Loft Conversions by Property Type

A terrace has the smallest volume allowance of any property type, no hip to square off, and neighbours on both sides. That narrows the design to the rear slope — but within 40m³ a full-width rear dormer still delivers two rooms at full standing height.

• Party wall notices to both neighbours, served two months before work starts
• Materials come in over the roof by scaffold and rear hoist, not through the house
• End-terraces often have a hipped end, which puts hip-to-gable back on the table

The most converted house in the North West and the most flexible. A 50m³ allowance and a hipped side roof mean every conversion type is on the table — from a three-week rooflight room to a wrap around with two bedrooms and a bathroom.

• One party wall rather than two, which makes the paperwork simpler than a terrace
• A full gable on a matched pair is a design question — hip-end dormer is the gentler option
• A wrap around uses most of the 50m³, so planning becomes more likely

Hips on both sides, a 50m³ allowance and no party wall to negotiate. Detached houses give the most design freedom of any property type — and the fewest reasons for a conversion to end up compromised.

• No party wall notices, so no two-month waiting period before work starts
• Squaring off both hips plus a dormer exceeds 50m³ — that becomes a planning application
• More staircase routes available, which usually means a better-proportioned landing

A bungalow roof is usually shallow, so headroom decides everything. Where there is height a dormer works. Where there is not, the roof comes off and goes back higher — which turns a bungalow into a house, and needs planning permission to do it.

• Chalet bungalows often already have the 2.2m needed, so price a dormer first
• No existing stairwell, so the new flight has to come out of a hallway or bedroom
• We price a ground-floor extension against going up when that is the better answer