Basic loft conversion - office

TheCyclingProgrammer · 11 March 2018 at 4:13PM

Do you have room in the garden for a garden office? You could get something basic within your budget but for not much more you could get fully insulated, lined and plastered building with modern glazing and insurance grade doors etc.

I have a 3x3m garden office from Green Retreats. Mine cost me just over £14k delivered and installed although I paid for the plastering pack upgrade and red cedar classing to two elevations. Go with the basic spec and I think it was around £12k. You may eat a slightly smaller one for even closer to your budget.

A few pics (this is actually my building):
https://www.facebook.com/greenretreats/posts/1787313571301021

Dirty_Berty · 11 March 2018 at 4:18PM

Thanks for all the info everyone. Really helpful stuff.

So I think essentially I want to go along with building regs as it!!!8217;s a lot of money to invest without seeing the house value go up at all. Plus the safety aspect.

I guess I just need to know the legal minimum I can do to keep the costs down.

Floor - The joists up there are 7cm wide - guessing this probably means the floor isn!!!8217;t suitable?

Height - Height isn!!!8217;t an issue as the centre up there is about 2.5m from the floor.

Windows - Is 1 Velux window enough legally does anyone know?

Lights + electric - will that be enough? I have central heating but a portable blow heater will probably be fine for the winter.

Stairs - I should have room for permanent ones but might be a little steep. Should be fine though.

I guess my last question is what do you think my best plan of action is? Start by getting a surveyor in to assess and plan? Then get all the requirements done separately by professionals, leaving the easier bits like plaster boarding, painting, etc.

Or just get quotes for the lot and get a company to do it all?

Cost is my main concern with only £10k ish. Do you think £10k will be enough for mini stairs, reinforced floor, window, readjusting the beams and all of the building regs paperwork?

Aylesbury_Duck · 11 March 2018 at 6:37PM

Dirty_Berty wrote: »

Thanks for all the info everyone. Really helpful stuff.

So I think essentially I want to go along with building regs as it!!!8217;s a lot of money to invest without seeing the house value go up at all. Plus the safety aspect.

I guess I just need to know the legal minimum I can do to keep the costs down.

Floor - The joists up there are 7cm wide - guessing this probably means the floor isn!!!8217;t suitable?

Height - Height isn!!!8217;t an issue as the centre up there is about 2.5m from the floor.

Windows - Is 1 Velux window enough legally does anyone know?

Lights + electric - will that be enough? I have central heating but a portable blow heater will probably be fine for the winter.

Stairs - I should have room for permanent ones but might be a little steep. Should be fine though.

I guess my last question is what do you think my best plan of action is? Start by getting a surveyor in to assess and plan? Then get all the requirements done separately by professionals, leaving the easier bits like plaster boarding, painting, etc.

Or just get quotes for the lot and get a company to do it all?

Cost is my main concern with only £10k ish. Do you think £10k will be enough for mini stairs, reinforced floor, window, readjusting the beams and all of the building regs paperwork?

No. Not by a long way.

sevenhills · 11 March 2018 at 9:22PM

Dirty_Berty wrote: »

Cost is my main concern with only £10k ish. Do you think £10k will be enough for mini stairs, reinforced floor, window, readjusting the beams and all of the building regs paperwork?

The quotes that I got stated £450+VAT to remove the chimney which is in the middle of the loft space, and moving the boiler into the loft would allow for a real staircase in the cupboard space, there are instances which involve very variable costs. I already have lighting in my loft.

Doozergirl · 11 March 2018 at 9:55PM

sevenhills wrote: »

The quotes that I got stated £450+VAT to remove the chimney which is in the middle of the loft space, and moving the boiler into the loft would allow for a real staircase in the cupboard space, there are instances which involve very variable costs. I already have lighting in my loft.

Where did you get these quotes from? A chimney in the middle of the loft could well be holding up part of your roof structure. That isn't £450 of work. In fact, taking it down and fixing the roof without worrying about the structure is more than that! How does the roof covering get fixed? It needs doing from the outside. Does that need scaffolding?

