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Restoration Experts 
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Basement Specialists 25 years experience Restoration Experts Award Winning Basement Specialists Conversions
It’s easy to get carried away with home renovation trends, what your neighbours and friends are doing or what you believe can be achieved. Sometimes you need some left of centre thinking to achieve that extra wow factor when renovating or refurbishing your home.
This article in Houzz (yes, we love Houzz), shares some ‘out of the box’ ideas by home renovation experts that might give you the aha moment for your home.
If you’d like to see some of YOUR outside the box ideas to become a reality, give us a call on 02081917595. Or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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We’ve talked at length about loft conversions…planning permission, building control, costs and types. We thought we’d now delve a little deeper into each of the types of loft conversions that you could consider.
Hip to Gable Loft Conversions are ideal for a detached or an end-of-terrace property. It is designed by straightening a slanted end roof to make a vertical wall creating much more additional space onto your property. The gable wall is fitted into the masonry or stud work on whichever side of the building the ‘sloping’ roof falls, while the surrounding roof panels are adjusted to fit neatly along the sides of the new wall. This increased space provides enough room to be used as an office or study, play area or additional living room or bedroom.
In fact, if in the future you want more space, you could add an additional dormer loft conversion.
Pros
The benefits of a hip to gable loft conversion include:
• More head room at the end of the space as the slanting area has been ‘verticalised.’
• You could make the loft conversion look like the original build of the house due to the variety of materials available; maintaining the character of the building within the local area.
• Much easier to fit a fully integrated staircase.
• You can add a dormer later if needed.
• May not need planning permission and could come under permitted development (please confirm this with your architect and local council).
Cons
Whilst the hip to gable does provide a lot of head space there are some issues that come with it that might make you reconsider.
• They are more expensive than dormer of velux loft conversions so not the first choice if you have a tight budget.
• They can only be built on detached, semi-detached or end of terrace properties.
• The build time is longer than a dormer or velux loft conversion simply due the the increased complexity in the build.
• May make semi-detached houses look uneven and unbalanced if your immediate neighbour still has a hipped roof
The average cost for a hip to gable loft conversion is £33000. You are likely to spend between £30000 and £35000 total. Exact price may vary depending on your area and project details.
When would you need planning permission with a Hip to Gable loft conversion?
You would need planning permission if your project exceeded any of the following details:
• A volume allowance of 50 cubic metres additional roof space for detached and semi-detached houses
• No extension beyond the plane of the existing roof slope of the principal elevation that fronts the highway
• No extension to be higher than the highest part of the roof
• Materials to be similar in appearance to the existing house
• No verandas, balconies or raised platforms
• Side-facing windows to be obscure-glazed; any opening to be 1.7m above the floor
• Roof extensions not to be permitted development in designated areas
• The roof enlargement cannot overhang the outer face of the wall of the original house
Of course, this article is by no means completely comprehensive. There are plenty of movable parts based on your property, your budget, your vision and your needs. The best way to start is to actually start… by calling an architect who will advise you on the best way forward for you.
If you are planning a loft conversion and need some guidance on how to go about it, give us a call on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
To have a look at the kind of work we have done, why not download our free brochure? And if you need any help with managing your building project, our free project management checklist has been hugely popular.
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With summer fast approaching (we hope), there’s no better time to think about integrating your indoor and outdoor spaces so that you can feel one with nature whether it’s rain or shine.
This article in Houzz, shares the views of three experts on how to create a home and garden that function as a single holistic space.
If you’d like some guidance on how to best blend YOUR indoor and outdoor areas, give us a call on 02081917595. Or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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When it comes to renovating an old house, in many cases, window repair can make more sense than replacement. The optimum solution will depend on factors such as the condition of the existing units, the type and location of the property, and, of course, the size of your budget
We found this comprehensive article in Homebuilding & Renovating that will give you an insight in all that’s involved in repairing the windows in your property.
