Do Loft Conversions Add Value to a Property?

Loft conversions are a great addition to any home and can add a lot of value to an existing property. Whether you are getting the conversions for yourself or just to make your home worth more when you sell it, looking into loft conversions can be a good way to increase your property value practically overnight.

However, that does not make converting your loft any easier. In fact, there are a lot of factors that influence how much value a loft conversion will add and how easy it will be to get a specific loft conversion idea realised when you are working on a limited budget.

As professional loft conversion experts, we understand how to tackle a huge range of lot conversion issues. Our experts can convert any existing loft space into something entirely unique, but we still need to know what you are looking for.

What you need to know about loft conversions

A loft conversion is a process of converting a traditional residential loft space into a space for living and sleeping. Loft conversions usually occur when a home needs to be updated, modernised or extended.

They are the perfect solution for homeowners who do not have the luxury of being able to have their house extended whilst also needing to find a more affordable option than knocking through to the basement or creating a garden building.

Converting Roof Space

Loft conversions have become a popular way of turning a barely used space into a modern and luxurious second living room, adding another bedroom to the home, or even just creating an isolated workspace and/or hobby area that they can use without being distracted.

We provide a huge range of conversion options, offering all kinds of attic conversion work to extend your existing house and turn that useless space into something useful. Whether you want a simple guest bedroom or an entire new loft floor, we can find the ideal loft conversion options for your needs.

Converting a Loft Space

Converting your loft can be a complex process, with each of our many basic loft conversion options requiring a different kind of pre-planning and baseline work. Each loft conversion is also dependent on the house that is having its loft converted, from the existing roof shape to the amount of loft space you have.

If you want to get your loft space converted, then you need to plan ahead. That means looking into your loft conversion options, mapping out your available floor space, seeking planning permission and understanding building regulations.

Our experts can take care of all of this loft conversion pre-planning work, but it is still important to understand loft conversions if you plan to get one.

This is especially true if you want to know how loft conversions can add value to your home and what might influence that value.

How much value does a loft conversion add?

While loft conversions add value to your home, it is important to understand that you will not see every loft conversion add the same amount of value. How does a loft conversion add value, and what actually influences how much value your property will be getting from the loft conversion itself?

The most important factors in lot conversions are their practical and aesthetic value. A loft conversion is worth much more if they look nice and even more if they still manage to be a functional room rather than just an empty space.

For example, a full loft conversion (staircase and windows included) is going to add more value than just dormer windows in the existing roof slope. While both add value, the loft conversion project will add more since it turns that existing roof space into a new room instead of just adding roof windows.

We can help you plan out your loft conversion with the goal of maximum value in mind. Our team contains loft conversion design experts that know exactly how to make an attractive, appealing, practical and unique new space.

How hard is converting your loft?

A loft conversion can be a difficult project, with most loft conversions taking around a week to complete at most. This includes building the new roof structure, installing roof windows, and adding any relevant safety measures like fire doors or staircases.

There is a reason that very few people attempt fully DIY loft conversion projects. The work itself is incredibly complex and time-consuming, often costing far more as a DIY project than as a commercial job done by specialists like us.

However, our team are fully equipped to deliver great loft conversions to our clients. Whether we are working with modular extension loft conversions or something small and simple, we can make it possible and give you the best bespoke loft spaces for your needs.

How to maximise value from loft conversions

If you are looking to make the most of your loft conversion, then it is important to consider the amount of value that each conversion will add. The value of a loft conversion depends on a range of factors, but it is also influenced by the kind of conversion you get, as well as the way that it fits into your home and roof structure.

This means that you often have to pay active attention to your conversion project if you want to get the most value out of the resulting conversion. The best advice is to spend some time researching what is important when it comes to the value and what most homeowners actually care about in their property purchases.

Sometimes, you might be surprised by what can influence the value, especially since it might differ from place to place. General property value is always important, but it will not always be influenced in exactly the same way, so a large part of our job is helping clients get the home value they want through their conversions.

Cost (of converting your loft)

First and foremost is cost. All conversion projects are going to cost vastly different amounts, and sometimes there will be unexpected increases or decreases in the expected costs due to delays, cheaper contractor options, or countless other reasons that could come completely out of the blue. This means that cost is something you need to consider on a regular basis.

Cost (related to value)

You also need to think about how relevant the cost is. If you are getting an expensive loft conversion that adds more value to a home you plan to sell immediately; you might end up only covering your own loft expenses.

However, if you are planning to keep the house in the long term, then even an expensive loft conversion can be a great place to turn.

