Your family home is a busy place filled with personality, fun, the hard times, the good times and everything in between. If you’re looking to improve your home and bring more balance to your life, how should you go about it? One answer is to get creative with your loft conversion. In no time, you’ll realise it’s one of the greatest assets in your home. Tidy up the clutter, provide a space designed for the quirks of your life and you’ll see that a loft conversion can benefit everyone. Play rooms provide respite for parents A games room should reflect your…

Loft conversion stairs are a major consideration when converting an attic space to a usable room. Where the stairs go and what form they take depends entirely on a few factors, including the layout of the first floor and whether there are any obstructions within the roof that cause head height restrictions. Read on to get a good idea of where a contractor is likely to build your new stairs. Building Regulations Building regulations mandate that if the loft is to be used as a bedroom, bathroom, playroom or study, it must have a permanent staircase. Therefore a majority of conversions…

A cost effective loft conversion is one that improves your home and quality of living, while being good value for money. However, this assumes you’re going to live in the property afterwards. While most homeowners use a loft conversion as a means to stay in the family home, property developers are mainly interested in the value that’s added to a property by a quality loft conversion. Here, we’ll gather the prevailing market estimates from a variety of sources to give you a good idea of whether a loft conversion will boost the market value of your property. Pricing a Loft Conversion…

When planning your loft conversion, it’s easy to overlook the details and forge ahead with the bigger jobs, like installing windows and an en suite bathroom. However, it pays to imagine how you will use the space to your best advantage. Part of this process must involve your storage solutions. Consider what options are available to you, using our handy list below. Built in wardrobes Use your floor-to-ceiling space to create as much storage as you require. Built in wardrobes maximise storage capacity by being flush to the walls and ceiling and eliminate the dead space caused by traditional wardrobes. If…

So, you’ve decided on a loft conversion? You’ll want it to be your new favourite space in the home. Somewhere cosy, comfortable and, importantly, safe. That means you must ensure your ceilings are high enough to meet building regulations. If you find that your ceilings come up short, don’t fret. There are many ways to raise them to meet safety standards. Building regulations The suitability of your loft for conversion depends on the available head height of the potential room. It’s an industry standard that the centre of the roof and a majority of the ceiling is at least 2.2 metres…

You deserve the loft conversion that works best for you. If you’re looking to create a new bedroom – either for yourself, the children or an older relative – you could benefit from an en suite bathroom. Having a bath, sink, toilet and shower on the same floor as the bed maximises livability and increases the value of your home over a conversion without en suite. Planning the layout To make a practical start on your en suite bathroom, make a floor plan and mark where the height of the roof is 1.8m, 1.6m and 1.4m. This will give you an…

When you’re committed to converting your loft, it’s a good idea to start thinking about a timeline for the major building works. To help, we’ve put together this point-by-point guide to the steps taken the transform a disused loft space into a functional room, complete with ensuite bathroom. Inspection for Suitability The roof needs to be high enough to stand up comfortably (no less than 2.2 metres), and requires a steep enough pitch to achieve this. Access must be considered as well as any other obstacles to overcome. Water tanks, purlins and chimneys are common problems, and a thorough inspection will…

Find out what to expect from an exciting new home improvement project with our beginner’s guide to loft conversions. At a glance, work out how suitable your loft is for conversion and what method of conversion is required to turn your unused attic space into your new favourite room in the house. Head Height Measure from the ridge timber on the loft floor to the ceiling joists. This measurement must be 2.2 metres or more in the centre of the floor to meet building regulations. Roof Pitch If the roof has a steep pitch, it’s likely to have adequate head height…

Find out whether you require planning permission for your loft conversion and which building regulations you will need to fulfil, with this handy guide. Do you need planning permission? For the average loft conversion, planning permission is not needed as the addition of 50m3 to your home falls under permitted development. If you have a terraced home, this requirement is reduced to 40m3 and fewer. However, you need planning permission for any developments if your home is located in a conservation area, or if you live in a listed building. Certain alterations to the exterior of the property will need planning…

A loft conversion is an exciting home improvement that could mean having a new bedroom, bathroom, den, games room, guest suite, living space, music room, nursery, office, or studio – the options are endless. But have you thought about loft conversion as the perfect opportunity to make your home more energy efficient? Of course, insulation plays a large part, as your roof is a weak link where heat retention is concerned. But insulation is not the only way to retain the heat and save money. If you are planning a conversion in the near future, or are updating an already converted…