Having a spare bedroom in your new home can be an incredibly practical luxury. You can host friends, family, and out-of-town visitors whenever you’d like. But unless you have visitors regularly, it’s easy for a spare room to feel like wasted space just collecting dust.  


At K. Hovnanian® Homes, we believe your home should fit your life, not the other way around. Having the flexibility to create functional spaces in your home that reflect you and meet your needs is a huge part of that. 

That’s why here at K. Hovnanian we love our Extra Suite Plus, available as an included feature or an option in select home designs. These suites feature a bedroom, full bathroom and living space with an optional kitchenette and private entrance, making them a great option for multi-generational living, adult children or long-term guests.

We also offer an Extra Suite, which elevates the privacy and comfort of a typical guest bedroom or spare bedroom with an expansive bedroom and private en-suite bathroom. The spaciousness and features of these suites make them even easier to transform from a spare room into a space you’ll actually use regularly.  

TIP: You don’t have to lose the guest bed to create a space you’ll use often. With some clever furniture arrangements or pieces like Murphy beds, pull-out couches, lofted beds or daybeds, you can keep your spare room a functional guest room while also having essential space for yourself.  

So, Extra Suite Plus or not, let’s explore some of the endless possibilities to make the most of spare rooms in your home. 

The first question to ask is: What are you hoping your spare room can add to your home and life? 

1. Extra Balance 

Improve your work-life balance with a grand home office offering a sense of separation from your living space, where you can “clock in” at the start of your day and close the door at the end.  

With the Extra Suite Plus’ two rooms, you can set up a second workspace, creating dual offices or establishing a homework station for the kids! With the private bathroom, you can truly keep this space separate from your home’s main living space—consider it your own personal office bathroom.  

Here are some ideas for how you can make the most out of your home office with our Extra Suite Plus, or in your single-room spare room: 

  • Dual Offices: Have two people working from home? Set up one office and each room and close the door between them for extra privacy. You can open the door to visit each other at lunchtime!  
    • If you only have one space to work with, you can create privacy between workstations with room dividers, curtains, bookshelves or standing storage units. Or, embrace co-working by arranging your desks back-to-back, side-by-side or giving each desk its own corner or side of the room. 
  • Private Practice or Welcoming Clients: The private exterior entrance is perfect for running a business from home, since clients or customers won’t have to go through your home to enter your office. This means you don’t have to worry about keeping your home clean at all times, and can keep your personal life private and separate from work. You can even set up a waiting room in the Extra Suite Plus’ living space! 
    • If you only have one room, consider installing a private entrance to your home’s exterior. If that’s not possible—or it sounds like too much hassle—blocking off views into your home by adding room dividers or interior doors is a great way to keep a sense of privacy and professionalism as your client makes their way from your front door to your office.  
  • Storage for Your Online Store: If you run your own business from home and are constantly looking for places to store your inventory or packaging before your orders go out, worry no more! You can spread out across the two rooms to create a supply closet, packaging area, post office pile and desk area for reaching out to customers and designing your next hit product! 
    • For single-room home businesses, a clever storage solution is the name of the game. By utilizing any existing closet space and lining a wall with a simple shelving unit, you’re well on your way to being organized and compartmentalizing your workspace. To reduce visual clutter and keep your space feeling clean, try closed storage, such as shelving units with doors. 
  • Mini-Me Homework Space: If you need a space to work while your kids are home, but want to keep an eye on them and make sure they’re getting their schoolwork done, you can set up your office in the Extra Suite Plus’ bedroom and a homework zone in the living space. When you’re on a call, just close the door for some privacy.  
    • A homework corner can also be a great option if you have a single-room spare room. 

2. Extra Creativity 

Finally, space to get messy! Reignite your love for painting, throw some clay on a pottery wheel or give your old furniture or clothing a DIY makeover. Take your craft room to the next level with stations for everything from sewing to gift wrapping. This is another reason we’re huge fans of our Extra Suite Plus’ bathtub, shower and 1-2 sinks or spare rooms with connected en-suite bathrooms: you won’t need to track any dust, paint or dye into your living space.  

A designated creative space isn’t just for visual art. Here are some other ideas:  

  • Music Studio: Put up some acoustic panels, lay down some rugs and load in your favorite instruments 
  • Library & Writing Room: Fill the room with bookshelves, a cozy chair, warm-toned lamps and a desk 
  • Photo & Filmmaking Studio: Put up a backdrop, greenscreen or seamless, along with lights and camera equipment in one room to create your very own home set. Set up your computer, monitors and blackout curtains in the other to establish a quiet and dark space perfect for editing 

3. Extra Fun   

Have all the fun without compromising any living space. Let the kids create the playroom of their dreams, complete with a ball pit, an art station where they’re free to make a mess, a reading nook and a pillow fort that can stay up for weeks!  

