At Cotswold Contractors we know that a loft conversion might seem like a daunting change to your home. With something that can seem like a complicated process, you will understandably have many questions, making it even more scary. But don’t worry, we’re here to answer some of the most common queries about loft conversions and hopefully help put your mind at ease. We have put together a little guide, highlighting a few things you should consider every step of the way.
Is my loft suitable for a conversion?
One of the first things you should consider is whether or not your loft is suitable for a conversion in the first place. There are a few things that can be looked at to figure out if your loft can in fact be converted.
An easy way to do this is to look at houses on your street and see if there are any that are similar to yours that have had loft conversions. If you do see some examples of this, it is likely that converting your loft will be a possibility.
Another thing to look at is the head height of your loft. The minimum height you need for a loft conversion is 2.2 meters at the tallest part of the room. Older houses may have a lower roof than more modern homes.
You should also consider the floor below, especially in terms of where access to your loft space will be situated. This could be stairs or a ladder, but even the most well designed space-saving staircases can take up a considerable amount of room, so you should make sure that you have room below the loft that you are happy to give up.
Do I need planning permission?
A lot of loft conversions will be covered by permitted development rights and won’t require planning permission. This will depend on certain factors such as if your property is on designated land.
If you intend to extend your loft to create more living space, there are certain restrictions your loft conversion will also need to follow for it to come under ‘permitted development’. These involve the height of the extension in comparison to the existing roof, the area of the added space, the type of glass used in any side facing windows and how high they are from the floor. You can find more information about planning permissions for loft conversions on the Planning Portal.
What is a Party Wall Agreement?
If the work you intend to carry out will affect a wall that joins your house to a neighbour’s, you will need to have a Party Wall Agreement. This aims to ensure that all work carried out is fair and won’t impact your neighbour’s home or put it at risk.
A Party Wall Notice will need to be given to any adjoining homes, giving a summary of any proposed work and copies of any plans. You can find more information about Party Walls on the gov.uk website.
We’ve tried to cover the most common questions when it comes to loft conversions. If you have any questions that we haven’t answered, get in touch and we can see what we can do for you.
If you’re considering converting, we can help with our wealth of knowledge and experience with Loft Conversions. Just head over to our page to find out more. You can also find more information about all of our services throughout our website.