Hello! Thanks for your reply. We basically just wanted a second "living room" and an area for my husband's computer. I have plans to have a contractor come by in the coming weeks to take a look at the job but was curious what people's experiences were doing it on there own. Unfortunately, we are definitely "wing it" kind of people and sometimes we need to be pulled back into reality!

Start by finding out if you would be allowed by code to build a living space in the attic. The floor may not be strong enough. There are many code requirements, such as means of egress. A good licensed contractor who does things up to code will be helpful in pinning down what can and can't be done with your budget.

IME, legal attic bedrooms that are fully finished, air conditioned and heated with safe and easy stair access can be either good or a total waste of money, depending on neighborhood and quality level of finish. A second living room finished the same way is not much of an asset. Ask your real estate agent about your local market.

No not at all! We are feeling nervous about not having a finished attic because most of the other houses in our area have one so now I kind of have it on the brain! I think one of the hardest things about renovating is knowing the order to do things so I think having someone come out will help tremendously. I am just hoping that they don't blow us off if they learn that we are hoping to do a lot of the leg work ourselves.

For the electrical and HVAC - Is that something you think someone should come out and take care of before we start the process? I think if we did it we would start with doing the insulation but I suppose electrical and HVAC should be installed prior to that, correct?

As an aside, I am curious about your position on the flooring - would you put down carpeting or try to work with the wood that's already in there?

Thanks so much for your help! I really, really appreciate it!

Thanks for your reply, Apple Pie - I think our attic satisfies the requirements for that as it has more than two exits (two windows and a stairway down) but I definitely do need to check with a contractor about those kinds of things. From my understanding for the attic to be considered an additional bedroom it needs to have a closet, something that I think (if we go through with finishing it), we would have added before we move. It seems like the houses with three bedrooms in our area sell for a decent amount more, but again - it might actually cost more than we would get back if we had it all professionally done! Such a dilemma! Thanks for your help!

You look to lack sufficient headroom for a legally habitable space. All legally habitable spaces need windows, electrical, insulation, hvac, and have required minimums for square footage and head height.

Otherwise, you have a boiling hot or freezing cold space where you bump your head and couldn’t escspe if there was a fire. And with extension cords strung all over because there is insufficient electrical, that is an increased possibility.

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/

A million years ago my (now) ex-husband finished an attic space, his first DIY project. He did the electric himself, as he was an electrical engineer. He finished it for my office as I was working from home. The place was BROILING hot!!

Otherwise I have seen a lot of professionally done attic conversions, in older homes, to code and all that... which result in ice dam issues. Which can't be resolved unless you turn the heat off in the finished attic space. Ask your neighbors if they've had ice dams.

Ice dams are caused by insufficient insulation. Insulation takes away from head height. Head height must be maintained for legal status. Short shift on the insulation to get head height, get ice dams that cause major damage to the home.

It’s a vicious circle in an old building with a short attic. Best is to rip off the roof and start over. Far from cheap.

Hey - I am a little confused - is this ice dam thing a possibility with the way the attic is currently? It was like this when we moved in...

Either way, I watched a video on insulation installation and they used some kind of material underneath the insulation saying that it helped prevent this, I thought.

Also Sophie, I think the headroom is probably the greatest issue - I am still investigating on how they measure the seven feet rule. It's so sad though because there are so many pictures on the internet of rooms that clearly do not follow this code! Bummer!

1960 conversions only had to follow 1960 codes . They are grandfathered in. But they can’t be touched or altered or they wouldn’t meet current codes either.

Any current conversion has to meet current codes.

7’ is finished ceiling height. After you achieve the required insulation that takes up space. And that is if the joists are rated for a live load. Many old houses are not so rated and would need to have that beefed up as well.

Which is why it’s just easier to rip off the roof and start over. But that only makes sense in a HCOL area. It costs too much, with too little return, in a LCOL.

Wow, Sophie! Thank you for being so helpful! These diagrams are so simplified and exactly what I needed. I am going to head up into the attic tomorrow to measure so I have an idea if it's even worth investigating.

So with all this new information, what would you do? Is it worth having a contractor come in to take a look and see if the attic and its components are structurally sound? It seems like such a waste of space to leave it alone! I am feeling very let down as the previous owners boasted to us about how the attic could be easily refinished for additional living space. Doesn't seem to be quite the case and I wish I could have caught it sooner!

It’s a game of numbers. The first numbers are the space’s measurements. That lets you know the possibilities right off the bat. The second is what homes with an improved attic sell for compared to yours. The third number is what it would take to make the first numbers into something that would get you the second numbers at resale. This number is likely to be much greater a cost than the return it provides. It usually is.

http://www.remodeling.hw.net/cost-vs-value/2018/

We've converted two attic spaces (same house, opposite ends) to living space, with low ceilings. From my experience, the first thing to do, after determining whether you can safely/legally finish the attic, is to run the electrical wires. To avoid running duct from a furnace/AC, I'd run 220v for a couple of baseboard heaters, and use the portable AC units which sit on the floor and vent through a window.

I can see some natural light, so it looks as if you have dormers, which might be fine for egress and the portable AC units.

We used foam baffles between the roof and insulation, then sheetrock
as usual. If you are not confident about finishing sheetrock, and don't
want to pay to have it done, you can tape it, then cover with
inexpensive sheet beadboard.

I like your floors as they are, but you'd want to seal them, if not paint. Those are much nicer floors than I've ever seen in an unfinished attic. I'm impressed that there are floor boards at all--I've see a lot of attics with a few pieces of plywood laid across the joists to store boxes.

Since the knee walls wouldn't be structural, I think you could frame them yourself, with some research, and basic tools. You might as well frame them in, since that space is too low to use as living space, and if you feel confident enough, you can turn the space into recessed storage--shelves or converted dresser/drawers--very convenient if the space will be used as an office or craft room. If you choose the portable AC option, you could even tailor a storage space to the unit(s), for the off-season.

Following are pics of some of the kneewall storage in our half-story attic addition. I did most of the work myself, with limited construction experience. (Left the electrical work to the pro.) The white walls, and closet doors, are the sheet beadboard I mentioned above. I also had to work around closet space in adjacent bedrooms, and the old roof supports, which is why the recessed shelves in the first pic are so shallow. If you can find cabinets, drawers, and chests on craigslist, Goodwill, and the Restore, you can keep the cost down--but only if you have more time, than money, to invest in the project.

It would be very difficult to estimate the cost. Our neighbor is a master electrician, and we traded him a strip of land that he'd been asking about, to wire the whole addition. We already had all the tools needed. A chop saw/miter saw, set up in the space as I was working, was invaluable. Circular saw for angled cuts on 2x4 framing. Reciprocating saw for cutting existing framing, and a jig saw for small cuts is also useful. Framing and finishing nail guns are convenient, but I don't like using them, so I did all the nailing with a hammer. I love hearing a nail 'sing' as it's being driven into the framing. :) If you have friends or relatives with construction experience, who will do favors or trade skills, then you can keep the cost down.

Kneewall storage ideas/google

Portable AC units on Amazon