Anyone ever built a loft room?

[MrsT&Ben]

I don't mean a proper bedroom in the loft with building regs I mean putting some stairs up to the loft and making the space usable.
We've had our planning permission refused but can't afford to sell and tbh can't really afford to do a proper extension. As far as I am aware we can still make it in to a room but can't market it as a bedroom when we come to sell. Is that right?
would a loft room be expensive to do?
We are currently sleeping in our living room and are unable to sell as in negative equity and some othe debt.
I'm looking for a quick fix to our problem. Any advice would be great fully received

 

[weewdy]

Yes thats correct. Why was planning permission refused? If it was due to height then it might not be of benefit to you to do it. To floor it, walls and staircase you could do it for £5000, again it depends how much you can do yourself. We done it all ourselves for £3000.

 

[ExpectingK]

I work in Building Regs, think I've commented before on previous threads. Consider structure, insulation (noise and thermal reasons) and how you'd get out in the event of fire (fire alarms/actual method of escape). There are loads of other considerations, such as electrics and ventilation, but fire/structure are most important.

Also bear in mind that if someone drops you in it with your local Council (B Regs) they can ask you to make an application up to 2 years after the work is completed. And, Planning might even force you to undo it if they become aware of it. Our inspectors have been known to knock on a door if they spot a builder working where an application hasn't been lodged.

I don't mean to be harsh, just speaking from experience.

You don't sound like you have much choice. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[lilyd]

Check you insurance buildings/contents if you are going to do this. A former friend of mine did this, but when she told her insurance company they wouldn't cover her (and she wouldn't have been covered if she had needed to make a claim but not told them) as it was not considered habitable space.

I can't remember how she resolved it and i can't find out as we no longer speak, but she did use her loft as a study.

 

[MrsT&Ben]

Thanks everyone. I welcome honest feedback. Sounds to me like we just have to grin and bear it. It sucks that we only live in a 1 bed flat. I know I'm the back of my head a 'loft room' is the wrong thing todo but I'm So stressed with the whole situation. Sleeping in the front room is taking its tool and I'm desperate for baby #2.

 

[Kittycat155]

Anyway to put up a tall bookcase or something to divide room? We lived in a 1 bedroom and made the living room the living room/mainly bedroom. It was not hug but big enough to have couch on on side and bed on other. Had divider up so when people came over it was visible but obviously our area.

Can you not take the bedroom and give child the living room? Maybe a semi loft bed with storage underneath(not one of those bunkbed height ones, captains bed I think is the name?

 

[lilyd]

would it be possible to partition the existing bedroom? Or could you rent your flat out and then rent somewhere bigger in a cheaper area?

Sorry you feel so trapped x

 

[MrsT&Ben]

The bedroom is small, it would be fine for 2 kids to share (if we had another bedroom) but not big enough to split it in half. And at the moment we have our sofa up against the bed so when your sat down you can't see the bed. We don't often have people round as I'm embarrassed by it. It's such a shame I would love to invite Bens class mates form nursery for a play date but I just can't .

Renting is an idea but it freaks me out. We've done it before and our tenants were fab. You just can't guarantee what people will be like.. We moved back in because we were banking on converting the loft. I wish we'd never bought the place.

 

[Kittycat155]

Try not to be so embarrassed! As long as it is clean! Who knows maybe someone from class would know of some person who would LOVE to rent your place out.

My family was always the renters and we treated the house as if we owned it. I know there are people who are not like that(4 for 4 my neighbor across street have been idiots-the owner rents it out yearly and EVERY year for long as he has owned it it has been different family. He just takes ANYONE and does not care. Obvious by how they treat the yard/trash/ leave the place in end. I have gone over to talk to the rehab guy about some work I wanted done and the smell/mess, oh my.

Do you have a dining area you can stick either your bed or make a sitting area?

 

[lilyd]

I went out with somebody years ago who had a studio flat and he had a wall bed which basically folded up to look like a cupboard in the daytime.

Could this be an option to give you some extra space?

 

[lau86]

Could you put up a cheap partition wall so that at least the bed was out of the way during the day? If its making you feel embarrassed it might be worth thinking about? I don't think you should be embarrassed though, plenty of peopl can't afford to move