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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Convert loft or not? WWYD?

32 replies

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 17:08

Looking to gauge opinions as not sure what would be best to do.

We live in a 2 bed mid terrace, been here 6 years. We have a DS age 10 and a DD age 6. They currently share the big bedroom and DH and I are in the smaller back bedroom. We are planning to move in a few years when my course ends and I hopefully get a job (I'm a FT student).

We were hoping to get the loft converted next year before DS starts high school to give them their own rooms. Its looking to be about 10k minimum for conversion (just a basic room, no ensuite). Following an inheritance, I have this money pretty much ready to go. However, we have been debating just using part of this cash to invest in new sofas with one as a sofa bed and keeping some of our items in the big bedroom, then sleeping in living room.

We have thought about this as we've realised that ceiling prices on where we live means that we may not get this cash back when we come to sell, especially as we have other work to do on the house which will cost us ££. Three bed houses in our area are about 70k more so ideally would like to keep as much cash as we can for our future deposit.

What do you think? Our house has no dining area/room, just living room and kitchen on the ground floor with a big under stair storage cupboard, so no other place for an extra bedroom other than loft.

OP posts:

KaptainKaveman · 17/05/2021 17:11

I you don't think you will make the money back then I wouldn't proceed with the loft. Your dc will need their own rooms though, which makes the living room very crowded.
Can you use the money and move soon?

MattyGroves · 17/05/2021 17:12

I think it depends what you mean by "a few years".

The sleeping in the living room thing always sounds miserable to me - storing your clothing sounds like a real faff, plus your kids will be up later soon and you'll have nowhere to retreat to. Having people to stay also basically impossible.

I guess if you're moving in a couple of years, maybe it's worth it but it sounds like it could be a lot longer than that. I would just do the loft conversion.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/05/2021 17:13

I wouldnt do the attic if you weren't either guaranteed s good return or were planning on staying in the house for another 10-20 years.

What would be the reason for the move?

MattyGroves · 17/05/2021 17:22

I would also look at some ideas on partioning the big bedroom for both kids, there's some cool ways to do it.

I would also use your own judgement on when they need separate rooms, some kids start puberty later and are less bothered about privacy and you know yours best

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 17:25

Thanks for the speedy replies! We don't ever have people over to stay as we are in such a small house so no issue there. Tbh I would worry it might be more than a few years before we move and woukd be sick by that point of living and sleeping in the same space.

We moved to this area for the good schools so houses are in huge demand. We also have close family in the area. Our house is a 30s mid terrace which is very elevated (25 steps to front door) and parking on the street is awful at times. Our front door opens right on to our stairs and I dream of having a 'proper' hallway!

Can't move sooner as I'm a FT student so no real income to speak of and DH isn't on a huge wage. When I qualify I will be earning more than DH.

OP posts:

Rollercoaster1920 · 17/05/2021 17:27

You should be able to get a loft conversion for less than £70k, so presumably you would make money. Structural investment will generally be a better investment than new sofas. Moving house costs a lot of money too.

Getting a builder is a whole other challenge right now though.

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 17:34

That's true Rollercoaster, what is worrying me is that we are in one of the less desirable properties of the area. It doesn't mean it won't sell, just that we would get less than one which is level access, has a driveway etc. I spoke with a local EA about this a while back and he didn't think it would add a massive amount to the value of the house, especially as loft conversions in these houses are never classed as a third bedroom. They are usually accessed off the cupboard in the big bedroom, so you have to walk through it to get to it, so we would have to throw up some kind of room divider for privacy.

I know what you mean about builders, our local FBpage is always full of people struggling to get tradesmen to even come out to give quotes!

OP posts:

YellowFish12 · 17/05/2021 17:38

You'll never get a building reg compliant loft done for 10k! Even if you go velux only.

Are you sure that 3 beds haven't sold for more on your road? Or would you be the only 3 bed?

IF you won't get the cash back, and you are planning on moving in a few years then I wouldn't bother.

I would look into splitting the largest bedroom in 2 in a slightly temporary way which you can easily undo when you come to sell - even if it means waking thru one bedroom to the next.

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 17:45

Hi yellowfish the only 3 bed houses on our road are ones which have had an actual extension done to create a proper extra bedroom. Even the semi detached houses in this bit of our area are still 2 bed when unaltered. Lots of the houses round here have had lofts converted to create an extra bedroom but I've never seen any of them advertised on Rightmove as a 3 bed when they go on the market.

OP posts:

Baxdream · 17/05/2021 18:35

I think you need to seriously think about separate rooms ASAP. Children grow up overnight when they start senior school.

