Attic Bedroom

Cost vs. Value
Attic Bedroom

2001 Cost vs. Value home

Project (average cost recouped, national)

Minor kitchen remodel (88%)

Bathroom remodel (85%)

Major kitchen remodel (81%)

Family room addition (80%)

Deck addition (77%)

Master suite (75%)

Attic bedroom (74%)

Siding replacement (73%)

Window replacement (69%)

Home office (55%)
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2002 Cost vs. Value Report

2000 Cost vs. Value Report

Jacksonville, Fla., remodeler Larry Murr tells clients who are anxious about their budget that adding space within the house footprint is the way to go. “I always advise them that when we stay inside the existing structure, it’s less expensive for them. So we try to do that first.”

Converting attic storage space into a bed-with-bath is inexpensive compared to what an addition would cost but makes the house that much more attractive to future buyers. In older Milwaukee neighborhoods dense with one-story bungalows, attics often become bedroom-bathroom suites, according to real estate pro Nancy Carpenter. Kids and most adults (though not the elderly) like the idea of an attic bedroom getaway, she says.

On average, the attic bedroom and bath described here costs $31,366 and recoups $23,232, or 74 percent of its value. In tight housing markets like Boston, Long Island, or San Diego, the value an attic bedroom and bath adds to a house is nearly double that, or more.

Design Tips for Consumers

Take advantage of the attic angles to create niches and built-ins.—Kurtz
Install skylights for additional natural light.—Freysinger
Put sound-absorption material on the floor before you lay the carpet.—Porter
Instead of a shed roof, add new gable end dormers.—Porter

Project Description
In a house with two or three bedrooms, convert unfinished space in attic to a 15-by-15-foot bedroom and a 5-by-7-foot shower/bath. Add a 15-foot shed dormer and four new windows. Insulate and finish ceiling and walls. Carpet unfinished floor. Extend existing heating and central air conditioning to new space. Retain existing stairs.

Region or City	Job Cost	Resale Value	Cost Recouped
East Average	$32,966	$24,349	74%
Albany, N.Y.	30,497	20,078	66
Baltimore	28,025	16,478	59
Boston	37,087	46,333	125
Burlington, Vt.	24,862	18,699	75
Garden City, N.Y.	37,859	44,100	116
Hartford, Conn.	35,859	15,000	42
Lancaster, Pa.	29,521	13,833	47
Nashua, N.H.	27,052	17,000	63
New Haven, Conn.	36,128	30,727	85
Passaic, N.J.	37,015	17,667	48
Philadelphia	35,420	27,122	77
Pittsburgh	33,750	24,250	72
Providence, R.I.	33,151	23,288	70
Westchester, N.Y.	36,979	28,546	77
Wilmington, Del.	31,279	22,107	71
South Average	$27,472	$20,070	73%
Atlanta	29,599	18,750	63
Birmingham, Ala.	28,415	30,920	109
Columbia, S.C.	24,229	19,957	82
Dallas-Ft. Worth	27,879	16,461	59
Houston	28,910	18,225	63
Jacksonville, Fla.	26,542	15,263	58
Knoxville, Tenn.	26,343	16,274	62
Louisville, Ky.	29,895	27,183	91
Miami	28,124	12,333	44
New Orleans	27,927	21,660	78
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.	23,495	13,959	59
Richmond, Va.	27,561	13,820	50
Tampa, Fla.	26,277	16,000	61
Tulsa, Okla.	26,764	27,740	104
Washington, D.C.	30,122	32,500	108
Midwest Average	$32,371	$21,604	67%
Chicago	38,704	29,200	75
Cleveland	35,608	11,000	31
Columbus, Ohio	31,737	24,613	78
Des Moines, Iowa	29,667	17,260	58
Detroit	34,208	32,475	95
Fargo, N.D.	25,514	17,387	68
Grand Rapids, Mich.	30,103	21,500	71
Indianapolis	31,273	19,500	62
Kansas City, Mo.	31,744	14,625	46
Madison, Wis.	35,105	18,660	53
Milwaukee	35,995	26,167	73
Minneapolis	38,685	30,175	78
St. Louis	35,414	27,600	78
Sioux Falls, S.D.	25,810	16,300	63
Wichita, Kan.	26,000	17,596	68
West Average	$32,657	$26,907	82%
Albuquerque, N.M.	28,140	15,864	56
Boise, Idaho	28,459	20,750	73
Colorado Springs, Colo.	29,415	14,980	51
Denver	29,562	19,750	67
Honolulu	38,057	31,667	83
Las Vegas	31,977	20,667	65
Los Angeles	36,954	23,750	64
Phoenix	28,824	23,286	81
Portland, Ore.	33,931	23,000	68
Sacramento, Calif.	34,489	21,600	63
Salt Lake City	28,140	17,500	62
San Diego	34,737	54,600	157
San Francisco	39,643	60,600	153
Seattle	35,628	37,000	104
Spokane, Wash.	31,895	18,589	58
National Average	$31,366	$23,232	74%

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