroom or playroom doesn’t just save housing space, it can provide a creative and fun environment – and is something you only need to undertake when the time comes.