Creating an attic room: from storage to a proper room

Creating an attic room is possible in many homes without an extension or roof extension: you use space that is already there. For a proper bedroom or study you do need four things: enough headroom, daylight, insulation and a safe, fixed staircase. If the floor is strong enough and the roof structure is sound, it is often a manageable renovation of a few weeks. In Heerhugowaard we created two rooms and a storage loft in one attic this way. Below you can read what to look out for.

Is my attic suitable for a room?

Start with the headroom. For a pleasant room you want to be able to stand upright on a good part of the floor. In existing homes a clear height of around 2.10 metres is often used for a habitable room. Under the sloping parts you can fit cupboards or a bed.

Then the structure. An attic floor that was only ever meant for storage sometimes needs strengthening. The roof structure deserves attention too: leaks, wood rot or a sagging purlin are things you solve first.

• Enough headroom over a large part of the floor
• A floor that can carry the weight of a room
• A dry, sound roof structure without leaks
• Space for a fixed staircase

What requirements apply to an attic room?

A bedroom or study must be healthy and safe. That means daylight, usually through a roof window or dormer, and ventilation to remove moisture. Since 1 July 2022 a smoke alarm has been compulsory on every floor with a habitable room, so also in an attic where someone sleeps.

Insulation belongs there from the start. An attic room without good roof insulation is cold in winter and barely usable in summer. How to tackle that is explained in attic insulation.

• Daylight through a roof window or dormer
• Ventilation, for example a window or vent
• A smoke alarm on the attic floor
• Insulation of the roof slope

Do you need a permit to create an attic room?

An interior renovation is usually permit-free. If something changes in the load-bearing structure, it does have to comply with the building regulations and the municipality sometimes asks for structural substantiation. A roof window in the rear roof slope is often permit-free as well.

A dormer at the front or a home that is a listed building is a different matter. Always check with the municipality or via the Omgevingsloket. Read more about the rules in permits for a renovation.

Can you create two rooms in one attic?

Yes, if the space allows. At the Sloots family in Heerhugowaard, the son wanted to sleep in the attic and his father was looking for a hobby room. We divided the attic into two rooms with metal stud walls and roof windows for daylight. Up in the ridge we made a storage loft, reached through a hatch, so there was still storage space left. You can see the whole story at the storage loft in Heerhugowaard.

Metal stud is light, straight and quick to install. With insulation in the wall you also limit noise between the rooms. If you would like storage space in the ridge too, read making a storage loft.

What does an attic room cost?

That depends heavily on the starting point. An attic with enough height, a good floor and an existing staircase mainly needs insulation, walls, electrics and finishing. If a fixed staircase, a dormer or a strengthened floor is needed, the amount rises quickly. You will find rough ranges at the cost of an attic conversion.

Always ask for a tailored quote. We are happy to walk through the attic with you, so you know what is needed before you decide. The options are also listed under our attic and storage loft service.

Frequently asked questions