7 Ways To Add An Extra Bedroom To Your Property

Adding an extra bedroom to your property could have many benefits. If you’ve got a growing family, creating an additional bedroom could prevent you having to move to a bigger property. If you regularly have guests over and they currently have to crash on the sofa, an extra bedroom could alternatively give them their own private space to stay. If you’re planning to sell your home in the near future, adding another bedroom could meanwhile be a great way to boost the value of your property.

Whatever your reason may be for building an extra bedroom, it’s important that you explore all the different ways of expanding your home. From an attic conversion to an ADU, there are various different methods of creating extra space. Some may be more practical or affordable. Below are 7 different bedroom-building solutions to consider. 

Convert the attic

If you’ve got an unused attic, you could consider transforming this into an additional bedroom. To make sure that this is feasible, you’ll first need to make sure that your attic is large enough. Canadian building codes require an attic bedroom to have 70 square feet of floor space and to be 7 feet high. There’s not much you can do to expand the floorspace, however if the roof is too low, you may be able to raise the roof to meet the minimum height. This will require planning permission, so bear this in mind.

To be legally classed as a bedroom, an attic conversion will also need a staircase leading to it – not just a ladder. This could be a staircase on the outside of the property or an internal staircase. An external staircase will similarly need planning permission.

In most cases, an attic conversion is one of the cheapest ways to add an extra bedroom because you already have the walls and roof there. It could be particularly cheap if your attic is already insulated, has a solid floor and has electrics leading up to it. When taking advantage of this space, consider whether it’s worth adding features like a skylight or even a balcony. You could also consider adding an en-suite bathroom so that the person using the bedroom doesn’t have to go down a level to use the toilet in the night. 

Convert the basement

A basement could be another ideal space for turning into an extra bedroom. As with an attic conversion, you already have a ceiling, floor and walls to work with – making it less costly than an addition. Basements also typically already have stairs leading to them, so they may already meet fire safety building codes.

Of course, some basements are very bare concrete spaces that aren’t particularly attractive for sleeping in. You may need to consider laying down a new floor and possibly adding plaster and insulation. If there are no electrics down there, you’ll need to wire in some lighting and outlets. In fact, because basements can be quite dark, you may want to add a fair amount of lighting to brighten the space. Plumbing in an en suite bathroom could also be an option.

Your basement will similarly need to meet the minimum space requirements for a bedroom: It needs to be 7 feet high and needs to have a floor space of 70 square feet. If your basement is too low or too small, it may be possible to expand it through excavation, but this will be costly. 

Convert the garage

An unused garage could make another perfect space within your home for a bedroom conversion. Because garages are designed to fit cars in, they already meet the minimum space requirements for a bedroom. They are also located on the ground floor, so there’s no need to build stairs for fire safety reasons.

Making your garage into a comfortable living space could depend on how basic a garage it is. Some garages already have insulation, electrics and even heating – while others have none of this. Make sure to add these basic features. The floor will also likely need improving if it’s currently just concrete – consider laying down some laminate or carpet.

It’s likely you’ll want to remove the garage door and brick the doorway up. While doing this, consider whether it’s worth adding a window or an extra doorway leading directly into this bedroom space (this could make it feel separated to the rest of the home, and could make it a great space for a grandparent or a lodger to live). 

Add a first floor addition

An addition costs more than a conversion, because you’re building an entirely new section rather than filling an existing space in the property. When considering a first floor addition, you’ll need to consider which side of your home to extend from. Rear additions are the most popular option, because this tends to be where there is the most free space. A front addition could be an option if you have a large drive or front lawn. Side additions are also an option if you space either side of your property.

You can build an addition in any style you want. However, most property owners like to keep to a similar style as the rest of the building, so that it doesn’t look too jarring.

An addition could give you more space to work with and could be the best option if you don’t have any space to convert. However, it may not be feasible if you don’t have the land to extend upon or if you cannot get planning permission (something that is very important to do before you start building).

Add a second floor addition

Instead of a first floor addition, you could consider a second floor addition. This could involve building on top of a single storey section of your home, or building a new two storey section (which could give you two extra rooms!).

As with a first floor addition, a second floor addition should ideally be designed in the same style as the rest of the property. You also need to make sure that you have permission to build such an addition – more so than a first floor addition, it could create concerns such as casting a shadow over a neighboring property. It could also be more expensive than a first floor addition, because work is having to be carried out at a higher level.  

Build an outbuilding

Outbuildings are structures not connected to the rest of the house. Such buildings can make great ADUs (accessory dwelling units) for family members, guests or lodgers to live in independently – on top of a bedroom, they could be kitted out with a bathroom and kitchen facilities. There are specialist companies such as JDB Builders Inc. expert ADU builders that can handle this construction project.

Of all the ways to add an extra bedroom, outbuildings can be one of the most expensive options. However, they allow you to build anywhere on your estate without having to be connected to the rest of your home. Such a building may also not need to match the rest of your home as much as a connected addition would.

Divide a large room

Finally, it may be possible to take a large room in your home and divide it into two rooms to create a new bedroom. This could be the cheapest way to add an extra bedroom as it may simply involve building a new internal wall. 

It is important that when you do this, both new rooms aren’t too small to use. As with an attic or basement conversion, you must meet legal space requirements. Make sure to take into account the width of the new wall you are adding when deciding whether the space is large enough to divide.