Converting an attic or loft space into a living area requires building a dormer across the width of the roof to create enough headroom. For a loft conversion to be approved, the main space should be at least 2.3 meters high, and preferably on a steeply pitched roof. A staircase is also needed to access the new living area, which may require sacrificing an existing bedroom on the floor below, reducing the potential benefits of the conversion.

1. www.cityloftslondon.com

3. If your home’s loft is more
useful to you as living space
than storage, converting it is
the obvious thing to do.

4. This often means building a dormer
across almost the whole width of the
roof and changing the line of the roof
so it’s ‘straight’ viewed from the front
or back instead of sloping.

5. For a loft to be suitable for
conversion, the main space should
be at least 2.3 metres high - the
steeper the pitch of the roof, the
better it will be for conversion.

6. You’ll need space for a staircase up
to the loft on the floor below and if
this means losing a bedroom, you
may not be much better off by
converting the loft.

7. You sometimes see houses for sale
with a ‘loft room’, rather than an extra
bedroom in the loft and this is usually
because the room doesn’t comply with
building regulations.