Can we have a Loft Conversion Lessons Learned thread?

[NotAnotherJaffaCake]

Just instructed architect for loft conversion. Given the Kitchen thread saved our bacon when doing our kitchen, does anyone fancy sharing their loft conversion do's/don'ts?

We went with a shower room that isn't an en-suite but the loft conversion only has the bedroom & shower room on that floor - the access to the shower room is at the top of the stairs (as is the bedroom acces

Ours is the same. Top of the new stairs, landing, right to bedroom, left to bathroom. Works well for us.

The best thing we did was getting a company in to fit wardrobes with sliding doors in the eaves at one end of the room, loads of space to hide everything away.

We have velux windows rather than dormers, blackout blinds on those are an essential too.

We used a reputation loft company. Very organised and slick with one key person to talk to.

Svalberg genius idea about separate door for the bathroom- too late for us and possibly the landing would have been too small anyway but what with fitted wardrobes, French doors, radiator and bathroom door we have hardly any wall space!

Be careful of who you use for the building - we used a loft company but work was subcontracted and some things weren’t well done.

We have a walk in wardrobe in the slope section - so valuable

Think about getting some under eaves storage

Position the velux windows so when you get out of bed you can stand under the window as it gives you the extra headroom you need.

If you can afford them, extra windows are worth it imo. You enjoy the extra windows long after you have forgotten the pain of the extra ££.

Yes to waste pipes! Our original plan had the en-suite at the back but we moved it to the side so the bedroom could be dual aspect. Definitely the right decision but we had to put pipes through one of the rooms.

We also upgraded the stairs from MDF to wood and to have open risers which looks better and matches the original Victorian stairs more closely. Well worth the extra.

Whilst you’ve got scaffolding up do think about the roof, gutters etc.

Don’t underestimate the level of chaos it causes in the rest of your house!! Even having totally de cluttered our loft the house is a tip.

Velux over the stairs is definitely worth it.

The beginning seems to happen really fast but waiting for trades to be available for second fixes, plumbing and tiling is tedious in the extreme.

Oh and you do know everything goes wrong at once?! We’ve had to have work on our electrics and a new boiler at the same time...

Has anyone been told they couldn’t have a loft conversion? We were hoping to do one and we saved up, however we had a planning architect come round and tell us our house shape is wrong (corner plot) and so we couldn’t do it. Anyone else faced similar?

Get a loft expert in, or at least ring one, they will have done loads of different shapes and sizes. We wasted time with an architect.

Don't decorate for a good few months because you'll get settlement cracks which then have to be filled and then you need to paint all over again. We didn't get many but they were very noticable. Nobody mentioned this at the time.

Can I ask about cost. I have just been quoted nearly £50,000 for a loft conversion with ensuite. (Three bedroomed 30s semi.) We are having a new roof put on if that's relevant. But I wasn't expecting it to be that much. I really liked the builders and they were recommended to me. But I sort of think I should be shopping around. Also a question about noise. Is it really that noisy. Cos in a storm that would freak me out! Thanks

£40k for 3 bed semi.

If you have a hipped roof (one half of semi) consider getting a quote for converting it to a gable - means dormer on back can be longer and much more space. We have 30s semi with a two-storey side extension put on by previous owners - when we had the loft down we converted to a gable end and now have two bedrooms plus shower room in the loft, and stairs above stairs so no space lost on first floor. Means what was a 3-bed semi originally is now technically a 6-bed! Although what we use as an office would be a v small single. We have a round window in the loft in the new gable end which looks fab; the difference in price to do the gable and get the extra space was much less than we thought it would be in the context of the whole quote.

A minor detail is that we fairly easily got banister rods for the new stairs made to match the existing ones; ties in the whole thing as stairs just carry on up looking the same.

£50k with a new roof? Depends where you are & whether or not that includes VAT. Sounds about right for the S/E. Rain on Velux windows makes a very impressive racket!!

Yes ours included new roof, change to gable end, matched up banister and spindles, built in wardrobes, French doors, tiling of en-suite.

It's worth getting dormers. We have a double dormer and it has given us so much more space than we could have hoped for. If the builders have an architect that they usually work with, go with them as they will usually work well together.

We have not had any issue with noise or temperature problems but went for the super thick insulation- there's another tip for free :D

Get a cupboard built under your new staircase. Ours houses four large suitcases. So handy

ours cost 50k ish included dormer and new slate roof....

plugs, and more plugs.

we used all the dead spaces for cupboards so loads of stoarge - also put lights in the under eves cupboards...

we have 4 large velux windows - used a logo indy builder and architect great job

Hmm ok thanks for the advice. We had a builder recommended and then he recommended the architect who said it was no go. We are willing to keep it very plain with no bathroom if that will make it possible- but he was saying we’d have to lose the door on tne master bedroom just to get stairs in.
So probably the first tip on tne list would be to get someone who knows what they are talking about !!

We had large LC. 2 enormous bedrooms with shower room in between. We had velum on staircase. This had made it very light. We have a window at one end of each room and a Velux at the other end. This cost quite a lot more but rooms are lovely and light and airy and window can be opened when hot to let heat out. We wanted more headroom in shower to get better flow so builder lowered base of shower about 2 inches into joist. Make sure they use waterproof plasterboards behind shower. Also consider if your boiler will service 2 or 3 extra rooms. Get at least 8 sockets in each room. We put our 2 adult sons up there and they use all sockets. Paint in light colour to keep light and airy. Ours is white. Keep all receipts, guarantees and building regs along with contract with builder and bank statements showing proof of payment in a folder together. Don't lose it. We agreed to pay £6k up front, then £10k each month for 3 months then we held back remainder until snagging list completed. Expect dust everywhere. We put masking tape over door surround on all doors on first floor every day. Agree what will happen if builder is ill or involved in accident and can't come part way through job and get it put into contract. Check contract very carefully.

Yes we lost about 2 squared metres from second bedroom to get a proper staircase in. Don't be tempted to accept narrow and steep one.

We paid £45k almost 5 years ago. That included new staircase, 2 large bedrooms, shower room and cupboard 1/2 way up new stairs we call the wookey hole and keep Xmas decorations and suit cases in. Also built in cupboard in each bedroom behind bed. Ok yo store stuff not often used such as surf board.

Holty99

I would never have one again. The wind noise was horrific, I thought the roof would blow off every time there was high wind.

^^This

It's horrific! We went from 1950's 3 bed semi to 5 bed, master en-suite. 4 Velux at front, tiled double dormer at rear. Spotlights everywhere. Cool in summer, warm in winter so insulation was good grade. Everyone said Wow including joined on neighbours, view was far off countryside and mountains.

Rain on Velux at night was sssoooo annoying. But the wind OMG, DS was in toddler bed in 2nd bedroom on that floor and I used to move his toddler bed into our room during high winds. The tiles never made a noise and there was never any damage, but it did sound like any moment the roof would rip off so I couldn't sleep.

After 3 years we sold up (in 2 days, over asking price! .... that Wow factor). This year since moving if I've gone to bed and heard high winds I've been more thankful than I can tell you that I'm not lying in that bloody loft!

Sorry OP if I killed your thread
My opinion may not be typical

It is noisier, I quite like hearing the rain etc on the Velux. Grew up in an attic bedroom!