Especially during this time of COVID-19 and social distancing, many people are longing for community in ways they never have before. With a vaccine on the horizon, however, it might be the ideal time to start thinking about starting your own community center and providing a space for people from a specific group to congregate and share in each other’s camaraderie. Whether you’re looking to create a community center for senior citizens or are interested in providing a safe place for youth to gather together after school, there are plenty of options available to you. The only thing holding you back might be finding the right space to serve as your community center.
Buildings are integral to building a community in a meaningful way because they’re a place where people from different backgrounds and geographic areas can come together in physical space. That being said, if you start to think outside the box, you may be surprised with how easy it is to outfit an existing building for the purpose of creating and launching your own community center. Just like you can renovate your kitchen on a budget, it’s possible to perform some simple renovations in order to transform an existing home into a community center. Best of all, when you convert a home into a community center, you can continue to hire residential contractors to help you get the job done, instead of having to rely on commercial contractors and additional red tape. Read on for a few tips and tricks when it comes to turning a home into a community center.
Plan for function before you start remodeling.
One of the first things you should think about before you start knocking down walls or changing layouts in the residential property you plan on converting to a community center is to determine what the focus of your newly-remodeled building is going to be. When you’re wanting to stretch your budget, it’s important that you’re able to prioritize the elements of your remodel that achieve your goals. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re thinking about color schemes and finishes, so going beyond style to consider function is crucial as you retrofit a home to serve new needs.
For example, if you’re planning on running youth programs with a Christian slant, it’s a good idea to have your home appropriately outfitted for hosting Vacation Bible School over the summer. In addition to picking up the right supplies for this summer’s theme, you’ll want to make sure that other aspects of the home are childproofed, too. Having secure locks on the windows and updated electrical wiring with outlet covers is just as important as picking up your Rocky Railway VBS t-shirts and starter kit.
Don’t forget to maintain the exterior of the property, too!
While the interior remodeling work will likely take priority as you work to find a floorplan that’s safe and functional, it’s just as important to focus on the exterior of your home, too. Just like with any other house, the exterior siding and roofing have an important role to play in protecting what’s inside your house, whether you’re living there or conducting programs for the community. If you’re running a community center in a specific geographic region, you’ll want to look for a local contractor with experience identifying and handling the most common roofing problems in your area.
That might mean heading to Google and searching for “Alexandria roofing companies” or roofing companies in whatever city your home is. Whether you’re looking to install more durable shingles or are just trying to get your roof inspected, choosing the right company can make a big difference in the sorts of costs and upkeep you can expect for your community center moving forward.