Loft conversion with ensuite prices

Factors to consider when choosing and designing an en-suite conversion in your loft

There are a number of considerations which may impact on style and cost and these include:-

• If you can site the new bathroom above the existing bathroom on the floor below then it will save time and money in terms of extending the plumbing and waste outlets like soil pipes
• What is the water pressure like? If you have an existing gravity fed system with a tank in the loft then you will need to install a shower pump
• What is the water pressure like? If you have an existing gravity fed system with a tank in the loft then you will need to install a shower pump

What is the best type of bathroom suite to choose?

It is a good idea to choose fixtures and fittings which maximise the space you have and work with it. Use an awkward corner for example to fit a corner suite, there are even such things as triangular shaped toilet cisterns or a basin is a good option for an unused corner.

The sloping eaves of a loft conversion can be ideal for a freestanding bath; many people worry that there simply won’t be sufficient room for a bath but actually, it can become a real statement feature. In a tighter space, a contemporary corner bath can become a feature – remember, a bath actually needs less head height than a shower so a bath is more suitable for conversions with sloping ceilings.

If you just want to add a shower to your loft conversion then you will need adequate headroom and you need to consider how the shower will be fed. If you have a water tank then often the shower head will sit at a higher point than the tank which means that you cannot feed water to it; an electric shower is the best option in this situation. Shower enclosures work well in a part of the loft conversion which doesn’t have a sloping roof.

Common problems with an en-suite loft conversion and how to manage them

Adding a bathroom to your loft can present many challenges which are common to lots of similar conversions, here are some of the issues most frequently encountered and practical measures to deal with them.

Lack of head height and light – add as many windows as you can with Velux fittings or dormers. Daylight is generally much greater on the upper floors due to the height and privacy is not usually a problem at skyline level so make the windows as large as possible if you are worried that the space will be dark and gloomy. Low ceiling height can be managed with the use of dormers placed strategically just where they are needed, for example, putting the toilet under a roof window is an excellent use of space and the window will give you an extra 10-15cm of head height. Tucking it under a sloping ceiling also leaves more head height available for the rest of the ensuite.

The walls are a tricky shape – don’t try and treat the room as a conventional square or rectangular or attempt to disguise the difference in structure, celebrate it as quirky and idiosyncratic and use clever styling to add personality and uniqueness. Work with sloping walls and ceilings and make then a feature. Add in recessed shelves and niches which can be built into the false walls that hide the pipework, these are ideal for storage and can make a real design statement.

The shower is too dominant – if a shower would be too dominant a feature and boxy in a small conversion then design a wet room instead with a glass panel and hidden drain within the floor tiles. This style creates space as well as being totally functional.

The proposed design seems cramped – don’t make the fundamental design error of maximising bedroom space only to end up with a small and cramped en-suite. There is always a tendency to feel that the bedroom should have the lion’s share of the available area and the ensuite is something of an afterthought but this doesn’t have to be the case – balance out the allotted design so that your bathroom has enough room. The minimum floor space allocated for an en-suite should be 2 metres by 2 metres. There are lots of space-saver bathrooms on the market but if you have sloping ceilings then the whole thing can end up feeling very cramped and squashed in which could be completely solved by just taking a bit of space from the bedroom.

Consider the best location for the sanitaryware – the best guide to use is the location of the existing plumbing and waste drainage which can help inform the choice of location. It’s easier and cheaper if the layout of the room is as close as possible to existing services – longer drain runs can create problems. If this poses an issue with waste from the toilet then you could consider a macerator system which can all be cleverly concealed from view.

The adjoining door takes up too much room – if loft space is tight then you can consider alternatives to a conventional swing door. Opt for a pocket door; a pocket door is a sliding door that when fully open, disappears into a compartment in the adjacent wall, ideal when there is no real room for a standard hinged door. Pocket doors can travel on rollers suspended from an overhead track or guides along the floor.

Lack of space makes it feel cluttered – a good bathroom designer or loft conversion company can keep the style streamlined and use some standard tricks to avoid an overly cluttered appearance including fitting a wall-mounted basin, toilet and vanity unit – this floating effect enhances the sense of space and it is much easier to keep them clean. Always use the same tiles on the floor as the walls as this seamless look always creates the impression of space.

Low water pressure – inadequate water pressure can quickly turn your dream en-suite into an endless nightmare. An electric shower is one option to solve this problem although aesthetically, they are not the most good looking. Another possibility is to add a concealed pump to boost pressure but they can be quite noisy and disturb the rooms on the floor below. Why not consider an unvented hot-water cylinder as these work off mains water pressure?

Do you need planning permission for an en-suite loft conversion?

The interior of the loft conversion is of less interest to planning officials than any structural changes to the roof such as dormer windows of a certain size and appearance. Also, the proposed size of the conversion in itself may trigger a requirement for planning permission. If your property is listed and/or in a conservation area then you will probably always need listed buildings consent even if the conversion itself is modest and would normally be acceptable under permitted development.

Will an en-suite loft conversion increase the value of my home?

Another bedroom and bathroom will always add value to your home and can have the dual benefit of freeing up accommodation on the floor below as well. Most financial institutions estimate a good loft conversion to uplift the property value by anything between 20% and 25%. Do you own a bungalow? Click here to see the cost of a bungalow loft conversion.