MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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anyone ever paid a builder to convert an attic into an extra 'room'?
(not necessarily a bedroom with planning permission, but a room, with a velux or two, to use as a bedroom or music room or office)
I'd love to know roughly how much it costs to convert....roughly. for a normal 2 bed terraced house, something like this
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-24740299.html
All depends on what roof trusses you've got at the moment. Also if it was a timber frame build or a brick build.
Nothings impossible but will come at a cost. You can also spec various Velux systems which will affect the overall cost. I went for a much glass as possible but that's as it became the master bedroom so worth it.
You will need building control certificate, possibly planning permission,a mains powwered smoke alarm, on all floors, a fire escape window,possibly reinforced roof joists,a fire door on the attic, and possibly fire doors throughout the house.
or just ignore all the above, go ahead and do it , then when you come to sell, the surveyor will ask if you have the relevant certificates, or in a fire somebody may well be injured.
Its a mine field.
Project - you need none of that, it just can't be classed as a room. Most often it is termed a 'useful attic space' by estate agents...
....it just can't be classed as a room
I'm surprised that a "space" with a couple of Velux windows can't be classed as a room........why would you want windows in your loft ?
And presumably if it's going to be used as an office, music room, or bedroom, it will have plasterboard, skirtings, architraves, etc. Sounds like a room to me - not simply a useful storage space.
Bought a house with an attic conversion like this, as stated before, it can't be classed as a bedroom etc without building control and fire doors galore etc.
We looked at doing that and in the end the pain of the fire door placement meant we couldn't be bothered.
Use it as office, spare bedroom etc and might consider doing the fire door bit etc when we come to sell it and just mention to each and every viewer how easy it would be to remove the door etc.
It is the technicality that if it doesn't meet building regs it can't be classed a room (unless it is a renovation of an existing room or was converted before the regs came in).
Bruk - you are not entirely correct - if it existed before regs came in it can still be classed a room - only new conversions have to get a certificate. Our loft room wouldn't meet current regs for many reasons, but it has been a room since the property was built 100 years ago so it can be classed as one.
As per [URL= http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/loft-conversions-are-us-dot-com-or-not ]the previous attic thread:[/URL] we're doing this at the moment. Two Velux windows, flooring, lighting, Walls, plastering, four power points and Ethernet. 3 grand. No building regs, it is not a "habitable space" and can't be sold as a room.
Proper job would cost in the region of 20k depending on spec