Do I Need Planning Permission For a Loft Conversion?

When you purchased your home, did you imagine that it would stay perfect forever? Regardless of your answer to that question, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably reached a point where you now need more space in your home and a loft conversion seems preferable to having to sell to find something bigger. Or, you may have purchased your home with an eye on converting the loft the whole time, something that no doubt attracted you to the property in the first place.

There are so many reasons to convert an attic or loft space, and we’ll cover them in our section on loft conversion benefits later on in the piece. For now, we want to tackle the burning question that everyone has when they finally reach the decision to convert that wasted space at the top of the house: do I need planning permission for a loft conversion?

To make it clear what we’re talking about here, let’s quickly clarify what a loft conversion is.

What Is A Loft Conversion?

A loft conversion – sometimes known as an attic conversion – is the process of transforming the space directly under your roof into an additional room that is connected to the rest of the house by another staircase. What you previously used simply for storage, can be made into an extra room and you can tailor the conversion to the purpose you have in mind, be that a bedroom or an office space.

There are several types of loft conversion, including:

• Rooflight conversion
• Dormer conversion
• Hip-to-gable conversion
• Mansard conversion
• L-shape conversion

In this piece, we’re going to be focusing on the planning permission question for rooflight conversions and dormer conversions as they are the most popular types.

Do I Need Planning Permission For A Loft Conversion?

The great news is that you don’t usually need planning permission for a loft conversion when selecting a simple style such as rooflight conversions or dormer conversions. That’s because they fall within what is known as your permitted development rights. These rights allow you to make reasonable changes to your property without the need for all the red tape. 

As long as you’re not massively changing the exterior of your home, you can alter the interior. For a rooflight conversion, all you’re really doing is adding windows to the slope of your existing roof. Planning permission for a dormer loft conversion is unlikely because, despite the fact you’re adding a small window to project from the slope of the roof, it can be considered a reasonable adjustment as long as it doesn’t exceed the initial height of the roof.

However, loft extension planning permission can be subject to a few exceptions, so be sure to check with your local planning office or get the advice of a building professional before carrying out any work. Things such as Party Wall Agreements come into play if your house adjoins another property with a shared wall e.g. a terraced house or a semi-detached property. 

As we mentioned earlier, we’ve discussed two of the simpler conversion styles, but for loft extensions and major changes to the exterior of your building, you will likely need to arrange for planning permission.

We always recommend doing your due diligence before starting any work in order to avoid delays and disappointment further down the line.

The Benefits Of A Loft Conversion

What are some of the reasons people choose to convert their loft space in the first place? Here are just a few key reasons and benefits we find make them such a popular step for most homeowners:

• It increases property value – you can add 10-20% to the value of your house with a loft conversion
• It adds extra living space – whether you need another bedroom for guests or for a new child, or you need a dedicated office space, this is the perfect way to add it
• It means you don’t have to move – in a property market where values seem to keep rising, it can be easier to stay put and extend the space you have
• It makes your property attractive to buyers – when you do come to sell the property, a loft that has already been converted can be a real bonus, saving someone else the effort

Choose A Reliable Loft Conversion Company

When you want help converting your loft and for more professional help and advice when it comes to loft conversion or loft extension planning permission, look no further than our reliable team here at Bosaco. We’ve been helping homeowners across Nottingham for many years and are experts when it comes to conversions.

Contact us today and get a reliable, local building company on your side when you want to convert your loft space.