Loft conversion cost?

Contessa

Apologies if my question is too vague but I'd appreciate a rough estimate of likely cost. I've viewed a bungalow in a desirable but expensive village in Cornwall. It has nice gardens to front and rear. It is a one bedroomed detached bungalow. The rooms are bedroom, lounge, bathroom, kitchen. dining room and utility. Originally it had 2 bedrooms but the present owners converted the second into a kitchen and the old kitchen is now a utility room. As it is, it's too small for me. The EA glibly tells me that "it would be easy" to do a loft conversion, or a rear extension. Does anyone have any rough idea of the costs involved? Forgive the vagueness of my question but I've never done this and have absolutely no idea. Made worse by the fact that I'll be moving into a new area with no trade contacts so vulnerable!. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

greatcrested

The EA justs wants a sale. He'll say anything.

Cost? Between £5K & £50K. Talk to a builder/architect.

You'll need Building Regulations certification and maybe planning permission.

Miniamo

Also, it can be a good idea to check the road the house is on planning portal of the local council. It will list previous planning applications made to the council and whether they were allowed or refused. If no one else on the road has been granted planning permission that its unlikely you will too, no matter what the estate agent says- I agree with greatcrested on that one!

Jon_Tiffany

As others has said the price will vary depending on what sort of conversion and the work involved. Take a look at this website the get an idea of things to consider for the cost of a loft conversion. A very basic conversion could be around £15k, typically you are looking at around £20k. If you want dormers and en-suites then getting closer to £40k.

Lots of the bungalows in Cornwall tend to have a fairly shallow pitch to the roof. This means headroom can be an issue so you may need a dormer. Dont forget that to meet building regs you will need to install quite a lot of insulation which reduces the headroom available.

You will certainly need building regulations, most conversions can be done under permitted development meaning you do not need planning permission. You can check most of this out in advance, maybe a call to the local council would be useful. Check if the house is in a conservation area or if there are any other planning restrictions in place.

Leif

One point to consider is whether or not there is room in the existing house for a staircase.

A loft conversion may/will require new roof joists, and perhaps substantial rework of the roof, as some such as mine are not suitable for conversion without changing the supporting beams. I've seen a few bad conversions, they reduce the value of a house.