An attic is often used as extra storage space for belongings, while there is a need for an extra bedroom. After a small renovation, you can also turn it into an extra bedroom or study room.
Converting a junk loft into a bedroom is not only a good investment to increase the usable space in your home, but also a good investment in the resale value of the house. It makes a big difference to potential buyers whether the house contains one more bedroom. This gives you a lot of living pleasure and you invest in your own value development.
Make planning and budget
Step one is that you have to have a clear idea of what your wishes are. Are you turning the space into one or two bedrooms? Can you handle the renovation yourself or do you need help? What does the conversion of the attic cost? Renovating an attic is more than just laying a piece of carpet and painting the walls. They are usually rooms that are poorly insulated and hardly finished. Request quotes from specialists for jobs that you cannot do yourself. Provide a realistic and well-founded budget.
Fixed stairs or loft ladder?
A prerequisite for creating an attic bedroom is the presence of a staircase. Attics that are not equipped with a fixed staircase require an extra investment. It is reasonably required if you are going to use the space as a bedroom. This is a bigger intervention than replacing one staircase with another. The stairs will probably have to be moved to a different location, and you will also have to renovate the floor under the attic. A loft ladder is often located in a place that is not convenient for a fixed staircase.
The costs of a fixed staircase
A staircase itself costs approximately between € 750 and € 2,500. The exact amount strongly depends on the dimensions, material and the like. But you also have to make the space suitable for a fixed staircase and it still has to be placed. It is best to request quotes from various contractors for this. Good knowledge is essential for this.
First insulate the room well
Before you start renovating and furnishing the space yourself, you must first insulate. Many houses have poor roof insulation. This is despite the fact that 30 percent of the heat in the house is lost through the roof. By properly insulating this, you save a lot of energy costs in the rest of the house. You could possibly do roof insulation yourself. On the internet you can find many tips on how to tackle this yourself.
Skylight or dormer
The attics offer a lot of space, but the walkable space is often disappointing. The attic is sloping on two sides, so that a lot of space is lost. In the areas that cannot be walked on you can often create useful storage spaces. Placing a dormer window is usually unavoidable. This will give a few feet of extra space, making it a full bedroom. Placing a very large dormer window across the full width of the house even makes it possible to create two rooms.