Loft Conversion DIY - is it something a house owner should be considering?

No, No, No! Can I be any clearer? Loft conversion work to obtain a compliant habitable room is a very specialist job from design to installation on site and it is not something easily geared for the enthusiastic DIY’er. Those that have normally regret their involvement and attempts to cut costs when they are unable to sell the property when the defects or lack of approval becomes apparent to the purchasers surveyors and legal team.

A halfway house that may work would be for the DIY house owner to have professional advise with plans and specifications prepared with all Councils approvals in place by employing their own house extension designer or architect.

This way they at least obtain a precise set of detailed instructions on what needs to be completed for a fully compliant loft conversion. Without such a set of construction design details for a loft conversion the homeowner is left floundering around and making it up as they go along and probably as part of the Building Notice route through the Building Control Dept. which is not recommended.

Complicated works for a loft conversion do require the formation of a pre-prepared and planned design ready for submission to the Building Control Dept. or other approved Building Inspector. Completing the works as a DIY scheme with no professionally prepared plans, specifications and Engineers calculations run the risk of installing wrong materials and works and then having to rectify the abortive works when the Building Control Officer is unable to approve and pass the works installed on site. This would be the Building Notice route that should not be utilised for loft conversions unless you employ a specialists that knows what they are doing.