HOW LONG WILL THE LOFT CONVERSION TAKE TO COMPLETE? Typically, a rear dormer loft conversion on a terraced property will take four and a half weeks to complete and a gable-end and rear dormer conversion on a semi-detached property will take five and a half weeks to complete.

Ask neighbours, friends or search online to find a trusted architect, loft conversion company or experienced builder for your project. Don’t forget to get three quotes and make sure they visit the site and quote based on accurate measurements.

A dormer loft conversion offers a great way to provide even more space as although they’re marginally more expensive than a simple roof light conversion, a generous amount of extra floor space and headroom can be added.

How Much Does a Loft Conversion Cost? A loft conversion typically costs between £21,000 – £44,000. You could pay up to £63,000 if you want a particularly large extension. The biggest factors that affect price are the size of the extension, your location, and the number of dormers.

Converting your loft is often one of the easiest and cheapest ways to boost the square footage of your home. Depending on the structural requirements and the floor area and access, costs typically range from around £20,000 up to about £60,000.

In general a loft conversion is much cheaper and more straightforward than building a brand new extension. But, the more sophisticated the loft design is, the higher the cost and level of disruption.

A loft conversion is often cited in surveys as the best way to add value to your home. Recent research carried out by the Nationwide Building Society has stated that a loft conversion could add up to 20% to the value of your home.

Cost of loft conversions in London is generally between £35,000 and £60,000 depending on the nature of the design, level of project management, and type of conversion.

Most loft conversions don’t require a planning permit. You are required to obtain permission if your loft design will alter your roof space. Nevertheless, you cannot leave matters to chance; hence, check with your local council or planning officer to know whether you require a planning permit.

A structural engineer will be required for all loft conversions, regardless of the original roof structure. Major alterations are made during the process, which change the structural integrity of your home.

How do you pay for a loft conversion?

1. Cash or upfront payment. If you have access to cash or money in an account, you might consider paying for the loft conversion in one lump sum payment.
2. Unsecured Loan.
3. Secured Home improvement loan.
4. Remortgage.
5. Is help available to pay for a loft conversion?

All loft conversions DO require Building Control approval. Loft conversions ADD to the value of the property. You DON’T need to move out of your property whilst having your loft converted.

As heat naturally rises, the loft tends to be the hottest room in the house, particularly during the warm summer months. If we learnt anything from science class it’s that heat naturally rises, which can mean that during the summer months our attic conversions can become exceptionally warm and stuffy.

On those hot summer days, the best way to keep your loft cool is to let as little direct sunlight in as possible. Whether it be curtains or drapes or an external awning, diverting the rays away from the living areas. For those large dormer windows, internal shutters are a stylish alternative to curtains.

To head off these problems, consider these options for bringing your attic’s temperature down:

1. Install electric ventilators and attic fans, which remove hot air from an attic.
2. Alternatively, install passive vents such as gable, soffit and ridge vents, which are openings in the roof that allow hot air to escape.

All of the hot air in the house is being conducted from all the spaces in the house up to the attic area which is typically a smaller and more condensed area, hence the attic space becomes hot and stuffy. If you have a fan and open windows, that will help to move the hot air out of the room.

When it’s hot outdoors, it’s hotter in your attic. A hot attic is bad for several reasons. High temperatures inside your attic shorten the life span of shingles. Excessive heat deteriorates items you store in the attic and can cause moisture problems in your house.

An attic bedroom that lacks proper ventilation will often experience excessive heat problems. Installing several vents at various positions in your attic can go a long way in cooling it down. So if your loft space bedroom is missing ventilation, it’s probably high-time you installed vents for a cooler environment.

Ideally, your attic should not exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. Problems related to attics hotter than 130 degrees: It will make it harder to cool your home in the summer. Your HVAC system has to work harder than needed, which leads to premature equipment failure.

As heat rises, attics are already hot places, especially in the summer when the temperature outside skyrockets. Your heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) may become overheated and catch fire because of the excessive heat.

As a rule, your attic should be approximately the same temperature as the air outside your home. In fact, it’s not uncommon for a 90-degree to translate to temperatures 30 or 40 degrees hotter in the attic. That’s dangerous because the extra heat can damage roof tiles and any items you have stored in the attic.

So what’s wrong with a hot attic? A hot attic it makes for a hotter house. This results in higher cooling bills and the need for thicker insulation above the ceiling.

Your attic acts as an insulation between the terrace and the living room. Its best if you can arrange a ventilation fan to the attic space or open the window/vents if you have in attic. This will allow to cool down the temperature of air within the attic apace and ultimately will provide better insulation to heat.

If there are not enough soffit, gable or ridge vents, a powerful attic exhaust fan can pull the air from your home through the ceiling if it is not perfectly sealed off. Good attic ventilation is excellent for preventing moisture and condensation but it is usually not enough for cooling in the summertime.

What to Consider Before Finishing an Attic

1. Have at least 7 feet of vertical clearance in the majority of the room, be a minimum of 7 feet wide and have at least 70 square feet of space available.
2. Be accessible by a full-size staircase.
3. Have another exit in case of an emergency, typically an easily accessible window.

Average Cost to Convert an Attic to a Bedroom The price to convert an attic to a bedroom is $8,000 to $30,000. This includes aspects like finishing, flooring and painting. For example, installing a closet costs $1,200 to $3,000. You’ll pay more for larger rooms or if you need to install a window.

When done correctly, attic venting can reduce the potential for condensation in winter and summer. Even when outside air is hot and humid, if the attic space is air-sealed from the interior, it is much hotter than outside air. The hotter the air, the more moisture (i.e. absolute humidity) the air space can hold.