​A loft conversion is a welcome addition to any family home. Not only does it expand the space of your home, but it also significantly adds value to its sale price and provides an extra layer of insulation, meaning that you’ll cut your energy usage. Lofts tend to be one of the largest areas of unused space in a house, whilst also being the simplest to convert.
 
Whether your dream loft conversion requires structural work or you’re planning on minor alterations to make the most of the space you already have, there are a few important things to consider in order to create the perfect design that suits your home, as well as your family’s needs.

​You may be wondering- if it’s extra space you’re after, why not just move to a larger house? Well on average, the cost of a loft conversion is one third of the cost of moving to another house with an extra room, meanwhile increasing the value of your home by up to 25%. With such vast financial benefits, it’s clear that choosing to take on a loft conversion is a worthy investment- but how much does it actually cost?
 
The average loft conversion costs anything from £20,000 to £50,000, but this number, of course, depends on a list of variables. For example, are you adding a bathroom? How big is your existing loft space and how much are you hoping to extend it by? How much structural work is required? The final consideration has a significant impact on the price - if you can get away without having to perform any or only minor structural work, the cost of your loft conversion can drop dramatically.
 
It’s up to you how you pay for your loft conversion. If you have a stricter budget, it may be worth working with a specialist loft company for an all-inclusive price so that you can stay within your allotted costs. On the other hand, you could find an architect or construction company to draw up the plans and then gather quotes from the relevant contractors. With the latter option, you’ll have to pay the various parties (builders, roofing specialists, door and window experts, etc), however, you’ll benefit from their specialist knowledge on each aspect of your renovation.

​Once you’ve weighed up the costs and you’re happy to go ahead, you next need to work out whether a loft conversion is actually possible in your home. Most importantly, there needs to be at least 2.1m between the floor and the roof in the tallest part of your loft - for a comfortable bedroom or living room, at least half of the space should offer this amount of headroom. Not only will this ensure your conversion complies with building regulations, but it also means that you won’t be uncomfortably crouching or knocking your head.
 
With their steeply pitched roofs, Victorian, Edwardian, Georgian and other pre-war properties are the perfect fit. You just need to remember to contact a chartered surveyor before the work goes ahead to ensure the building is structurally sound.
 
After sussing out whether your loft is suitable internally, you’ll secondly need to work out whether you need to apply for planning permission. Most loft conversions fall under the ‘permitted development’ category, meaning that you won’t need planning permission to renovate your loft. However, if you want to add a balcony or terrace, your plans must be approved. Equally, if your house is listed or in a conservation area, getting permission may be more difficult. 

Whatever type of property you have, you’ll need Building Regulations approval. Your building contractors should ensure that your loft complies, however, it’s worth understanding the standard building regulations yourself so that you don’t get caught out after spending your hard-earned cash on your building project. Make sure you’re aware of these important rules:
 

• Often there are restrictions to the size (area) of the loft.

 

• You shouldn’t raise the existing roof height or alter the front facade of your home. If you want to make major alterations to the back of your home, check with your local council before going ahead.

 

• As mentioned above, the head height in the loft should be at least 2.1m in some or most of the space.

 

• Your new loft area should be accessible via a permanent staircase. If you have limited space, opt for a spiral staircase or fixed ladder - these also make for a quirky design feature.

 

• There should be a good standard of insulation in the loft in order to overcome extreme temperatures. It should be between 150mm and 250mm thick.

 

• Fire regulations must be incorporated into the design. For example, install a smoke detector or sprinkler system and swap the internal doors around the staircase for fire doors.

Of course always check your local building codes to check what's possible in your area. Asking an expert for advice is always worth it - even if it costs a little extra.

When it comes to loft conversions, there are plenty of different options out there. The design you choose is predominantly down to how much space you want to add and your budget, however, it’s also important to consider planning restraints and the aesthetic impact of your chosen style on your house - it should fit the architectural style and not look like an add-on.

There are four main loft styles for standard properties:
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• Dormer - This loft is a structural extension of the house which projects vertically from the slope of the existing roof. Dormers tend to have a flat or gabled roof, offering good head height and plenty of additional space. They’re also relatively inexpensive.

 

• Mansard - In this style, the party wall is raised while the roof remains flat and the outer wall slopes inwards. It works particularly well for period terraced houses and is supposedly more aesthetically pleasing than a dormer.

 

• Hip to gable - This is when an inwardly slanted roof is straightened to create a vertical wall. A hip to gable conversion is perfect for an end-of-terrace or detached home as it blends well with the existing building.

 

• Roof light - Using skylight windows, you can make the most of an already spacious loft space without having to alter the existing roof structure. All you’ll need to do is reinforce the floor and insulate properly. This option is around 25% cheaper and is more likely to be approved in conservation areas. 

​So, whether you want to add an extra bedroom to your home, create a second living area or even flip your house upside down with a light and spacious open plan kitchen diner at the top of your home, a loft conversion could be the perfect addition. Just be sure to work with an experienced and accredited specialist loft company or architect and construction firm in order to design and build a loft conversion that looks beautiful and stands the test of time. 

The Paul Ennis Group offers building surveying, construction and architectural services to customers across the North West of England. The group has received accreditations for their services across the industry. When you choose to work with Paul Ennis, you can expect a high quality and professional service, every time.

​Before starting excavation you must ensure that all underground services are known and have been clearly marked and pointed out to those doing the excavation. 

