Loft Conversions And Your Home

Of course situations do vary and we’ve tried to address that by looking at individual towns and cities across the country.

You can see the list of locations down the right hand side of the website.

Click on your town for further information.

By the way, a ‘full scale’ conversion is taken to mean converting your roof space into an inhabitable room – if you simply wish to build a loft storage. solution then there really shouldn’t be an issue.

The advice of a specialist building company or architect will be needed before your plans are finalised but the homeowner can quickly work out if his / her roof space is suitable for a conversion by inspecting the loft for themselves.

A truss rafter roof will essentially mean that a number of structural alterations will be necessary to the property whilst a traditional rafter and purlin style roof should mean that converting your loft will be relatively straight-forward.

If your home is a bungalow then other factors will need to be considered.

To convert the loft most bungalows will need strucural modifications as many were built without load bearing walls. This isn't as drastic as it seems but bungalow owners can get more details by reading our page on bungalows.

Types of roof

Trussed rafter – will be a shallow pitch with the supporting timbers formed into a distinctive ‘W’ shape – usually built post 1965

Rafter and purlin – steep pitch to the roof with supporting timbers shaped like an ‘M’ – usually built pre-1965

For more details on how to assess how your roof was built – click on the highlighted text.

Other points to consider

Headroom – the headroom in the existing loft should be around 1.8 meters though obviously the more room the better.

Complexity – depending on your final design choice you may have to consult an architect or designer. For less complex loft conversions your builder will probably provide a plans drawing service.

Staircase – loft stairs are an absolute must if planing an habitable room in your roof space.

There are different options when thinking about loft stairs but one thing you must be clear on is the actual location of the staircase.

Often it may be necessary to sacrifice a second floor room in order to accommodate a staircase to the loft

Safety – when assessing the suitability of your roof space bear in mind the need for safety - especially escape windows in the loft and the need to comply with the fire regulations.

Planning – most loft conversions don’t need planning permission but if your roof space is restricted then you will probably need to install a dormer in which case planning permission will be needed.

Also remember to take into account the building regulations and the Party Wall Act.

Plumbing – will your current central heating system be able to cope with the addition of heating into your roof space? Regardless of whether it can there will certainly be other plumbing issues to consider.

The cost – adding a conversion to your home will increase its value but obviously the initial outlay or available budget will impact on your plans. Click here for a brief guide to prices paid for loft conversions.

Apart from these basic considerations most loft conversions will be possible though it is obviously best to have your plans professionally drawn up to your own specifications.

For more info see the related pages below or complete the form at the bottom of the page for a free no obligation quote from tradesmen near you...

The Complete Guide

Convert Your Loft To Add Value To Your Home

Loft Flooring

Do It Yourself

Loft Boarding

Loft Conversion