6 Things To Consider When Planning An Attic Conversion For Your Home
An attic conversion is a big home renovation, but it’s worth it! The value of one of these conversions is exceptional when you consider what you get out of it. On the base level, a simple attic conversion gives you an extra room in your home. This new room frees up space and could transform your house from a 2-bedroom to a 3-bedroom property.
It’s the difference between selling and buying a bigger home and staying around for longer. Also, attic conversions are believed to add around 10-20% to your house value. This fact alone will prove it’s a worthwhile investment – though you must ensure you do it right.
There are wrong ways to approach an attic conversion, but as long as you consider these key points during the planning process, everything should go as smoothe as can be!
Find the building regulations/codes for an attic conversion
You’re looking at some good and bad news from the regulations/permits side of things with an attic conversion. Unlike an extension, this renovation will simply alter an existing part of your house. Therefore, you might not need any planning permits or permissions to go ahead with the job. Don’t take this as gospel – the rules and regulations can differ across the country, so it’s always worth checking for your local building regulations.
So, from a positive view, planning permission is unlikely to be needed. On the negative side of the equation, you will need to adhere to specific building codes. These codes state how buildings should be built – they exist to ensure people maintain safe houses when making alterations.
With an attic conversion, the majority of states will follow these codes:
- Must have a minimum ceiling height of 7ft
- It needs to be at least 70 square feet of floor space
- Requires a full-size staircase
Other codes could exist – again, find your local building regulations to learn more and ensure you don’t create an “illegal” attic.
What happens if you don’t follow the codes? For starters, you’ll have a hard time getting any contractors to complete this conversion. Sure, you can do it yourself, but then you’d struggle to sell your home in the future as your attic will be flagged. It’s simply not worth the risk – but the good news is that a lot of new homes are built to these codes/regulations anyway. Most attics are already the ideal size; the main thing they’re missing is a staircase.
Assess the attic floor’s structural integrity
While attics are generally built to be the correct size for conversion, they’re not always designed to be instantly livable. These spaces are often reserved for storage, so there’s no guarantee that they can withstand the weight of someone permanently living up there with loads of furniture, etc.
Some attic floors aren’t even fit for this purpose and will need to be boarded up before you then apply your flooring of choice. However, make sure you assess the floor’s structural integrity before doing anything else. Bring an expert in to look at the floor and check that it can support as much weight as you’re planning to put on it.
What if your attic flooring can’t support this weight? Well, you have two options:
- Give up on your attic conversion
- Reinforce the flooring
Plenty of flooring companies will help you reinforce your attic so it’s livable. The question is whether or not this extra job pushes you over budget. Nobody can tell you the right answer to this – it’s completely down to you! It may help to know that reinforcing the flooring isn’t usually the biggest job you’ll do during an attic conversion. For the most part, it is worth investing in, even if it nudges you slightly over budget. Think about the long-term benefits of this conversion and how it can transform your life at home! 
Inspect the roofing for any issues
Similarly, make sure to inspect the roofing for any notable issues that will cause comfort or safety concerns in your attic. The obvious problems include significant cracks or gaps in the roofing tiles, which will let cold air and rainwater into your attic. To be fair, you can likely spot an issue like this yourself by checking inside the attic for any signs of water damage.
Or, go up there during the day and ensure all the lights are switched off and the windows are covered. Then, look for any beams of sunlight poking through the roof – this indicates a gap in the roofing somewhere.
If you spot anything concerning, then an emergency roof repair specialist will help you patch things up. Even if there’s nothing to report, it still helps to have a specialist look at your roof and perform some regular maintenance. They can make the roof stronger and more waterproof with various treatments.
Also, one other thing to keep in mind with your roof is the height of it. Does it meet the regulations/building codes we spoke about earlier? If not, you’ll have to consider raising the roof or lowering the attic floor. Opting for the former may mean you need to get planning permissions, as this technically goes from a simple room conversion into a minor extension.
Figure out the accessibility
How will you get in and out of your attic room?
Currently, you access your attic by some pull-down stairs or a ladder. This is the standard approach in most homes as it’s the easiest way to get in and out of this upper space. Moreover, builders will never build permanent stairs to an inhabitable attic as it takes up extra space on the floor below.
Converting your attic means you’re turning it into a habitable place. As a consequence, the codes and regulations change regarding accessibility. Here, you’ll need a permanent, fixed staircase leading up to this room. You can’t have an attic bedroom or office that you access through a folding ladder.
Is this annoying? For sure! It eats into the space on the floor below, but you’ve got no choice. Again, you have to think about the pros and cons of this conversion. Yes, you lose a bit of floor space, but is it better than selling your home and trying to find a new one with one more room? More often than not, the conversion will always win out.
Your best bet is to find a way of installing permanent stairs without taking up too much space. For all intents and purposes, spiral staircases are the greatest option in this situation. You can install them to fit almost directly below the attic entrance, yet they spiral in a loop to conserve a lot of space. Another thing to consider is where the entry point will be. Your attic will already have one, but you can move this around to a more suitable place, which will help you install better stairs.
Be sure you can heat & cool the attic effectively
Attics are not designed to be livable. They’ll be stuffed with insulation to keep the rest of your house warm, but they tend to be the coldest/hottest part of your house, depending on the seasons. As a result, you need to work out a way of heating and cooling the attic effectively.
The ideal approach is to connect your attic to an existing HVAC system, allowing you to get the benefits of hot or cold air when you need it. Picking the right insulation also helps – this largely depends on where you live and what the weather climate is. Reflective insulation is a good middle-ground as it can keep you warm when its cold but reflect a lot of solar heat when it’s warm.
Regardless, you need your attic to be as livable as can be, and this means it must maintain a comfortable temperature in all seasons. Think about the different solutions to be sure this is possible in your home.
Think about lighting in the attic
Last but not least, consider the lighting in your attic. You should install lights to keep it bright during the day – but you also need to think about installing a few windows. Rooms should have natural light pouring through them, or they feel a bit claustrophobic. Your attic will feel more like a prison cell than a nice bedroom or living space!
Look at the roof or walls of your attic and figure out the best place to install a window or two. When you get a roofing specialist to assess the roof, they can help you decide on the best window installation spots – and may be able to do the job for you.
And with that, you’ve finished all six considerations when planning an attic conversion. If you haven’t thought about these things, there’s a big chance your conversion will be a failure and cost more money than expected. Keep all of them in mind to be certain your house is suitable for an attic conversion and that you know what to do to make it as livable as possible.
