Do I need planning permission? It depends. You will need to submit plans or a building notice application to your local authority, and the work will have to be inspected by a building control surveyor to check that the extension complies with building regulations. If your new room increases the volume of the house by less than 50 cubic metres (or 40 cubic metres for terraced houses), does not face a highway or increase the height of the roof, then you should only need a permitted development certificate. You will need planning permission if you live in a conservation area, a national park or an area of outstanding natural beauty, such as the Norfolk Broads. Listed buildings require listed buildings consent. Do not assume anything: rules vary from borough to borough.
Who should I employ? If you're after something simple, relatively low-cost and efficient, then you should employ a specialist company. Loft specialists do the whole thing, although if you want something unique it is best to go with an architect-but this will be much more costly.
How do I find these people? Personal recommendation is always best, otherwise, call around local companies for quotes and look online for reviews. Many loft conversion companies will be popular in certain areas, so if your neighbour has a loft conversion, ask for their advice.
What are the design options? At its most basic, a loft extension involves no more than strengthening the floor, installing roof lights and putting up a loft ladder, which is fine if all you want is a bit of extra space. However, if you want a proper room, however, you'll need a fixed staircase, which means complying with lots of regulations. First, there must be 2m of clear headroom above both the existing staircase and the new one. There are also rules about treads, risers and pitch (the slope of the staircase, to you and me): the stair treads must be no less than 220mm, risers no more that 220mm and the pitch no more than 42 degrees. Don’t panic though! A loft conversion company such as Econoloft can advise you on whether your home will be suitable for this, and the majority of the time there is very little disruption whilst this is going on.
Types of loft conversions vary, and will depend on the style of the property. The standard dormer is just a box-like structure with a window jutting out of the roof slope, but it can be stretched right across the length of the roof. A mansard roof has the angle of its pitch divided, to slope more steeply at the lower part, than the upper, (common in French architecture). Again, an expert will be able to advise on the best option for your home.
Are all houses suitable? Unfortunately not, as some don’t comply with the regulations. However, the majority of homes are suitable, and it’s just a case of asking for an expert’s opinion.
What about fire safety? You have two main options: either your new room has an escape window with enough space below it to accommodate a ladder, or you install self-closing fire doors on the staircase enclosure. If you've gone for an open-plan design, then the staircase must be enclosed and linked to a suitable escape route.
What will it cost? You could do a very basic ladder-and-loft-windows job for around £10,000, while a one-room plans-to-plaster finish extension by a specialist begins at around £21,000. Add £1,000 for a shower room. If you have a small budget, then shop around for quotes. Econoloft say there is no such thing as a typical loft conversion as all of its work is bespoke and designed to fit the local area, the house and the customer’s personal needs, so it entirely depends.
How long will it take? Building should take about six to eight weeks on average, sometimes less.
Can I stay in the house while work goes on? Probably, as long as you're prepared to put up with a bit of disruption-although most people are surprised how smoothly the process goes. Most of the work goes on inside the roof space, so it shouldn't interfere too much (if you haven't got a spare loo or you don't want the builders in your bathroom, then consider asking them to bring a Portaloo). The most disruptive bit may be when they break through the loft floor to install the staircase. This should only take a day, but if you don't like plaster dust, you'd be wise to go out.
Will the extension increase the value of my house? If it is done properly, you will probably get your money back and most likely make a profit.
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