Should You Convert Your Attic to a Bedroom?

If you need more space for a growing family or would like the room to spread out, you don’t necessarily have to move. If your home has an attic, you may be able to convert it to a bedroom.

Pros of an Attic Conversion

When you need more space, building addition is an option, but it can reduce the amount of space in the yard. If you convert your attic to a bedroom, it won’t change the overall footprint of your home.

Remodeling your attic can be cheaper and less disruptive than moving. An attic conversion may cost tens of thousands of dollars, but that may be a good deal compared to the cost of buying and moving to a new house. Having contractors come and go for weeks may be inconvenient, but it will be easier on your children than moving to another town, leaving their friends behind, and starting over at a new school.

If two of your kids have been sharing a room, but’re craving privacy now that they’re older, converting the attic to a bedroom may be the best solution. Creating a bedroom upstairs can also help you avoid having the house feel cramped if you expand your family. 

An attic bedroom can be helpful if you decide to have an elderly parent move in with you. An upstairs room may not be suitable for a senior citizen who has trouble climbing stairs, but a child can move into the new bedroom and free up space elsewhere for a grandparent.

If you convert your attic to a bedroom, you may recoup a high percentage of your investment when you put your home on the market. Even if the future owners of your house decide not to use the renovated area as a bedroom, they may find that it’s ideal for a home office or a hobby room. 

Cons of Turning Your Attic Into a Bedroom

If you currently use your attic for storage, you will lose that space if you convert it to a bedroom. That may not be a problem if you have plenty of room for storage in the basement and in closets throughout the house. If not, you may have to sell or donate items or rent a storage unit.

A sloped roof in the attic may leave you with areas where the ceiling is too low to place the furniture. You may, however, be able to find creative ways to use those spaces for storage.

Heat rises. That means an attic bedroom may be hot in the summer, and your air conditioner may have to work hard to keep the space at a comfortable temperature. That may result in expensive summer utility bills.

Is an Attic Conversion the Right Move?

Turning your attic into a bedroom may provide your family with more space and privacy, but it may be costly and may reduce the amount of storage available. Carefully weigh the pros and cons before you decide what to do.