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Loft Conversions

Perhaps your family is expanding, and you are looking for more space in the form of an extra bedroom; maybe you work from home, or are thinking of doing so; or it might be that you simply want to maximise the space you already have by taking advantage of the unused roof area.

If any of these apply to you, then it might be well worth considering a Loft Conversion

According to a recent survey, commissioned by a major Home Improvement Exhibition thirty five per cent of homeowners would convert their lofts if they had enough money to spend on a substantial home improvement.

The work involved in a conversion can be disruptive, time-consuming and costly; but there are many possible benefits.

If you are happy in the area and reluctant to uproot the family in search of a larger house, moving up into the loft is a cost-effective and efficient way of making more room.

In terms of the value of your house, loft conversions are one of the most beneficial ways to add value, coming high on the wish list of potential buyers.

So how much will it all cost? This will vary quite widely, depending on location and the complexity of the work, but basic conversions start at around £20,000. This rises to £30,000 - £40,000 for a more complete conversion, perhaps with en-suite bathroom and with a dormer window.

Before you proceed, however, the first thing you need to decide is whether your loft is worth the effort. Begin by taking a good long look at the loft, and kick-start your imagination in order to discover what it is that you really want from the space.

Then take a step back and a deep breath, and assess the possibilities realistically. Tape measure in hand, address the first and most important question - is it worth doing it in the space available?

If it's a narrow space, with just a small area in which you can stand tall, then you'll need to consider carefully whether it can ever become a usable, comfortable room.

The constant danger of knocking your head on a sloping ceiling is irritating, to say the least - so as a rule of thumb we recommend that a viable conversion requires a minimum of 2.4 metres in height from the floor to the underside of the ridge rafter. This is because a new separate floor will be fitted on top of the rafters and considerable insulation panels are added to the ceiling area, therefore lowering the whole ceiling.

If adding value is your main motivation you should also consult local estate agents to see if a loft conversion really will boost the value - if you live in a house in an area with lots of flats, for example, the market for a family home, however nice your loft conversion, might not be as strong.

Other important factors to think about before going further are where you are going to store the treasure/junk that you previously stashed away in the attic, and whether there is space below for stairs.

This is particularly important if you plan to use the room as a bedroom, since building and fire regulations dictate that you must have a permanent staircase leading to habitable rooms.

And although this could be a spiral staircase or even a special ladder with a fixed, permanent handrail, clearly a real staircase that matches existing staircases makes for the best possible integration of the room into the rest of your home - and, importantly, makes carrying furniture upstairs less of a headache.

You will also need to comply with Building Regulations, which cover structural stability, fire regulations, insulation and energy conservation, drainage and waste disposal, heating, access, and weather resistance.

Consulting your local authority's planning department is essential if you are in doubt about the legality of your plans in terms of fire and building regulations, because an illegal conversion is most certainly not a good selling point, and indeed is likely to scare off potential buyers completely. We have been asked to quote on works to re-fit illegal conversions in order to achieve compliance with regulations. The cost is invariably 30 to 40 percent more than a standard conversion.

Next, it's time to decide how you want to go about getting the job done. You can, of course, do the work - or some of it - yourself, if you are practical-minded and have the time, and this is an excellent way of keeping costs to a minimum.

Local building firms are another option - but get quotes from a number of companies, ideally with clearly-drawn plans in hand so that you can be sure each is quoting for the same job.

Word-of-mouth is the undisputed best way to find competent and reliable workmen, so ask around for friends' and neighbours' recommendations.

Or if you'd rather leave it all to the professionals, specialist loft conversion companies such as Admiral Homespace can take on the whole job for you, from planning to execution.

Having considered all of these factors, if you're still thinking of taking the plunge in an upwards direction, then plan for the best conversion that you can manage for the money you have: as any estate agent will tell you, a badly-done conversion is worse than none at all. And then steel yourself for some dust and disruption while the work is carried out. The average conversion from a professional company will take around six weeks to complete. DIY or small builders projects can take six months or more.

Garage Conversions

The average single garage is approximately 150sq ft - that is a lot of extra living space that could be converted into that valuable extra room

A Garage Conversion does not involve a change of use as such and Building Regulations will therefore only apply to the structural alterations involved and to any other building controlled works such as drainage. Planning is normally not required although you should be careful to check that your permitted development rights are intact.

On many occasions a Garage Conversion requires little more than the infilling of the existing garage doorway with a suitable construction. This most often is largely made up of a window. Any infill will need to be supported by either foundations or suitable lintels. This is a structural alteration and as such requires approval.

In particular, care should be taken to ensure that suitable damp proof courses are incorporated to prevent water ingress at the new window reveals and where the new infill abuts the existing walls.

In some cases the garage already has cavity walling and the works are therefore substantially reduced. If however the existing garage has single leaf masonry walls with piers there will be additional work to try to improve both thermal insulation and weather resistance.

This can be achieved by building new internal block work walls, but these will need support and it cannot be assumed that the existing floor will be adequate to support the extra load. If this is the case it may be necessary to excavate new foundations, or expose the existing ones, to ensure proper support to the block work. To avoid any such issues it is common to provide an internal insulated stud wall. In addition the piers can be weathered and insulated to reduce cold spots being formed. It will be necessary to insulate the walls and roof to habitable room standards. Most building control offices apply the following criteria:

The wall insulation thermal performance ‘U’ value should be equal to 0.35 W/m2K, flat roofs to 0.25 W/m2K and pitched roof to 0.2 W/m2K. The ground floor should achieve a thermal performance ‘U’ value of 0.25 W/m2K. Examples of the types of construction that satisfy the standards can be found in the guidance notes on complying with Part L of the Building Regulations.

Windows must achieve a thermal performance ‘U’ value of 2 W/m2K and should incorporate openable vents of an area equal to 1/20th of the floor area of the room. In addition, background ‘trickle’ vents, having a free vent area of 8,000mm2 are required.

Your relationship with the contractor or builder for your Garage Conversion or indeed any building project - both large and small is critical. You must feel comfortable with them. Try and imagine what it would be like dealing with this person if there where some difficulties. Few large building projects proceed without at least a few challenges! Will this individual be somebody you feel you could trust around your home - even if you are not around? Does he or she appear fair and trustworthy? Do not be bullied - but likewise don't bully the builder! We have known builders who don't feel comfortable with the potential customer to submit excessive quotations, just because they don't want the work!

It is especially important to remember that once work is started it will be difficult to go back on your decision without considerable inconvenience. So take your time and select well. Sometimes it is just as important how the contractor behaves around your home as the overall quality of the finished product. What you consider to be the ‘right way’ to conduct ones self may be a million miles away from your chosen builders…!

The new room should ideally be accessed off the main hallway. The Garage Conversion (new room) should have similar floor to ceiling levels as the rest of the property. The Garage Conversion (new room) should be centrally heated, The floor, walls, & ceilings should be thermally upgraded. In particular there should be a quality in-fill construction for the old garage door opening.

You should consider using a contractor who will carry out all liaison and application works with the council as this can save you much time off work for inspections and site visits.