Loft Rooms

jamie_128

Im wanting to eventually convert my loft and ive read online that your loft roof needs to be 2.2m above the ground in the centre part of the loft to just do a normal conversion rather than a dormer type.

Now if my loft doesent fit this criteria can i just convert it into a normal room rather than a bedroom or am i still not officially allowed due to building regulations? There is a perfect space to fit a proper permanent staircase so thats not a worry its more the height.

If it can be converted to a room but not a bedroom would it still add a bit of value to the house? 

[Deleted User]

I don't think building regulations has anything to say about the difference between a "room" and a "bedroom".  Surely the differentiation is whether it is a "habitable room" or just "storage space"?

jamie_128

like i say online it just says if its not 2.2m high i would have to get a dormer conversion. 

rach_k

It's my understanding that loft conversions don't really add value to a house.  Assuming you spend wisely, you just get back what you spend on it, so if it costs you £40k to do, you'll add around that to the value of the house (less if it's done poorly).  

I think the pitch of the roof comes into it.  If the roof is very steep and you only have 2.2m at the very centre, you might only have a very small amount of space where a normal sized person could stand up.  If the roof is shallow, it could be plenty of space.

Bear in mind that the floor and ceiling takes up quite a bit of height in the loft, so if you have 2.2m now between the 'floor' of the loft and the underside of the roof, you'll have nowhere near that once you've added in the proper supports and insulation.  

jamie_128

To be honest i would want it as more of a games/dressing room so dont know if the height would be as much as an issue. 

tonyh66

yes the height is an issue, if you want it done properly (legally).

fifthofwhisky

You don't say what year the property was built. It's possible that you will need to have the floor joints strengthened or replaced anyway. This is because regular joists are usually OK to put down some tongue and groove flooring and store things but not always to carry additional weight from new roof structures, and fully furnished rooms. You probably don't want the expense of a new roof but the roof can be raised with new timbers and re-tiled. Depending on how much of the old roof the extension takes out that might not be as big or an expensive job as you think.

rach_k

jamie_128 said:

To be honest i would want it as more of a games/dressing room so dont know if the height would be as much as an issue. 

Are you sure?  Our loft rooms have 2.2m height and I really wouldn't want to go any lower.  Maybe as a man cave it would be okay, assuming you plan to sit down all of the time, but as a dressing room you need it to be the proper height I think.

Unless you do it just as storage (or spend only what a storage space is worth), I think you stand to lose money if you don't do it properly.  You may be okay scuttling around like a beetle up there, but potential buyers will only see how much they need to spend to do it properly i.e. start again.  They won't want to pay for things you've added that need ripping out to make it a proper room, so you'll have wasted your money on them.

ashe

you have to consider that while it might be 2.2m to the top, you will be adding things underneath that for insulation and plaster. agree with above, doesnt add value, convert a garage - much cheaper

longwalks1

could you not just make it a more pleasant place for storage?  Our old loft was just for 'storage' but was insulated, boarded out, had lighting and plug sockets up there.  Aside from not being carpetted, it was as nice as being in a proper room, even though it was only used occasionally.

PasturesNew

As it's a flat, you'd need to make sure the loft is yours.  Often they still belong to the freeholder. Then you need the freeholder's permission. 

That aside, it's either a legal room, or not - and if it can't be, then you need to work out whether the cost is worth it to you to do the work because people buying your flat in the future would either see it as a bonus/store room, or a problem they don't want that they suspect they'd be "paying for" as they felt 'forced' to put up with your choice that fitted your lifestyle, but not theirs.  

Not done "properly" it can harm your position and speed of moving if/when you resell.  

I've seen many loft rooms advertised where they've just been done poorly, for the immediate needs of the home owner, who then expects me to pay for their poor choice of not doing it properly AND the layout etc they chose.  To date I've not viewed a single property that had such a loft room as, in the main, they're just awkward and you feel you're paying the price of what they cost + what the owner thinks it makes their home worth....