Dormer Loft Conversion in Brighton, East Sussex

In most cases, converting a loft with the dormer style or adding a dormer window is permitted and doesn’t require planning permission. However, you have to apply for planning permission if:

• The home is on a designated land. Examples include world heritage sites, areas of outstanding beauty, national parks and conservation areas. A roof extension does not fall into the category of permitted development if the property is situated within these areas.
• The materials to be used in the construction of the loft conversion are not in keeping with the appearance of the house.
• The dormer loft conversion includes a balcony, veranda or raised platform.
• The dormer extension will face the street or the height will exceed the existing roof.
• The loft conversion includes a veranda or side window overlooking your neighbour’s property.
• If bats which are a protected species are using the building.
• The volume of the converted space is above 50m3 for detached and semi-detached homes and 40m3 for terraced houses.

The dormer window serves as an escape route in times of emergency including fire emergency. Smoke alarms are required for every level of the house, including the loft. They must have a backup battery and wired to the mains in case of a power failure. There must be a protected area from your loft to the ground floor to ensure the occupants evacuated safely.

The fire route has to be protected to withstand 30 minutes of fire. The loft conversion should be complete with a functioning window with non-locking fasteners to ensure a swift exit.

Yes, you can. Apart from loft conversions, you can remodel or renovate your home if it’s in a designated land such as conservation area. The focus is on preserving the surrounding environment not necessarily the general style of the home.

However, before installing your dormer loft conversion, any work that alters the roofline requires special consent. Failure to obtain the consent means your loft conversion is illegal and you could be fined or even imprisoned in extreme cases.

Funding for your loft conversion can be obtained in the following ways:

• You can re-mortgage your home. To do this, you must have equity in your home for the amount you need to borrow, including a deposit.
• If you have savings, you can leverage those to allocate to the cost of a home renovation. Savings is the cheapest way to pay for a loft conversion as you are not charged bank interest. You could also look into a credit card reward or cashback deal to pay off the balance if your savings are not enough to cover the full cost of the dormer loft conversion.
• You can take out a personal loan if you have a good credit history. It is cheaper than re-mortgaging but you have to consider if you can afford the monthly payments on top of any financial commitments you have.
• You can pay for your project in instalments. We can sit with you and map out a payment structure starting from the first stage of the project and finishing before the final stages.

If you have a water tank, we can move it to a more conducive area so that you have more space in the loft. We advise Brighton homeowners to upgrade to a combi-boiler that eliminates the problem and provides more efficiency. We can either work around your chimney or remove it altogether.

All Clifton Hill & Mont Pelier Coversions include a 10-year guarantee for your peace of mind.

When you embark on a loft conversion, it turns your two-storey Brighton home into a three-story building. You will have to upgrade the door to an FD30 fire-rated door. This ensures that your stairs, landing and hallway will withstand 30 minutes of heat when a fire breaks out in any room.

The price for a loft conversion is fixed. We send you a fixed quote detailing the final cost. If you want more than was initially agreed upon, it will come at an extra cost.

Yes, building regulations approval is required on any loft conversion in Brighton homes regardless of whether or not planning permission is required. They ensure that the structure is completely safe and will cover factors such as stability, safety, strength and adequate emergency exits. Clifton Hill & Mont Pelier Conversion will help to expedite the process from the application of the initial building notice to the final inspection and will do all this whilst delivering the best service possible.

We have an employee liability and public liability insurance that protects you from liability if anything goes wrong during construction. We are happy to provide documentation of our insurance.

We also provide a 10-year guarantee on all Dormer window installations.

They provide increased space which means you have room for a closet, en-suite bathroom, reading corner, small window-side sofa and a bedroom. Dormer windows open up space in your room, create more headroom and allow for more daylight. They also incorporate an extra floor of accommodation, turning your home in Brighton into a three storey building without feeling high on the outside. There are many shapes and sizes so you shouldn’t have trouble finding an option that fits your Brighton home.

Some of the benefits that come with dormer loft conversions are:

• It serves as a potential escape route in cases of emergency. This is necessary in cases where the dormer window is the only exit in the loft.
• It provides another view to the outside world and also allows natural light into the room.
• It allows for better ventilation and aeration, more than other styles of loft conversion.
• It provides extra room and headspace, more than other styles of loft conversion. When a dormer is installed in a bungalow or multi-storey building, the difference in the usable space is significant.
• They add architectural interest, accent and detail to a home. If you feel that your home is plain-looking, the easiest way to add to its aesthetic appeal and increase its market value at the same time is to add one or more dormers to it. It not only looks good on the outside but also inside and the upgrade will make it easier to sell in case you decide to do so in the future.

The difference both is, you need a planning permission if you plan to alter the shape of the roof or if your dormer window is front-facing. You submit your plan to the local council and it is open to rejection by your neighbours or the council.

On the other hand, a permitted development means you don’t have to apply for planning permission. This is usually the case for most buildings that aren’t flats or in a designated area. Semi-detached properties are allowed an extra 50 cubic metres and terraced houses are allowed an additional 40 cubic metres.

We can build extensions at the same time that the dormer loft conversion is being done. Our architects can create extensions that improve the value of your home.

A loft conversion is considered a safe investment which adds value to your property. A large bedroom, with a new staircase, en-suite bathroom and dormer windows deliver an immediately increased value of at least 10%.

We can begin building your dream loft in as little as 2 weeks. It is the same timeframe no matter where your property is based in Brighton. This time frame of two weeks is based on the assumption that all your plans, party wall notices and structural designs are in place. Otherwise, we’ll have to get those settled before starting construction. It might take 2-3 months to get the party wall agreed and plans approved.

Yes, you can. Our goal is to create the living space you desire so we have no problems using an existing plan as long it corresponds with Brighton’s building regulations.

Milosh loft conversion has specialised in loft conversions for a long time. Our certified and experienced architects produce loft conversion designs which maximise your loft space. The in-depth knowledge, planning and design you enjoy with a loft service can’t be compared to a general builder.

The staircase is usually the first thing that is completed on your loft conversion. It acts as the gateway to your loft so it has to be done by a professional. Our architect will draw up a plan for the loft staircase and create a fitting design.

We assign a project supervisor to your loft conversion who conducts regular inspections to ensure that the work is carried out to our very high standards. They will update you and answer any questions you have.

The timeframe for your loft conversion depends on the complexity of the work. How big will it be? What is the layout of your home? Are there any special custom designs you want us to add? These are all factors that affect the time it takes to complete your dormer-styled loft conversion. However, it takes no more than 8 weeks for a typical loft conversion and up to 12 weeks for a complex project.

Please call our phone number or complete the enquiry form on our website and we’ll arrange for a surveyor to visit your property.

We are aware that most of our clients are conscious of our environment and make use of eco-friendly materials in major aspects of their life. Because of this, we source and use recyclable materials that reduce your carbon footprint.  We could use timber walls, a sustainable material that is a good alternative to brick or concrete. It provides proper insulation and maintains good air quality. It is also cheaper.

We can attempt to reuse your existing roof types or recycled shingles and include double glazing dormer windows that reduce heating bills and provide good insulation. We will also use low energy LED bulbs that reduce electricity bills, illuminate your loft and last longer than regular bulbs.

The important measurement is the top of the stairs height. The height has to be between 2.0-2.2 metres between the top of the floor joist to the bottom of the ridge beam.

It depends on the type of property that you own as well as your roof frame. A stick-framed roof with a loft has a room for adding a dormer, however, a truss-framed roof does not have any space for dormer installation apart from decorative or false dormer.