When children temporarily move out, it creates a difficult situation in your home. You’ve probably had dreams for years about what you could do with a little more space, and now you can make them happen- but for only 8 months. Then, your child is probably coming home. These days, it’s unlikely that a young person will be able to afford living away from home during summer, and might even need to spend a few years under your roof after graduating. You can make use of their room, but you’ll need to be able to easily put it back the way it was. Here are some ideas:
- Home Office
The good thing about a home office is that you won’t need to fully empty the room. A home office does not require closet space, or all the floor space. If your child had a desk, chairs, or a sofa, you can make use of them in an office.
- Craft Room
Craft rooms take up a little more shelf space than offices, but usually less floor space. You might have to use the closet to store materials, but you can keep the bed around. In fact, you can use the space under the bed for additional storage.
- Man Cave/Ladies Parlour
Depending on your kid’s personal style, there will already be plenty of furniture and décor that will work as a hangout place. Since you paid for it originally, hopefully your child will be a good sport and let your use some of their cooler stuff while they’re away. Just move the bed and dresser out, bring in more chairs, some entertainment like a TV or a tea cart, and make it the new clubhouse for you and your friends.
- Personal Gym
This will be the most extreme change- everything but the closet has got to go. It isn’t safe to have a bunch of junk right by fitness equipment. However, this is one that’s easy to go without during the summer, when you can work out outside or in the garage.
- Storage Solution
No matter how you use the extra space, you will need to move stuff out. Your kid will probably be wanting it back at some point, so you can’t just throw it away. While you may be able to store it in your basement or attic, consider saving space by renting offsite storage.
