Just completed and discovered loft conversion

clockworks_2

What a great surprise! I have one of these in my mum's house. They're quite common. You don't need planning permission as it is not altering the shape of the house. It may not be be called a bedroom if it hasn't building regs. The one in my mum's house has a velux style window, we have a fixed stair case and a suspended floor so the boards are not on the existing joists.

It won't be called a bedroom but can be used as living space. I hope yours has been done properly if not and supporting roof struts have been cut it can cause the roof to bow.

Davesnave

GDB2222 wrote: »

The terms of a homebuyers report are quite restricted. I can't recall for sure, but I vaguely recall it excludes climbing up any ladders at all. So, ladders not forgotten, just not required?

Even for the energy efficiency part of the HIP the assessor should have a ladder to check the amount of loft insulation. Mine did that, and a lot more, taking a good half hour and charging only £60.

I'd expect a Home Buyer's Surveyor to do slightly more, not less, than a guy preparing a HIP.

Doozergirl

clockworks wrote: »

It won't be called a bedroom but can be used as living space.

Where does this misinformation come from?

People come in here fretting about no building regs on 40 year old extensions that are sat firmly on the ground but they're quite happy to use something that was never to be designed as a room for that purpose and keep it quiet like it's a simple building regs matter and not a safety issue.

GDB2222

Doozergirl wrote: »

If the joists have been put there to hold up a ceiling they are not strong enough to hold the weight of a room.

That's not completely right, because there's a huge margin for error built into houses. That's because people don't like floors that bounce when they walk on them, even though they may be perfectly safe. They don't like ceilings that crack when someone goes up into the loft area, etc etc. So everything is built not just to take the weight safely but also so as not to bend or move significantly. The chances of crashing through to the floor below are very low.

Of more concern is that maybe the roof structure has been weakened. Most lofts are full of bits of timber getting in the way of using the space well. If that's been cleared out of the way there could be problems.

I would definitely get a surveyor to have a look.

Also, if you are going to use the room for anything except storage, maybe you should get a Davy Escape fitted - last one I got was £350. Bear in mind that joists are thicker than ceiling beams partly because joists are expected to withstand fire from underneath for longer....

nearlyrich

We have an office in our roof space, as it has a pull down ladder it couldn't be described as a bedroom but it's perfectly safe, warm, insulated etc

sprocker1

This is very simular to the "POSH LOFT" that we have.....

When we bought our current house, (We have just sold it!) the owners were trying to sell it with a "Loft room", our solicitors would have none of it. It had been boarded, carpeted, electrical points and lighting installed, compleatly plastered, and a velux window added. It also has a drop down ladder to access it.

Anyway after investigation, we found that the house being sold with / without this "Loft room" did not alter the price of the house in this instance.

We therefore bought the house complete with "Posh loft"

We move on a couple of years and put this house up for sale, I specifically make sure that the house valuation does not try to take into consideration the "Posh loft" and the details state, "Usefull boarded loft"

If you did not know the loft was boarded / carpeted prior to purchase, I do not think that you will lose out financially, and you should just use it for what it is "A Posh Loft!!)

chappers

As others have said I would be most concerened as to how the structure of the roof may have been altered to accomodate this "loft conversion".

All but the smallest roofs will have additional timber, supports, necessary to maintain the structural integrety of the roof, now whilst in practice some of these supports can be removed, without the roof collapsing, they are not there just to support the weight of the roof itself.
Heavy snowfall or high winds could impose significant forces that may cause the roof to fail in the future.
Whilst older roofs would have been built based upon experience rather than structural calculations, when removing these timbers additional support needs to be put in place.

For a loft to be classed as a habitable room there are many regulations to be adhered to with regards to structural integrety and fire safety.
As has been said doing this properly would be a 5 figure sum , evne for a small conversion.

By all means contact your local building control and see if they have anything on record.

P.S it is no longer a requirement to have a means of escape window.

I doubt you would have any recourse against your surveyor aginst a homebuyers report, but I would have expected some mention of the loftspace.

poppysarah

chappers wrote: »

P.S it is no longer a requirement to have a means of escape window.

Since when?

That's a gentle enquiry not an accusatory ask.

Entertainer

Why are loft conversions so expensive at £10,000? Staircases are about £700; where specifically does the rest of the cost come from?

poppysarah

Entertainer wrote: »

Why are loft conversions so expensive at £10,000? Staircases are about £700; where specifically does the rest of the cost come from?

Stopping the roof falling after you cut away at it to make room.
Strengthening the beams that you'll walk on.


Lots of nice sites with info out there
http://www.internode.co.uk/loft/index.htm

About £10K for materials (and that includes carpets and decorations etc).
Fees of about £2,200, That's for the BCO, Architect, Roofer, and about five skips.
The boiler replacement cost about £1,250 all in (including a few tools)
Total spend on other tools and consumables is about £1,200 although they are not such a direct cost since I still have the tools!



http://www.ebuild.co.uk/forums/messages/774/12685.html
etc