Question:

On the top level of our 1956 4 level split we have 3 bedrooms and a small 4 piece bath. We want to figure out the best way to make the master larger but keep the 3 bedrooms for resale sake. We would like suggestions on this. The hallway has a very large linen closet that we could make much smaller. Thanks, Rhonda

Answer:

Rhonda It is very hard to answer this one without seeing where the walls are actually placed within your home. First recognize how much space you NEED to keep in each room. For example how much space do the smaller rooms need minimum. To do this look at the furniture, use and traffic needs. For instance a bed needs a side table beside with lighting to read and a path for access to the bed. Do this for each room and decide the minimum size you need for the functions you are looking for. You next step would be to identify which of the walls are supporting the attic. Then find all the 'dead' space or space that could be better used? For instance the hallway is necessary to get to the rooms, but is all necessary or could you reposition some of those doors to steal some space into one of the rooms. Another 'dead' zone is the space required for opening a door. Using a pocket door regains some of that space. Then look at the storage spaces and see if you can reclaim some space there by organizing your storage another way? Perhaps having some input from a professional organizer would help you to identify some solutions. Then the most expensive trick I have is to use a piece of graph paper and measure out the size of your floor area, then cut out the approximate size of your rooms and shift them around to see where you can re-allocate some space. The evaluate your findings, the effort of moving a wall (especially a supporting wall) to regain a few inches might not be worth it, but reshuffling a wall to improve the flow or storage of the room and regaining space might better justify the effort. I hope these tips help. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at 905-866-8358 or e-mail at erin@ezcreations.ca. Good Luck, Erin Zagar EZDimensions Renovation Consultant

Answered By: Erin Zagar

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