Updating a pre existing loft conversion

the82message

Hi all.

Does anyone have experience in upgrading a pre existing loft conversion?

I am seeking some advice on a potential house purchase in London, SW16; a converted first and second floor '3 bed' end of terrace flat/maisonette, with a dated (and per Homebuyers Survey I've just got back) substandard pre-existing loft conversion.

Surveyor raised a few Level3's, concerning:

Roof Structure
There is eaves storage to the roof off the bedroom This has been part boarded out with plasterboard for use as storage. There is no underlay to the roof coverings and insulation has been poorly fitted and needs upgrading. A number of the joists appear to have been cut when the conversion work was carried out

Ceiling (extensive replastering needed) and Floors (sloping floor in the loft, possibly needing extensive strengthening).

Solicitor away now till Jan, and Surveyor too, so in meantime doing whatever research I can / appreciate any insights here!

Thank you!

Doozergirl

The first thing is to ensure the structure is stable - eg. strengthening the floors and not cutting through timbers without replacing them elsewhere.   Putting the flooring down and plastering first is completely back to front.  It will likely all
need removing.  

Budget to start from the beginning. In whatever area they're talking about - I'm a bit confused actually - just the eaves area? 

casper_gutman

If problems are so noticeable in the storage area in the eaves, what issues lurk hidden under the floor/above the ceiling of the habitable part of the converted loft?

the82message

Doozergirl said:

The first thing is to ensure the structure is stable - eg. strengthening the floors and not cutting through timbers without replacing them elsewhere.   Putting the flooring down and plastering first is completely back to front.  It will likely all
need removing.  

Budget to start from the beginning. In whatever area they're talking about - I'm a bit confused actually - just the eaves area? 

Thank you @Doo@Doozergirl, I appreciate the response, here's fuller transcript from surveyor's report:

Roof structure
The main roof space houses the top floor accommodation and consequently most of the roof construction is concealed.

There is eaves storage to the roof off the bedroom This has been part boarded out with plasterboard for use as storage. There is no underlay to the roof coverings and insulation has been poorly fitted and needs upgrading. A number of the joists appear to have been cut when the conversion work was carried out.

The floor to the top floor has a slope to it and you should now check to see if strengthening works are required.

On the basis of a limited visual inspection, the existing construction // loft conversion is considered as sub-standard and is unlikely to comply with current building regulations. Further enquiry should be made to the Local Authority, to ensure the existence of appropriate Permissions and Approvals.

It cannot be confirmed that the loft conversion was carried out in accordance with Building Regulations particularly in respect of floor strengthening but given the confines of this inspection, there were no signs of serious defect.

See Section I1

Modern Building regulations require that insulated loft spaces are properly ventilated to prevent condensation.

Further investigations are needed.

Ceiling
Ceilings appear to be of plasterboard and plaster construction.

There are a number of minor cracks and poorly finished plaster work which will need to be renewed and we noted that some of the rooms have a textured finish.

The most common type is ‘Artex’ and this generally provides a durable and flexible patterned finish which can be maintained and redecorated on an ongoing basis ad infinitum. It is the case however that should the material crack or otherwise become damaged it is virtually impossible to repair seamlessly. It is also the case that textured finishes such as this can contain a small amount of asbestos and indeed it is known that much of the ‘Artex’ manufactured prior to 1985 does indeed contain asbestos.

All relevant textured finishes should initially be treated as asbestos containing materials and not disturbed or otherwise worked without taking due and proper precautions. Work to light fittings, plumbing work, redecorating etc., may disturb the material, increase costs and limit the extent of any work without a need for removing the asbestos. See J3.

Further advice on working with such textured finishes is available from the Government Health and Safety Executive – see www. hse . gov. uk . It should be stressed that asbestos containing finishes such as this pose no health risk all the time they remain in good condition and undisturbed. Cracking to the first floor larger bedroom ceiling was noted. You should expect to have to carry out repairs including extensive replastering.

Floors
The floors are all concealed by fixed or fitted coverings consequently it is not possible to provide any real meaningful comment as to the condition, but they all appear to be largely of suspended timber. There is some uneven of the floorboards in the hallway and you should relay these when the floor covering is taken up.

Whilst it is not possible to see any or all of the structure of the floors, I have walked over and ‘drop heel’ tested them thoroughly during the course of my inspection and I am pleased to report that they feel reasonably firm and level throughout and that there are, therefore, no signs of significant structural movement or failure apparent.

The top room floor has a slope to it and further investigations are needed to determine if the structure needs strengthening.

the82message

casper_gutman said:

If problems are so noticeable in the storage area in the eaves, what issues lurk hidden under the floor/above the ceiling of the habitable part of the converted loft?

True, I'm wary, trying to get contractor to visit and quote in the New Year!

twopenny

I saw a few of these as 'extra rooms' when I was looking at bungalows. They all looked basic and not insulated, electrics were way out of date for safety.

Frankly the whole lot needed stripping out and starting again - I've seen one that has been done and for resale at over £100,000 more. Looking at the 'improvements' they knew what they were doing and had a builder attached.

So it could be a wise investment if you have the wherewithall and patience to get the work done - and the contacts bearing in mind the length of time needed to get someone on the job at the moment but it sounds like the volume of work would interest them.

So a lot depends on what you are expecting from the property, if you have somewhere to live while it's being done or have tollerance to live with the work.

the82message

Thank you @twopenny, I'd have to live in it whilst work is being done, as the renovations would potentially wipe out any spare cash to be in a rental. I don't have the contacts (never been in this position), and appreciate the realism you share in terms of lead times, need to think on this one as it may not be worth the upfront pain!

twopenny

You're welcome.
I have friends who can live with the place being ripped apart around them for months, me, I left the place I wanted and opted for somewhere that had many things in place. Turned out to be a good thing with covid turning up. Also, not my ideal but had many good things I wanted going for it as it turned out.
Always the option to get somewhere else when we get out of the current mess.