Attic Renovation Pros in Denver, CO

Denver Attic Remodeling

The Mile High City is an interesting place when it comes to attic remodeling. Because of the monumental growth and incredible amount of new home building that the Front Range has experienced over the past several decades, there isn't a set template for the types of houses found at the foot of the Rockies. Homes range from turn of the century farmhouses (circa 1900) that have been swallowed up by urban sprawl, to the legions of new home builds constantly springing up from Fort Collins to Castle Rock. Precisely because of that diversity in building styles, however, you should always bring in a contractor to come and evaluate your home carefully in order to help you determine whether the exciting prospects of attic remodeling are right for you.

Attic remodeling is a tricky business. According to Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report, attic remodels in Denver and the rest of the Mountain West provided a pretty decent return of 81.3% on the dollar. That's just barely under returns expected from bathrooms and kitchens, which everyone knows are the standing royalty when it comes to home renovations that pay for themselves. However, while many Denver homes are great candidates, not every home is going to be well suited for transforming an attic into a quality living space.

When it comes to Denver area homes, especially those built in the ranch or bi-level/tri-level styles that were commonly being built from mid century through the eighties, many just don't have the headroom in their attics to make them good candidates for conversion. Along with that, many homes were not, and are not, built with attic floors capable of supporting busy living areas. Finally, your home has to have adequate space for a new set of stairs, which can be tricky depending on your home's present layout. Any of these issues can be dealt with if your heart is set on a renovation (roofs can be raised, ladders and spiral staircases can be installed, and floors can be reinforced), but if you're looking to get your money back, these solutions can be cost prohibitive and/or hamper the returns you can reasonably expect to get back. In other words, always talk to an expert in attic remodeling about the viability your project before you sign any work orders.

Once you've determined that your home is a good fit, you need to start thinking what you want to get out of your remodel. The best choice, and most traditional use of remodeled attic space, is to add bedrooms. It's a common sense, high return approach, especially since other popular remodels and additions, such as family rooms, rec rooms, and home theaters, generally don't make sense because attics are so far removed from the central areas of the home. Home offices are also a popular use of attic space, but from an investment standpoint, bedrooms are still the way to go.

What's the difference? Home office remodels generally cost less because they have smaller windows, and with smaller windows they don't meet building code requirements that necessitate bedrooms have a window large enough to provide an escape route or access to the home for emergency personnel. While it might not seem like anything to lose sleep over, the return numbers on a home office are almost 20% less than if you install large enough windows to designate that exact same space as worthy of bedroom status. Not that it can't still be used as a home office, but by making that small concession when you plan your project, you'll see much higher returns if you choose to sell your home down the road.

We're certainly not discouraging Denver homeowners from going forward with an attic remodel. As has already been mentioned, in the right situations attic conversions are an excellent investment that can produce big returns when it comes to increasing your home's square footage, improving your quality of life, and adding to your home's overall value. In order to make sure all those wishes come true, however, your first step should always be to bring in a contractor or two to look things over, so that you can be confident that you're making the right choice when you give the go ahead to transform that dingy, dusty, old attic into something special.