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Home insurance - Tips & Advice - Home improvements
There are plenty of very good reasons to build a loft conversion. Done properly, it should increase the size and value of your property considerably, depending on the property market. But it’s also expensive and can be disruptive. Get yourself prepared with this quick, practical guide.
Find a loft firm
Hiring a specialist loft conversion company may sound like unnecessary expense, but substandard work may make your house less saleable and, in the worst case scenario, you could end up breaking laws and making your home uninsurable.
A specialist company should do everything for you, from design to planning permission, building and site clearance. A reputable company should be able to show you other work they’ve completed. Get in writing how long the work will take and cost. You could also place in this contract ‘snagging’ intervals – dates by which they must complete certain stages of the work – and working codes of conduct.
Some companies will also give you the option to do the less specialised building work yourself to save money, often called a ‘shell’ conversion. And make sure you get quotes from a number of companies.
Budget
First things first, can you afford to pay for a conversion? Having a loft conversion can cost up to 1/3 of the cost of moving to a property with an extra room – from £318,000 to £360,000, or sometimes even more, depending on the specifics of the loft and conversion. Remember also to budget for decorating.
Types of loft
There are three main types of loft conversion you can have:
- Velux™ – converts the loft area you already have by putting in roof lights (windows sloping with the roof)
- Dormer – builds an extension to the roof to bring in new windows
- Mansard – creating new space with a new roof
Things to check before calling in the experts
- Is there a minimum height of around 2.3 metres between the ceiling boards below and the roof apex?
- Is there space for the stairs to come down to?
- What kind of roof do you have? A steeply sloping ‘rafter and purlin’ roof, built before 1965, is easier to convert.
- A modern trussed rafter roof, built after 1965 with a shallower pitch, may require more structural work, which will have an impact on cost. Rectangular metal plates used to join the timber could be a sign of a trussed rafter roof.
A specialist company should also carry out free feasibility study for you.
Drawing up plans
Even if you feel that you could manage the work yourself, you will need an architect to make sure that the floor of the loft can take the new weight you are putting on it, that you are not destroying any structural supports and that you meet fire regulations.
Meeting building regulations
- A loft conversion for habitation will require Building Regulations approval from the local authority.
- If the size of the building is being increased (by more than 15%), the exterior of the building is changing, or you are in a conservation area or listed building, then you may also need planning permission.
- Architectural drawings MUST be submitted and approved by the council before any work can go ahead, a process that takes around 3 months, depending on the council.
- Building and fire regulation plans must then also be submitted to the Local Authority Building Control department – another 4 to 6 weeks for approval.
- You will need a Party Wall Agreement with any neighbours affected.
- Skips and scaffolding need the relevant paperwork.
A loft conversion company will do this job for you, relieving much of the headache.
The work
Once you have approval from your local authority to start work, you are looking at a month or two for the work to be completed. While the intricacies are best left to the experts, here are some things that will need considering for both cost and practicality:
- Structural stability
- Fire safety
- Sound insulation
- Heating and ventilation (lofts are often liable to extremes of temperatures)
- Sanitary/drainage if there is to be a bathroom in the loft
- The boiler may need upgrading and moving
- Extension of stairs or the creation of new stairs
Insure your new loft
Although Direct Line can’t supply you with builders to create your dream loft, we can ensure that once it’s built, it’s kept safe. Make sure that your Home Insurance takes your new loft into account – all it takes is a quick call to Direct Line.
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