On the basis the money is inheritance, think about what they would have wanted you to spend it on. That might help.

Have you spoken to a mortgage advisor?

Otherwise could you rent out your house and rent a bigger house?

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 18:53

Baxdream I think they would have thought the idea of us giving up our bedroom to one of the kids to be a ridiculous one. Not sure what their thoughts would have been otherwise, although I think my DF would have thought we were crazy to move to get more space - he very much had a mentality of just putting up with your circumstances, whatever they happened to be.

Our mortgage advisor is fantastic, he advised us we wouldn't get a very big mortgage at all on DH's wage alone. In fact, it would be less than what he have left to pay off on this house .

OP posts:

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 18:55

Sorry, forgot to answer your other question - rents for what we want size-wise would be about 2.5 times what we are paying just now on our mortgage which would be too much for us at this time.

OP posts:

Africa2go · 17/05/2021 18:58

I agree with a pp that you won't get a BR compliant loft for £10k and if it's not BR compliant, you may actually reduce the value. As a pp says, thete are some fab ways to divide large rooms - if you put the floor plan up, there are some really creative MNetters on here that might give you some ideas about creating separate spaces for you DC. A stud wall etc and maybe an extra door would be maybe £2 or 3k if you got a good joiner?

ilovemydogandmrobama2 · 17/05/2021 19:03

We have a similar problem, needing to figure out a way of getting another bedroom.

So, we decided to buck the trend of making space bigger, we put up a wall. It has created another room and just about enough space to swing a cat.

It's the cheaper option by far.

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 19:11

Hi have drawn a quick diagram of the kids room. It is maybe about 5m x 5.5m. Looks like not a great deal of storage but they have big drawers under their beds.

OP posts:

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 19:15

Sorry I completely forgot about this but is probably important the cupboard in the bedroom contains the boiler so I am unsure if we may need to end up moving it for stair access. Our neighbour has their loft converted and they kept their boiler in the same place, however.

OP posts:

Africa2go · 17/05/2021 20:11

Are any of the walls of the bedroom on a corridor / landing (so you could install another door?)

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/05/2021 20:13

Do you have a basement? Just with the front door being up 25 steps - what is underneath the front of the house?

Honeylemontea · 17/05/2021 20:16

What is wrong with kids sharing rooms? Am I missing something?

Just make sure they have an individual space to study. Don’t waste your money in a loft that is not going to add any value, think long-term

RaiseTheBeastie · 17/05/2021 20:36

I don't think there's anything wrong with dc sharing rooms if the age is similar and they're the same sex - our 13 and 11 year old ds's share and we have no plans to change that.

However the op has a boy and a girl with a 4 year age gap. It's not difficult to imagine why a 13 year old boy wouldn't want to share with a 9 year old girl. Or for that matter why a 13 year old girl would probably rather not have her 17 year old big brother in her room!

Original poster

InTheCludgie · 17/05/2021 20:50

Africa2go unfortunately no hall or corridor - the stairs come up on the left side of the diagram and our bedroom joins on along the door side.

Oddly enough there is no basement Bernadette, I've not been underneath the house but DH says it's crawl space only at the back (the building isn't elevated at the back but has a garden that slopes down towards the house) and it gains some head height towards the front but not enough to stand fully upright apparently.

OP posts:

missbunnyrabbit · 17/05/2021 22:43

I'd love to know who would do a proper loft conversion for 10k!!! Surely quotes these days are around 30-40k mark?

I'm in a sort of similar position...I'm in a two bed house, but my family come to stay every fortnight or so. Someone always has to sleep in the living room... I would love a loft conversion, BUT, I also plan to move house for a bigger garden in 2-10 years time. I know I won't get my money back, so I don't know if it's worth it.

chukwe · 17/05/2021 23:36

I hate loft conversion. It doesn't make your house big. Your footprint will always be small.

The best thing to do is move to another area/city that you can afford to get more space

RandomMess · 17/05/2021 23:48

I would put DDs bed on the far wall. Divider down the middle and rig up a curtain across to bottom of DS bed and half of the bedroom to give him privacy when DD walks past.

YellowFish12 · 18/05/2021 07:55

Ok it sound like the houses are quite right and it really wouldn’t be worth getting the loft done.

I really would just divide the room with a wall the cut the window in half and then a curtain across the door end of ‘interim’ room. Get both children those high cabin beds with desk and storage areas underneath.

It won’t be perfect but better than mixed sex teenagers sharing and you can remove daily easily when you come to sell.

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