Homes seem to have been getting larger over the last few decades.
As the nation is starting to go more green and eco friendly, people are starting to analyze their homes to see if they actually need so much square footage.
Here are some of the most underutilized rooms in many homes.
Do you have these rooms in your home and do you actually use them?
photo courtesy of Mike Miley flickr.com/photos/mike_miley/4454880168/Formal Living Room
The formal living room is usually always tidy because it is only used for special guests.
If you are like most people, the majority of your guests are very good friends who automatically bypass the formal living room and go straight to the kitchen or family room.
A formal living room is a great place to entertain your boss or priest, but how often do they actually visit your home (if ever)?
Consider whether you might use that room for another purpose - perhaps a home office?
Formal Dining Room
How often do you use your formal dining room?
My guess is once or twice a year.
Yes, a home should accommodate a large group of people for dinner, but are both a breakfast room and dining room necessary?
Consider not using your breakfast room and only using your dining room.
You can turn your breakfast room into a keeping room and actually use your dining room for everyday meals.
You might want to turn your dining room into a library dining room.
Guest Room
How often do you have overnight guests, maybe once a month?
Consider having your children share a room when a guest visits and let the guest use your other child's room instead of having a guest room that is so rarely used.
A sleeper sofa is great for the rare overnight guest.
You can turn your guest bedroom into an office or a toy room for the kids.
Home Theater
How often do you actually go into your home theater to watch a movie on all of that expensive electronic equipment that you purchased?
Do you actually spend most of your time watching TV in bed after a hard day's work or in the family room or game room with the family?
Is the home theater actually worth the cost?
Consider turning your home theater into a toy room for the kids or a home office.
Summary
The next time you are looking to buy a new home, consider your lifestyle instead of what you think you want or what you have dreamed of having as a child.
Consider your entire home, including your backyard, when deciding how large of a home is right for your family.
