Loft room conversions.

JohnnyG

JohnnyG

JohnnyG

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We're currently looking at a property which has a loft room conversion and we might use it as an extra bedroom.
It looks well done (tongue and groove walls and ceiling, velux window, proper ladder etc.) but does anyone know much about them and their pros and cons and stuff?:)
 
If it's got a ladder, it's not a proper loft conversion and you can't officially use it for a bedroom or the like. Legally converted lofts conform to all manner of building regs such as proper stairs at no more of an angle than x degrees (I think it's 45 but I could be wrong), fireproof doors on all rooms leading onto the stairwells, an emergency exit from the loft out onto the roof (and I don't just mean a Velux window!), proper support under the floor to support real weight (normal ceilings are likely to not be able to support a large bed with occupants), etc.

I had mine done and I have massive JCBs bridging the outer walls and a proper stairwell. It costs real money to do it properly in such a way as to be safe. Do it without due respect for the regulations and if you end up falling through your ceiling, don't expect your insurance company to pay up!

And if you're buying a property with a conversion, make sure you see proof that it conforms.
 
you know what i ment lol.

but yea, if it doesnt have planning and regs it shouldnt be advertised as a bedroom its not legally allowed to be. if it has a ladder it can be called a loft room, but not bedroom
 
I don't think it needs planning permission (not entirely sure) but I thought there would be lots of building regs it must adhere to so we'll make sure we check them out.
It is advertised as a 'loft room which is currently being used as a bedroom' so will it have any effect on buidings insurance if we do use it primarily as a bedroom and it caves in, assuming all building regs are met?
 
if the building regs are all signed off then insurance shouldnt be effected at all. make sure you dont take the agents/vendors word for it, ask to see the paper work.
 
Stinky said:
theres nothing stopping you using it as one! just legally it cant be called it. chances are its damn safe. i wouldnt say its irresponsible to use it
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"Chances are"? The regulations for a loft and the regulations for a bedroom are completely different. Having seen the steels put into my house, it's clear that the weight that can be placed upon a floor/ceiling of a loft and of a bedroom are miles apart. As I said earlier, if you go putting a double bed onto the loft floor and the go making the beast with two backs on it, don't go expecting the insurance company to pay you anything if you then go crashing through the ceiling!
 
Stinky said:
theres nothing stopping you using it as one! just legally it cant be called it. chances are its damn safe. i wouldnt say its irresponsible to use it
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It could well not be safe though. Personally I'd only use a laddered loft as storage as it just doesn't seem right to me.

Also as I mentioned earlier was when I had a TV (last year) and was watching loads of day time stuff, property ladder thing came on and a female couple bought a place with a 'converted' loft. It had a ladder and plasterboard as the walls and apex. When the pulled off the plasterboard they found out that the roof supporting joists (not the lower room's ceiling ones, ones that run at about ankle-knee hight if you stand in their loft) had been cut to made space and enable the space to be a room.
It then cost them a fortune to get it all repaired properly.

It's when stuff like that happens you understand the reason for planning permission, as the whole roof was sagging and could have collapsed in a few years (they got that fixed too).

InvG
 
What's the best way to find out about the buiding regs on it as I'm a bit worried about it now especially if any joists have been removed, should I ask my solicitor to get hold of them?:)
 
JohnnyG said:
What's the best way to find out about the buiding regs on it as I'm a bit worried about it now especially if any joists have been removed, should I ask my solicitor to get hold of them?:)
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have you agreed to buy the place?

if so then your solicitor will be required to get all that for you. if not its best to get the agents to get you a copy from there solicitor!!
 
We've not agreed as yet but we're pretty close and if it's not safe or suitable to use as a bedroom we probably won't get it:)
 
JohnnyG said:
I don't think it needs planning permission (not entirely sure) but I thought there would be lots of building regs it must adhere to so we'll make sure we check them out.
It is advertised as a 'loft room which is currently being used as a bedroom' so will it have any effect on buidings insurance if we do use it primarily as a bedroom and it caves in, assuming all building regs are met?
Click to expand...

Interesting that they describe it as 'loft room currently used as bedroom'. If it was a proper bedroom the estate agent would describe it as such as it would add significant value to the house.
 
Last year I was on the point of buying a property with a loft conversion, the seller informed me that it was all compliant ecetera, but couldn't prove it. I ended up employing an independent building inspector (at my expense) to find out the truth. The report said it should not even be used for storage! We were quite close to completion at this point. Needless to say this was the end of the deal. I made sure that the seller, his solicitor and estate agent had a copy of the report, and if he attempts to sell again without revealing this information he will be committing a crime. I had an extremely lucky escape. Be very, very careful. I do not regret the few hundred I spent on the inspection/report at all as it saved me 10's of thousands.
 
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