If you look around for home remodeling ideas to expand the space available in your house, you’ll often come across articles about the benefits of an attic conversion.

There’s a problem with this, however: Southern California attics are not ideal for conversions. These articles are aimed at other parts of the country. The same places that recommend basement conversions, something else Southern California homes don’t usually have as an option. Our homes tend to have attics with low ceiling volume, usually enough space to have the necessary insulation put in, but nothing that can conceivably be turned into anything more than an extra storage space.

So, no attic conversion, and no basement to convert. What other ways can you expand your living space with a home remodel in Brentwood, CA ?

The Bump-Out

The bump-out is a popular choice to add onto the square footage of a house without having to go through the major construction job of a complete room addition. A bump-out extends out a room with an exterior wall by a few feet, but is usually cantilevered so it hangs above the outside ground and doesn’t need any foundation. Bump-outs are great for breakfast and office nooks, or for enlarging a kitchen or family room.

The Garage Conversion

So. Cal may have small attics and no basements, but we often have large garages—this is where a room conversion can be highly successful. If you have a two-car garage, you can keep space to park your car by only converting one half of the garage. Garage conversions are good ideas to create new work areas or recreation rooms, and they’re easy to heat and cool using the addition of a ductless mini split. 

The Detached Structure

You can enlarge the living space of your house by building outside of the house if you have enough property for it. The classic detached structure is the guesthouse, but a guesthouse doesn’t just have to be for guests! It can be a great recreational area for your family that moves the noise (and sometimes the mess) from the main house. It’s also an excellent idea for expanding a work-from-home business that’s away from many of the distractions that come with work-from-home. 

The California Room/The Sunroom/Etc.

This is a general category to describe transforming an exterior part of the house so that it becomes a transitional space , neither fully indoors or outdoors and therefore a less expensive remodeling project. Sunrooms and California rooms offer the benefits of a covered space with shelter and temperature control, but which is also open to the outside. If you find you don’t use your porch or terrace often, converting it into a sunroom or other transitional space can make it more useful. 

There are many other ways you can increase your living space, and our team can help you navigate the options and find one that will work best for you. We provide full remodeling and construction services, starting with the design phase: call us for an appointment to get an estimate and learn what else we can do for your house.

Advanced Builders & Contractors has served the Los Angeles Area for Over 16 years. Request an estimate today .