The good news is that loft conversions are ruled as permitted developments provided that it meets certain conditions. These include:

• The proposed space doesn’t exceed 40m3 (for terraced properties) or 50m3 for detached/semi-detached properties.
• The conversion doesn’t extend higher than the current height of the property.
• The conversion is made using materials in keeping with the current property.
• The conversion doesn’t extend beyond the plane of the property’s existing roof slope.
• For a full list of conditions, visit the UK Planning Portal.

It varies from project to project, but generally speaking, a loft conversion will take somewhere between 4 and 8 weeks, however this figure might be longer if planning permissions are required.

In most cases, yes! It’s estimated that a loft conversion can add as much as 10% to 20% according to Nationwide. The exact amount of value added depends on the size of the conversion, the room’s purpose and the general quality of the build.

Generally speaking, we’d advise against designing your own loft conversion. That’s not to say you won’t have any good ideas or well-thought-out plans, it’s more that architects and designers know what minutiae to look out for, and other details that people less experienced with the design process might miss. We will always look to incorporate design ideas you have into our final designs, however, to ensure that you still feel part of the process.