Loft Conversions

Why convert your loft?

So what are you waiting for? Ok, so you need a little more information.

What can the extra room be used for?

Unless you live in a mansion, the loft is always going to be a bit limited in size, but do not be put off. With a little imagination and some creative design work, the attic can be turned into something of which you can be proud.

TV Room: This is ideal for households with teenage children. A separate room, set aside for entertainment is a great way to get away and watch what you want to watch. Most lofts have no windows, but these are legally required for a conversion, so don't write off the idea because you think there won't be enough light!

Guest Bedroom: The average, middle-income family home does not have a guest bedroom, so it's not surprising that this is fast becoming the most popular choices for loft conversions.

An attic bedroom is ideal – it will absorb some of the heat loss from rooms lower down in the house. The size of most attics is also in keeping with a basic guest room, and most houses will have enough space to include a small basin. In addition and with comparatively little extra cost, a walk-in shower is an ideal accompaniment to the guest bedroom.

Shower/Bathroom: A surprising number of attics are being turned into extra bathrooms. These can be a godsend, especially where teenagers and guests are concerned. Attics are easily plumbed into the main system, and most lofts will have enough space for a shower. When thinking about your design, you will need to ensure that there is sufficient water pressure for the shower to operate effectively and make sure you leave enough headroom.

One note of caution though – in many houses the water tank is located in the loft, and this may need moving altogether. While this will present no problem, you will want to think about this before designing the room.

Office: Hundreds of entrepreneurs have started a firm from an office in the attic, and thanks to the Internet increasing numbers of employees are opting to work from home part-time. Whether you are setting up your own business or just want a quiet area to work, the loft can be the ideal office. As most home offices are only laid out with one user in mind, this can be a very cost effective option. You will not need the whole space, so go for a part-conversion here. This saves money, and only utilises the room that you really need.

Getting permission

Full planning permission is not normally required for internal work such as loft conversions. The general rule of thumb is that, if you start to make major alterations such as large Dormer windows or if you live in a building that is listed and/or in a conservation area, you will need planning permission.

Although you may not need full planning consent, you will still need permission to go ahead with a conversion. Why? Every loft conversion has to comply with the Building Regulations. These are legal requirements aimed at achieving adequate standards of building work. These requirements are specified in separate 'Approved Documents' and are required to achieve compliance when considering a loft conversion.

Check your local authority website for fees and guidelines.

Remember – just because a plan is approved by the Local Authority in principle does not mean that the loft conversion can automatically go ahead. A site visit is a very different thing to a paper plan! So make sure you get your plan in as early as possible, especially as Local Authority regulations are subject to change.

Quality and insulation

There are different types of conversion, and each scheme will vary depending on what it is you want. A basic conversion will give you stairs, chipboard floor and window. If you want proper walls and fitted furniture then this will be an additional cost.

• "Velux" (skylight) conversions use the space you have available
• "Dormer" conversions use the space available and extend the roof

It is not possible to convert an attic that has less than 2.4 metres height (or approximately 8' height between timbers) so if you are thinking of a small conversion, you will want to bear this in mind. It is better to have some decent storage space than a badly converted attic

A loft conversion with less height may be illegal, and might require extra supports on the first floor. There is no point having steel supports running through the bedrooms to prop up a bad conversion

Houses (not bungalows) can be extended by up to 50sq m or two habitable rooms before the serious fire rules come into play.

Every loft conversion will require stairs access. That old drop-down ladder that you use to get the Christmas decorations out will not longer suffice for a proper conversion.

Getting new stairs installed is not as difficult as it sounds. For example, if you are tight on space then you should opt for the "Space Saver" staircase. This has alternating treads, which allow the user to get up the stairs in half the distance of a normal staircase.

Heating & Ventilation:

The Building Regulations only lay down a minimum specification for ventilation and heating, so think this one through. Good insulation used to be seen as a sound investment, but it is now a legal requirement.

Insulation has doubled in standard every 5 yrs recently. As the insulation requirements increase, the available height in the loft decreases, meaning fewer and fewer people are able to reach the minimum height requirement for a conversion. (At least 50% of those who want a loft conversion do not have the necessary height)

A good builder or loft conversion company will also offer advice on airflow management. This is important – most attics were not built with long-term occupancy in mind, and many have uncomfortable draughts and fluctuating temperatures. Even if you decide to do the loft conversion yourself, seriously consider outsourcing the technical parts to a qualified builder or specialist firm.

Do I need planning permission for my loft conversion?

There are two basic types of loft conversions - a "roofline" conversion, and a "dormer" conversion with many variations of the latter

Roofline

With this type of conversion, we would create a room/rooms within the existing shape of the roof at present using Velux windows for light and ventilation and we would not extend or alter the existing shape of the roof at present.

Normally, planning permission is not required for this type of conversion. However, a full set of Architect's plans would be necessary along with the designs of a Structural Engineer and subsequent calculations to verify designs. This will be necessary to justify all current building regulations (see design and planning).

However, if your property is in a conservation area, there may be restrictions on the design and shape of the Velux windows to be installed. Your Architect will be more than happy to identify whether your property is in a conservation area or not.

Dormer's

A brief description of a Dormer would be an extension of an existing roof shape. Consider a most typical terraced property/town house where the roof would start at the gutters at the front of the house rising to the Apex, the ridge in the centre of the house, then falling again down to the gutters at the back of the house. This most typical roof shape does not usually produce a substantial habitable room, unless the house is unusually large. So with this type of roof structure, it would be advisable to extend the roof and create a Dormer (usually to the rear of the property.)

The size, shape and general design of this or any other Dormer can vary greatly. This type of conversion may also not require planning permission as householders have what is known as a permitted development allowance or rights. This permitted development allowance is usually measured in cubic metres. The amount allowed (cubic metres) varies from property to property. Generally, the allowance would be between 50 and 70 cubic metres or 20% of the overall volume of the property. However you may have used some of these rights up with an extension or conservatory.

For more information see your local councils planning website