Many homeowners have found themselves feeling cramped and cluttered in their properties over the last 12 months, with household members home more due to the global pandemic.
If you’re looking to find private space for yourself or others, whether to set up an office, media room, guest bedroom, yoga studio, or meditation zone, etc., it’s worth considering if your home has an attic to use.
It might feel like it’s a big job to turn an attic into an entirely liveable space, but the effort and cost are likely to be worth it in the long run, especially when you consider that it can help boost the resale value of your property, too. However, make sure you look into some essential factors before you start work.
Clear Out All the Cutter First
It’s necessary to remove any clutter that’s taking up valuable space in your attic. If you’re like most people, you’ve likely been using this part of your home as a storage zone for bits and pieces you don’t use often or are not sure what to do with. If so, to make the area available for living, working, exercise, or other activities, spend time clearing up. Remove everything you can out of the attic, so it’s ready to be refreshed and better utilized in the future.
Get a Professional to Check for Safety Allowances and Other Clearance
Before going too far, though, make sure you can safely and legally use the attic as a liveable space. Consider legal requirements such as if there’s enough height for head clearance and if the room passes local council regulations or other legal conditions.
Rather than guessing at these things and never being sure what’s allowed, it’s best to hire someone who specializes in this kind of consultancy. For example, go online and search for “quality general contractors near me”or related terms to find people for the job. Have the person you select let you know if there’s going to be enough clearance in your attic once it has been finished off, if not already. If the height isn’t right, they should be able to raise the roofline for you.
You may also need the attic floor shored up to make it strong enough to hold both furniture and people up there. You’ll likely require a structural analysis of the space to see if any safety regulations are involved. Also, consider if you want to expand the attic or obtain better access to it. Council permits may be necessary along the way for various factors.
Install Heating and Cooling Systems
Attics typically aren’t the most temperate of places in a home, lying at the top of a property and all. As such, you’ll probably need to have some heating and cooling systems installed to ensure the space is habitable throughout the year.
In particular, consider getting air conditioning or, at the very least, a fan put in to help cool the attic down in summer when all the hot air in the house rises to it and makes it potentially a sweatbox. Many people find that a reverse-cycle HVAC system works well in these contained zones, and these machines are quite affordable these days, too.
Finish Off the Space
No matter what you want to use your updated attic for, you’re going to want it to be a welcoming, comfortable place that you enjoy spending time in. To make it this way, finish off the space carefully. For example, depending on the room’s current state, it could require drywall added to the walls and ceiling. It may need proper flooring laid down, especially carpet or some other product that will help to dampen noise. You don’t want to have too much sound traveling from the top of the house to lower areas.
It pays to paint the surfaces to make your attic more attractive, and you may be keen to add features to dress it up
further, such as a vaulted ceiling, beadboard panels, or tongue and groove paneling. If there isn’t enough light currently, consider getting a builder or other tradesperson to add one or more skylights for you. Also, you’ll probably need an electrician to come in and put in proper wiring, power points, and light fittings, too. Plus,
Follow the tips above to turn your under-utilized attic area into a well-designed, inviting space that you and your family like to be in. As a bonus, the results should add value to your property as well.
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