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Post by jimigoodwinsbeard on Jan 22, 2012 1:47:45 GMT
Any builders out there who could give a ballpark figure for a terraced house loft conversion? No stairs, just a pull-down ladder thingy, boarded out and power points/lights and a bit of double glazing type skylight and obviously make it habitable for my stepson (hes getting on me nerves and we need to banish him up the loft!!) As said, just want a roundabout figure so can weigh up my options for the lad!
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Post by 3inchwidge on Jan 22, 2012 7:10:44 GMT
Shed will be cheaper mate.
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Post by ChrisKamarasPerm on Jan 22, 2012 7:38:45 GMT
Tent will be cheaper mate
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Post by salopstick on Jan 22, 2012 8:04:11 GMT
You have to have proper stairs if you use as a bedroom
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Post by redsaturday on Jan 22, 2012 8:13:29 GMT
Don't know anyone how does lofts, but I have an Austrian mate who's very good at building cellars, he's very discreet too.
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Post by Arthurdollar on Jan 22, 2012 8:17:46 GMT
Any builders out there who could give a ballpark figure for a terraced house loft conversion? No stairs, just a pull-down ladder thingy, boarded out and power points/lights and a bit of double glazing type skylight and obviously make it habitable for my stepson (hes getting on me nerves and we need to banish him up the loft!!) As said, just want a roundabout figure so can weigh up my options for the lad! Just kill him and bury him in the garden, its a lot cheaper.
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Post by bazrico on Jan 22, 2012 9:09:36 GMT
Use crouchy cut down on the rent of ladders about the thing you can use him for
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Post by seddonstandviewer on Jan 22, 2012 9:13:46 GMT
Can of worms this one mate. I'm no builder but know people who've had it done. If you want it habitable you'll possibly need the loft joists strengthening, permanent stairs and a whole host of building regs regarding fire safety including linked alarms and fire doors.
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Post by harrysburrow on Jan 22, 2012 16:04:26 GMT
Seddon's spot on mate. Looked into it myself a while ago and if you want to use it for anything else other than storage then there's a shed load of regs to go through including strengthening the joists, insulation, permanent, enclosed stairs and alarms and fire doors. Loads of people get it done on the quiet, but if there's a fire started from the conversion area then the building and contents insurers won't pay up.
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Post by lawrieleslie on Jan 22, 2012 17:38:29 GMT
Mate of mine did it on the cheap and, although he strengthened the joists and modified the trusses and pearlings, he did it without planning regs etc. When he tried to sell the puchasers solicitor rightly demanded retrospective planning permission. He got but it cost him over £3k to get it up to standard of current regs.
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Post by stokieroo on Jan 22, 2012 20:57:11 GMT
As others have said mate, if you want to use it as a habitable space then it should go through the full buildings regs routes which will mean paying the local council a few hundred quid to inspect and sign off the work. You may not need planning permission if you're not planning on amending the roof line, having loft windows over looking certain areas etc. My Brother in Law (who's a joiner by trade) did his loft in 2006 for around £6k (to full building regs standards). I've known others to bring builders in and have paid upto £20k for a well fitted conversion including wet rooms etc. There's some useful stuff on the planning portal website www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/house
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Post by Dr Oetcake on Jan 23, 2012 10:28:28 GMT
My loft became Buddhist. Didnt cost us anything. I hope its happy.
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Post by fentonbadger on Jan 24, 2012 19:42:53 GMT
I've drawn a few of these up for people over the years, and the advice that the lads above are giving is pretty much spot on.
Basically, if its to be used as a habitable room then you must install a permanent means of access and escape, and while you can use things like space-saver stairs to avoid losing too much floor space you can't rely on a ladder I'm afraid.
If its a terraced house then the ceiling joists are almost certainly something like 3" x 2"s at 16 or 18 inch centres, which are useless as floor joists, so you need to add deeper joists in between the existing ones with sound insulation in between and with a new fire-proof ceiling (because you are turning your house into a three-storey one, there are fire regs that apply).
