Some American homes can be particularly small, especially when you have a big family. These homes can be problematic, especially during the pandemic when social distancing is a must, even in your homes. You must start building more space inside and outside your home for this very reason.

The Open Floor Plan

The main problem with the average American home is that there are so many walls. Understandably, these walls are meant to create a sense of privacy in your home. However, it doesn’t make any sense when they cover social areas like the living room, dining room, and kitchen. The partition walls in these areas don’t make any sense because they are usually located close to one another, making the walls more hindered when passing these areas. This is why the open floor plan was created.

The open floor plan was invented during the 1950s. It was a time when homes were meant to accommodate high population densities in the US. It was also a time when more people have learned to mingle with one another in their homes. Certain architects have found that traditional homes have too many partition walls within them. Some of these walls serve little to no purpose at all. In future homes, they started to remove these walls and gave more freedom for foot traffic in open floor plans.

You don’t necessarily need to remove all the walls in your home to open up more space. The only places you need to remove partition walls are your home’s social areas, like the living room. You are meant to connect these social places to make a larger room with better foot traffic. But be careful doing this because some walls are load-bearing walls. Taking down load-bearing walls can lead to disasters.

Furthermore, if your home relies on load-bearing walls, then you’re going to need a support beam. You can build support beams if you have the equipment for it. But these can be industrial-grade equipment because you’re going to need a precision laser to cut through the metal and shape it. In most cases, it’s better to buy a support beam at a hardware store. These support beams can ensure that your home stays intact once you’ve transitioned to an open floor plan.

If you’re planning to have this kind of floor plan in your home, then you should get a contractor to do it for you. Contractors will know which walls are load-bearing and which ones are not. They will also know how to install support beams if you need them.

The Backyard

The best place to add more space into your home is in the backyard. Backyards in most American homes tend to have space and grass. There are no utilities or amenities you can use. Thankfully, you’re free to add whatever you want in your backyard to spruce it up a bit.

Garden

A garden is one of the best things you can build in your backyard. Not only it adds more space, but it also adds some life to your home. You’re going to need some landscaping expertise to start your own backyard. However, if your backyard has already been landscaped, all you need is to plant seeds and grow your own plants. It’s also ideal for building a greenhouse, but it might take up too much space, so an open garden is better if you want more room in your home.

Patios

Patios are the next great social space in your home, next to your living room. These are simple social areas that you can utilize to have a big family or friends coming to your home. They are also reasonably simple to build. All you need is to excavate a particular area in your backyard, put some paving stones and cement, and you’re technically done! You can bring some furniture to furnish your patio so it will be more comfortable for your guest. With the space you have in your backyard, it’s also much easier to practice social distancing during small gatherings.

Utilizing the Garage

Another spacious area in your home is the garage. The garage can be used for various spaces and is there whenever you need it. It can be renovated into a gym, a fancy dining room, or even a playroom for your kids. Just remove your car and tools, park them on your driveway, and you have the space you need. When you’re done using it, you can drive your car back into your garage.

Here are some ways you can open up some space in your home. These renovation ideas are relatively simple to do and do not require too much of your time.