The attic is often an overlooked and underutilised room. Usually, it’s the place to store outgrown children’s clothes & toys and to dump the Christmas tree for 11 months of the year. But the area can be used for so much more. A successful loft conversion can create space for a new bedroom, bathroom, nursery or home office and, at the same time, increase the value of your property.
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Building regulations and planning permission
Before you embark on any work you need to consider building regulations and whether you’ll need to apply for planning permission. Look around at similar houses on your street and the rest of your neighbourhood; if a number of them have had loft conversions carried out, it’s almost certain that you can have the work carried out.
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Access
If the loft is being converted into a room where there will be daily use, a basic pull-down loft ladder isn’t suitable; a stairway will have to be installed. If the space isn’t too challenging, you can buy a ‘kit’ online to your specifications. Don’t forget, installing stairs will take up an area of the room below, so spend time coming up with the most space-saving and practical design.
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Floor
You’ll be walking on what was once essentially your property’s ceiling. This is why it will be necessary to lay solid wood flooring and ensure all joists and rafter ties are in tip-top condition. It all needs to be able to bear the weight of heavy items such as furniture or a bath-full of water! You also need to think about soundproofing; this can be achieved by laying down insulation. In addition, carpet or area rugs can cut down on any footfall noise that you may hear in a room or flat below.
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Windows
Unconverted roof spaces can be dark and dingy spaces. Installing a roof light or skylight is essential to letting natural daylight and fresh air into the room.
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Ceiling
Again, suitable insulation needs to be filled into the roof cavity. It needs to keep precious warmth from escaping through the roof during the winter… without the loft feeling like a sauna in the summer. We’ve found that double-sided aluminium foil bubble insulation is an economical, space-saving option.
In addition, if there’s limited headroom, when it comes to choosing lighting, recessed spotlights are your best option. You don’t want to be banging your head into pendant lampshades.
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Storage
Once all the building work on your loft conversion is done, it’s time for you to think about finishing touches such as furniture and storage. As lofts are often awkward, angular spaces, off-the-shelf cupboards and wardrobes probably won’t fit correctly. Made-to-measure and specialist loft storage fixtures & fittings are becoming more readily available.
If you’re tight on living space and aren’t able to extend the footprint of your property, you should consider developing the space above your head. A successful loft conversion could prove a much simpler and cheaper option than moving house.
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