Then there's the insulation to the existing roof, ventilation, hard-wired fire detectors, fire doors to the escape stairwell - it may look a simple job mate, but doing it properly you need to take all these things into account.
As Stokieroo says, you usually don't need Planning Permission unless you are messing with the ridgeline or if you want a dormer on the front elevation, but Building Regulations are definitely needed (you don't have to go to the Local Authority for these, as there are private Approved Inspectors about that do the same job).
I know a few builders who'll be happy to price this up for you if we haven't put you off completely, and I'm sure if you give any of them a ring they'll let you have a ball-park idea pretty quick.
Best of luck mate!
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Post by salopstick on Jan 24, 2012 20:04:55 GMT
I've drawn a few of these up for people over the years, and the advice that the lads above are giving is pretty much spot on. Basically, if its to be used as a habitable room then you must install a permanent means of access and escape, and while you can use things like space-saver stairs to avoid losing too much floor space you can't rely on a ladder I'm afraid. If its a terraced house then the ceiling joists are almost certainly something like 3" x 2"s at 16 or 18 inch centres, which are useless as floor joists, so you need to add deeper joists in between the existing ones with sound insulation in between and with a new fire-proof ceiling (because you are turning your house into a three-storey one, there are fire regs that apply). Then there's the insulation to the existing roof, ventilation, hard-wired fire detectors, fire doors to the escape stairwell - it may look a simple job mate, but doing it properly you need to take all these things into account. As Stokieroo says, you usually don't need Planning Permission unless you are messing with the ridgeline or if you want a dormer on the front elevation, but Building Regulations are definitely needed (you don't have to go to the Local Authority for these, as there are private Approved Inspectors about that do the same job). I know a few builders who'll be happy to price this up for you if we haven't put you off completely, and I'm sure if you give any of them a ring they'll let you have a ball-park idea pretty quick. Best of luck mate! if you put a dorma on the rear does that mean you dont need planning?
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Post by fentonbadger on Jan 24, 2012 20:13:32 GMT
Depends on the volume of the dormer Salop - usually you don't need Planning for a small dormer on a rear roof slope provided you don't alter the height of the roof, but if it is a big 'un (for instance if it runs the full width of the house) then the planners tend to become interested.
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Post by salopstick on Jan 24, 2012 20:25:04 GMT
we have a 3 bed semi and the mrs wants to put a side extension on (garage with en suite on top)
we dont really need the garage so a loft rear dormer would be easier, using the small bedroom as the stairs up, so no extra bedroom but a larger 3 bed room
i have had quotes for the extension but in your experience would a rear dormer ensuite loft conversion be easier and cheaper
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Post by fentonbadger on Jan 24, 2012 20:41:47 GMT
we have a 3 bed semi and the mrs wants to put a side extension on (garage with en suite on top) we dont really need the garage so a loft rear dormer would be easier, using the small bedroom as the stairs up, so no extra bedroom but a larger 3 bed room i have had quotes for the extension but in your experience would a rear dormer ensuite loft conversion be easier and cheaper A rear dormer would definitely be the cheaper of the two because there are no foundations and/or brickwork to construct. You'd still need to jump through all of the hoops that we have all listed above, but purely in financial terms a loft conversion would still be much cheaper than a side extension IMO. Playing devil's advocate for a minute though, the side extension adds more value to your property than a loft conversion, and it might be more attractive to any potential buyers in the future. I know that these aren't things that you immediately think about when you are extending your property, but its just something else to bear in mind before you commit to spending your hard-earned cash...
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Post by salopstick on Jan 24, 2012 20:58:49 GMT
Cheers
to be honest we dont intend moving and the side extension would be joined to the box room to make a large 3 bed instead of a four so its 6 and two threes
cheers pal
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Post by Orbs on Jan 24, 2012 21:36:52 GMT
we have a 3 bed semi and the mrs wants to put a side extension on (garage with en suite on top) for Orbs I've already told her "No"
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