Cost (in terms of value)

Remember that paying the cost of a loft conversion effectively means that future owners do not have to pay it instead. This means that expensive conversions, such as ones that modify the whole roof structure or include additions like underfloor heating, often retain more value across the whole property.

Space

The more additional roof space a loft conversion adds, the more likely it is to offer higher value. The more space, the better, especially if you get enough to split the conversion into multiple different rooms (such as an extra bedroom with an attached bathroom).

By adding more room, you are increasing the overall square feet your house provides in terms of floor space. Remember that extra space always comes at a cost, though, and a larger conversion is going to require more money to actually complete.

Usable Space

Remember that useable space is always more beneficial than adding more space that you can’t use. For example, roof slopes might count as extra space in terms of the floor plan, but they do not offer nearly as much headroom as a flat roof will.

This can mean that you might see more or less value depending on how much of the conversion is actually fully walkable space, especially if the project was already built around an existing sloped roof instead of getting a new flat roof. This can be important to factor into your plans from the very beginning.

Aesthetics

A large part of the home value comes from how a home looks on the outside, and an ugly loft conversion is not going to add as much value.

While it can still be a good addition, you might lose out on some potential if the outside material choices do not match with the rest of the building’s colour scheme or material choices, especially if you end up going for something that looks ugly.

Durability

You want to be sure that your conversion is going to last a long time rather than being fine for only a few years before needing repairs. Just like the rest of the house, a lot of value comes from knowing that the property can withstand yearly wear and tear without showing any obvious signs of damage, so a good conversion is always worth more.

Safety

An unsafe conversion is not going to be nearly as valuable. Whether this is due to poor construction, damage or lack of maintenance, you need to ensure that the conversion is safe before you assume that it will fetch high prices in terms of your home value.

Liveability

You will also see a lot more value coming from a loft conversion if you have created a fully habitable space. While you can perform a loft conversion to make it a general room, there are extra steps involved in making it a habitable area, and that often adds more value at the cost of taking longer to fully construct.

For example, you may need a dormer window that opens to provide ventilation or a specific type of floor structure that is designed to hold more weight.

Be sure to check any relevant regulations before you make assumptions about what is (and is not) legally considered a habitable room.

Is your loft suitable for a loft conversion?

One of the biggest roadblocks that many homeowners run into is suitability. It is hard to know if your home is suitable for a loft conversion, especially a loft conversion of a specific type or size.

This can be an important thing to check since not all homes are suitable for a loft conversion. Even if yours is, you may need to look into specific loft conversion types since there can be physical and legal restrictions to worry about.

Loft Conversion Types

Remember that loft conversion type will play a large part in what kind of conversion you can actually get. It is important to remember that this is often because of the physical limits of your home and/or its roof structure.

Hip to Gable loft conversions

Hip to gable conversions are not practical on any terraced houses and only usable on one side of semi-detached houses. This is because hip to gable conversions rely on the “side” of your roof, which is usually connected to another house in both of these cases (or partially, for semi-detached buildings).

Since the party wall agreement limits what you can do with the party wall (the boundary between you and your neighbour’s home), a terraced or semi-detached property may not have these options, especially not if the neighbour disagrees.

Dormer Loft conversions

A dormer loft conversion is practical for most building types, but this does not make dormer loft conversions ideal. They still require a roof space with enough head height to walk around in, something that many houses may not have without proper roof extensions.

Physical Limitations

An attic conversion may simply not always be physically possible. Load-bearing walls can make it hard to maximise space, and there may not be enough room to add a proper staircase inside your home to reach the new loft comfortably.

Legal Limitations

Listed building and conservation areas may limit what you can actually do with your home if you are planning to change anything about the exterior.

This can mean that any loft conversion that modifies the shape of the building might be off the table unless you can recreate it using authentic-looking materials and get approval from the authorities behind the protected property.

What is a realistic budget for a loft conversion?

Keeping track of your budget is important for making sure that you are getting the best possible value out of the project. In general, a UK loft conversion tends to cost between £20,000 and £67,000 in total – which varies heavily depending on what you are getting installed.

There are a range of factors that can influence the overall cost of the project, and it is a good idea to understand how much your loft conversion plans need to be budgeted for if you want to ensure their completion. The better you budget, the easier it becomes to identify areas where you can save money.

Complexity

The more complex an attic conversion is, the more it will cost. This usually means that you need to expect to pay more for a larger-scale conversion, especially something that makes direct changes to your home or roof rather than being all internal.

