Deciding what you want to do with all that space - quite possibly the largest area in your home - is the fun part.
Firstly, do you want to retain an area of the loft for storage, and if not, what are you going to do with all that junk that's already up there? A bedroom with an en-suite bathroom is a popular choice, as is a den for the kids.
If you're thinking about a loft conversion you clearly have a use in mind for the space. The physical distance from the loft to the ground floor (where the kitchen and living room is likely to be) will influence the practicalities. For instance, an attic dining room would be too far away from the kitchen - even if you install a dumb waiter, buyers would not be impressed. However, this distance would work in your favour if you want a home office, as it will be pretty peaceful. What about a games room? There's plenty of space for your snooker table or table football and you won't be able to hear the rowdiness elsewhere in the house.
If you have a lot of belongings to store, you may want to preserve some of the loft for purely storage purposes. Many conversion designs include nifty cupboards in the 'dead' space right under the eaves.
Extra bedrooms and bathrooms - ideally en suite - are the most popular and logical choices, given their usual placement at the top of the house. However, it is certainly worth including the extras that will add to the room's wow factor. Luxurious walk-in wardrobes are a desirable lifestyle extra that buyers love, so factor one in if you can. A teenager's room can include space for additional seating to create a proper den.
You'll also need escape access in case of fire - this can take the form of a specially designed Velux window. The conversion should take about eight weeks, excluding decoration, and should set you back anything from £8,000 to £50,000, depending on whether you really go to town and create a suite of rooms rather just one.
How you want the final conversion to look is generally only constrained by your imagination. A conversion that blends into the existing structure is a good solution for many, utilising modern technologies such as uPVC windows. Clearly, solid-wood versions are going to be more attractive, but they need much more upkeep than plastic. It’s up to you and the level of maintenance you are prepared to accept but it's possible to create a truly unusual feature in your home - a double-height bedroom with mezzanine or an exterior seating area. These aren't the most space-efficient options but they certainly bring the wow factor.
If you want the interior of the conversion to feel part of the original structure, make sure the details match - skirtings, architrave around the door, ceiling heights and wall colours. Whether the doors themselves match depends on what you have elsewhere, as all the doors in the conversion will need to be fire resistant. Also think about blinds for roof windows - not for privacy but necessary if the window lets in the full glare of the morning sun.
New hi-tech gadgets are constantly being developed to ease loft living. If you want to use high, inaccessible windows, you could fit them with a remote-control opening device to allow ventilation. Roof domes range in style from simple polycarbonate slabs to wooden-framed, glazed skylights for an ever-changing vista. Windows that combine a fire escape are very compact - Velux sells these. Space-saving fixed stair options include alternate tread stairs and spiral staircases. A bathroom that's a good distance away from the soil stack may require a special Saniflo macerator WC. Contact The Loft Shop for more inspiration.
Page 1: Planning Your Loft
Page 3: Rules And Regs
Page 4: How Long Will A Loft Conversion Take?
Page 5: Budgeting
Loft Conversion Gallery
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30 Ways To Make And Save Money
Extensions: The New Rules
Profit From Extending Your House
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