When you first move into your new or renovated home, you wonder how you are going to fill up the large, empty space. Pretty soon life takes over — and before you know it, you are wondering where all of that space went.

If you find yourself struggling to find room to store everything you’ve accumulated over the years, see if these storage options might work for you.

Before you invest a lot of time deciding where things should go, look through your closet, files and drawers to determine what can be thrown or given away. For clothes, it is a good rule of thumb to get rid of items that you have not worn in more than 12 months.

A lot of your household financial documents and papers may be available online through the provider company’s website. If that is the case, discard old financial statements or bills that you can more easily access electronically. Invest in a paper shredder for these documents to protect your identity and accounts.

It is very easy to allow cabinets and drawers to become cluttered over time, especially when you have to do a quick cleaning of your home when you have surprise visitors. Declutter those drawers periodically to keep from accumulating outdated flyers, menus, magazines and newspapers. This will open them up so you can store more day-to-day items that you need to quickly reach.

If you are looking to replace old, worn-out furniture in your home, buy pieces that also can serve as storage. Consider a coffee table that has drawers or an ottoman that can open up and double as a spot to store your blankets.

In closets and in the kitchen,use all of the space that is available to you. Often home owners are giving up valuable square footage if they don’t install cabinets or shelves that go up to the ceiling.  Store items that are either out of season or that are rarely accessed — such as holiday decorations — on the higher shelves where they are out of the way. This will free up the lower shelves to allow you to get to the things that you use on a regular basis.

Bed risers can be found in home design and improvement stores in different shapes, styles, textures and colors to complement your current bedroom furniture. They are inexpensive and not only give you added storage space, but will also give your bedroom a new look. By simply raising the height of your bed a few more inches, you can gain a lot more storage space that is also hidden away.

The ranch home has long been a symbol for American suburban expansion and represents a period of economic growth after WWII. Young soldiers were home, starting families, and looking for housing.  The ranch provided an affordable entry into suburbia and became a staple in the architectural landscape of America.  The humble ranch had a lot going for it, an open floor plan, large building lots, access to yards, an affordable price tag, and typically well built.

For Atlantans, these ranches built in the 1950s are often found in desirable neighborhoods that have grown and changed around the ranch.  The large lot remains and can provide a fantastic setting to build upon.  The simple structures of the first floor of a ranch makes an easy “foundation” for a future two story home so many growing families now desire.  The neutral nature of the ranch is another selling point for renovation.  This blank palette can become a stately Tudor, traditional Georgian, or contemporary stunner. At Home ReBuilders, we have designed and built them all and have helped clients take their basic ranch in a beloved neighborhood, and turn it into the home of their dreams-whatever the style may be.

If you are thinking of adding to your family, or just need some more room to grow, consider adding up on your ranch home. It is economical and proves to be one of the best returns on renovation investments of any project we know. By adding up on the home, you keep the first floor structure, basement, landscaping and hardscapes. Even if we take the existing ranch down to the first floor, the saving in a ranch conversion verse removing the home completely and building new is substantial, typically at least $100k. This can go a long way towards furniture, the kitchen and baths or college. So if you own a ranch or are perhaps looking to buy one, remember this style has a lot going for it!

If you would like to explore your ranch conversion in more detail, please call Bill Bartlett at 404-876-3000.

Spring may seem like a long way off but in Atlanta the temperatures tend to rise overnight. Soon we’ll be in the thick of one of the South’s loveliest seasons. No one does springtime quite like Atlanta and a screened porch can be just the place to enjoy it. Of all the many projects we do at Home ReBuilders, screened porches are one of our favorites. Atlanta’s mild climate (and plentiful bugs), make a screened porch a valuable addition to any home. Some porches can be extensions of the front entry making a welcoming spot to watch the neighborhood and greet friends. Other porches provide a location to catch a football game on a flat screen TV or enjoy the warmth of an outdoor fireplace. If you are thinking about adding a porch onto your home, now is the time to start the process to get you into that space for spring. Our design phase begins with a site visit to measure your existing home, document all current materials, observe the style of your home and neighborhood character. We talk to you about how you hope to use the space, what type of furniture and seating you may want to use and how you envision the exterior to look. Some factors to consider when thinking about a porch addition concern the current style of your home. Is your roof pitch in the style of a peaked Tudor home? Are Craftsman elements existing on your exterior facade? When adding an exterior element to your home, consider the style and how to capitalize and improve on it. At Home ReBuilders we think a lot about these details. Exposed rafters, bead board ceilings, timber framing, and custom brackets are all details we can employ to create a thoughtful addition to your home. The list of material choices and selections can be infinite in deck repair and construction, from salvaged brick flooring installed in a herringbone pattern, painted wood deck flooring, or fieldstone on to the type of screen material to be used. After the design phase, we can move through to obtaining the proper permits and then start breaking ground. A good timeline to keep in mind is 3-6 weeks to get a project through the design phase and Atlanta permitting typically runs about 4 weeks. So in about a two months, ground can be broken for that new screened porch!