How to Make Room to Enjoy Your Hobbies at Home

When looking for a new home, it's always a major selling point if there's space for your hobbies. Whether it's painting, crafting, music, fixing old cars, or something else, it's important to have an area of the house specifically outfitted for the activities that relax and engage you. Our REALTORS® can help you find a house with the perfect space for your hobby. Outfitting it for your specific needs is up to you. Here are a few tips.

• Choosing the Right Room. Which room in the house best fits your hobby? How much room do you need for what you do? Will it require a large room, or could you designate a small nook as your hobby space? Do you need a well-ventilated area? Do you want a window, or will that be a distraction? Your space is the garage for car-related hobbies, but how much of the garage? Do you plan to use the entire area, or will there be room to park there when you're not working? These questions must be considered when staking out a space for your hobby.
  
  
• Shelving and Storage. You'll need space in your hobby room for your tools of the trade. If you're crafting, you'll want shelves for easy access to scissors, paint, yarn, glue guns, etc. If you've got a music room, you may want to install hooks to mount and display certain instruments on the wall. You'll need sturdier metal shelves to hold toolboxes and other heavy-duty items if you're working on cars. Whatever your hobby is, take inventory of what tools you have. Think about how you want to store/display them and calculate how much room you need. Consider access, too. Tools you use frequently should be placed within easy reach, while tools you don't use as often or only use seasonally can be placed on the higher or more out-of-the-way shelves. Finally, when installing shelves or hooks or whatever you decide on, include a few extra to leave room for your hobby to grow and expand over time.
  
  
• Flooring. The type of floor in a room can significantly impact the activities you do there, so this can be a factor in choosing what room you use for your hobby—or you may decide to install a whole new floor to suit your needs. If you're working with paint, glue, or other messy substances, consider a vinyl floor, as it's waterproof and easy to clean. If you want a place to display your art, consider a hardwood floor, which lends a classy aesthetic and more elegant atmosphere. For a music room, cork laminate flooring is great for sound dampening and shock absorbing. For mechanics, your garage floor should be given a protective coating like epoxy, making cleaning up oil and other spills easier.
  
  
• Soundproofing. Not all hobbies require this, but it can be vital for some. If your hobby involves a lot of noise, you should look into soundproofing, in consideration of the other members of your household, as well as your neighbors. Foam soundproofing panels are relatively inexpensive and fairly easy to install. If you have a band, you might also consider a glass panel enclosure that keeps the music contained.

Your home is your sanctuary, and with a little work, you can turn it into everything you've ever dreamed of. Contact us if you're ready to find Nassau County homes for sale or Suffolk County homes for sale. We'll help you find the best home to meet your needs.