Having a large home is a luxury that most people aspire to obtain. However, we live in a time of economic uncertainty where buying or upgrading to a larger home is not an option for most Americans. Having the home of your dreams maybe have to be put on hold, but don’t feel stuck in your current living situation. Chances are your home is a suitable size for your needs; you just need to take some manageable steps to make it feel larger. Here are few tips for creating the feel of having more space without the cost of adding a new room or buying a new house.

One factor that determines how large a home feels the “diagonal view”, or the line of vision that extends from one corner of the house to another. The farther that your eye can see inside a house, the larger that house will feel. A house can have a lot of square footage, but if every room is divided by walls that limit your line of vision the house will feel small. Removing a wall, widening an entrance, or cutting a window in a wall to connect two rooms can go a long way in creating the illusion of having more space.

A more inexpensive option to create more space is removing clutter around the house. Piles of unneeded and used items lining walls or sitting in corners quickly make a room feel crowded and small. Unnecessary furniture and wall-hangings can have the same effect. Keeping a clean, uncluttered home works wonders in creating the illusion of more space.

Furniture takes up the most space in a home and should therefore be given the most thought to make sure you don’t waste space. When choosing furniture try to put larger pieces along the wall to maximize space in the center of the room. Eliminate furniture that is not functional or is simply collecting dust.  Consider hanging your TV on the wall instead of adding an extra piece of furniture to set it on.

Paint your walls with lighter colors. Dark colors make a room feel small and cozy. Using a cream or other light color will open up a room and give the feeling of more space. Using natural light to brighten rooms also gives the feel of more space. Skip the extra costs involved in moving to a new house and make the house you’ve got feel larger.

Guest author Derek Dasher writes for http://www.topalarmsystem.com.                        Derek enjoys writing about home improvement and design