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Very finger in the air I know, but a family member is looking at a loft conversion on their 2 bed bungalow, either adding the stairs in a side extension or taking up part of the main bedroom, didnt know if there was a rough way of calculating price before actually going out to get quotes?
Adding the stairs outside will be hugely expensive.
Not helpful I know but I looked at quite a few bugalows with conversions like that when we were looking for a house and putting the stairs jnside was always a huge compromise. Not easy to move plumbing upstairs for bathroom, stairs have to be squeezed in somewhere so unless there's a huge hallway one downstairs room is made useless or tiny. I went to one where a half width stair had been put in the hallway which you had to squeeze up - it made the hall very narrow so you had to squeeze down that too!
The cost will probably be tens of thousands, unless they are particularly attached to the house it would be cheaper to move.
Simple conversion around £10k, adding complicated stair options and dormers can easily treble that. Add more if it needs significant structural work
Nickjb ... can you come around and do mine please ... cracking price 🙂
I got quoted closer to 40k three years ago in sunny essex and that was with me doing the finishing work.... (3 bed semi house mind)... but that price would have gone up considerable from then i would have thought.
Ours was in the region of £35k - but it wasn't a simple conversion & a big part of the extension (and cost) was to fit the stairs in. A vasectomy would have been considerably cheaper, as would bunk beds. Or moving... 😉
On the other hand... we paid £3050 for our loft conversion six years ago.
For that we got:
- access via hatch with Ramsay ladder rather than permanent stairs.
- two smallish Velux windows (flush with roof)
- struts removed and trusses reinforced
- floor joists and flooring with insulation
- plasterboard walls with plastering and door access to the eaves for storage
- lighting and four double sockets
It's not legally a bedroom (so no planning permission, fire escapes etc). We use it for storage, though it's a nice room and we do store a double bed up there for the occasional visitor.
£60k
2nd floor flat, scaffolding, dormer, juliette balcony, steelwork, lowering the ceiling (ridge hight cannot be moved as Georgian era conservation area) 1 bed plus bathroom, storage/wardrobe area and internal wall moved plus stairs. inc architects fees.
central London
I stand by it. It even roughly matches your quote assuming you wanted a dormer, bathroom, etc. If that quote was for a basic conversion I think you go given the 'go away' price 🙂Nickjb ... can you come around and do mine please ... cracking price
Found this: http://www.whatprice.co.uk/costs/loft-conversion-cost-calculator.php Might help the op
On the other hand... we paid £3050 for our loft conversion six years ago.
But as you say, no planning so no actual extra room so very little (if any) value added to your property. Of course that isn't a problem if you aren't planning on moving but it isn't always a sensible option if you have future plans in your head.
yeah ... TBF ... dormer, ensuite, juliette B and a change to gable end from pitched.
Guess it depends on how much junk the OPs MIL had got to throw up there 🙂
But as you say, no planning so no actual extra room so very little (if any) value added to your property.
Absolutely. I'd say it is [i]roughly[/i] cost-neutral in terms of what it adds to the property value. But it did help address our storage and spare room problem with minimum cost. May or may not suit the OP.
But as you say, no planning so no actual extra room so very little (if any) value added to your property. Of course that isn't a problem if you aren't planning on moving but it isn't always a sensible option if you have future plans in your head.
It also potentially breaches building regs (they would view that plasterboarding out a loft takes it beyond 'storage' into 'living space' which requires a full staircase etc) and could make the house more difficult to sell unless as a result, unless a whole load of it is ripped out before selling, or if they happen to pop round (very unlikely)
eg :
My understanding is/was that access via a loft hatch and a drop-down Ramsay ladder means it clearly isn't living space.
Can't see why they'd think that boarding it out meant it wasn't just storage - surely you'd [i]need[/i] to board out most lofts to use them as storage?
I may start another loft conversion thread.
I want to make a (better) storage space out of ours, rather than living.
I've got plans to make our storage loft slightly more useful for storage. We've room in the hall to have stairs, but wouldn't want the addition of stairs to upset the Building Control people. I'd also want to wall off the eaves (to keep the spiders and drafts at bay), but it sounds like that might be asking for trouble too.
mols ... you want to convert your converted loft into a loft ???
Bravo sir ..... 🙂
Wot?
No, I want to rip up the dodgy boarding I did before and then do a better job.
Oh ... got it ... read it as you'd converted the loft into a living space but now wanted storage.
Sorry ... as you were
My understanding is/was that access via a loft hatch and a drop-down Ramsay ladder means it clearly isn't living space.
from that link
The insulation layer may be upgraded at rafter level but this should not be finished to
give the appearance of a habitable area. (Should not be boarded, skimmed or clad.) In most
cases ventilation above the insulation layer will be required to reduce any condensation risk
if you've plasterboarded the rafters, its no longer storage space. You should also have had building regs sign off to put the windows in, but that's a separate issue 😛
That doc linked to is just guidelines though.
I can't imagine having plasterboard would outweigh the fact that there'd be no sockets, no heating, no windows and no stairs?
Some of these planning officers must have pretty grim houses.
You'll be looking at £30-40k for the conversion I reckon, plus extras for bathroom fittings etc...
I'd echo (in a way) what robdob said about stair placement.. However, done right and with thought, you can make it work.
Try not to have the stairs as an afterthought - really involve them (them..the stairs...!) In the design.
DrP
I can't imagine having plasterboard would outweigh the fact that there'd be no sockets, no heating, no windows and no stairs?Some of these planning officers must [s]have pretty grim houses[/s] not live in their lofts.
ooh, can I hijack this a wee bit?
I have a low pitched roof on by semi 3bed bungalow so a loft conversion isn't really feasible. However, in order to bring more light into the rear of the house and generally make the place look a bit more interesting we'd like to open up the bedroom ceilings and install a large velux above each room. Essentially, a pitched sun roof for the bedrooms.
