How to...CONVERT YOUR LOFT

Need an extra room but don’t want to sacrifice your garden? Build upwards…

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Lofts don’t get a lot of love. Stuffed with ‘just in case’ junk and things that haven’t seen the light of day for 20-plus years, they are often ripe for renovation. Clear yours of its clutter and you can turn it into somewhere that is both functional and beautiful.

Is my loft suitable?

Ideally your loft should be 2.2m or higher at the mid-point. If yours is lower, you might want to reassess. There’s no minimum room height dictated by building regulations, but there is for staircases and access. A workaround is lowering the ceiling in the room below – you’ll have to fit a new floor in the loft as part of the conversion, so this isn’t as drastic a project as it sounds. Next, look at any obstacles – is there a water tank or a chimney stack that might need to be moved? Finally, check your roof – does it have a steep pitch that limits height around the room and may require a dormer (a window or door projection that’s added onto the roof) or roof redesign? The roof should also be weatherproof and insulated – felt under the tiles is a good indicator that it is.

What is involved?