Buyers /On September 23, 2014

Are Vaulted Ceilings Right for Your Next Home?

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Are you thinking about buying your next home? Chances are you have a list of "must haves", and a list of "never agains". Vaulted ceilings are one of those features some love and some hate. Houzz.com came up with a list of pros and cons for this popular home feature to help you decide which side of the fence you are on. buying a home

Pro: They let the sun shine in. Sky-high ceilings can make way for plenty of glass. If a home faces south (north in Australia), this can be a wondrous thing. Warm in winter, cool in summer — a room like this is the place to be.

Con: On cold and cloudy days, the vast spaces created by vaulted ceilings can be difficult to heat.

Pro: They make a room far more interesting.

Con: If you like your bedroom to feel as cozy as a cocoon, the light and airy vibe a vaulted ceiling creates may make it not the right choice for you.

Pro: They give hot air somewhere to go. Planned well, vaulted ceilings can create an escape route for rising hot air.

Con: High ceilings can make a home less energy efficient in the cooler months, with heat tending to sit uncomfortably out of reach.

Pro: They can give a home serious rustic appeal. Natural timber, rough-hewn rafters, matching floors and window frames — all these factors can work together to add charm to any style of home. When there’s a fireplace added to the mix, it can be an unbeatable combination.

Con: Dusting fans and changing lightbulbs are more challenging chores when vaulted ceilings come into play.

Pro: They make the most of the roof space. Why have an empty roof cavity when you can create a vastly more interesting ceiling.

Con: Ceiling detail is commonly created at the time of building. If you like the idea of adding a vaulted ceiling to your existing home, employing the services of a structural engineer and an architect is a must. Insulation options will need to be carefully considered, too.

Pro: Exposed rafters can add real character. Vaulted ceilings give you the chance to make rafters a showstopping feature. Whether painted or left in their natural state, rafters can take a room from drab to flat-out fab.

Con: Soaring ceilings can make living spaces feel less warm and intimate. Strategies to visually lower the height of a ceiling will be necessary to avoid this — tall wall hangings or window treatments and low-hanging pendants are two such tricks of the trade.

Pro: They’re a great backdrop for dramatic lighting. Oversize pendant lighting can turn a room from forgettable to spectacular, and a vaulted ceiling makes it easy to suspend just about any design.

Con: Big lighting may not be your thing, but without it vaulted ceilings can appear too high for comfort.

Are you looking to start the home buying process? Email us at concierge@lizmoore.com, we'd love to help! Or, click below to download our free Home Buyer's Handbook.

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Lynnette Tully

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Liz Moore & Associates is a boutique real estate agency renowned for having the region's top agents, with extensive market knowledge and local expertise that is only achieved through relentless training coupled with Liz's extremely high standards for professionalism. When you're buying or selling a home, experience matters.