Make The Most Of A Spare Room

reading room. Get The Most Out Of Your Spare Room

Most guest rooms lie unused most of the time, so why not turn yours into a multi-purpose space that's still practical for overnight visitors? It could even show potential buyers how versatile your home is...

music room. How To Get The Most Out Of Your Spare Room

Decide What You Need

Leaving a room unused - whether it's a spare bedroom, a dining room or box room - is a real sin in these times of high property prices (despite the slump). Most of us have a room that's little used - or not used well, so why not transform the whole family's life by rethinking it? The trickiest thing is to decide how to use it. It might be best as part office, part spare room, or part music and sitting room, like this one, or part spare bedroom and home gym. You needn't spend a fortune to fit it out - it's just a case of reworking the floor space, getting the right furniture and good storage.

Do You Need A Home Office?

More and more of us are turning a little-used room into a home office, and rightly so. They're popular with buyers, especially if the room is too tiny to be a useful bedroom. Chris Brown, Vice President of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) says, 'Our research shows that a growing number of people are now working from home, so a home office will have a broad appeal.'

home office. How To Get The Most Out Of Your Spare Room

The Home Office Must Haves

You don't need a big room to make a home office work - much depends on how much storage you need to hand. If you have little paperwork and reference documents, you'll need little more than a desk space. Here's what else to consider:

Get a phone line connected to the room to access the internet.
Home offices benefit from clean, subdued colours to create a professional atmosphere. Pale yellow stimulates quick thinking and white always looks smart in busy areas.

A desk and chair are obvious essentials, but include plenty of storage for files and bills. Hanging shelves, rather than a filing cabinet, will make more room for a sofa bed.
Alternatively, look for a desk or set of shelves that converts into a bed. The Wallbed Workshop have a good range.
If you go for a regular desk, positioning it near the window will not only use up what is often dead space, it will also give you something to look at while giving your eyes a break from the screen.

All the room will need is a lick of paint, with most of the budget going on furniture, so the switch to home office could cost as little as £250.