loft conversion

ds1980

Looking at a complete loft conversion with 2 beds and a bath in our 3 bed semi. Rear dormer needed but roof already has gable end. It will be about 7.5m by 5.5m. New corridor and staircase installed etc. We are in herts/north london area and wondered where i could perhaps "save" money i could do most the work myself including plumbing and electrics then get people to finish off but will need help i think putting in steels and woodwork. No planning needed just building control I think.

Was thinking of seeing if i could get a "shell" done but not sure i like to ask builders to do half a job. What would be a reasonable amount for this?

ANy thoughts

ta

ds1980

bumpety bump?

UncleZen

Check with your planning office, often dormas require PP.
Possibly a party wall aggreement is required (is that whats its called?) - unsure about this.
The hardest bit with steels is getting them up there, arrange a pully system on the scaffold. You may need another person to assist when fitting the steels the rest is doable on your own.
Fitting in the plumbing work around the builder will be a challenge without loosing momentum.
Some builders who specialise in conversions will do just the shell, its sometimes an option they offer.
No idea on price, Id guess about £30k if the whole thing was done by a company

ds1980

no planning but party wall will have to be sorted but dont anticipate any probs with that.

thanks for help

beaker141

Building regs - dont like normal people doing electrics anymore so you'd prob have to get a spark in.

I did a lot of mine myself, the main time consuming tasks being :-

1. chicken wire and rockwool between all the floor joists for fire protection (saves having to fireline plasterboard all the bedrooms)
2. Fitting the T+G Chipboard flooring
3. Cutting, fitting and foaming, the Celotex insulation for the roof, used 100mm - 110mm - some of the compound mitres get a bit tricky at times.
4. Plasterboarding using Kingspan K17/18 - again lots of tricky angles to cut etc.

Then it was plasterer in to make it look good.
Tiler in to help me do the en-suite.

5. Painting everywhere - several times!

Then spark back in for second fix and I did the plumbing and bathroom fit

PeterZ_2

You should be able to save a fair amount by doing some of the work youself, a good builder shouldn't have any issues with doing the shell for you. There's some great info on a DIY conversion here - DIY loft conversion - that website has some great info on conversions, and its nice that its not a builders website so its unbiased info.

Loft conversions are not really that difficult - providing you know what you are doing! That's half the challenge with these things, the work is easy if you have someone telling you how to do it

Electrics definately best left to a sparky these days, even though its probably a simple job. Make sure you get building control in and that everything is above board to keep everything in order for later on when you come to sell.

UncleZen

Note: You only need the sparky to connect the wires up, you can run the wires through yourself to save money.

ds1980

thanks guys. makes a change someone telling me i cant do this and that. i would be doing all the plumbing, electrics, tiling etc and as you say a mate will sign off or finish anything im not sure on. Also having building control this time ( never used even though i should have many times before!) to keep an eye on progress. Have already run all the electric, ch and water when i renovated the house....clever eh.... Thank you v much for the website looks v useful.

will let you know how i get on. Not sure if my 11 week old is going to apprecaite dad banging for the next god knows how long!!

ta

ds1980

latecomer

ds1980 wrote: »

will let you know how i get on. Not sure if my 11 week old is going to apprecaite dad banging for the next god knows how long!!

ta

ds1980

I can say from experience gas-powered nail guns and young babies do not mix at all - OH ended weith ours wrapped up in warm clothes and sat in the car while we tried to finish putting on the skirting boards in our house

deano72_2

i will be interested in seeing how you get on as i maybe in the same boat as you next year doing my loft conversion (also with a new born)
im a sparks & also can do the plumbing & most the timber/stud work so save few quid there.
you need to start of with getting a structal engineer round to see firstly it its viable & cost effective.then read up on the building regs to see whats what
sofar iv got strucal engineer into servey & give a plan/report cost £125 (mate of a mate) & a joiner to give an estimate/ideas about stairs which will cost bout £1200.the steels just to make are £800 then which i will be able to fit myself with a builder.
if you can do the steels thats a big bonus then getsome into do the stairs/dorma then try & do the rest yourself your make a massive saving,but from a sparks point of view i wouldnt like to second fix someonelses diy firstfix,not saying you would bodge but it might not save the sparks time in secondfixing by the time hes sussed out how youve first fixed even if tis labled & tbh it shouldnt take long to first fix for a sparks as its ezy peezy as theres no boards to lift/chasing out just runing cables in floor voids or stud work
keep us posted