Converting the otherwise wasted space in the loft of your home is becoming ever more popular. Why have the hassle, expense and stress of moving when you can stay put and extend your current home? Converting your loft into an extra room can seem like a complicated task, but with a good builder or loft conversion specialist there should only be minor inconvenience.
A well built loft conversion is a double edged sword. You get the extra benefit of extra living space now, and later if you decide to sell you get extra value on your home. In some cases homeowners even make a profit after having a loft converted. Before you take the plunge, take a look at our ten tips for anyone converting a loft.
1. Before doing anything else you should first find out if it is feasible to convert your loft space. The biggest hurdle here is the amount of headroom that your loft has. If you have over 2 meters from the floor to the apex of the roof then there is a good chance that a conversion is feasible. If your roof has a shallow pitch then there may not be enough headroom, or you may need to have a dormer built.
2. Find a good builder or loft conversion specialist. This is by far the hardest and most important part. Finding a builder for any sort of work can be tricky. Ask friends and family if they know of any good builders, and if possible ask if you can see any work that they have done. Has anyone else on your area had their loft converted? If so then try knocking at their door and asking for details of the builder they used. When you have found a builder ask for references from previous work that has been recently completed.
3. Understand what it will cost. Ask for your builder for a detailed and written quote for the work. Make sure it details everything that is or isn’t included. Does the quote include VAT? Does it also include any plumbing work? What about fees to the local council? Make sure you understand the difference between an estimate (which can vary) and a quote (which is fixed). Discuss how you will pay your builder, most are happy to take payment in stages as the work progresses.
4. Get the right permissions. This is essential! A good builder will understand the process and help you ensure that everything is above board. At a very minimum a loft conversion will need to meet building regulations. This will involve a fee to the local council and the building inspector checking the work. Planning permission is often not required if the conversion is only using rooflights, however, it is important that you check with your local planning authority. Over at the AboutLoftConversions website you can find more detailed information about planning permission for loft conversions.
5. Get a qualified engineer to design the loft. It’s important that the load calculations are correct, otherwise your conversion may be unsafe! The local council will want to see copies of the calculations from the engineer. Your builder will most likely have an engineer that they use on a regular basis.
6. Speak to your neighbours. If you live in a terrace or semi detached house you will need a part wall agreement before any work can start.
7. Start to clear out junk from the loft. We all do it, slowly over the years we fill the loft space with junk that we think might one day be useful. Time to have a big clear out, Ebay and freecycle are great places to get rid of items that are no longer wanted.
8. Put a rooflight in over the stairs. Adding a rooflight over the stairwell will make it light and airy. Rooflights are fairly cheap to so adding an extra one shouldn’t impact too much on the cost.
9. Go for rolled edges. Where the upright wall meets the sloping ceiling you have a choice of either a straight edge or rolled. Its all down to personal preference and your choice will depend on how you intend to decorate the loft. Straight edges are very hard to make look neat so sometimes its best to go for a rolled edge.
10. Get blinds for the windows. Most loft conversions use Velux rooflights. These are great and let in huge amounts of light, which is great in the winter, but in the summer you may find its too much light! Velux produce some great blinds that fit onto the windows. You can get them in a range of colours and also with a reflective backing to help keep out the heat in the summer.
We hope you found our top tips for loft conversions useful. You can find out more about loft conversions at our loft conversions website. And our final piece of advice is once you have a great new living space in your home – just enjoy it!
great article……great tips