For many, the attic is a nearly forgotten catch-all that is home to dark spaces, insulation, spider webs and boxes of mementos that rarely see the light of day. It’s sort of a “‘no man’s land” in your own home that is more often disregarded than acknowledged. So, why would someone choose to renovate that boring, largely unused attic space?
Reasons to Renovate Your Attic Space
There are a host of reasons why homeowners choose to renovate or upgrade their attic space. If more family space is needed, the attic is a great place to start. Looking for a lively and personable “man-cave?” The attic can become your best friend.
You could also use that space to add a home gym or an office space or study. It might be a separate television room for teens who want a space of their own. An attic could also be transformed into a new bedroom suite that could then be used to generate revenue from potential renters.
Whatever the reason, renovating your attic means that you are also increasing the square footage of living space in your home. That makes your home more attractive to potential buyers. Whether you want to sell soon or, maybe never at all, this translates into an obvious increase in the value of your home and that is never a bad thing.
Now that we understand the reasoning behind renovating your attic, here are some tips for renovating your attic.
How to Go About Preparing Your Home for an Attic Renovation
For most, a true renovation goes beyond installing a new floor and tossing in a couch or desk. Attics are tricky spaces and often read as that “haunted” room upstairs that no one ever talks about. So, yes, when it comes to renovating these spaces preparation is needed and in more ways than one.
First, you will want to consult with a professional who will advise you about building codes and permits. There might even be a list of restrictions that are specific to attic renovations and it would be very good to know about that before making any big plans or putting money down.
Are the attic beams or an existing attic floor strong enough to support new flooring and furniture? How will the addition of these floors and possible walls affect the attic’s ability to provide for pre-existing energy efficiency and comfort for the rest of the household? These are questions that can be answered by a qualified structural engineer.
How Much to Spend on an Attic Renovation?
Next, you will need to consider your potential budget. Repurposing your attic space can be costly and that cost will vary according to what that new purpose might be. As an instance, it would cost less to create space for a home gym or an office but more if adding a bedroom or a space that might require more electrical and possibly plumbing work.
Then there’s the matter of the accouterments. Will this be a high-end space with proper ventilation and air conditioning? Will it involve the acquisition of new furniture or will an old sofa and TV do the trick? Depending on the purpose, these elements will need to be considered and then added to the budget at hand.
While on the topic of ventilation, this is no time to go cheap. Attics are usually designed for storage. As a result, they are not built to support proper ventilation and an additional type of attic insulation might be called for. Insulation is a key factor when it comes to creating a comfortable living space out of your former attic.
Since you’re now replacing a storage space with an attic space, it’s time to consider the cost of a portable storage container as one option for storing the now displaced belongings.
This is especially true because your attic is typically the highest room in your house. This means that this is the space where all the heat in your home naturally gathers. Make sure your cooling systems are able to take on this new load of heat.
What about lighting? Thankfully, today’s lighting technology allows for smart bulbs and LEDs. This means that today’s lighting sources don’t generate the heat they used to. Where possible, windows and skylights can lift the load but when relying on light sources for your new attic space, the suggestion is to use programmable smart bulbs or even consider strip lighting for a more resilient and cost-friendly effect.
In Summation
An attic renovation can be a fun choice for your home and family. To start with, it’s a great way to add true value to one of the most important investments in your life. It’s also a wonderful way to beautify what is otherwise an empty and largely unused space.
There are a number of reasons why homeowners choose to upgrade or renovate an attic space. It could be for personal or even professional reasons but some also choose to make use of this space in order to generate a return on that investment. This can be done either by way of renting the space or simply allowing that additional square footage to accumulate in value along with the rest of your home over the years to come.
Whatever your reasons for making this choice, be sure to consult with the professionals first. A structural engineer will be more able to tell you what you can and cannot do with the space. Also, there’s the matter of local codes and permits that will be required before the first hammer comes down.
In the end, make sure that this new area is properly ventilated and well lit. Attics can become a beautiful new space in your home but these new spaces might need to be plumbed and they will assuredly require proper heating and cooling as needed. For your displaced goods from your old storage solution, contact SAM Store and Move for moving and storage solutions in Dallas-Fort Worth.