Tips for Turning Your Attic into a Usable Area
- Get a Professional to Check for Potential Issues The first step is to ensure you can legally and safely convert your attic. There are numerous considerations here. ...
- Declutter the Area First ...
- Add Heating and Cooling Options for Comfort ...
- Finish Off the Space ...
- Clean Out Your Attic. ...
- Wire the Attic for Electricity. ...
- Build a Subfloor. ...
- Insulate Your Attic. ...
- Install Drywall and Ceiling. ...
- Paint Attic Ceiling and Walls. ...
- Choose and Install Attic Flooring.
How to turn your home attic into a living space?
Turning your attic into a livable area
- Wire your attic for electricity. While this isn’t an extensive project, you will need to hire a professional to help you out and get this one out of the way.
- Strengthen the attic’s floors. ...
- Insulate the attic. ...
- Install plumbing. ...
- Get proper lighting. ...
- Paint the walls and ceiling. ...
- Add furniture, appliances & décor elements. ...
- Last but not least…. ...
How to convert your attic into a loft?
But you also need to take into consideration other factors:
- Researching and planning your loft conversion
- Finding a reputable company to carry out the conversion for you
- Hiring an architect to draw up plans
- Applying for planning permission and going through the application process
Should I convert my garage into living space?
For the most part, experts agree that converting your garage into living space does not add value to your home. This isn’t always the case; it depends on where you live. And if you’re planning to sell your home within three to five years, a garage conversion is usually not a good idea.
How to transform the garage into a living space?
How to turn your garage into an office or living space
- Think differently. Do you feel like your house is not quite big enough, but an extension seems too pricey? ...
- Class act. ...
- Ground control. ...
- Hit the walls. ...
- Let there be light! ...
- Power and a shower. ...
- Start your home office project
How much does it cost to turn attic into storage?
Finishing an attic to use as a storage space can cost as little as $4,600 for a basic setup in a small attic. Larger attics and more elaborate storage spaces can cost up to $18,900. Adding simple closet organizers, which are popular and practical for smaller spaces, costs between $900 and $2,500.
Is it worth it to convert attic into room?
The basics of an attic renovation According to the 2019 National Association of Realtors Remodeling Impact Report, by converting an attic to a living space—we're talking bedrooms, home offices, and playrooms, for example—homeowners can expect to recoup 56 percent of that investment.
Can I turn my attic into a bonus room?
If your home already has a great master, or if your attic space is more modest, you can still convert even a small attic into an extra bedroom or a half bath. According to Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report, a master suite addition recoups more than 64 percent of its cost when you resell the home.
Can I use my attic space for storage?
While attics can be turned into makeshift storage units, most of them are not suited for large, heavy objects such as furniture or temperature-sensitive items like electronics or documents. Always choose the right storage space for the right item in order to avoid any headaches later on.
Do you need permission to convert an attic?
If you are only carrying out internal works, planning permission is most likely not required. However, local interpretation can vary so it is important to have this verified. If you are planning on altering the roof space with an extension or dormer, planning permission would be required prior to beginning any works.
How do I make my attic a legal bedroom?
To officially be a bedroom in most locations, a room needs to meet these requirements:Minimum of 70 square feet.At least 50% of the room has ceilings 7 feet or higher.At least 7 feet in any horizontal direction.Two means of exit.A means of heating and cooling.
Can my attic support a room?
That begs the question; can my attic support a floor? The answer, in most cases, is a definite yes. Even though it wasn't put there, the joists supporting your ceiling are quite strong. Putting down flooring won't stress them any more than the floors in your bedroom, kitchen, or bath.
Do you need planning permission to convert an attic into a bedroom?
Can you get a loft conversion without planning permission? Most loft conversions are considered permitted development, which means you won't need to get planning permisson as long as the building work fits certain criteria.
Does finishing an attic increase value?
Yes, finishing an attic is a great way to increase a home's resale value. Based on 2019 data, converting an attic to additional living space had a 56 percent ROI. This number can be even higher if additional bedrooms or bathrooms are added, including converting an attic to a master suite.
How do I know if my attic can be converted?
The attic must be at least 70 square feet, while the attic ceiling must be five feet or higher. Windows & openable area. According to home remodeling experts, for an attic to be a good candidate for conversion, its minimum window area must be at least 8% of the usable floor area.
Is it OK to put plywood in the attic?
Installing plywood flooring in the attic is an easy homeowner upgrade that allows for more attic storage without the possibility of heavier items damaging the ceiling below. We recommend using 1/2” CDX plywood.
What should not be stored in an attic?
