Property Advice: Attic & Garage Conversions
Over the years, your house space
requirements will often change.
You may need an extra bedroom, or
an en-suite bathroom. Removing or
repositioning the internal walls
of your property will often
introduce more light and warmth
into your house and create a
sense of more space.
In most cases, unless your
property is a listed building,
you are free to put up partition
walls as well as to install en-
suite and understairs toilets.
etc. Building work that involves
load bearing walls or changes to
the outside of the house may
require compliance with the
relevant building regulations.
These modifications will allow
you to make the most of your
existing space and convert
otherwise unused space from one
room into say, a larger kitchen
or living room.
Three areas of your house are
usually the first to undergo
conversions, the attic, the
garage and any basement space you
may have.
Many building firms specialise in
attic conversions, and the
introduction of even a small
window into the roof or gable end
wall can transform a house. Even
if your attic is small, you may
have enough space for a child's
bedroom or study area.
Before you make definite plans for this space, you should check to see
if any beams and trusses that take up additional space can be built around. Also, is the floor
reinforced to take the weight of the furniture you intend to put in the attic? You may need
specialist advice on your options before going ahead.
You may decide to convert your
garage but remember you will most
likely have to budget for the
installation of wall and roof
insulation, damp proofing and
extra ventilation, in addition
to new windows and doors. If you
choose to build on top of your
garage, your property will
require careful inspection to
ensure that the extra weight is
not excessive for the existing
walls and joists.
In structural terms, you may want to wall up the existing garage door opening and open up the wall
between the garage and the house. A freestanding garage, separate from the house, provides the
greatest flexibility for conversion. Depending on your specific requirements, it might become a home
office, a guest house or a living space for grown children or an elderly relative.
Basement conversions can also
provide much needed extra rooms
but attention must be paid to
waterproofing the floor and
ceilings correctly to prevent damp
or flooding.
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