If space is at a premium in your house and it’s time to expand, “movin’ on up” might be your best option. Not moving to a fancier neighborhood mind you, but literally building upwards to create the exact type of spaces you need.
That’s where Attic Conversions can help. For 15 years, owner James Howell has offered attic transformations as part of his larger custom home contracting business.
“I was already doing a couple of attic jobs, and it seemed like a good area to focus on,” he said.
“Then the local Home Magazine offered to run a free ad for us, which got mailed out across the metro area. We got tons of calls, and that’s kind of what launched it.”
Attic Conversions offers options for full renovations and remodeling, or smaller-scale projects like new flooring or loft remodeling.
Many customers want to add an entire bedroom and bathroom to their house. Game rooms and office space are popular choices.
Some clients have even added a bedroom/bathroom/kitchen combination and then rented out the space, James said.
On average, most clients end up with a renovated space between 700 to 900 square feet.
By building up instead of out, homeowners can significantly increase the square footage of their home, in turn increasing its value.
Frequently, James said, a home’s square footage can be doubled without the owners having to sacrifice the lawn and patio space required with a traditional add-on expansion. He initially realized that particular benefit way back in 1995, when he built out the attic of his own family’s home, taking it from 1,800 to 2,700 square feet.
“People need more space for a variety of reasons, and with an attic conversion there’s also a real value in being able to stay in one place,” James said.
“Someone may love the neighborhood they live in and not want to move; they may have a mortgage with a low interest rate; they don’t want to transfer their kids to different schools; or they may have some other reason for staying where they’re at. In all these cases, attic conversion is a perfect option, especially since they’re solving the space problem while adding significantly to the value of the home.”
The company’s employees don’t just redesign attics—by extension, they change lives.
Customer Holly Barrón, for instance, said her family’s quality of life hugely improved after the transformation of their attic, which added 1,100 new square feet of office and family living space, plus a bathroom.
The parents of several young children, Holly and her husband, Luke, had set up Keaton’s Kindness Club Foundation: The K Club in honor of their son Keaton, who passed away from leukemia at age 8. (Learn more about their story at kclubkindness.org). The foundation had grown, as had their family, and the couple didn’t have the office or family space they needed. Attic Conversions solved the problem.
“They were great to work with,” Holly said. “Any time we had a question they were on it, and they were patient even when we asked some of those questions over and over. We’ve referred them to many others.
“We are really enjoying the space,” she added. “We’ve had company over; we celebrated Christmas up there. We tell everyone that it’s like our lake house that we don’t have to drive to!”
Cost and time factors, like all home projects, vary widely, depending upon the type of materials used and the scope of the project.
Attic Conversions works with a number of area banks and lending institutions to help its clients obtain financing, with multiple options available. They also obtain whatever municipal permits are necessary upfront and ensure final inspections are made, so that a certificate of occupancy can be issued when the project is completed.
“It is definitely a significant investment, but in the end is well worth it because of the value added to the home,” James said. “I also tell people that any space they add on is going to be used for the rest of their life, and that’s always the case. Whenever you’re talking about home improvements, people often say it took too long to complete or cost too much, but nobody will ever say they wish they hadn’t done it.”
Attic Conversions is located at 36 W. Memorial Road, Suite 2B, in Oklahoma City. You can learn more about its services at AtticConversions.net, on Facebook at Attic Conversions, or by calling 405.315.5894.
“People need more space for a variety of reasons, and with an attic conversion there’s also a real value in being able to stay in one place."
“It is definitely a significant investment, but in the end is well worth it because of the value added to the home."