REAL ESTATE TIPS: Consider converting space before making big change
In April, Andy and I decided to do something we had never done before. We bought all of the groceries we needed for the next month for our family in one trip. The result was two very full – actually overflowing – carts. That’s what happens when you have a big family and decide to try a bunch of new recipes for our Staycation since our April Disney World trip was canceled.
Our plan was great and I loved not making trips to the store to pick up a few things here and there but there was one little issue. We had never bought so many groceries before and we had to find a place to put everything. We had to reconfigure our house.
One of the things I had to have when we added first floor laundry to our house was a counter with four cubbies for the boys clean clothes to go after they came out of the dryer. The shelf above the cubbies was where I kept laundry detergent, extra paper products and the odd sock container that most households in the U.S. probably have – until this space became our pantry. We even renamed it “the pantry” and have called it that since. “Can I have something from the pantry?” “So and So keeps taking some from the pantry.” You get the idea.
But yesterday the pantry disappeared. Why? With the pantry came a critter. Not the mouse kind but the scratching inside your wall kind. My husband was quickly able to discover where the critter was entering into our home. He suspects that the critter (TBD yet what the critter actually is) might have been enticed by all of the yummy food smells coming from “The Pantry.” I mean, who isn’t enticed by chips, cereal, poptarts, cookies, buns and more. So just like that, I packed up the food, moved it into the kitchen and our makeshift pantry disappeared.
My question is are there times when you just need a temporary conversion instead of an entirely different house? Sometimes the idea of moving can seem exciting because of an immediate need, like more cupboard space. And maybe moving or adding an addition to your home is the answer. But let’s talk about it for a minute. My need for a pantry was a definite and immediate need. But it was temporary. I no longer have that need. And, while it was important to me, it was not a major need that would cause me to sell my home and move. If I would have told you that we are selling our house because I need a pantry, you would have thought that I was crazy!
Other times though there is a need, even if it not a forever need, that does warrant a major change. I have dear friends who recently added onto their home to accommodate an aging parent. The addition served their family well, they have increased the value of their home and now have options for any other scenarios where that additional square footage might be needed. They made a wise decision in adding onto their home to meet their major need.
There are times that an addition or a move are definitely warranted like in the case of my friends. At other times, as in our need for food storage, a simple shifting of the way we use space, might be the best thing to do.
If you are moving because of what might be a temporary minor thing, like a pantry, just take the time to think it through. Is a move into a new house the best option or is perhaps utilizing your space differently for a season the best way to go?
If you aren’t sure what the best solution is, contact me and I can help guide you through the process. Sometimes another set of eyes or another person to bounce an idea off of is all that it takes for clarity.
I hope that you are doing well and I hope that you have a great week!
Esta Ryder, Realtor
President’s Club
Ryder Realty, LLC
estaryder@gmail.com
330-317-6912