Give us a call on 02081917595 if you are thinking about getting your windows replaced or restored…or better still, book a FREE consultation with us and we’ll visit your property, discuss your ideas and share some of our recommendations with no obligation.
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Whether or not you need planning permission for your loft conversion, you will need have to meet building control regulations. You can appoint a private building control company, or you can appoint the building control team from your local council.
Building regulations are in place to make sure that any work done is structurally sound, that the new room is fire safe and that sound is reasonably insulated between the loft and the rooms below.
For a loft conversion specifically, building regulations cover:
- Fire escape – many aspects will be monitored including fire resistant doors, smoke alarms and fire protection.
- Sound insulation – sound insulation between rooms will be assessed, as well as the party wall if you have a neighbour next door that also has a loft conversion.
- Floors – It is unlikely that the original ceiling joists will be able to support the new loft space, so new floor joists will be installed. They will need to be checked to ensure they support the structure adequately. New steels and beams may also be introduced; the inspector will check these too.
- Safety of Stair Design – For fire safety there will need to be a check on the staircase. The structure will also need to be checked to ensure there is enough support for the ceilings and floors.
- Doors and Windows – They should be energy efficient, so the building control inspector will check the thermal heat loss.
- Safety will also be assessed, for example if any glazed area in a window is below 800mm from floor level, 300mm from a door and up to 1500mm from floor level then safety glazing will need to be installed.
- Each window and door will be assessed for ventilation ensuring they provide the right amount, dependant on the room. For example, a bathroom or utility room will need to have higher levels of ventilation as there will be more moisture in the air than in a bedroom. In a bedroom, windows can be sufficient but, in a bathroom, you likely need an extractor fan and window(s).
- Fireproof doors may be required in unprotected areas, the inspector will evaluate the fire escape route and if there is a need for fireproof doors. They may also be required to be self-closing. Some windows may need to be fixed if there is a risk of a fire spreading to adjoining properties. The new window being installed will need to be large enough for the means of escape. Normally you need to have a minimum of one window per room.
- Internal Walls – The internal walls will need to be checked if you are knocking through, building a new one, or opening a wall up. The impact this will have on the building will be factored in and if the wall is load bearing or not.
- Roof – the roof may be checked to see if movement has occurred with the alteration. Movement can create cracks in the walls or in the worst-case scenario the roof could collapse so it is important for it to be checked thoroughly by the inspector.
- External walls – The existing walls will need to be checked for the new weight to ensure they can take the load and structure stability. They will also be assessed for thermal efficiency and weather resistance. If the external wall is being re-rendered or cladded this will also need to be checked.
- Electrics – Your electrics must comply with building regulations so pick someone who is qualified and registered to be able to sign off the work. Notifiable jobs are installation of a new fuse box or consumer unit, installing a completely new circuit and alterations to an existing circuit.
- Kitchen and bathrooms – The kitchen and bathrooms themselves will not necessarily need to be checked by the building inspector but the ventilation, electrics, thermal performance, fire safety and drainage will be checked to ensure it is adequate.
- Drainage – If the roof size is being increased, then you may need to increase your rainwater pipes and gutters. This will be something the inspector will look out for. If you do not have sufficient drainage and gutters, then you could be at risk of flooding.
Building Control inspections should occur at regular intervals throughout the build. It is your or your builders’ responsibility to request a visit to your property at every stage so that if there be a problem, it can be rectified before it’s too late. If there is anything that does not meet building regulations, this will need to be corrected by your builder (that’s why it’s best to get a builder who is aware of building regulations J) before calling the inspector out again to give it the thumbs up.
At the end of the loft conversion project, the building inspector will do a final inspection to sign off and then provide a completion certificate.
If you are planning a loft conversion and need some guidance on how to go about it, give us a call on 0208 191 7595 or email us at enquiries@sdabuildlondon.co.uk to discuss how we can help.
To have a look at the kind of work we have done, why not download our free brochure? And if you need any help with managing your building project, our free project management checklist has been hugely popular.
Read More