When having a loft conversion completed, there are three main phases that will need to be carried out to ensure that it runs smoothly and looks exactly how you envisioned it to be.
If one of these phases are disrupted for any reason, then it could cause a severe delay in the installation process, and, therefore, could extend how long it will take. When having a loft conversion, thorough designing will be underway to ensure that you can implement the vision that you wish to achieve. Blueprints and architectural drawing will give you a better understanding of what the conversion will look like once complete, and give you the opportunity to make adjustments depending on your needs and requirements.
If your conversion is going to change the structure of your property, then you will need to have an architectural drawing of the outside of your home. Not only will this give you an understanding of what to expect the conversion to do to the exterior of your home, but it will also be needed for any planning permission that you apply for.
Through the blueprints that are formed, the team will help you to know what forms you will need to fill out to complete planning permission. Alternatively, you can head over to the official government website for more information.
Included in the blueprints will be a design of the interior of the room, including where you wish to place fixtures and features. For example, if you would like the conversion to be a master bedroom with an ensuite, then you are able to choose the bathroom fixtures, and these will be included in the drawings. Planning refers to the planning permission that you will need to gain from your local authority; this may also include the purchasing of materials and products to complete your installation.
The planning process is, unfortunately, not something that we are able to control. For this reason, we are unable to give a definitive timescale as to when this will be completed. The design process will aid you with the planning, as the team will ensure that every aspect is completed before you enquire planning permission. This will, therefore, reduce the amount of time that it will take for the planning process. If you intend to carry out any of the works mentioned, you must inform all adjoining owners.
In fact, you must not even cut into your own side of the wall without telling the adjoining owners of your intentions.
The Act contains no enforcement procedures for failure to serve a notice. However, if you start work without having first given notice in the proper way, adjoining owners may seek to stop your work through a court injunction or seek other legal redress.
An adjoining owner cannot stop someone from exercising the rights given to them by the Act, but may be able to influence how and at what times the work is done. The Act also says that a building owner must not cause unnecessary inconvenience. This is taken to mean inconvenience over and above that which will inevitably occur when such works are properly undertaken.
The building owner must provide temporary protection for adjacent buildings and property where necessary, and of course is responsible for making good any damage caused by the works or must make payment in lieu of making good if the adjoining owner requests it. It is obviously best to discuss your planned loft conversion works fully with the adjoining owners - although a professional adviser can do this on your behalf - before you give notice in writing about your loft conversion plans.
If you have already ironed out possible snags with your neighbours, this should mean that they will readily give consent in response to your notice. You do not need to appoint a professional adviser to give the notice on your behalf. While there is no official form for giving notice, your notice must include the following details:. You may deliver the notice to the adjoining owner in person or send it by post.
Where the neighbouring property is empty or the owner is not known, you can address the notice to "The Owner", adding the address of the premises, and fix it to a conspicuous part of the premises. You do not need to tell the local authority about your notice.
The notice should be served two months before the planned starting date for work to the party wall. The adjoining owner may agree to allow works to start earlier but is not obliged to, even when agreement on the works is reached. The notice is only valid for a year, so do not serve it too long before you wish to start. If you cannot reach agreement with the adjoining owners, the next best thing is to agree with them on appointing what the Act calls an "Agreed Surveyor" to draw up an "Award".
The agreed surveyor should NOT be the same person that you intend to employ or have already engaged to supervise your building work. Alternatively, each owner can appoint a surveyor to draw up the award together. The two appointed surveyors will select a third surveyor who would be called in only if the two appointed surveyors cannot agree. In all cases, surveyors appointed under the dispute resolution procedure of the Act must consider the interests and rights of both owners and draw up an award impartially.
Their duty is to resolve the matters in dispute in a fair and practical way. Where separate surveyors are appointed by each owner, the surveyors must liaise with their appointing owners and put forward the respective owners' preferred outcome.
However, the surveyors do not act as advocates for the respective owners. They must always act within their statutory jurisdiction and jointly prepare a fair and impartial award. The surveyor or surveyors will prepare an "award" also known as a "party wall award". This is a document which:. Download a sample Party Wall Agreement ». Typically, a rear dormer loft conversion on a terraced property will take four and a half weeks to complete and a gable-end and rear dormer conversion on a semi-detached property will take five and a half weeks to complete.
