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What’s hanging out in your attic lately? Nothing? Then let’s look at ways you can take that attic waste of space and make it a more energy-efficient and usable part of your home’s square footage.
Here are some of our favorite ways our clients repurpose their attics and put that waste of space square footage to work for them.
Before moving anything out of or into the attic, the first step is to ensure it’s safe and energy-efficient. Next, schedule an inspection with a licensed insulation or attic cleanup company to give your attic the once over. While there, we will:
Once your attic is cleaned out and sanitized, you can begin focusing on the energy-efficient improvements necessary to make your soon-to-be attic addition a more functional part of the home. These improvements include replacing insufficient or outdated insulation, air sealing, duct cleaning/repair, and ensuring adequate ventilation.
Read 7 Summer Attic Improvements for an Energy-Efficient Home for more specific information and how-tos.
This past year’s pandemic restrictions taught us quite a bit about the trials and tribulations of a work-from-home and school-from-home life. Giving yourself or your children a dedicated space to work - separate from the main living areas - is a smart way to ensure everyone remains focused, on task, and sane. Your attic may be the perfect solution - an already unused space awaiting your visions.
HGTV has two fantastic articles dedicated to Tips on Designing Your Home Office and designing a homework haven, both of which can guide your potential attic renovation.
If you’re a reader, it’s impossible to avoid envy when you see the decadent libraries and studies that abound on trending period pieces, such as Downton Abbey and Bridgerton. If only….right?
Well, your attic may be just the space to consider as your personal library and/or writing nook. If you go this route, it’s worth it to hire an architect or design/build team that can ensure your attic flooring is strong enough to support the weight of filled bookshelves.
Check out these ideas for home library design from Architectural Digest.
If your kids’ rooms and the new home office space took up all of the available bedrooms, it might be time to create a comfortable guest room in the waste of space attic. Even small attic spaces with steeply pitched ceilings can make charming and cozy guest spaces.
Read our post, Before You Turn Your Attic Into a Room, for specific advice on what to think about and how to plan.
If you pay for a storage unit but have an unfilled attic, this may be the solution. A safe and secured attic can be a great place to store unused furniture, keepsakes, heirlooms, and seasonal items. The key is to make sure the space is prepared for the new load.
Our article Good or Bad: Using Your Attic for Storage covers the general pros and cons. If you opt to get out of the storage unit market and use your attic instead, make sure you understand what NOT to store in the attic to keep your household occupants safe.
If your attic is large enough, you may be able to make a little money on the deal. Bay area rentals can be surprisingly lucrative, with studios or large rooms and private baths garnering $150 a night or more depending on your home’s location and peak travel seasons.
Need a separate area of the house for adolescents and friends to hang out? Do you want to create a space that’s solely dedicated to the noisier aspects of family time - such as movies or games - while keeping the formal living room a quiet zone?
The attic may be the perfect solution, providing an out of the way area for kids to make noise and hang out with their friends without disturbing the rest of the family. Contractors can talk to you about soundproofing the space to ensure the noise remains isolated.
We mentioned the guest room idea above. However, some of our clients are doing the opposite now that their children are older. Once your kids are 10+ years old, and no longer need immediate access to the parent’s bedrooms for nighttime comfort, it may make more sense to turn the attic into the kids’ rooms and convert the children’s rooms into a guest room, study, TV room, etc. A large attic may even offer the opportunity for the kids to have their own “level” of the home - complete with bedrooms, a bathroom, and a family room space.
Visit Converting Attic Space Into Living Space: How it’s Done for more information on how to go about it.
If you’re a crafter or artist, odds are that the things you need to store largely revolve around your hobbies. In that case, take our idea about creating an attic storage space to the next level. As long as all of your arts and craft supplies are stored in the attic, you might as well create a pleasant workplace for yourself at the same time.
Are you interested in learning more about what you could do with your attic space? Contact the pros here at Attic Solutions and schedule a consultation.