Turn your empty attic into new living space with 3 smart moves
(BPT) - When your family outgrows your
home's available space, moving to bigger digs isn't always the best
option. Maybe you really love your current home. Perhaps you can't
find a bigger home in your price range in the area of your choice.
Whatever your reason for staying in place, expanding the home you
already have can be a cost-effective option when your family needs
more room.

Three time-tested techniques can help
you turn an empty attic into the extra space you dream of:
1. Rely on natural light for
beauty, visibility and cost savings.
Attics don't usually have many windows,
and adding them can be difficult if the ceiling is sloped. Adding
dormers - a typical solution - can be costly and time-consuming, and
eat up wall space that is often at a premium in attics.
Skylights or roof windows can be a
better, more cost-effective way to bring natural light and fresh air
into an attic. Installation is faster and cheaper than adding
dormers, and they work well on slanted ceilings. Energy
Star-qualified, solar-powered, fresh-air skylights like those from
Velux America make it easy and affordable to bring
natural light and fresh air into an attic space.
Add solar-powered blinds in designer
colors and patterns, and the skylight becomes an even more valuable
piece of the room's overall decor. Solar-powered skylights close
automatically in case of rain. They, and the blinds, are operated by
programmable remote control, making it easy to adjust the amount of
sunlight that enters the space. Both products, plus the installation
costs, are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit to the
homeowner. Learn more at www.whyskylights.com.
2. Pay close attention to
insulation.
In any home, the attic is often the
hottest spot in the summer and the coldest in the winter. The amount
and quality of insulation in the attic directly affects the comfort
level in the space - and the overall energy efficiency of your home.
Have an insulation pro evaluate the
insulation in your home's attic before you begin planning your
conversion. You may need to add insulation or even replace older,
inefficient types - a move well worth the investment since insulation
is so important to your home's overall comfort and energy efficiency.
Many insulation pros will recommend spray insulation for attics
because it goes easily between existing joists. Plus, it can create a
tight air barrier without losing the inches of space required for
thick fiberglass batt insulation.
3. Get smart about plumbing.
If your attic conversion will
incorporate a bathroom, good for you! Bathroom additions return more
than 56 percent of your initial investment when you resell, according
to the Cost
vs. Value Report.
If pipes are already present in your
attic, adding a bathroom can be simple. If no plumbing exists,
consider cost-effective alternatives that will have less impact on
the space, like up-flush plumbing. Because it fits into the kind of
tight spaces that often occur in attics, up-flush plumbing can be an
easy, cheaper way to plumb a sink, toilet or shower stall in an attic
space.
Converting an unused attic into living
area can be a great way to expand your space without moving. Plus,
when you finally are ready to move one day, that attic renovation may
end up paying for itself by boosting the sale price of your home. For
all your real estate needs visit www.realhomesatlanta.com
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