This means, barring exceptional weather conditions, we are extremely confident of all projected loft conversion timings, and your own loft extension timescale will be detailed in our initial quotation. We convert lofts in winter using a system which ensures your home is never exposed to the weather at any time during the loft conversion works, just as we do during the summer. On 1st October the planning laws for loft conversions in England and Wales changed significantly.
Before then a Total Permitted Development PD allowance was granted on a property to allow it to be extended before it would require planning permission: a maximum of 50 cubic metres for a terraced home and 70 cubic metres for a semi-detached. A loft conversion could be constructed up to a volume of 40 cubic metres for a terraced property and 50 cubic metres for a semi-detached before it required planning permission. These maximum figures still apply to loft conversions.
But before the law changed, if you already had a ground floor extension then the volume of the extension would be subtracted from the loft conversion allowance, which meant that in a lot of cases seeking planning permission for attic conversions was inevitable. Under the new simplified planning laws, only a few loft conversions need planning permission. Alternatively, contact us now for a free, no-obligation loft conversion suitability survey and quotation for your home: or email.
Embrace the challenge of unusual angles and sloping ceilings with carefully chosen fixtures and fittings. Be sure to choose an interior design scheme that gives the impression of light and space. These ideas will help you complete your project to perfection:. Whatever your specific accommodation requirements, a beautifully-designed loft conversion could be the perfect solution for that longed-for extra space.
With careful planning and creative thinking you can transform your home from the ordinary to the extraordinary and improve your quality of life. For more ideas on converting your loft read our loft bedrooms guide and get more home improvements inspiration here. Read more Recommended suppliers. Enter your details and what you would like to discuss and our FCA registered financial advisors will get in touch. Did you know we offer a free online valuation of your property? Will a loft conversion increase the value of my property?
Is my loft suitable for a conversion? Roof height, pitch and overall space: take a floor-to-ceiling measurement in the tallest part of the loft. A minimum height of 2. However you will ideally have a measurement of 2.
If you have insufficient head height, there are ways around the problem but these can be complex and costly. For example, raising the roof or lowering the ceiling in the room below. In addition, look at the overall space available. Ask yourself if it is liveable and where the staircase might go.
Roof structure: traditional rafters or modern trussed roof? The former, typical of pres houses, is more suitable for a conversion.
Rafters run along the edge of the roof leaving more hollow space below. Bear in mind that they might still require strengthening or extra support though. A trussed roof will require structural reinforcements the addition of steel beams between load-bearing walls for example as these supports run through the cross section of the loft, making your project more expensive.
Consider other features which could pose a problem — a chimney stack in the loft being one example. Does a loft conversion require planning permission? Furthermore: The inclusion of a balcony, veranda or raised platform is not permitted Side-facing windows must be obscure-glazed The extension cannot be higher than the highest part of the roof Your roof enlargement must not overhang the outer face of the wall of the original building These are just a few of the conditions.
What is building regulations approval and will my loft conversion require this? You will need a permanent solution, be it a space-saver staircase or normal flight of stairs. Positioning depends on the layout of the floor below and where to land stairs for maximum height above the staircase.
This is often in line with the roof ridge. The minimum height requirement for your staircase is 2m above the pitchline. Are there bats in your loft? If so, remember that they are a protected species and you will need to pay for a survey. Party Wall Agreement: this applies to you if your property is terraced or semi-detached. A loft conversion could involve work to the wall or walls of adjoining properties. This prevents any disputes once work is underway.
Read more about it here Thermal and acoustic insulation. Effective insulation will keep your loft room cool in summer, warm in winter, soundproof and save money on heating bills. U-value measures how effective a material is as an insulator; products with a lower value are more energy efficient. Adequate ventilation is vital to prevent condensation-related problems and ensure good air quality.
Types of loft conversion, in order of complexity: A roof light conversion: the simplest and least expensive option. Ideal if you already have sufficient roof space and want to transform it into a room.
It involves adding skylight windows, a staircase, floor reinforcements and insulation, electrics, heating, lighting and fire safety measures. Dormer conversion: more complex, involving an extension to the existing roof — projecting vertically — with the addition of dormer windows. The resultant extension will increase headroom and floor space. The idea is to create more internal loft space by extending the property on the sloping side. You create a vertical wall or gable at the end to the same height as the ridge and fill in the space in between.
A detached property with two sloping sides could gain extra space by having a double hip-to-gable conversion.
This conversion takes its name from 17th century French architect Francois Mansard and is suitable for most property types. It involves altering the angle of the roof slope to make it almost vertical.
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