Loft "Deluxe Storage" Scotland 23 January at 6:56AM in In my home (includes DIY) MoneySaving 6 replies 257 views

scottishsavingsgirl

We're buying a property in Scotland which was built around 1935. We were looking into turning the loft into "deluxe storage" so not a full blown conversion but a mini conversion.

The issue is we're seeing all these companies in the North West of England who offer great packages for this (theloftcentre.co.uk as one example) but we can't find any who offer similar packages in Scotland. We'd be looking to have a desk up there and use as a home office. These packages are perfect for what we want but we're at a loss now as all the companies are located in England and don't carry out work here.

Is there some difference in the regs that I'm not aware of? Anyone in Scotland had similar experiences or managed to find a company that offers something?

Doozergirl

You don't want a loft conversion but you definitely want to use it as a loft conversion? 

The building regulations are a minimum standard, not a gold standard.  Those basic conversions are unlawful, not 'great' at all!    

The Scottish authorities must use their teeth more than than the  English, I don't see why people should be able to blatantly advertise that they break the rules and don't bother with 'the expense of steel beams or fixed staircases' (or decent insulation and proper fire safety measures either by omission).  

scottishsavingsgirl

Doozergirl said:

You don't want a loft conversion but you definitely want to use it as a loft conversion? 

The building regulations are a minimum standard, not a gold standard.  

Companies are advertising these as mini conversions but I'm trying to understand the difference. Also why these packages are only being sold in England.

Doozergirl

scottishsavingsgirl said:

Doozergirl said:

You don't want a loft conversion but you definitely want to use it as a loft conversion? 

The building regulations are a minimum standard, not a gold standard.  

Companies are advertising these as mini conversions but I'm trying to understand the difference. Also why these packages are only being sold in England.

The difference is that they are unlawful, they are not safe, structural conversions.  For a start, your ceiling joists are there to hold the ceiling plasterboard up, not to take the weight of a human concentrated through the four legs of a chair.  Sticking up some inadequate insulation and plasterboard might make me it look 'proper' but it isn't remotely safe.  There is no such thing as a mini conversion.  

Why can't you find cowboys like this in Scotland?  I do believe that they are much stricter in their approach of when building control should be involved in a project and they probably don't tolerate people advertising cheap s*** work.  

Sorry, but this makes me angry and it reinforces for me why builders should be licensed.  

Section62

Doozergirl said:

The building regulations are a minimum standard, not a gold standard.  Those basic conversions are unlawful, not 'great' at all!

I'd love to know how you can create a "safe" "play room" which will be "used by all members of the family" - without fitting a "fixed staircase".

It should never be allowed.

It's one thing adults risking their lives using a loft space which doesn't comply with building regs... but to put your children in that space to play is unforgivable IMV.

BUFF

Scottish regs. e.g. loft insulation also tend to be higher/stricter so that packages that would pass in England won't meet Scottish regs. .
There should be any amount of contractors that will do you joist insulation & a loft flooring job but it won't be classed as habitable.

akira181

scottishsavingsgirl said:

We're buying a property in Scotland which was built around 1935. We were looking into turning the loft into "deluxe storage" so not a full blown conversion but a mini conversion.

The issue is we're seeing all these companies in the North West of England who offer great packages for this (theloftcentre.co.uk as one example) but we can't find any who offer similar packages in Scotland. We'd be looking to have a desk up there and use as a home office. These packages are perfect for what we want but we're at a loss now as all the companies are located in England and don't carry out work here.

Is there some difference in the regs that I'm not aware of? Anyone in Scotland had similar experiences or managed to find a company that offers something?

You say you want to turn it into "deluxe storage" and then plan to have an office up there? Are you counting yourself as a deluxe storable item?

Boarding a loft for some additional storage space vs making it habitable (i.e. an office) are two very different processes. You don't get mini-conversions advertised in Scotland because it's against building regs. Floor joists and ceiling joists are not the same, particularly ones from 1935.