​Striking a utility cable or pipe can:

• Be dangerous. Cutting a gas pipe could set off an explosion and damaging an electrical cable can electrocute people.
• Interrupt service supplies to you, the construction activities, and neighbours. It could lead to costs and claims when the contents of fridges go off, or businesses have to shut.
• Be expensive to repair. A severed fibre optic cable could cost thousands to repair.
• Delay construction works until the damage is repaired.
• Result in water pipes flooding the area causing damage to the works and the surrounding property.
• Result in problems later if the damage isn’t detected, or if the damaged pipe or cable isn’t repaired properly.

​Utility lines can be located by:

• Checking the available drawings. But always remember that cables and pipes might not be exactly where they’re shown on drawings.
• Contacting the utility providers to ask them what you should be aware of.
• Scouting the surface to locate valves, markers and manholes.
• Hiring equipment to locate buried services. If you do this always ensure you know how to operate the equipment and that it’s setup correctly.
• Hire an expert to bring equipment to detect the service lines.

Unfortunately even when the utility lines have been detected accidents still occur because those excavating are careless and gung-ho and dig without taking due care, or the service lines aren’t clearly marked, or the markings have disappeared, or the crew doing the excavation aren’t aware what to look for.

​ But it’s not just the existing lines that need protecting. Frequently workers dig up newly installed lines placed during construction. New lines must be clearly marked and protected.
Unfortunately, on occasion cables and pipes are damaged, but the damage isn’t reported, or the person doing the excavation isn’t aware they damaged the line. This could lead to an undetected fault which only becomes apparent much later. Electrical cables which have their outer casing damaged could fail months later when water enters the cable. Water pipes could leak for months, making for very expensive water bills, only becoming apparent when the ground becomes saturated. Sewer and stormwater pipes could become filled with sand which enters through holes broken in the pipe, blocking the pipe, or causing areas above the pipe to settle. Unfortunately when the problem eventually becomes apparent it’s often difficult to locate the exact location, and invariably the area has been paved over, or has a concrete slab above it, or is grassed and landscaped. Fixing the problem can be costly, so it’s vital that all existing and new cables and pipes are protected, and that workers exercise extreme care when digging around known lines, immediately reporting any concerns that they might have, or where they may have inadvertently caused damage to the cable or pipe.
But it’s not just underground lines we must be careful with. Overhead power cables can be extremely dangerous. Even equipment coming within a couple of metres (yards) of the line could cause the power to arc, or flash, between the cable and the equipment, damaging the equipment and possibly causing injury or death to the operator and bystanders. Be careful when carrying long ladders and objects under low overhead cables.
Always stay well clear of fallen power lines and notify the utility provider immediately a power pole or overhead cable is damaged.
Cables and pipes installed within the floors, walls and roofs of houses can easily be damaged by workers cutting and drilling. Countless almost completed houses have water pipes and power cables cut when fittings and fixtures are installed. These especially include when installing bathroom mirrors and towel rails. Not only is this dangerous, but it costs money to repair when tiles and walls have to be chopped open to fix the damage. Flooding from damaged water pipes can damage cupboards and floor finishes.

​For more valuable tips and advice read: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home' and 'Volume 2 Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home'

​This is an extract from: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more

​© 2019 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.

Home renovations range from minor cosmetic touches, like repainting a house, through to bigger changes, like redoing paving and constructing pergolas and verandas. Then there are more major changes, such as extending the house by adding additional bedrooms, bathrooms and garages. More complex and major changes could include structural changes and even adding an additional upper floor.
​
There’re restrictions which could limit what you can and can’t do and what you can change in an existing house. These include:

• Physical restrictions which include:
  • The location of sewer pipes which could be in the way of a planned extension. The location (including vertical alignment) could impact where new bathrooms, laundries and kitchens can be added and even the position of toilets, bathtubs and sinks.
  • The layout of the current house.
  • The structural integrity of the existing building. You might not want to spend lots of money renovating a house that's structurally in a poor condition. Or, certainly take into consideration the cost of repairing and making good structural problems.
  • The design of the existing roof. Modifying an existing roof on a house is often costly and can result in leaks and colour and material differences. Extending an existing house is cheaper and easier if it can be done without altering, or tying into the existing roof.
  • The materials incorporated in the existing building. Can you match them? Are they still available? How do you join the new to the old?
  • The topography of the property. Sloping sites require level areas to be created for the extension, which require ground excavations or filling with earth.
  • The house foundations under the existing walls. These foundations may prohibit, or make it problematic, to add on another floor or storey, or could make it difficult to relocate internal walls.
  • The location of the current building on the property. Is there space for the planned extension?
  • The current architectural design of the house. The alterations, changes and additions should generally match the existing architectural style of the house, or the existing style (interiors and exteriors) need to be modified so there’s a coherent design flow. For instance, adding a modern cutting edge extension to a Victorian existing design in most cases will result in a mismatched poorly coordinated design. So matching a modern extension with an existing vintage house could require extensive modification of the existing fixtures, fittings and finishes (at additional costs) to maintain continuity. Having said this though, clever architects have managed the transitions with sympathy and good effect.
• Local or council bylaws and estate rules will dictate how close you can build to the boundary. Sometimes it could even be restrictive on architectural styles, placement of windows, building heights, types of materials and possibly even colours.
• Heritage listing – Heritage listed houses limit what can be done on the exterior of the house, and in some cases, depending on the type of listing, could even restrict what can be done internally. Heritage listed properties can be very expensive to change.
• Neighbours’ objections.
• Access for construction.
• The requirement to continue living in the house.
• Your budget.

​​For more valuable tips and advice read: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home' and'Volume 2 Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home'

​This is an extract from: 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1' by Paul Netscher. Available in paper or eBook from Amazon.com, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU and all online bookstores. To read more
​© 2019 This article is not to be reproduced for commercial purposes without written permission from the author.