Loft conversion first or last?

Help1234

Hello, I have bought a house that needs redecorating throughout and I would like to put a loft conversion in. It’s not my forever home and the loft conversion would be done purely to add value as it’s a house on a street where it would add a lot of value. Should I redecorate throughout and then put the loft conversion in last just before moving? I just worry could it cause any issues like cracks etc to the decorated bedrooms below if we have to plaster? I had originally thought to get the loft conversion before doing any other DIY but will need to take out a loan to fund it.

markin

First, At the very least the corridor and landing will get very dirty and walls hit, And the is often a chance of rain getting in with the roof open, until its planed you wouldn't even know where the new stairs would go.

Bendy_House

The obvious answer is 'first', for the reasons Markin says. But it's not at all essential.

You say you'd need a loan in order to have the LC now? What does that mean - that you would otherwise save up to have it done later? If so, and if not taking out a loan is appealing, then delaying the LC makes sense; you can enjoy the done-up downstairs sooner, and might even get keener quotes for the LC if you don't rush in to it.

Yes, there will almost certainly be some disruption having the work done, and that could well mean some cracked ceilings - we had a labourer come right through ours during breakfast - but that's just par for the course. Depending on what's required structurally, nothing at all amiss might/should happen. And, yes, almost certainly a room or hallway downstairs will need changing around, so don't go crazy on them - just basic decorating, a lick of paint. With some general planning, it should be clear which rooms downstairs will not, at all, be affected, and there's little reason to not get them decorated sooner so's you can enjoy them. 

No hard rule! Most folk have LCs done whilst they live in decorated houses! 

How well planned is all this? Do you have an Archi lined up? A builder? A ballpark for the cost?

And for how long will you live there? 

If this is purely a money-making exercise, with the fastest turn around possible, then I'd hold off from any work downstairs that 'could' be affected by the LC work. If, instead, this will also be a 'home' for 5+ years, then I think I'd be looking at getting stuck in to downstairs work sooner; unless you are lucky, the LC could take a lot longer than you think. And you might as well enjoy what you can, as soon as you can!

I think the biggest reasons for considering delaying the LC would be if you could avoid taking out a loan, and how important that is to you? And, could you get keener quotes for the work if more builders will be available to quote in, say, a year's time compared to now? All change and guesswork, tho'. But I'd be personally less concerned about damage to done-up rooms, since that's just the way things are...

Section62

First.

The sooner you get it done the longer you'll have to enjoy the benefits of your investment - which is particularly important as there is no guarantee it will add value to the property over and above what you pay for the house and improvements.

Also for the practical reasons outlined by markin - plus others such as damage to walls/ceilings etc which may be required for structural work, plumbing, wiring etc.

TELLIT01

If the only reason you are converting the loft is to increase the sales value, check with local estate agents that the selling price will exceed the construction cost first.

Doozergirl

From a building point of view, it's logical to do it first.  From an MSE perspective you'd do it last as your lending period would be much shorter as you'd pay it back quickly from the sale.  

If you're taking out a loan to do it then the cost of loan interest for something that you aren't going to use is a wasted expense.
   

The damage to the rest of the house during a loft conversion is usually fairly minimal - certainly not as much as the interest payments over several years.  

Mistral001

TELLIT01 said:

If the only reason you are converting the loft is to increase the sales value, check with local estate agents that the selling price will exceed the construction cost first.

Yes, there could be plenty of people looking for a home that they could expand into the loft at some time in the future and not so many that want the finished article.