We’ve talked about loft conversions quite a lot over the past couple of weeks. In fact it’s become something of an obsession. We’ve already looked at some of the lovelier aspects of converting your loft/attic into a more accommodating living space, so now we thought we’d take you through a few of the stumbling blocks you may need to overcome when considering a loft conversion of your own.

Insufficient headroom

One of the common problems of remodelling your loft into a comfortable living space is ensuring sufficient room for standing. Lofts tend to have low ceilings anyway, and some insulation materials can often add bulk that takes up valuable headroom.

Try using multi-layer reflective foil insulation (which is actually thinner than most other types) to save space. You can also grab a little extra headroom where you need it by positioning a roof-light, which will give you an extra 15cm of clearance.

Header tank is in the way

Header tanks for central heating and the cold-water supply can sometimes be awkwardly placed, but they can just as easily be relocated elsewhere in the loft, preferably in a corner you don’t intend to use. Alternatively, you could remove it altogether and switch to an unvented plumbing system - provided you live in an area with a local water pressure of at least 1.5 bar.

No soil pipe for a new bathroom

If you’ve always fancied converting your loft into an extra bathroom, you’re going to need to make sure you’ve got a suitably located existing soil stack (a drain-waste-vent system fitted in all bathrooms) or install a brand new one. Otherwise things could get messy.

If installing a whole new drainage system sounds too expensive, you might want to look into fitting a pumped macerator system, which are compact and self-contained.

Encroaching on neighbours’ property

If you live in a terraced or semi-detached house, then you probably think that a loft conversion would be out of the question. But your neighbours can’t prevent you from converting your loft space, even if it means crossing onto their property for access. You will need to give them notice under the Party Wall Act (England and Wales), however. For more information, go to communities.gov.uk.