Loft conversion

[ianrauk]

I know this is a daft question, but I dream of having my loft converted into a bedroom with an ensuite shower room - whats a general price guide for such a job?

One of my neighbours just had his done, bedroom with full on suite, inc. fully fitted wardrobes, cupboards etc. On an end of terrace. Very nice it is too, . Came in at just under £40,000.
This is in the south east so probs pay more then if oop norf.....

We are also going to get ours done. Just saving up the money at the moment. Another year and we will have the money to do it. We are not keen on extending the mortgage. Would rather pay for it outright.

 

[summerdays]

OK so I will go back to them - the original information that we have had so far was for Velux windows instead as I didn't want the dormer but I am being persuaded by Mr Summerdays that it is probably worth it in terms of usable space as the height in the loft is so shallow (which is why they say we can't have a pitched roof). So it sounds as though flat roofs have moved on from the stuff I was thinking of. This company has certainly been trading for 10 plus years as they did my friend's loft years ago.

 

[Archie_tect]

Summerdays, ideally you need at least 2.3m headroom in the roofspace clear of structure, but you need to allow for the upgraded floor to support the extra weight which may or may not need an RSJ support beam in the roofspace.

The new stair up to the loftspace will set out what space you have available.

If a flat roof is the only option then so be it. Single ply [rubber] membranes are the best for flat roofs... google Sarnafil.
Do not use built up felt roofs. You may be allowed dormers on the front to give views and extra light without destryoing the character of your house. as even flat roofed ones can be elegantly detailed.

Now I realise that people on here have said you need a good builder which is true but for goodness sake get the extension designed properly first to get planning and Building Regs approval, to avoid problems later... the builders will have to get the drawings done and the approvals anyway even if you don't, but then you can plan what you want rather than just repeat whatever the builder did the last time. There are some excellent builders with loft conversion experience- you get what you pay for, but get as many independent recommendatipns [from people who've had similar work done...NOT word of mouth opinions] as possible.

 

[SavageHoutkop]

We have just moved into a house with a loft conversion with a dormer (and balcony) - it's great! It does have a flat roof and the surveyor did mutter about end of lifespan in his report but it seems fine to us. I think it does make the room look a lot bigger to have dormer rather than velux. In our case there is a shower room next to the loft 'bedroom' which shares the dormer roof and is efficient use of space.

 

[summerdays]

I don't want any dormers to the front but I will have a velux window for the light and air flow and we will need a side dormer for the stairs.

Summerdays, ideally you need at least 2.3m headroom in the roofspace clear of structure, but you need to allow for the upgraded floor to support the extra weight which may or may not need an RSJ support beam in the roofspace.

The new stair up to the loftspace will set out what space you have available.

If a flat roof is the only option then so be it. Single ply [rubber] membranes are the best for flat roofs... google Sarnafil.
Do not use built up felt roofs. You may be allowed dormers on the front to give views and extra light without destryoing the character of your house. as even flat roofed ones can be elegantly detailed.

First ones are recommended by friends, other friends have put us off their builders by mentioning how they had to plane the bottom of the doors as the floor wasn't flat!!!

I'm trying to work out what does make an elegantly detailed dormer, I think it is some combination of needing to be wider than the depth, the more glazing to the front the better - though probably not one window - rather several vertical windows?, and possibly an overhang on the flat roof. Is that sort of thing possible? Probably in the middle of the roof would look better but with limited head room we won't have that choice.

 

[biggs682]

loft conversions , me and an ex had one done years ago , after getting 3 quotes we chose local guy , he rang us on the fri night before he was due to start asking if we could not park the cars in front of the house on the saturday as he was having the scaffolding put up , so he could start work straight away on the monday , great we thought .

we both went our seperate ways on the sat am but arrived back home late afternoon around the same time , no scaffolding to be seen anywhere out the fr , so indoors we went and walked through to the back of the house to find the rear garden flattened by loads of scaffolding etc etc .

we rang him and asked him what was going on his reply was oh i got my fronts and rears mixed up , from there on it was a nightmare , took about a month from start to finish , it gave us a great sized room and is still going strong by the look of it 14 years later .

 

[dellzeqq]

Summerdays, ideally you need at least 2.3m headroom in the roofspace clear of structure, but you need to allow for the upgraded floor to support the extra weight which may or may not need an RSJ support beam in the roofspace.

The new stair up to the loftspace will set out what space you have available.

If a flat roof is the only option then so be it. Single ply [rubber] membranes are the best for flat roofs... google Sarnafil.
Do not use built up felt roofs. You may be allowed dormers on the front to give views and extra light without destryoing the character of your house. as even flat roofed ones can be elegantly detailed.

Now I realise that people on here have said you need a good builder which is true but for goodness sake get the extension designed properly first to get planning and Building Regs approval, to avoid problems later... the builders will have to get the drawings done and the approvals anyway even if you don't, but then you can plan what you want rather than just repeat whatever the builder did the last time. There are some excellent builders with loft conversion experience- you get what you pay for, but get as many independent recommendatipns [from people who've had similar work done...NOT word of mouth opinions] as possible.

might I suggest that these words be written in flame, ten feet high, with accompanying death threats and thereafter be inscribed on tablets of stone....