Attics are great for storage, but oftentimes homeowners will look at all that empty space and wonder… what if I added a bedroom up there? If you’re looking for a way to add square footage without the hassle, cost, and complexity of expanding your your home’s footprint, adding an attic bedroom can be a great way to go.
And depending on where you live, you may also be making a decent financial investment in your home.
When it comes to remodeling your home, it’s not only about what project you choose and how well the work is done, but it’s also location, location, location. Adding an attic bedroom has an average return on investment of 73 percent nationally in 2013, but that number can vary dramatically depending on where you live.
In San Francisco, the return was a whopping 114 percent, but in Rochester, New York, adding an attic bedroom only had a return of 47 percent.
Here are the top ten cities where adding an attic bedroom has the most bang for the buck, based on data compiled by Remodeling Magazine.
Best Cities for Return on Investment from Adding an Attic Bedroom
| City | ROI | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | 113.5% | $63,290 |
| Honolulu, HI | 112.1% | $56,327 |
| Miami, FL | 95.0% | $45,923 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 94.1% | $60,472 |
| San Diego, CA | 93.0% | $56,551 |
| Anchorage, AK | 92.5% | $55,797 |
| Charleston, SC | 92.1% | $43,503 |
| Washington, DC | 91.9% | $48,065 |
| Portland, OR | 90.9% | $49,695 |
| Las Vegas, NV | 88.8% | $49,965 |
Adding an attic bedroom has the best return on the coasts and in regions where winters tend to be more mild. This is not surprising, since one of the challenges of converting your attic space into a bedroom can be keeping the temperature well-regulated.
So where should you consider thinking twice before adding an attic bedroom? Here are the ten cities with the smallest return on investment from adding an attic bedroom.
Worst Cities for Return on Investment from Adding an Attic Bedroom
| City | ROI | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dayton, OH | 59.1% | $46,621 |
| Columbus, OH | 58.5% | $47,037 |
| Des Moines, IA | 57.8% | $46,762 |
| Manchester, NH | 55.7% | $46,703 |
| Springfield, MA | 55.1% | $49,336 |
| Harrisburg, PA | 54.7% | $46,672 |
| Wichita, KS | 53.2% | $42,792 |
| Omaha, NE | 51.6% | $46,267 |
| Worcester, MA | 50.3% | $53,313 |
| Rochester, NY | 47.4% | $47,369 |
The center of the country and the northeast tend to be the worst places to add an attic bedroom.
Thinking of remodeling your attic? Find the right pro for your project on Porch.
Top image credit: M and B Restoration and Remodeling
