Ever ything you need to know about loft

Ideas for tricky spaces

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EV ERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW A BOUT LOFT CON V ERSIONS

Need an extra room but don’t want to sacrifice any of your garden? Extend up into wasted space instead with a clever loft conversion Stretch YOUR SPACE

Lofts don’t get a lot of love. Often stuffed with just-in-case junk and things that haven’t seen the light of day for 20-plus years, it’s an area that’s ripe for renovation. Clear yours of clutter and you can turn it into a multi-use, beautiful space.

QIs my loft suitable? Ideally your loft should be 2.2m or higher at the mid-point. If yours is lower, you might want to reassess. There’s no minimum room height dictated by building regulations, but there is for staircases and access. A workaround is lowering the ceiling in the room below – you’ll have to fit a new floor in the loft as part of the conversion, so this isn’t as drastic a project as it sounds. Next, look at any obstacles – is there a water tank or a chimney stack that might need to be moved? Finally, check your roof – does it have a steep pitch that limits height around the room and may require a dormer or roof redesign? The roof should also be weatherproof and insulated.

QWhat is involved? Dormers, rooflights and windows need to be installed, the rafters need to be reinforced and the roof needs to be insulated, as well as a staircase fitted for access. Any partition walls must be built along with first fix plumbing and electrics, and extraction if the conversion includes a bathroom. Finally, radiators will need to be fitted.

QHow much will it cost? ‘Loft conversions can cost as little as £12,000 for smaller projects and from £40,000 for bigger developments,’ says Jude Tugman, MD at Architect Your Home. Prefab loft replacement conversions are another option but they’re pricey, costing around £55,000 on average. However, there’s ways you can save, such as swapping a dormer for rooflights. Plus, the conversion could increase the value of your property by up to 20 per cent.

QWho should I hire for the job? Complex projects may require the expertise of an architect, but a chartered surveyor or building engineer could be a better fit. Most building engineers can produce plans for a conversion as well as structural calculations needed for the timber and steel components of the roof space. Ask friends for recommendations or look online for a specialist conversion company that can handle the whole project.

QDo I need permission? Converting a loft rarely requires planning permission* unless you’re raising the roofline or changing its structure, but it will need building regulations approval. This ensures that the structural strength of the new floor will be sufficient, and that the room and roof will be stable with safely designed stairs etc. A building control surveyor will visit to make sure that the work meets regulations and issue a completion certificate. If your house is semi-detached or terraced, you’ll also be subject to party wall requirements.

* It will require planning permission if the roof is going to be extended or altered and it exceeds specified limits and conditions, or if you live in a designated area (such as a national park, the Broads, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a conservation area or a World Heritage Site) and the work includes a roof extension. Check the limits and conditions at: planningportal. co.uk/info/200130/common_ projects/36/loft_conversion