7 Considerations When Renovating Your Home to Accommodate a Bigger Family

“As we evolve our homes should too.” – Suzanne Tucker (Interior Designer)

As a family grows, the hallway becomes an accident-prone highway with people bumping into each other all the time. The kitchen becomes a hot-spring sauna in summer. And in the mornings, the bathroom becomes more of a combat zone.

When the walls of the rooms seem like they’re closing in, it’s time to stretch the house from its foundations.

In this article, I’ll list some things to consider as you think about renovating your home. The following sections prepare you for before, during, and after the entire renovation process.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Living in a small house can become difficult for a growing family.
• Renovating the house to accommodate a bigger family can be really beneficial.
• Decide the budget, timeframe, whether to go DIY or hire pros, and where to live while the renovation happens. 
• Pick the areas that need major changes and permits required; always go for durable materials.

1. Decide Whether to DIY or Hire the Pros

Many people are moving to fixing things DIY: stripping wallpaper, painting the spare room, or maybe putting up some basic shelving. It not only saves you some dollars but fills you with a sense of achievement as well.

But renovating to house a big family requires big changes. Knocking out walls to create an open-plan living space or adding a second floor. Thus, hiring professionals for the task is the best way forward. 

Beyond issues of safety and durability, there are other reasons to hire the building experts. If you’re down South, for instance, working with Mosgiel builders means you’ll work with experts who understand the local conditions and specific quirks of Otago homes. They can ensure your extension isn’t just a tack-on, but adds genuine value to your property. Having a pro on-site also means the tricky stuff, like weather-tightness and structural integrity, is handled correctly. 

2. Identify Which Areas Actually Need the Work

Ok, the house seems small, but what are the exact problems that you’re facing? You may think about broadening the boundaries, but the problem might be lying in the floor plan. Before you commit to a big change, spend a week noticing where the traffic jams happen or what you really need. 

Also, take a good, hard look at the boring stuff. There’s no point putting a shiny new master ensuite onto a house that needs a total reroof or has dodgy foundations. You can get the help of a builder or a building inspector to give the whole place a once-over and steer you in the right direction. 

3. Select Materials That Will Last

Big families wear out the home materials faster. 

Softwood floors looking stunning in a magazine? Let your kids slide across them in plastic trucks, and they’ll start looking sad and faded within a month. In other words, your house might need to work twice as hard for a bigger family. You need to think about durability and ease of cleaning when choosing materials. Hard-wearing laminates, high-quality engineered stones for the kitchen, and paints that can be wiped down without the colour coming off are some great examples. These materials serve you, not the other way around.

4. Evaluate Your Actual Budget

Can your budget accommodate your renovation dreams? Only a professional would be able to answer that confidently. Maybe prioritizing just a few things now would be prudent. A smaller, high-quality renovation is always better than a large, cheaply finished one.

Still, it’s better to be honest with yourself about what you can afford and then tuck away about a 10 to 15% contingency fund. Don’t think of this as extra money for a fancier bathtub. It’s your safety net for those unavoidable surprises, like when you open up a wall and find rotted frames or the plumbing required in more areas than the plans said it was. 

The following infographic educates you on budgeting for renovation with your contractor:

5. Add a Buffer to Your Timeline

Home renovations take time, mostly more than expected. Builder’s three months are actually four months. It’s not necessarily that they’re being slow. It’s that council inspections take time, materials delivery can get delayed, and sometimes the weather just doesn’t play nice. If you’re planning a renovation around a specific life event, like a new baby arriving or the start of a school year, give your timeline a massive buffer. 

6. Determine Which Consents and Permits are Required

Every country has some regulations regarding construction and renovations. You usually need a permit for specific changes you make to a property. Mostly, the following renovations need local council approval: 

• Structural changes
• Plumbing shifts
• Significant deck heights 

Don’t be tempted to skip this. If you sell the house years later and you don’t have a Code Compliance Certificate (CCC) for that extra bedroom, you’re going to have a massive headache. 

Fortunately, professional builders are usually experts at navigating the council portal and can help ensure everything is above board. 

7. Prepare for the Impact on Your Daily Routine

Where do you plan to live while the home is renovated? Living in the same house means:

• Dust in your cereal
• Strangers in your house while you’re still in your dressing gown
• Days when you won’t be able to use your kitchen or bathroom

If you have kids or pets, rent out for a few months. If staying put is the only option, set up a safe zone that’s completely dust-free and construction-free where the family can retreat to when it all becomes too much. 

Ready to Renovate?

As you read, renovating for a bigger family is difficult and necessary at the same time. Adding more space might broaden the scope of happier memories in the future. With a bit of realistic planning, a solid budget, and the right team behind you, you can turn that squeezed-in box into a home that accommodates your growing family.

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