Whether you need extra space for your growing family or to work from home – or you simply want a little more elbow room – a loft conversion is the perfect solution. In today’s uncertain property market, you can create the home of your dreams without the considerable hassle and expense of moving. Solicitor’s fees and the required survey account for around £2,500; stamp duty, particularly on larger properties, can add quite a large sum. Why not stay where you are and leave the children in their school – while maximising the value of your existing investment?

A loft conversion can offer many benefits:

No wonder people are increasingly looking for loft conversion options instead of purchasing and moving to a new property!

Evaluating your loft’s full potential

Want to create an additional bedroom with en suite facilities or a playroom for the children? First establish whether your existing loft space has the potential to be converted.

The easiest way to see if your existing space is suitable for a conversion is to go up into your loft and check whether the height of your loft is appropriate for a living space. If headroom is limited, a conversion may still be possible by either raising the roof or lowering the ceiling of the room(s) below.

Try to assess whether your roof was built using trussed rafters or purlins; it is usually easier to convert the latter into usable loft space. Properties built with a modern trussed roof can also be converted, but more structural work is typically required to provide the proper support.

Modern (post-1965) trussed rafter construction

This type of roof, used widely in houses in Britain since 1965, usually has a shallow pitch and more struts. As a result, these lofts are more difficult to convert. Look for thin sections of wood (typically 75 mm or 3 in deep) and the telltale rectangular metal plates used to join the timber together.