But fun isn’t just for kids. Embrace your inner child with a game room for the ages. Score your favorite arcade games or host a billiards tournament in your pajamas. 

Life can get busy. Create a space just for family time, whatever that means to you, from a movie theater to a screen-free zone. Cultivate a hobby together, dedicate a table to board games and jigsaw puzzles, spend time together as you work and study or just kick back and relax.  

Here’s a suggestion for transforming your Extra Suite Plus into the ultimate fun zone:  

  • Opt for the kitchenette/wet bar in the living space and bring in a popcorn machine to create a movie theater-style drink & snack bar 
  • Then, set up your favorite games, like a foosball table, darts and PacMan in the living space for an exciting home arcade  
  • Transform the bedroom into a movie theater with soft armchairs or a comfy sectional and a projector screen or television. Hook up your favorite video game consoles for an unparalleled gaming experience. 

4. Extra “Me Time” 

Create a private retreat within your home. From a yoga studio or home gym to a hobby room displaying your favorite collectibles and memorabilia, leave everything else behind and enjoy a space that’s just for you. If your spare room features an en-suite bathroom like our Extra Suite Plus, you can even create your own personal locker room. 

Self-care is important. Find what recharges you by turning your spare room into one of these ideas or anything you can imagine:  

  • Yoga Studio 
  • Meditation Studio 
  • Home Gym 
  • Hobby Room 
  • Dance Studio (you can even install floor-to-ceiling mirrors, a barre and specialty flooring!) 
  • Home Spa 
  • Indoor Greenhouse 
  • Collectibles and Memorabilia Gallery 
  • Library 
  • Sewing Room 
  • Quiet Zone & Nap Room 
  • Walk-In Closet & Dressing Room 
  • “Man Cave” or “She Shed” 
  • The perfect place for large specialty equipment like treadmills, exercise bikes, saunas, and beyond! 

5. Extra Animals 

If pet parenting is one of your most important tasks, you may love the idea of turning your spare room into a pet paradise. Depending on what kind of pet you have, there are plenty of ways to approach a pet room. Here are some ideas: 

  • Cats: Install cat shelves, cat walks, cat trees, window perches and more to create a place they can climb, play, hide and relax in the sun. It’s also a great way to keep their litter box out of your living space — you can even find one that’s cleverly designed to also function as decor, such as a potted plant or cabinet to keep the room attractive and functional for other uses. 
  • Dogs: The perfect way to dedicate a spot to messy food and water bowls and give them a place to lounge, chew and play without getting fur and drool on your furniture  
  • Guinea Pigs, Hamsters, Reptiles, Amphibians & Fish: If you have multiple enclosures or aquariums, now there’s a perfect place to keep them all, without taking up living space or counter space. You’ll also have plenty of room to store their food, products to clean their tanks and more. 
  • Rabbits & Ferrets: Expand your pet’s enclosure by giving them an entire room to hop and play in. You won’t trip over obstacles or pet furniture in your living room and can keep food and clean-up contained to one spot. 

6. Extra Social 

Have a place dedicated to turning your hobby into a side-hustle or a career with the ultimate content creation space. Put together a backdrop and set up microphones and camera equipment for the perfect space to produce your podcast, YouTube videos, TikToks and beyond. The best part—you’ll never have to take down or set up your equipment again! 

Some examples of features that could turn your spare room into a studio tailored to content creation include:  

  • A table with multiple comfy chairs perfect for team meetings and podcast recording 
  • A desk for your computer setup and livestreams—don’t forget to style the wall behind you for the perfect backdrop! 
  • The perfect lighting to establish your brand and aesthetic, whether that’s strips of LED lights, ring lights, fairy lights, lamps, film lights or a combination of a few. 
  • A tripod for your phone or camera 
  • A comfy couch and a TV or projector to screen your content and make sure it’s ready to post 

7. Extra Hospitality 

Turn your spare room into a five-star retreat. Fill it with soft linens, tranquil colors and relaxing scents. Have an en-suite bathroom or private living space? Create a spa-like environment with comfy chairs, luxurious bath products and a tea station. Treat your guests to an opulent getaway—and when they’re not there, enjoy it yourself! 

If you love entertaining guests, turn your spare room into your own personal speakeasy, bar or lounge! With an Extra Suite Plus, you can opt to include the kitchenette/wet bar, making mixing up cocktails even easier.  

