Attic conversion on non-habitable attic

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gonesp

Registered User
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Hey everyone,

I'm currently in the process of buying a house and during the house viewing, I asked about the attic and was told that the attic had no flooring and only a couple of floorboards to reach the attic water tank. I was also told that the attic was not suitable for conversion.

The plans of the house look as such: https://ibb.co/zF46sN7

As you can see in the plan if each floor has a height of 3038mm, the attic should have a centre height of 2674mm and my current access to the attic is through the ceiling of the 1st floor.

This said, my question is: would converting this attic into a more pleasant, smaller room be possible? Would an attic of this size constitute a non-habitable attic? Would planning permission even be possible to be able to convert an attic like this? Would kind of challenge am I facing here?

Thanks in advance!
 
Initially I suppose ask a builder to have a look. Before starting work you might want an engineer to have a look. Estate houses built in the 1970s typically are not suitable. Its not impossible to work around but costly.
 
Not a builder or civil engineer.

Most likely you wont be able to get the miminum ceiling height / dimensions to achieve habitable space.

Having said that there are many attics, my own included, which are comfortably converted and in daily use.
 
Thirsty said:
Not a builder or civil engineer.

Most likely you wont be able to get the miminum ceiling height / dimensions to achieve habitable space.

Having said that there are many attics, my own included, which are comfortably converted and in daily use.
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I just want to make an office/guest room out of it in the future. I don't need it to look like a normal room, but I suppose some adjustments would have to be made.

What is the height of your attic's tallest point, if I may ask? Did you add new stairs for access or do you still use the standard ceiling stairs?
 
There's a proper stairs; I'm not sure of the ceiling height, but I think its a little lower than the main rooms.
 
gonesp said:
I was also told that the attic was not suitable for conversion.

This said, my question is: would converting this attic into a more pleasant, smaller room be possible? Would an attic of this size constitute a non-habitable attic? Would planning permission even be possible to be able to convert an attic like this? Would kind of challenge am I facing here?
Click to expand...
There must be a good reason why you were told the attic is not suitable for conversion. Does this mean it can’t be converted or can’t be converted into official habitable accommodation ? If you are interested regardless your own surveyor will be able to tell you what if anything can be done with the attic space.

Without adding a costly dormer most attics do not meet the required full ceiling height over at least, I think 50% of the floor area to qualify as habitable accommodation.

My attic is floored, wired, plumbed, heated, insulated and has a proper stairs with velux windows to the rear, no planning was required. It is a very comfortable large double room, but it can not be called habitable accommodation.
 
If the seller, who has a vested interest in bigging up the property’s potential, tells you that the attic isn’t suitable for conversion, they’ve probably got reason.
 
I know absolutely nothing about them good or bad but surely worth an email.

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You can avoid this disappointment very easily.

BEFORE you agree to purchase, just email us the address of the house you have your eye on. We will look it up on google streetview and tell you straight away whether or not the attic can be converted. We will tell you what space you will get, and roughly how much it will cost.

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gonesp said:
I was also told that the attic was not suitable for conversion.
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As @Salvadore says, if they're saying that, it's very likely they tried to convert and were told it couldn't be done. A lot of times that will be down to the construction of the roof itself where removal of the trusses would render the roof unsafe.
 
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