The attic can often become a forgotten space in the home. Many homeowners confess to only going into their attic twice a year- in January to take the Christmas decorations up and in December to bring them down. The good news is with just a couple of changes you can make your attic space a more attractive and useful space. Read on for five ways to make the most of your attic space:
1. Build a Loft Conversion or Mezzanine
The ultimate way to make the most of your attic space is to do a loft conversion or mezzanine loft conversion. This will create more living space in your home. It will not only be of benefit to your home and family but will increase the value of your home too. A loft conversion can increase the value of your home by 20%. Remember to plan carefully and make the most of the space available to you. Check if your plans come under permitted development before you go ahead. Building regulations approval will be required to convert a loft or attic into a liveable space. This is just to make sure you build a safe liveable space. If you feel overwhelmed by planning your loft conversion, look into using a professional company, such as Live in Lofts. They will take care of everything for you from the design to the finishing stages.
If you’re not ready to commit to a major home improvement, such as a loft conversion then read on for ideas to gradually improve your attic space.
2. Improve Access with a Loft Ladder
The main reason homeowners don’t make the most of their attic space is because of poor access. It can be difficult to get up into the attic and back down again. The less time we spend up there, the less desirable the area becomes to us, especially as the spiders and cobwebs begin to take over.
Thankfully, there are some wonderful loft ladders available now that can make loft access so much easier. From folding ladders, manual scissor ladders, and electric loft ladders there is so much choice available. If you’re not sure which would be best for your attic then get in touch with specialists, Fontanot stairs designers for advice.
Once you’ve improved access, you’ll find you use your loft more and can continue to improve and make the most of this valuable space.
3. Insulate and Board Out The Attic
When you move into a new home check if the attic has been insulated and boarded out. If they haven’t already then it’s important to get these jobs done. Insulating your attic will reduce heat loss and reduce your heating bills.
Loft boarding can increase the floor space in your home by up to 50%. This extra space makes using your loft for storage a lot easier and safer. Make sure you have a mains electric light installed too. It’s also a great step towards potentially using your loft as a room in the future.
4. Create Eave Storage or Shelves
Once you begin to use your boarded-out loft for storage it can be tempting to dump more and more boxes in this new space. Over time homeowners can forget what “treasures” they’ve moved up into the attic and even the beloved Christmas decorations can be harder to find. To avoid this scenario, before you start storing boxes and belongings in your loft create some purposefully made storage. You could hire a carpenter or if you’re practical make DIY built-in eave storage to make the most of the roof space. Alternatively, install garage shelving units so boxes can be stored on shelves tidily in this space, making it easy to organise your belongings.
5. Install an Attic Window
Another way to make your attic more inviting to use is to install a roof window. Many people put off going up their attic to sort through their belongings or untangle the Christmas lights because of the lack of natural light. Of course, an attic window will be particularly useful if you do decide to eventually convert your loft. Remember to check if your particular alteration to the roof of a house is considered to be permitted development (not requiring planning permission) before you go ahead.
In Summary
Whether you just want to use your attic space for storage or living space, there are ways that can make your attic more attractive and useable. Follow these steps and ensure you’re getting the most value out of your home and loft space.
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