Loft Conversions

There's a great way to avoid moving house if your reason for leaving is because you have outgrown your home - make use of the space at the top of the house.

I was tiny when we had the loft converted in our family home, but I do remember that there was an awful lot of mess. Now that might be enough to put you off the idea, but if you consider the pain of packing up your house and finding somewhere else to live, then the thought of a few weeks of chaos might not seem so bad.

A loft conversion is the most sensible way of getting an extra room (well that and adding on a conservatory, but you may well have done that already).

PUT PLANS IN PLACE

First, with some basic questions.

What is your budget?
How will the room be used?
Where are you going to put the extra staircase that you will need?
How are you going to lay out the space to accommodate the slopes and awkward shapes that the roof creates?

Knowing your budget is vital. That's not just what you wish to spend on the building work but also the furnishing and decoration of the room. There's no point in having all the work done if what you are then left with is plaster walls and bare floors. You need to decide on whether you are going to be putting another bed up there, if it will become an office or if it is just going to be the kids' playroom. Any of these scenarios will call on you to spend money furnishing the space.

Another reason for defining the budget is so that you can decide whether you can afford a dormer window which projects to the outside to form a full-height area in the loft with a vertical window or whether you will have to settle for a cheaper roof window which is set into the slope of the roof. Planning regulations in your area may also affect this choice.

You need to have a good idea of the ultimate use of the space because if it is going to be an office you'll need a telephone point, lots of electrical sockets for all of your computer kit, and light fittings to illuminate the work area. Consider up-lighters rather than a pendant fitting because they will throw light up towards what will probably be a reasonably low ceiling. If that doesn't worry you, then halogen spots set into the ceiling are a good option.

If it's going to be a spare bedroom or playroom, these things may not be of such importance to you and you may be able to save money by not including all of the above.

If you are converting a loft space for teenagers, then soundproofing has to be a priority and that may up the costs. Depending on the size of the space you may want to add a false wall inside the structure. Use timber battens to support a layer of plasterboard around the room. Think about where the TV and stereo are going to be placed. For starters make sure that the TV is not positioned against a party wall. Music can be muffled by hanging the speakers instead of standing them on a solid surface, or by positioning them on foam.

The reason for deciding on the position of the staircase is because you are going to have to lose space from somewhere on the floor below. If you are worried about it encroaching on a bedroom, then maybe think about a spiral staircase. As long as the children who may be using this are not too young it can be a space-saving solution. Another option, if the builders can work it in, is to make the flight quite steep. Use open treads to allow light into the area.

EXTRA TOUCHES

If you can afford it, think about including built-in storage in the room. It will work around the slopes of the ceiling making the maximum use of any awkward areas in the room. Because the room that the conversion creates is unlikely to be huge, you want to avoid cluttering it up with lots of different pieces of freestanding furniture wherever possible.

Also, consider what type of heating to put in the roof (and make sure it is well insulated whatever you choose). Check with your builder whether it is possible to include underfloor heating - this is by far the best solution because you won't have to worry about losing wall space to radiators.

Careful planning is the key to a successful conversion, so take time to get everything right.


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