One of the biggest complaints around is from people who feel cramped in their city and town houses. If you have no scope for expansion and are enclosed on all sides, you could be forgiven for sharing this view, but that’s no reason to despair. While you may have a small garden, you probably don’t want to encroach on one of the few green areas in the city but there is another way to add some extra space onto your house and it’s one that not many people think about. Cellar conversions are getting more popular as people start to realise that they can create extra space without extending the footprint of their existing home. What’s more, with modern technologies, cellars do not have to be the dark and damp places of old; instead they can become hives of creative energy or a relaxing, quiet place to sleep.
Creative Storage
One of the most common uses of cellar conversions is simply for easy access storage. You can store all kinds of things in your cellar and by converting it into a proper room; you are able to access everything easily. Another big plus point to this is that you can turn the space into a cosy little den as well. While the storage might take up a lot of the space, by putting a sofa down there and a television, you can create a great little space to hang out with friends and enjoy yourself. What’s more, as it is out of the way of the rest of the house, it’s a great place for the guys to go and watch the match with a beer: out of the way of the women, who can enjoy themselves elsewhere without the constant “ooh’s” and “aah’s” coming from the avid watchers.
Cellar conversions are also a great option if you are into the amateur arts. Whether you like to paint, draw or take photographs, a quiet and calm room out of the way of the rest of the house is a great place to relax and get those creative juices really flowing. While it is perfect for all creative types, writers too, cellar conversions can tap right into the spirit of the city and be used by the musically minded.
For individual performers or bands, a cellar offers the perfect studio to practice in. Out of the way of the rest of the house and easy to soundproof, the space can be transformed into that perfect place to enjoy making music. You’re never going to upset your neighbours with loud music again as you strum away in the wonderfully secluded space of your soundproofed cellar conversion.
There’s Far More to a Cellar than the Arts
While it is, of course, a great place for the creative arts, a cellar is also a secluded quiet place to just spend some time relaxing. If you want to get away from the world, it’s great to be able to get into the extremities of the house and a cellar offers you this. Whether watching television, playing games or reading a book, it offers you the perfect space to unwind in. It can also be turned into a guest bedroom for when those friends come over to stay.
Perhaps one of the more expensive options – one with a definite wow factor – is to turn this cellar conversion into your own private cinema. Complete with a projector and comfortable seats, you can really provide a space that will make your guests envious of your space and your home. Not only this, but you can cuddle up to watch your favourite movie in your own private cinema. That’s got to be a winner.
Where a cellar conversion differs from an extension is that you are converting something that already exists. By not changing the look of the house from outside, you’re not going to have many (or any) problems with planning permission, which is something you would need to pay close attention to with an extension. By utilising a space that already exists, you’re making full use of your assets, adding value to the house without potentially making an eyesore from the outside.
