Property Development Add Value To Your Development

Date Published:

18/06/2009

If the loft space of your property is undeveloped it's almost certainly worth converting it. Why? If you've got the budget, it will add value, an extra bedroom and potentially an extra bathroom - all without impacting on the space downstairs or outside.

Convert The Loft

The loft space can be as much as 30% of the total floor area of a property and can be turned into a living space by adding windows and stairs. As little as £17,000 could produce a new 6m x 5m attic room with two Velux windows, says Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Not all lofts are suitable for conversion. They need to be 2.4m high to allow for steel beams, a suspended floor and a ridge beam which all take space from the room. Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian houses loft conversions tend to be simple: big roof spaces easily lend themselves to airy living spaces. With modern homes it’s not so easy because of load-supporting beams which hold the roof up. But it can be done. Contact specialists such as www.trussloft.co.uk for information.

A number of specialist loft companies, including www.loftmasters.co.uk offer a package. They design the extension, draw up the plans and build the loft extension. So this means builder, plasterers, plumbers, electricians and architects are all in place. If you don’t use a loft company you need to make sure the builder you choose has experience of loft extensions. Ask friends and family for recommendations, or visit the Federation of Master Builders’ website which has a database of vetted builders.

You will generally have to upgrade the fire resistance of existing ceiling and doors. You should get your money back by adding a loft conversion and you could add around 10% of the value of your property with the right conversion. Use Econoloft’s calculator to see how much a loft could potentially bump up your property’s value.

For More Information

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Most jobs require either planning permission, building regs approval or both. Ensure you or your builder take responsibility for these

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