How to Renovate a Ranch Home to Make It Bigger

Enclosed Porch or Patio

• 1

  Turn a porch or patio into a room. Frame the spaces in between the porch posts with wood. Attach framing to the posts and finish the inside of the frame with plywood.

• 2

  Add at least one window. Add a door if the porch is in the front and was the main entryway to the house.

• 3

  Install insulation to the plywood by unrolling fiberglass sheets. Finish the walls with sheetrock and texturizing. If you want the room to be included in the livable square footage of the home, a heating source needs to be added.

Attic Renovation

• 4

  Measure the square footage in the attic that has at least 7 feet of headspace. That's enough to comfortably stand up, although most standard ceilings are at least 8 feet tall. If you have at least 100 square feet of space that has headspace of 7 feet or more, you have room for an addition.

• 5

  Nail plywood to the underside of the attic roofing, if it's not finished, to cover exposed insulation and support beams.

• 6

  Finish the floor of the attic, which is actually the topside of the interior ceiling, with plywood laid over a frame of solid wood beams.

• 7

  Add windows for ventilation and lighting.

Finish the Basement

• 8

  Inspect the basement walls and floors for any water leakage or dampness. If they're dry and the house isn't prone to flooding, finish the basement with paneling and appropriate flooring.

• 9

  Finish any dirt floors by pouring concrete. Lay tile or carpeting over the concrete.

• 10

  Install tract lighting around the ceiling. Some basements have windows installed at ground level. If yours doesn't, mimic the look of windows by installing lighting at the top of the ceiling and frosted glass panels over the lighting.

Creative Spaces

• 11

  Look for space that isn't being used productively. Create storage space in the kitchen by installing cabinets to the ceiling for items that are only used occasionally

• 12

  Take out sheetrock walls in the bathroom and install narrow shelves into between the studs.

• 13

  Convert a closet into an office by removing the door. Look for spaces underneath stairwells to create additional storage space.