FEEL LIKE KNOCKING DOWN WALLS?

Have you ever felt like knocking down some walls to make more room in your small and tight living space? We have all been there before, smh. . .

Families grow, careers change and unexpected life events can cause you to realize that you’re running out of room in your home. The situation you were in when you purchased your "starter home" may have drastically changed, no longer making your space comfortable or compatible for your current needs. Whatever your unique situation is, you may currently be realizing that you’ve outgrown your home and need to upgrade for more space for you or your family.

i’ve got your back with personal and professional insights as I have been on both ends as a homebuyuer and as a Realtor. We found ourselves outgrowing our home and this led to many determining factors that influenced us to upsize our space. (Not to mention my number was $210,000 as a renter; my last blog: "Whats your number?")

Running Out of Room

The most obvious indicator that you’ve outgrown your home is the realization that you simply need more space. The “starter home” that you moved into as a single person or newlywed might be getting a little tight as time goes on.

More Kids than Bedrooms

Perhaps your home was ideal for a single person or small family, but now you have more kids than your bedrooms can comfortably hold. Not to mention, you may find yourself tripping over toys and sports equipment because you’ve run out of storage space.

Furniture Fiasco

Toys might not be the only things you’re tripping over. How many times have you stubbed your toe on a piece of furniture or bumped your hip into the corner of your counter?

Additionally, over the years you may have stuffed furniture or other miscellaneous items into storage and find yourself running out of storage space.

Are You Not Entertained?

You may also want to entertain friends and family at parties or during the holidays but realize that you lack the space for larger events and adequate seating. Families are constantly growing with new relationships and new children. If Thanksgiving is already a tight squeeze and you prioritize entertaining, you may need a new venue.

Unexpected Family Factors

In addition to the lack of space, there are some unplanned events that might occur in your life that would require more space.

Aging Relatives

You may have aging parents or other relatives who need health assistance and might not have the financial means to age in their own time ensuring that they might need to move in with family members.

Should you experience this, you’ll not only need to make room for the person or people, but any necessary medical equipment or specialized furniture they may need, and your home may need to include wheelchair accessibility.

Personal Factors

You may also have personal reasons to move to a new home that aren’t based on size.

Long Commutes

If your area is booming or you’ve experienced a recent career change, your commute to work might be a few more miles or minutes than you’d like it to be. This can add up on your car, financially and physically, and you may not want to rack up a hefty gas or maintenance bill on your automobile.

Not Knowing Your Neighbors

There might come a day when you look around your neighborhood and realize you don’t know any of your neighbors, which might have a few different effects on your level of comfort. You may want more people around in similar situations – you might want (or already have) children and are looking for a kid-friendly environment.

You’re Never Home

If you enjoy the city but live in the country, you may want to make the move to somewhere more your speed. On the contrary, you may want peace and quiet and the sounds of horns honking and music blaring might get to you over time.

If you find that you’re rarely home, consider the locations where you spend the bulk of your time. Perhaps you want to live closer to work or your favorite nighttime scene? If you have kids, you might want to live closer to their schools.

Consider these personal factors when thinking of your current home. If you find your current location doesn’t mesh with your lifestyle or needs, it might be time to move.

You’ve Outgrown Your Home, Now What?

If your home starts to feel crowded, I advise you to act quickly you don’t want to move when you can’t bear it any longer.

A new home might require compromises, like moving to a new neighborhood, having a longer commute to work or moving to a new school district.

The bottom line is, don’t be afraid to educate yourself on what is on the market. Talk to me, a licensed REALTOR® and to a lender to understand what you can afford.

Have you come to the realization that you’ve outgrown your current home?

If you’d prefer to talk over the phone, call me @ 909.327.1135

Have you moved to a larger home? What were the factors you noticed that led you to decide to upsize your space? Let us know in the comments!