When you’re not hosting guests, you’ll love having a space like this:

  • Have a weekend staycation 
  • Use the room as a cozy and tranquil reading nook or a place to nap 
  • Take up mixology or homebrewing as a hobby 
  • A private space for virtual meetings, therapy sessions or telehealth calls 

8. Extra Independence 

College students visiting home, parents coming to stay and adults with disabilities or who are looking for extra support may be searching for the perfect balance between independence and togetherness. Setting up your spare bedroom with places to sleep, work, watch TV and enjoy a cup of coffee or a snack can be a great way to find that perfect blend.  

It also offers more ways for you to utilize that space when they aren’t there, such as: 

  • Home office 
  • Secondary TV/media room so everyone gets to watch what they want, when they want 
  • Extra storage 
  • Space to work out at home 

 Our Extra Suite Plus offers both an interior entrance and a private exterior entrance, plus an optional kitchenette, offering households the opportunity to choose what works for them and create their own space while staying close to loved ones. 

9. Extra Support 

They say it takes a village to raise children. Sometimes, it takes a village to be your best or take care of important people in your life. Setting aside space in your home for the people who make up that village can help. 

  • Tutoring or homeschooling room 
  • Bedroom for a live-in nanny, au pair or other household employee 
  • With our Extra Suite Plus, live-in household employees can essentially have their own private apartment within your home. 
  • Break room or extra workspace for household employees 
  • Bedroom or medical room for home health aides and nurses 
  • Office for personal assistants 
  • Beauty room for at-home hairstyling, makeup, massages and more 

10. Extra Income

Renting out your spare room as a temporary accommodation or as a long-term rental unit can help make homeownership affordable, especially if your spare room can function as a private apartment, like the Extra Suite Plus. 

When you rent out space within your home, you can:  

  • Offset mortgage payments 
  • Increase buying power, potentially affording a bigger home or more options and upgrades 
  • Supplement income 

Once you find a home you’re interested in and decide you want to explore renting out your spare room or in-home apartment, you can claim 75% of the approximate rental value—based on how much comparable units rent for in your area—as income on your mortgage application. With this additional income factored in, your mortgage assessment will reflect increased buying power. This means you may be approved for a larger loan than you would have otherwise, be able to afford a more spacious home, or purchase more options and upgrades in your new construction home, such as a grand fireplace or a finished basement. 

To become the landlord of a long-term rental unit in your own home, you’ll first need to check the laws and regulations of your state, county and HOA. For example, it’s likely that the main part of the home will need to be your primary residence. You may also need to make some renovations for the space to legally be considered a separate apartment, such as adding a kitchen or walling off any doors that connect into your home. 

If you’re interested in learning more about how renting out your Extra Suite Plus can bring some extra benefits when you buy a K. Hovnanian home, contact a K. Hovnanian® American Mortgage, L.L.C.™ account manager today. 

11. Extra Extras 

Liked more than one of these ideas? The best part is that you don’t have to choose just one!  

The best way to make the most of your spare room is to give it multiple uses. It can be a home office by day and a guest room by night or a yoga studio on one side and a playroom on the other. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination. 

We love that our Extra Suite Plus offers both a living room and bedroom space to convert, making it easier to mix-and-match to your heart’s content while offering separation between the two rooms and your main living space.  

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Whatever you’re hoping to add a little extra of to your home, spare rooms or Extra Suites are a great way to create a home that fits you.  

Want to Know More About K. Hovnanian Extra Suites & Extra Suite Plus?

Watch this video to learn more:

If you’re interested in our Extra Suite Plus, check out our blog post or home designs that offer it in your area. Many of our home designs also offer dedicated home offices or dens that you can make your own.

Looking for more? Contact us today and visit Khov.com to learn more, schedule a tour, and discover a new home you can make the most out of!

K. Hovnanian American Mortgage, L.L.C. 3601 Quantum Boulevard, Boynton Beach, FL 33426. NMLS #3259 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Licensed by Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions. Lic. #906585. ©2024 K. Hovnanian Arizona Operations, LLC; ROC 188563. ©2024 K. Hovnanian Arizona New GC, LLC; ROC 277023.  Licensed by California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Lic. #4130532. Licensed by Delaware Office of the State Bank Commissioner to engage in business in this State. Lic. #7864 Expiration 12/31/2024. Licensed by the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. Licensed by Florida Office of Financial Regulation. Licensed by the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance #22272.Licensed by the Maryland Office of the Commissioner of Financial Regulation. Licensed by New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. Licensed by Ohio Division of Financial Institutions. Lic. RM.850228.000. Licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. Licensed by South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions. Mortgage Banker Registration issued by Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending. Licensed by Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Financial Institutions Lic.#MC-2661. Licensed by the West Virginia Division of Financial Institutions. Illinois: For licensing information, go to www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Equal Housing Opportunity. 

Last Updated on December 10, 2024