How Much Will a Loft Conversion Cost?

Planning Your Loft Conversion

Various factors can affect how much you end up spending on a loft conversion, so methodically planning what it is you need from your loft space is absolutely crucial. Although it isn’t an exact science, and the actual quote you receive may differ greatly from costs mentioned below, we have noted some of the key factors that may be considered when working out the cost of a loft conversion. This is just a guide so we advise thorough research before you take the steps of converting your loft space:

Loft Conversion Admin Costs

Before you begin the process of enquiring about the services of professionals who can help build your loft space into something spectacular, it's worth investigating the costs incurred in the admin fees. In order to make wholesale changes to your property you may need to get planning permission and the building regulations team will have to inspect your property to ensure it meets the relevant standards - both of these services incur costs, outlined below:

Planning Permission Costs

Obtaining planning permission for your loft conversion isn't necessarily required if your changes are part of permitted development to your properties. The UK government provide a comprehensive technical guide of what is and isn't considered part of permitted developments to your home. Usually, the scale of your project will be a large factor in whether you require planning permission on your property. If you do require planning permission for your loft conversion, this currently incurs a cost of £206 in the United Kingdom.

Building Regulation Costs

A key component of completing your loft conversion is ensuring its overall safety ticks all of the boxes for building regulation standards. Areas like fire safety and accessibility need to be investigated by the building regulations team from your local authority before it passes inspection. Naturally, the initial submission of your plans and the subsequent inspections of your loft incur costs which can be anywhere between £400 - £900. It's worth noting that this is a crucial element to completing the loft conversion process. Without having a thorough safety inspection of your loft, the status of your conversion will not be fully complete.

Location of Your Property

Turning our attention towards the actual building of your loft conversion can also dramatically affect the costs you may incur. One area that is considered to increase or decrease your costs is the location of your property. Professionals will largely consider your property location in relation to the price of your conversion and it goes without saying that a premium can be added to the price of their work depending on the area you live in. We take a look at two key areas below:

Loft Conversion Costs In London

A London loft conversion can cost anywhere between £40,000 and £70,000 plus VAT but in turn this can add exponential value to your property. Although this may appear like a considerable cost depending on the original cost of your home, the true value that a loft conversion can provide will only be seen after it has been completed and the addition of a great new living space is factored in. Eventually, you may consider selling your property and the additional living space that you have created will no doubt increase the value of your property.

Loft Conversion Costs Outside London

Outside of London the national average cost of a loft conversion is usually a little lower, settling at around the £20,000-£30,000 mark. Again this is just a guide and the price can still fluctuate depending on the area of the UK you live. It's definitely worth compiling as many quotes as possible and getting a guide as to what feels like a reasonable price for a loft conversion in your area.

Do It Yourself

If you are confident in your DIY skills, you can drastically reduce the cost by doing some of the work yourself. Obviously for any external work on the property, you would need professionals who have access to scaffolding, but for internal work, a lot can be carried out personally. If you are considering other additions to your room in the roof, for example a bathroom or shower room, then it may also be necessary to find a professional who can do any plumbing work. Ultimately, in order to achieve the result of adding a nice extra space to your home which also adds true value to the property, it's important that any work carried out by yourself is completed to a high specification.

Type of Loft Conversion

The cost of a work will also depend on the type of conversion you’re thinking of getting. If you're looking to renovate your loft into a comfortable, spacious bedroom this will usually take a lot longer than putting in an office or study. Turning your loft space into additional bathrooms and shower-rooms can incur more costs because of the necessity to ensure correct plumbing and fixtures have been applied. Below is breakdown of just some of the costs involved in each conversion, and what type of work you may receive:

Basic Room in Roof:

A basic room in the roof is the cheapest type of conversion you could get, and may cost you around £15,000+. Some of the work may include, but isn’t limited to:

• Electrics, lighting and heating
• Added insulation
• Fire safety measures
• Skylights
• Reinforcements to the flooring
• Loft stairs

Roof Structure Changes:

Structural changes to the roof will obviously cost a lot more, as there are other factors involved, for example:

• Hiring a designer
• Planning permission approval
• Extra cost of removing and rebuilding the current roof

This cost of this type of conversion can vary widely, but this type of work will likely cost upwards of £40,000.

Dormer Additions:

As with a basic room in the roof, this an additional extra on a normal loft conversion. This would add the addition of windows, rather than skylights or Velux Windows, and would likely add an extra £5000 onto the cost of a conversion, costing around £20,000 overall.