Loft Conversions

H

halmahera

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Apr 11, 2005
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I'm thinking of having my loft converted and wondered if anyone had any experience of the costs?

It's a fairly ordinary 1940s house, detached but not very big with rafter and purlin roof construction.

I'm looking to get it floored, plastered inside (well plaster-boarded), couple of roof windows. Not too bothered about a full staircase up there as we won't use it as a bedroom so will make do with a good quality loft ladder.

Any ideas?
 
Yes my friend, I can tell you exactly, we dont do loft conversions they are too small a job for us but smaller building firms here in Wolverhampton do them for £9,950-00.

Hope I have been of assistance in some small way. :)
 
The first flat we bought when I was married had a loft conversion [in Fulham]

The previous owners had done the basics - they'd used plasterboard under the roof cladding, and we made tongue and groove cupboarding from the lower beams to the floor and then made a built in bed. There was one Velux window, one of the larger ones, which was quite adequate.

The staircase was the glory of it - it was a scaffold pole with quite good size metal steps clamped on, so it was a spiral - much more comfortable and easy to use than a ladder and it took up v little room on the landing. We used sockets set into the stained & varnished chipboard flooring for electric points, which I got from a theatrical supplies shop, so as not to damage the brickwork. It all worked very well and gave us a good sized bedroom so we could have a big double living room on the first floor - and it added significantly to the value of the flat when we sold it two years on
 
Originally posted by Headstrong@Aug 30 2007, 01:36 AM
The first flat we bought when I was married had a loft conversion [in Fulham]

The previous owners had done the basics - they'd used plasterboard under the roof cladding, and we made tongue and groove cupboarding from the lower beams to the floor and then made a built in bed. There was one Velux window, one of the larger ones, which was quite adequate.

The staircase was the glory of it - it was a scaffold pole with quite good size metal steps clamped on, so it was a spiral - much more comfortable and easy to use than a ladder and it took up v little room on the landing. We used sockets set into the stained & varnished chipboard flooring for electric points, which I got from a theatrical supplies shop, so as not to damage the brickwork. It all worked very well and gave us a good sized bedroom so we could have a big double living room on the first floor - and it added significantly to the value of the flat when we sold it two years on
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Are you a builder too Sara ? I'll have to employ ya :D

Seriously, what you post is the basic format, what I have found from DIY jobs is that people struggle with the roof, the fitting of a window, fitting a sky light, but in reality if people think it out and do not rush it, the job is quite easy. :)
 
Very useful and interesting information from both of you there - thank you. I guess the big issue for me is to decide just how far to go with it. Insulating seems sensible enough as does flooring. The jobs I wouldn't fancy would be the roof window, plastering etc.

Need to save though!
 
We converted several years ago - very well worth doing. We added a spiral staircase for access - very pretty - but don't try get a mattress up there!!

I am going to turn it into a study/library soon when I throw the last little fecker out.
 
When I first read that, An I thought you said you were going to turn your loft into a stud :what:

We had a converted loft in our last house with a lovely sprial staircase. Not so bad taking things up, but it was a nightmare trying to get things back down when we moved. Also spiral staircases not always suitable for small children or dogs! Especially the wrought iron ones with holes in the steps!
 
Also spiral staircases not always suitable for small children or dogs! Especially the wrought iron ones with holes in the steps
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!

This what makes them eminently suitable.
 
Mark, my marriage didn't last long but we totally renovated four houses or flats and re-decorated three others in the space of seven years, in three different countries [don't ask...]... maybe that's why it didn't last long!

I got to be quite a dab hand at basic plastering, tiling, &tc, and I've always been a brilliant decorator - I did it for a living for a while and I'm still open to the occasional offer! I've also done upholstery, curtain making etc etc - and been a professional gardener. But I'm getting a bit old for all that now - too much like hard work!!

Halmahera, I'd get a pro builder to do the basic stuff like put in the Velux and do the cladding/plasterboarding of the inside of the roof, amd the flooring & staircase - then you can do the rest yourself

If you want a bed up there - we built the bed and used pegboard segments under the matress so it could breathe, then got a large piece of foam up there, rolled up. I sewed a ticking cover onto it with a curved needle when it was in situ
 
Originally posted by Headstrong@Aug 30 2007, 11:20 PM
Mark, my marriage didn't last long but we totally renovated four houses or flats and re-decorated three others in the space of seven years, in three different countries [don't ask...]... maybe that's why it didn't last long!

I got to be quite a dab hand at basic plastering, tiling, &tc, and I've always been a brilliant decorator - I did it for a living for a while and I'm still open to the occasional offer! I've also done upholstery, curtain making etc etc - and been a professional gardener. But I'm getting a bit old for all that now - too much like hard work!!

Halmahera, I'd get a pro builder to do the basic stuff like put in the Velux and do the cladding/plasterboarding of the inside of the roof, amd the flooring & staircase - then you can do the rest yourself

If you want a bed up there - we built the bed and used pegboard segments under the matress so it could breathe, then got a large piece of foam up there, rolled up. I sewed a ticking cover onto it with a curved needle when it was in situ
Click to expand...
Good on you Sara, Well done. this is the main business of some members of my family, buying old fallen down properties, doing them up, selling on for a profit, when I can get away from the main family firm I assist, Well, I am not going to miss the chance of a few extra quid, would you ? :) :clap:
 
Thanks for all the advice and help on this... I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that the primary function of the converted loft is to house my model railway.

Cue all the usual "train spotter" jokes...
 
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