For example, getting dormer loft conversions does not cost all that much since you are only making a minor change to the roof. A VELUX loft conversion is even cheaper because you are barely making any changes beyond adding some natural light to the loft room. However, a full attic conversion and extension will cost a lot more while usually also providing more value in return.

Size

Size is an important part of the budgeting, too. The larger your project, the more you will be spending, so you need to make sure that you are not overextending in areas where it is not really needed. Doubling the square feet of your loft conversion plan might add more value, but it also takes a lot more work and money to actually complete.

Materials

Remember that materials are a major concern here. As mentioned earlier, your material choices need to fit with the rest of the house if you want to get the most value out of the loft conversion, and that often means that you will have to spend a little more than expected.

Cheaper Materials

Going for the cheapest materials might save you money, but it also makes the loft less desirable. In some cases, it could even open the loft up to more damage since cheaper materials are sometimes going to be more flimsy or suffer particular kinds of wear and tear a lot faster.

Does a conversion or extension add more value to a house?

While attic conversion and home extension may seem similar on paper, they require very different steps and often add varying amounts of value to your property.

In general, loft or attic conversion will add more value to your home, despite being less expensive on average.

Unfortunately, this also requires you to think carefully about what you are getting, especially if you are only getting the work done so that you can re-sell the house later. If you want to maximize value, you need to plan ahead.

What permissions will you require to convert your loft?

Converting a loft requires different levels of planning permission and regulations depending on how you are doing it. There are a lot of factors that can go into this, and understanding them is vital to getting the work done effectively.

Permitted Development Rights

Permitted development rights cover most basic projects. This means that no planning permission is needed, although neighbours can still complain if the project is causing other problems.

What Counts as permitted Development?

In general, something will usually fall under permitted development if it does not make any major changes to the structure of an existing home or makes changes that should not interfere with the daily lives and property values of nearby neighbours.

Permitted development includes

• Simple extensions.

• Smaller-scale work.

• Internal modifications and conversions

• Homes that have not already had more storeys added.

• Conversions using aesthetically similar materials to the existing house.

Permitted development does not include

• Extensions that reach past the existing roof.

• Conversions of listed or protected properties.

• Extensions beyond the principal elevation’s roof slope.

• Balconies or raised platforms.

• Work that modifies chimneys or ventilation pipes.

These are mostly a few samples of the general guidelines. We can provide a much more in-depth breakdown as needed, helping you re-plan your idea to make sure that it falls under any relevant regulations and requirements.

Our experts can help you figure out if your conversion will fall under these requirements. Remember that these rights vary based on what you are actually doing, so there may be cases where one small change forces you to seek permission for your work despite the end result still being the same.

Planning Permission

Planning permission approval is required for most projects that do more than just internal changes. Modifying a stud wall is fine, but anything that requires a structural engineer to change the exterior of the loft usually means that you require permission.

Submitting plans

This means submitting the plans of your building process to a local authority to see if they approve. If there are issues, they may send it back with corrections or changes, forcing you to re-submit the application after you have modified it.

Planning Permission Compliance

We can help you oversee the planning stages, making sure that you get planning permission approval as early as possible to guarantee that the work can go ahead quickly.

The sooner you can get planning permission for your finalised design, the easier it becomes to get started on the work straight away.

Protected Properties

Not all properties are going to follow these same requirements and restrictions. Listed buildings and conservation areas often force you to seek planning permission for even small changes.

This is because listed buildings are meant to be kept mostly the same, at least externally. Replacing roof trusses and floor joists is fine, but not swapping out the entire roof to build a loft en suite bathroom.

Building Regulations Approval

Following building regulations is also important. To get building regulations approval, your plan and/or completed design needs to not violate any building regulations, whether those are safety requirements or general design regulations.

Building Inspections

For example, in a loft space, wall-mounted sanitaryware may need to be checked by a building control inspector. So will roof trusses, sloping ceilings, stud walls, and anything that has any kind of regulations connection. This also includes details like the roof height in a master bedroom or the modifications to gable end walls in accordance with the Party Wall Act.

Regulation compliance

As a professional building company, we can make sure to manage these regulations correctly, keeping you from getting in trouble with a building control surveyor who has come to inspect your property.

Get In Touch

If you want to know more about what we can offer, then get in touch and talk with our specialists today. We have a massive range of loft conversion options on offer, all of which we can tailor to meet your general loft conversion cost budget while still keeping your options wide open.

Contact us today and ask some of our experts about what we can do for you. No matter how specific your requirements are, we can get you the results you are looking for at a reasonable price level.