10 Items You Should Never Store In The AtticPaints, cleaning products, or other toxins. ... Anything that is highly flammable. ... Delicate holiday decorations. ... Art is never good to store in the attic. ... Leather products. ... Cardboard boxes. ... Musical instruments. ... Anything wool (or made from natural fibers)More items...•
Is renovating an attic worth it?
Whether converting your attic to a new bedroom, playroom, home office, studio, entertainment space, or a rentable apartment, an attic remodeling project is sure to increase your home's value, making it an excellent investment both the near and long term.
Do you need planning permission to convert an attic into a bedroom?
Can you get a loft conversion without planning permission? Most loft conversions are considered permitted development, which means you won't need to get planning permisson as long as the building work fits certain criteria.
Does a finished attic add value?
5. Finished attic | 60% Don't stop with the basement; finishing the attic can add the same benefits and give your home more livable space. Making sure your attic is properly insulated will keep heating costs low and add value to your home.
How long does it take to convert an attic to a bedroom?
On average, loft conversions can be done in as little as 4 weeks or may take up to 8 weeks, with certain styles less complex than others. Here are the different loft conversion types, broken down by a rough time estimation: Roof light conversions – 4 weeks on average. Dormer conversions – 5 weeks on average.
What is the attic made of?
Chances are, your attic is composed of 2x4 rafters and floor joists. You may walk along a plywood pathway and feel a little bounce in the floor and think, “Hey, maybe that’s ok?” You may have plenty of head height up there in the middle and think it could work as a room — maybe a home office, with a desk and bookshelves where the ceiling gets too low.
What is the missing piece of information?
The missing piece of information is those miserable little beasts called the building and energy codes. Once you convert attic space into living space you need to bring it up to the standards of modern building codes.
Do you need 2x10 joists?
That means, you'll need 2x10 floor joists (or maybe 2x8 in rare circumstances), and, at least, 2x12 roof rafters. (Yes, there are options to insulate the roof from above, but it is often more complicated for a variety of other reasons and not the easy fix you think it might be.) The 2x10s and 2x12s drastically eat up the space you think you have up ...
Do 2x10s eat up attic space?
The 2x10s and 2x12s drastically eat up the space you think you have up there . Pretty much every attic space I’ve looked at when considering converting it to living space has been killed by this reality.
Do you need to replace attic stairs?
You’ll need to replace your attic stairs with new ones, and the new stairs will have to be to code. That means they are (overwhelmingly likely) going to take up more space, and that will impact both the attic, and the spaces below that the stairs pass through. In the end, pretty much every dream of attic conversion either ends up as ...
Is it cheaper to rip a roof off or build something from scratch?
And precise and tricky means higher labor costs. Even if you have enough height that the initial issue doesn’t trip you up, the reality is, it’ll be faster and cheaper just to rip your whole roof off and build something from scratch. There’s really no cheap way around that. Converting an attic has house-wide structural implications.
Is it possible to turn an attic into a living space?
Converting an attic has house-wide structural implications. Turning that attic into living space is going to add some previously unaccounted for “load” upstairs. (Think of load as weight.) That additional load at the top of your house was not planned for (structurally) when your home was built.
Why is it important to have an egress point?
Attics are the worst place to be in a fire because heat and fire rise rapidly. Since the staircase to the attic can act as a chimney for the fire to quickly spread , it's necessary to have a secondary point of egress, or exit. 2. In most codes, this means an opening—not fixed—window to the outside.
Why are trusses better than rafters?
Ironically, though, it's the rafters that provide a better environment for an attic conversion because of the clear space. If you have trusses, it will be next-to-impossible to reconfigure them to allow for clear space.
Why is the attic the worst place to be in a fire?
Attics are the worst place to be in a fire because heat and fire rise rapidly. Since the staircase to the attic can act as a chimney for the fire to quickly spread, it's necessary to have a secondary point of egress, or exit. 2
What is a dead load attic floor?
Your attic floor was probably built with dead loads in mind. Dead loads are things that do not move: boxes, trunks, suitcases, etc. Live loads are people and animals, and tangentially, the things used by people.
How many fires were there in the attic in 2008?
The United States Fire Administration estimates that in just a two year period, from 2006 to 2008, close to 10,000 residential attic fires occurred, resulting in nearly half a billion dollars worth of damage. 1 Most fires were caused by sparks from electrical arcing.
What does "opening" mean in a dormer?
In most codes, this means an opening—not fixed—window to the outside. If you plan to install a dormer in your attic conversion, this will automatically take care of the egress requirement, as most dormers include a window.
How wide should a staircase be in an attic?
The staircase must: Provide a minimum of 6'8" of headroom the entire walking length of the stairs. Be at least 36" wide.