If your boiler isn't compliant to the latest regulations it cannot be moved, it would have to be replaced.

I'm not suggesting this is the only path you have taken but you cannot have random quotations from the internet without proper specifications and consultation from a structural engineer before work begins. You're just waving a finger in the air without having a clue ofnthe knock on effects of individual elements.

Quoting is not a science. It cannot be done using a simple calculator on a website. I'd love it if it could be.

beaker141 · 11 March 2018 at 10:05PM

Dirty_Berty wrote: »

Thanks for all the info everyone. Really helpful stuff.

So I think essentially I want to go along with building regs as it!!!8217;s a lot of money to invest without seeing the house value go up at all. Plus the safety aspect.

I guess I just need to know the legal minimum I can do to keep the costs down.

Floor - The joists up there are 7cm wide - guessing this probably means the floor isn!!!8217;t suitable?

Height - Height isn!!!8217;t an issue as the centre up there is about 2.5m from the floor.

Windows - Is 1 Velux window enough legally does anyone know?

Lights + electric - will that be enough? I have central heating but a portable blow heater will probably be fine for the winter.

Stairs - I should have room for permanent ones but might be a little steep. Should be fine though.

I guess my last question is what do you think my best plan of action is? Start by getting a surveyor in to assess and plan? Then get all the requirements done separately by professionals, leaving the easier bits like plaster boarding, painting, etc.

Or just get quotes for the lot and get a company to do it all?

Cost is my main concern with only £10k ish. Do you think £10k will be enough for mini stairs, reinforced floor, window, readjusting the beams and all of the building regs paperwork?

I'd say it depends a lot on the layout etc which we dont know.

I was lucky in that my father in law was a builder and did basically the steels, floor, staircase fitting (from stairplan.com) and built the dormer off the existing gable wall. At the same time I had it all reroofed as it was 1930's original. I had to get an electrician in to do the electric bits.

Over a period of about 3 years ( I kept getting bored and sidetracked) I then did the plumbing, insulation, plasterboard (kingspan backed stuff), tiling ensuite, fitting ensuite. Then a proper plasterer in to skim it all. Laid laminate flooring on a decent sound deadening membrane. Then decorate. Father in law did the 2nd fix woodwork, doors etc.

I'ts about 10 years ago now, but I'd be happy to do it all again and be happy it'd cost me about 10k in materials, subcontractors and free labour.

Given yours is so small (no disrespect), materials cost should be pretty low ?

Having said that - I'd get a garden room if you want a home office :-)

ashe · 11 March 2018 at 10:20PM

your loft might be different to mine but if i go on my loft in summer it is bloody roasting and if it go up in winter it is freezing. A fan heater would need to be ran in winter most of the time and they are generally expensive to run.

I know space is your concern but seriously, you will not get a well insulated safe room for anywhere close to 10k. As said above consider a garden room but I doubt you have a huge garden if you have such a small house with 1 bedroom. Is there no space for a desk in the bedroom?

Have you weighed up options to move?

sevenhills · 11 March 2018 at 11:12PM

Doozergirl wrote: »

Where did you get these quotes from? A chimney in the middle of the loft could well be holding up part of your roof structure. That isn't £450 of work. In fact, taking it down and fixing the roof without worrying about the structure is more than that! How does the roof covering get fixed? It needs doing from the outside. Does that need scaffolding?

I dont know any details, but that was the quote.

Doozergirl · 11 March 2018 at 11:17PM

sevenhills wrote: »

I dont know any details, but that was the quote.

It is your job to provide/check details and specification otherwise you end up with a hole in your roof and/or the structure collapsing because "that's what the quote said".

If the quote was comprehensive, the quote would contain the details of what that entailed as well.

We had this whole exact conversation last year. Why is it happening again? You're just confusing the OP.

sevenhills · 11 March 2018 at 11:46PM

Doozergirl wrote: »

We had this whole exact conversation last year. Why is it happening again? You're just confusing the OP.

If no one mentioned chimneys or boilers, the OP might not think about it, posts and discussion give the OP more information for him to think about.

Basic loft conversion - office

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