Back in the 80s, loft conversions became the rage as a great way of utilising space you already have, and today they still are. Today’s building regulations have made it more complicated to convert the loft to its full potential, but with the rising cost of property and the cost of moving, it’s still a fantastic option.
Planning your Loft Conversion
Like most things, before taking the plunge, make sure that the size of the loft area is OK to form into a loft roof. Your first step will be to make sure the existing head height is around 2.4m. If you aren’t close to this, it’ll be hard to achieve the minimum head height required after fixing all the insulation and finishes in a loft conversion. You’re going to have to comply with building regulations.
Dormer windows, bathrooms and bedrooms are all possible with the correct space being available. What most people don&rsquot consider when starting to think about developing a loft is all the other items that must be accounted for, like:
- Must the tanks be moved?
- And (if you are having a new bathroom) will the existing system be adequate to supply the new bathroom?
- Do you need to take this opportunity to re-wire the bedrooms below the loft room, or even re-wire the entire house, providing a new fusebox with the correct circuits for the new floor and rooms?
- Do you need to re-roof the remainder of the roof and do any
- External repairs whilst the scaffolding is in place?
All of the above have to be considered before making the decision.
Loft Extensions Hampstead
As we mostly work in central Hampstead, we tend to convert lofts above large blocks of flats, normally owned and occupied by different people. Gaining permission to carry out the conversion of the loft may not only need Building Control and planning permission, but also numerous party wall agreements and landlords permission. All of these cost money and take up time before the building work can start.
You may want to have a look at some of our videos showing loft conversions we’ve carried out in the past.
Please note that the photos and videos you’ll be watching were originally taken as reference materials to go in the file of the relevant jobs. I started to put the material together as small videos for reference about two years ago, and so far they’ve helped potential customers to understand just how the works progress, and the process of loft conversion. You can leave feedback, which is always welcome, for each video via the YouTube site, or by clicking here. Your feedback is very useful and helps to drive us forward, so help us to help you.