How much is it likely to cost to remove joists/strengthen roof accordingly, install windows and plasterboard the new ceiling voids?
Had a really nice loft conversion with en suite loo and sink, dormer on back and 3 velux on front for 20k about 7 years ago. Stairs took up part of downstairs bedroom but well worth it.
We had ours done about 4 years ago, and it was in the £25k range.
What had been an insulation space with some Homebase storage floorboards, is now a fully furnished bedroom, with shedloads of storage, and an ensuite toilet and shower. It also has a large velux so I can look down on my neighbours.
I run a London based carpentry company and do several loft conversions a year, average price circa 35k obviously depends massively on the finishings.
We were quoted for a straight conversion, stairs, couple of roof lights, electrics, plaster, heating, building regs £17k, to have a dormer with ensuite, £25k (excluding bathroom fittings).
West Midlands
Jim25, considering getting loft conversion next year and based in Epsom. Presumably it's the usual half price rates for stw members 🙂
Surprisingly this is quite an entertaining thread.
Think we'll end up around 44k for a two beds and bathroom with gable end and dormer on a 3 bed semi in the SE. Main works is 38k, rest includes bathroom and flooring, carpets, architect and building fees, upgrading the fire doors etc. I did the electrics but still had to buy the gear. The extras on top of the main price add up!
If anybody wants to post plans/ sections / sketches on here I am happy to provide free comment. Says a bikeless out of work architect with time on his hands.
Just had mine done as part of a house refurb + extension, hard to put a price on it as it was part of a much larger project but I think somwehere in the region of mid 40's.
Still have to get flooring and blinds for the velux windows, oh and bars to go across the window opening to get our building cert. We went for big tilt and turn windows rather than a juliet balcony but the building inspector insists on having something to stop people falling out of window - probably correctly.
Ours has a dormer, a hip to gable, two velux and am ensuite-ish bathroom. We also chose to remove the chimney stack in the roof (and throughout the house)
We had to sacrifice a big chunk of our already small bathroom to get the stair turn in so we turned that into a wet-room.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask
andykirk - Member
If anybody wants to post plans/ sections / sketches on here I am happy to provide free comment. Says a bikeless out of work architect with time on his hands.
Where are you located Andy?
Rockhopper - am currently in Fife. Footloose and fancy free though.
I don't actually remember, but ours was about £30k about 6 years ago. Lots of other peripheral cost with then carpeting all the halls as well and repainting the inside and outside of the house
Got 2 rooms and a bathroom out of it
Cost is entirely covered in the price of the house if that matters to you
Did it pre kids, wouldn't but much run living in the house with kids while it's happening
Nieve Alex speaking here... why are all these quotes so expensive? I'm struggling to see where the man hours went on a 40k loft conversion project? Is it the cost of the new windows / dormers rather than velux style or because the reinforcing costs or super fancy stair cases?
I've got a mid terrace semi built circa 95 and the roof space looks massive and there is a suitable spot for the staircase over the existing stairs but those prices are a massive put off.
Can this work be done much more cheaply if you do more labour yourselves or are they raw material / planning costs?
Builder/Carpenter myself decided to get quotes for mine this year they all came back at about 40k, done a price for myself which I've got to just over 10k doing it myself ,so yes 30k of labour is a hell of a lot. Do it your self a save a fortune .
I got quoted £30k for mine (Victorian semi, no extra bathroom). I did it myself for about £12k.
Alex
It all mounts up:
- Professional Fees
- Council applications
- Structural alterations at ground, first and roof level
- Dormers formation/ roofing/ cladding/ roof drainage
- Insulation, thermal and acoustic
- Windows or rooflights
- Doors/ skirting/ facings
- Heating
- Plumbing
- Lighting
- Power
- TV/ Telecom
- New walls, coombs, formation and plastering
- Flooring, carpet
- Plasterboard
- Decoration
- Staircase and handrails
- Fittings and fixtures
- Roof vents
- Mechanical vents
- Fire safety requirements, i.e fire rated doors, self closers, mains smoke detectors etc
...not to mention labour.
And don't forget also that the formation of a new stairway usually means that areas of the first floor (or floor below attic level) also require works completed, redecoration etc.
Sure you can do a lot of the above yourself, but I would advise you to employ an Architect and Structural Engineer to complete the design, drawing production, authority approvals and provide guidance at the least.
Of course the above can be simplified if you just want to line the attic and use the space as a non-habitable room and put a ladder up. But then it isn't really a loft conversion.
A fair point indeed - I'm wanting to do mine for storage at present and just lined but with a proper staircase leading into it. There is an obvious space for the stairs to go on top of the existing stairs but maybe thats not the best use of space with the way the roof lies.
It's a 3 story house at present and built in 95 so I'm hoping that means there shouldn't need to be any structural work done to the lower layers.. can you advise on whats the best first step - should I go for a structural engineer first to workout what other work might be needed and then an architect or does it work the other way around?
Thanks
Alex
I would suggest if you know any people in the area who have had attic conversions done then ask them which architect they used, if they were satisfied of course. Otherwise you can get a couple of local architects round and ask them to quote, the architect will usually provide a ballpark overall build cost as part of the quote. You can either appoint a structural engineer through the architect or direct, the architect will usually be able to recommend a couple. There isn't much point in approaching an engineer until you have an idea of the proposed design, so I would start with the architect. In addition to access, the critical thing with any attic conversion is usually headroom - the architect will be able to advise you on what can be done to create maximum usable floor area.
Cheers Andy - appreciated
Loft conversion company I worked freelance for as surveyor,designer in London worked on 1/3 materials 1/3 labour 1/3 profit.
The profit covered my costs, office costs and profit for company owners.