Loosing box room for loft conversion

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We currently live in a 3bed semi, with a very small box room (large cupboard really). The room will accommodate a cot bed and chest of drawers but not a standard size bed. We are expecting another baby of the opposite sex and eventually will need to move or do the loft. Due to the market I have decided to do a loft conversion but would loose the box room for the stairs as there is no where else for the stairs to go. The loft will have a bedroom and bathroom. This is costing around £30k which we remortgaged for.

I guess we would still have a 3 bed house so I am not sure whether we would be better off moving to a larger property. I am worried that we won’t recoup the

I’d have an estate agent value your house and compare it with houses with three big bedrooms currently on the market or recently sold. If the valuation they give you (which will likely be higher than you’d actually sell for) is at least £30k less than a large three-bed, and you don’t have any other reason for wanting to move house, then the loft conversion will be better value than moving house, especially once you add in fees and stamp duty.

Unless you’re thinking of moving in the next couple of years then you really need to see it as creating the extra space you need over recouping a flat financial figure.

Have you had someone in to look at the staircase options? Most builders or loft companies have a “staircase person” who can tell pretty quickly what your options are. From what you have described the box room would be above the hall/foot of stairs and you need to get height on the first three or so steps of the new stairs to ensure you have clearance below. Is that right?
I’ve never quite wrapped my head around the maths of this but a narrower loft staircase will help with the clearance over the bottom staircase. There is a minimum width allowed though. Other ways of eeking out clearance is to have the first step butting into landing and even with a small overlap with the small bedroom door, but I’m not sure of the rules on this.
If you do lose the small room it sounds like you’ll be going from a 2.5 to a 3 bed rather than 3 to 3 and you’ll gain space and a window on the landing.

Your loft quote is on the low end so I’m assuming it’s not a dormer? If you want to maximise the third bedroom a big dormer makes a massive difference in terms of space and feel. A non dormer loft on my road (terrace) would not be used as a master, but a dormer becomes an almost suit sized room.

If you can't fit a bed in it you don't have a 3 bed house now .

We have this dilemma as we also have a 3 bed house where the box room doesn’t take a single bed. Our next door neighbours have just done a loft conversion and had to lose about 20cm from the box room for the stairs. The box room was under 2m long so what they now have is a teeny room which they plan to use as an office, as it could just about fit a desk in. Would this be an option for you? Then it would be marketable as 3 bed plus office.

I agree if you like your location and it doesn’t make sense to move in terms of stamp duty and other costs, you should think about the space you’re creating rather than just adding value.

Some people don’t like bedrooms and two floors. For safety I wouldn’t compromise on staircases. Especially for child use. It devalues a property to have a very narrow staircase. You could, I assume, get cupboards under the new stairs?

If depends if you feel a dormer would look right. A proliferation of dormers on streets looks awful. I would consider moving but it would depend on stamp duty, moving costs and price. How much more is a bigger 3 bed?

What have neighbours done?

I think if I liked the house and location and wasn’t looking to move to upsize it sounds like a great option. And if you can put a desk under the stairs or storage that would be great.

Or if you are going to sell with getting the planning permission anyway.

Most of the loft conversions I’ve seen have the dormer on the rear and skylights at the front. Especially if it’s a semi.

I agree with @rwalker if it doesn’t fit a single bed most people coming to view your house wouldn’t consider it a 3 bed. For £30k it would definitely make financial sense to do the loft conversion but that’s where I live, have a look at sold prices on Rightmove maybe or as a PP said speak to a local estate agent if you’re not sure if you’d recoup the value.

If you do decide to go ahead, in a previous house I lived in they’d had to lose most of the box room for the loft conversion stairs, but fitted in a nice desk with built in storage which was open but because it was at the end of the hall felt quite private. How much space will be at the bottom of the stairs? If not enough for a desk can you create a nice reading nook or have a big linen press for towel/bedding storage?

We looked into this where we lived years ago, and were told that there was an option to put in the staircase between the two (large) main bedrooms, to lose a bit of one of them. At the time, we had a short single bed in the third bedroom, which was fine for our DD until she was about 14.

In the end, we moved instead, to a house where we could do a side extension and a loft room.

Thanks All

I have looked at buying a larger home but will need to increase mortgage by about £50k + and many of the houses I have seen may still need a bit of work to be in keeping with my taste.

I would stay in this house another 10 years or so.

@Procrastatron I love your advice and I will discuss stair options with trader. I have had 6 quotes so far, most are stating that the box room will be lost. 2 loft companies said I could keep the box room as an office although it will be a little smaller.

My quote is for hip to gable and full back dormer.

@rwalker I wouldn’t class it as a 3 bed either, which is why I need to move or convert the loft.

Tbh even if I lost the box room it would create storage in hall and we lack storage in this house. I could also use it for a desk area.

£30k is a lot of money to me which is why I want to get it right for my family.

Would you lose the whole room? Or just a bit of it? You might still be able to use it as a study?

Have you thought about whether you can put two bedrooms in the loft? One at the front under the slope, and one at the back, along with a bathroom, under the dormer. That way you would get 4 beds and a study.