Loft conversions

Turning an unused attic into living space will not only add value to your home, but can make it more liveable – giving your family room to spread out. Here’s the key areas to focus on

Extend upwards to add value and space to your home

1 Include a luxury bathroom

Adjoin a new loft bedroom with a spacious en suite, and you could increase your home’s value by up to five per cent, while making it more family friendly. A roll-top bath can fit in beautifully beneath a sloped ceiling or positioned with a view over the rooftops, but you will need to ensure the floor can take the weight, especially if it’s cast iron – a structural engineer can advise. This stunning bateau Usk design costs £5,100 at Drummonds. You will need sufficient head height over the basin and toilet, and for a shower. It should be relatively simple to add hot and cold water by branching off the existing plumbing from either the boiler or the floor below; the same will apply for soil pipes. It may be necessary to upgrade the boiler.

2 Create a home office

Converting a loft to create a study or studio is great for establishing a separation between work and home. A bespoke storage solution will make the most of any awkward spaces, and you should

position your desk with a view out of a rooflight or dormer window. Check your Wi-fi signal – you may need a booster. This home office design by Neville Johnson makes use of every inch.

3 Add a bedroom

Creating a guest or master suite can add over 10 per cent to the value of your home, and give much needed extra bedroom space where an extension may not work for design or planning reasons. The space will feel more private, and you can often get better views from being high up. If the loft is big enough, and you’ve had to sacrifice a firstfloor bedroom to fit in the staircase, you may want to include two bedrooms to maximise value. Don’t forget to add built-in storage under the eaves.

4 Make space for stairs

Accessing the loft is an important issue. In order for it to be liveable, you will need proper stairs that meet building regulations in terms of head height, tread size and the balustrade. Consult a designer on the location of the staircase. If you have a large landing space, you may be able to accommodate them; alternatively, it is quite common to sacrifice a box room to fit them in, then add some extra storage on the landing. This double-winder design by Econoloft provides a seamless flow up to the loft.

5 Bring in the light

Creating openings in the roof of a period home can be a contentious issue for planning authorities. The most common solution is to insert rooflights between the rafters, but if the property is in a Conservation Area or listed, standard designs may not be acceptable, meaning you’ll need to look at conservation designs, such as this one from The Rooflight Company, which are based on original Victorian metal rooflights and sit more flush with the roof line. Another option is a dormer window at the rear, which will also add more usable floor space. Where permitted, glazed doors with a Juliet balcony will increase the sense of light and space.