London loft extensions are becoming increasingly
popular within top floor flats and apartments, and are a great way of adding an
extra room in what could otherwise be a small property.
However,
before you get to the wonderful end product, you do need to be aware of some
additional rules that apply to converting the loft space of top floor flats.
Here’s a quick guide to the basics of apartment loft conversions:
Leasehold Considerations
First
things first, leasehold considerations are one of the most important aspects
that you need to get right when converting a top floor flat. Regardless of
whether you occupy the top floor apartment and are able to use the loft space
for storage, there are likely to be leasehold implications if you wish to
convert the space to habitable use.
For
example, you may own the freehold of the flat itself, but not the loft or roof.
Or you may only own a share, and will then need to get permission of, and in
some cases buy out, the other freeholders. You may even own the freehold to the
roof and loft floorboards, but not the space in between.
Check
your leasehold and / or freehold agreement to see exactly what you can and
can’t do, and then approach the freeholder(s) as necessary. If you do need to
buy out other freeholders, you will need to take legal advice and have a
legally binding contract drawn up.
Planning Permission
Once
you've ironed out any creases in the freehold, you’ll need to speak to your
local council about planning permission. Flats often do not have the right to
permitted development as houses do, so you may need to submit full plans.
Furthermore,
your local planning authority may also need you to make provisions for other
residents in the flat, such as moving water tanks housed in the loft or
relocating pipes to other properties as required.
Fire Safety
Once
you have permission to carry out the work, as with any loft conversion you’ll
need to comply with building regulations and fire safety rules. In a building
consisting of more than two stories, you’ll need to check with your planning
department what their expectations are for escape in the event of a fire.
You
may need to install a ‘New York’ style exterior fire escape, in which case
you’ll need to obtain the permission of the residents below you to use the
space around their properties, as well as the council and freeholders.
Party Walls
Because
of the communal nature of flats and apartments, you may have to obtain more
party wall agreements than you would in a standard loft conversion within a
house.
Make
sure you keep all parties informed of your intentions at all times to help
smooth over any troubles, and take extra care with the likes of sound proofing
so as to not disturb your neighbours too much.
It
may seem like there are a lot of hurdles to jump when it comes to converting a
top floor flat’s loft space, but you can be guaranteed that the end result will
be well worth it. Not only could it potentially double the size of your home,
but in space-strapped London, you’ll certainly have a great chance of adding
value.