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Conversion Guide 12 Things to Consider When Thinking About Converting a Space in Your Home Backed with Insider Knowledge and Professional Advice

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Conversion Guide 12 Things to Consider When Thinking About Converting a Space in Your Home Backed with Insider Knowledge and Professional Advice conversion guide 12 things to consider when thinking about converting a space in your home backed with insider knowledge and professional advice. conversion guide 12 things to consider when thinking about converting a space in your home backed with insider knowledge and professional advice. welcome to this special guide... Hello, If you and your family require more space in your home, there are several options you can consider including moving house, constructing an external extension or, converting your loft or attic space into a useable room. Moving house may not be the right option for you on many levels. You may be happy with your current location, have mortgage restrictions or simply not have the extra money for a larger home. Similarly, building a new extension can be very costly and in many cases you may not have the right type of room layout or external space to benefit from an add-on building. For those reasons, you may instead benefit greatly from a loft conversion. This type of project can at first glance appear very daunting and be riddled with potential pitfalls that could prove very costly. But, with the right help and guidance, you could have a dream loft conver- sion room designed and built to meet your specific needs and requirements, quickly, efficiently and cost effectively. Which is exactly why we created this free guide! At MoreBuild, we want to make sure you get the right information to enable you to identify if a loft conversion is right for you and, if it is, make sure you get the job done right first time. Which is why our guide has been created using many years of experience and valuable industry knowledge and contains only factual information to help you make an informed decision. So, whatever type of house you have and whatever size of project you are considering, we hope you find this guide useful. And of course, should you have any further questions, or require specific guidance in any area discussed, please call our friendly team on 0113 201 5030 or e-mail us at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to help. 1. is my loft suitable for conversion? You may already have grand plans for your new loft room, but before you get excited about what type of room it’s going to be and how it’s going to look, you’ll need to consider if a conversion is possible in the first place. These are just a few of the questions you’ll need to consider: Are you likely to have enough height to stand up easily in the new room? There are height limits that apply to loft rooms, so ideally you will have at least 2.4m head height in the loft as it stands currently. Do you have room for a new staircase on the floor below? Although there are many different designs of stairs that are acceptable, they all need space to be fitted and used to get up to your new room. Are there any chimneys or services that run through the loft? Both of these could limit the final space you have in the room and may affect where doors and windows are positioned. Do you have a water tank in your loft? Again, this could limit the space you have available to you, or possibly mean extra work to move it elsewhere. Do you live in a conservation area or have a listed property? There are restrictions on listed homes and property within designated conservation areas that mean you may not be able to build exactly as you would like. If you currently store belongings in your loft, where will they go? If you plan to create storage room for these, the actual floor space available will be reduced. Otherwise, you’ll need to consider where these items will go once the new room is built. How old is your house? If you house was constructed prior to the 1960’s your roof construction will be ideal for a loft conversion. However, houses built after that can be a lot more complicated. Do you have bats living in your loft or attic? Bats and their habitat are protected under various laws, so their presence, either currently or historically, will affect your plans to convert your loft into a habitable room. 2. do I need planning permission? This is probably one of the most common questions when people are considering a loft conversion, and can also be one of the most confusing. However, new laws introduced in October 2008 mean that in most cases, Full Planning Permission will not be required unless you intend to alter or extend the existing roof space to such a degree that it exceeds specific limits and conditions. Instead, your proposed project may simply require Building Regulation approval in order to be converted from a simple loft or attic space into liveable room. But, there are still cases where Full Planning Permission may be required and if your proposed loft conversion does not meet the limits and conditions set out, you will need to make a formal application to your local council before commencing work. In all cases, the use of a Project Manager and/or Architect is highly recommended as they will have many years of relevant experience with which to help and guide you in this area. Some will even take on the whole process for you, assessing what type of permission you require, submitting your plans and finally, obtaining you the relevant paperwork to allow your project to go ahead safely and compliantly. When deciding on the use of a particular Architect, ask them if this is part of the normal service they provide. To find out more about Planning Permission please visit: www.planningportal.gov.uk. 3. what are building regulations? As detailed above, most people are likely to need Building Regulation Approval in order to build their loft conversion room, instead of Full Planning Permission. Building Regulation Approval is granted based on the acceptance and compliance of rules set out and enforced by the Building Control Department of your local council. These rules relate to many different areas of your loft conversion project including, but not limited to: Drainage Electrics External Walls Kitchens and Bathrooms Internal Walls Roof Windows and doors They also ensure that certain standards are met in other, more specific areas of your build, and concerns things such as: The structural strength of the new floor is sufficient. The stability of the structure (including the existing roof) is not endangered. Safe escape from the room in the event of fire. Safely designed stairs leading to the new floor. Reasonable sound insulation between the conversion and the rooms below. If you decide to work with an experienced Project Manager and/or Architect, they will have a good knowledge of the Building Regulations and will be able to guide you on how they affect your proposed build. To find out more about Building Regulations please visit: www.planningportal.gov.uk. 4. what is a party wall agreement and does it affect me? If you are thinking of have a loft conversion, the chances are, the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 will affect you and you may be required to obtain a Party Wall Agreement. This is a separate piece of legislation with different requirements to the Building Regulations and it relates to party walls, excavation and construction within proximity to certain other buildings or structures. Specifically this includes work which involves: Work on an existing wall shared with another property Building on the boundary with a neighbouring property Work involving excavating near a boundary By obtaining a Party Wall Agreement you are notifying and obtaining acceptance from adjoining owners in order to proceed with your loft conversion project. However, in certain circumstances, a simple letter from your neighbours may be sufficient proof that you have notified them of the work you intend to carry out. Once again, the services of an Architect can be used to identify whether or not you will need a Party Wall Agreement and if so, they can then help you obtain one. In most cases, this Agreement can be sorted out with minimum fuss and without any concerns for all parties involved. However, if the worst does happen and you neighbour is unhappy, it doesn’t mean you can’t continue with your build, but they have the right to employ a surveyor to consider their case, at your expense. Likewise, you will need to do the same and to help with cost involved, it makes sense for you to instruct the same surveyor as your neighbour. Should this situation arise, advice and guidance should be readily available from your chosen Architect. 5. what options do I have for windows? Getting both light and air into you new loft room is very important and this can be achieved with the installation of suitable windows. The most popular ways of achieving this are with: dormer windows Often seen on bungalows, this involves the addition of a roof extension that protrudes out from the roof- line to allow for a normal, horizontal window to be added at the end. The benefits of this are that, not only can you have a traditional window in terms of looks and operation, but also you gain additional headroom within the Dormer area of your loft room. However, this requires more planning and construction work than with other more ‘standard’ types of window, which all adds to the overall cost of your build.
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