Living in the same home for many years offers a lot of benefits, but it's also something many people grow tired of. If your home does not function as well as you would like it to, have you considered remodeling it? Remodeling a home offers a way to gain a new look, and one option you might consider during this is opening up the home to create a more open concept. As you plan this project, here are several things to consider.

Many years ago, people built homes with many rooms, and most homes did not have an open concept. Life was different back then, which is why old homes have so many rooms. Each room had its own purpose, and people had needs then they no longer have today. Today, people prefer homes with open concepts for a number of reasons:

• To encourage socialization
• To make the space appear larger
• To have more space

Walls are great for hanging pictures, but they also take up space. With an open concept, you can communicate easier with your family members while doing different tasks, and an open concept offers a larger amount of space for social gatherings in your home.

To create an open concept in an existing home, a contractor must knock down walls and remove them from the home. Unfortunately, some walls in your home might be supportive walls, also called load-bearing walls. A supportive wall is one that cannot be removed, because it is holding up the ceiling and roof. Contractors can remove walls that are not supportive walls, though.

To begin the project, the contractor you hire will thoroughly analyze your home's structure, including the walls, room layout, and roof. After doing this, he or she will know what options you have to create an open concept in your home.  

Remodeling projects are often messy, time-consuming, and costly, but they are also well worth it, especially a project like this. The contractor that handles the project will have a lot of work to do when transforming your home into a house with an open concept, and the contractor will begin by creating a plan.