Should I De-loft convert?

FishHookPockets

Hi I am looking to sell my flat. It is a 3rd story flat and has a loft conversion in the pitched roof running the full length.
The loft conversion was done when i moved in and the loft space is big, heated and carpeted but only has a single small skylight so lacks light, probably a good space for hobbies, storage or a teenage boy.
The flat was a originally 2 double bed rooms but the stairs to the loft now means the second is a single, the stair well is not the best executed piece of work.
Anyway only viewers i've had so far are young women who wish to move a friend in and a man with a daughter. They all seemed to want a 2nd double room. Just wondering if to convert it back.

Old_Git

is it actually your loft .I take it you had no planning permission .
Did you have permission from the freeholder ,if not it may not have been yours to convert .

rosie383

He said it was done when he moved in. Not that he did it.

jamesd

Why did you originally do the loft conversion when you moved in? Why no more skylight(s) so it can serve as a larger second bedroom? Or if it was done before you moved in, how did you value it and how would you have valued it if it wasn't there at all? Either way you've paid for it.

If you're after valuation advice you'll need to check with estate agents but my guess is that making the loft room clearly into another bedroom is likely to be what will make most money, together with upgrading the stairwell if needed.

moneyistooshorttomention

rosie383 wrote: »

He said it was done when he moved in. Not that he did it.

Were the necessary permissions/ownership to convert it given to the particular previous owner that did the work?

My suspicions are that your vendor deliberately used "weasel words" there, ie said to you "It was done when I moved in" and that phrase was perfectly accurate as it stood BUT carefully avoided saying "The relevant permissions were given to owner x and here is the paperwork to say so".

Some vendors can very carefully choose "weasel words" that will get a potential buyer to buy a place, because they sound (on the face of it) like the reply the would-be buyer is expecting to hear, but once you analyse the exact words they use they were only trying to convey the idea you wanted to hear and not the exactly accurate "state of play" (voice of experience time here.......). There are ways and ways of lying and using "weasel words" to convey an inaccurate message is one, because you cant turn round to them and say "You said x", because they DID say x to you, but their exact words didn't match that iyswim.

maninthestreet

Just how much is it going to cost you in time and money to remove the loft room and return the flat to its original configuration?

eddddy

Hi FishHookPockets

I would say it's always better to ask the local EAs that kind of question.

They will have seen the flat, they will know the area, and they will know the type of thing that local buyers are looking for (unlike the people on this forum).

But, you need to push the EAs quite hard, and carefully analyse what they say. Their default response will always be "sell it in it's current condition", because they want business now rather than later - so you have to push them beyond that.

stator

If you don't have permission from the freeholder and it's not up to building control standards then deconvert it, put a ladder in and it will be an attractive storage area.
If it's got all the permissions and is up to standard then keep it and maybe see if you can make it a bit more attractive to buyers.

DTDfanBoy

If the only issue with the loft conversion is that it doesn't have enough natural light surely you'd be better off getting some more windows added to it. It would probably be cheaper than have the conversion undone, and instead of decreasing your property in value, you'd be increasing it.

If the conversion has other issues, no building regs, permission from freeholder etc you may be better off deconverting it.

TBagpuss

an alternative might be to get some estimates from local builders as to the cost of reverting it to 2 bed + lot, and of upgrading to a 'proper' loft room.

Then get agents to give you an idea of how each option would change the value.

FishHookPockets

Hello, thanks for the comments so far. The existing conversion was done when I moved in. The previous owners son lived up there and she was selling as a 3 bed. However the mortgage provider said it can't be classed as a living space. No planning was asked for but apparently its been there for so long it doesn't matter, but another skylight will be out of the question I'd imagine. The space would be great for a teenage lad. I have a bed set of furniture and a big office desk up there plus loads of junk. There are struts in a v half way down to walk between so it isn't a full conversion I guess. Its mainly women who seem to find it worse but it is a bit boys adventure playground I guess!