When you are remodeling, unfinished areas in a house frequently offer the most cost-effective opportunity for gaining usable space. If your home has a basement or attic that has enough floor area and headroom, you might be able to convert this area into usable living space relatively affordably because it has an existing floor, roof, and walls. Of course, significant changes may be required such as a new staircase.

In this section of HomeTips, you can explore ideas, projects, and materials that will help you convert a basement or attic into valuable living space. For information on stairs, see Stairs.