Many homeowners are renovating their attic and converting it into something completely different. Often, attics are simply used for storage but have so much more potential to become an additional bedroom, a study or even a bathroom. Renovating an attic is neither easy nor cheap to do so it is important that the project is carefully planned.
In this guide, we are going to offer some tips to help you renovate your attic.
Is It Suitable for Conversion?
Before you even think about renovating your attic, you must make sure that it is suitable for conversion. It is possible that the ceiling is not high enough or that the ground is not stable enough to hold much more than a few boxes. You’ll also need to look at the roof structure and the roof pitch in order to determine if it is suitable. If you are struggling with this, it might be useful to hire an expert to double-check.
Take Everything Out
If you have been previously using your attic for storage, then it is likely that it is full of clutter. You won’t be able to have an attic conversion completed successfully if you don’t spend some time going through your items and removing them from the attic. Some people might not want to have to throw everything out that is currently placed in their attic but there are alternative solutions. Why not consider investing in a storage unit? Safestore have a range of storage options that are cost-effective, and they have many locations across the UK. You could take everything out and store it at a storage facility such as this, if you need to.
Create A Plan
Once you know your attic is safe for a conversion, you need to create a plan that you are going to stick to. Your plan should include everything from the budget that you have for the project to the timeline and the kind of renovation you are going to do. An attic conversion usually starts at around £15,000 so you need to know that you can afford this. When creating your plan, consider drawing up a floorplan and listing out any items that you need to buy.
Consider the Lighting
One of the main issues that homeowners face when converting their attic is a lack of natural lighting. This can lead to attic rooms appearing dark and not very welcoming. So, when converting your attic, you should consider the natural lighting that you are going to be letting in. Does the attic have any windows? Should you add a skylight? If this isn’t possible, you might also want to plan for a lot of artificial lighting to fill the newly converted room.
Hire an Expert
While it is possible to convert your attic by yourself, it is often advised that you hire an expert. The roof of your home can be expensive to fix and so you won’t want to do anything that could damage the structure of the building. There are many experts who have experience in attic conversions and can get the job done quickly. Find an expert if you aren’t confident that you can do this safely alone.
Use Our Guide
If you are thinking about converting your attic in 2020, you should make sure to use our guide and any tips that we have given you. Plan out the entire project from start to finish and make sure that there isn’t a lot of clutter in there from the beginning. Once the project is complete, you’ll be glad that you went to this effort.