Box room issue

3 years ago

I am in the process of selling my house and the houses on the market in the area I would like to move mainly consist of 2 double rooms with a 3rd box bedroom like the example below. My daughter is currently in a box room in our current house and despite having a loft type bed with storage and desk there is just not enough room. What would you advise? has anyone managed to provide more bedroom space without a second mortgage?

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Sarah Baker

3 years ago

B&E - I purely gave my experience in doing a loft conversion. We did get building control involved obviously which cost £400. We employed a structural engineer who advised on the 2 steels we needed. This cost £500. We lifted them in ourselves and were passed by Building control. The loft floor was strengthened with 8x4 joists again passed by Building control. We had scaffolding erected at a cost of £600. This enabled us to do the flat roof. The structural element was done without scaffold.
I do agree it can be very stressful for some people but for us it is a hobby which we fit in around our lives. We are still living in a building site downstairs but when we are finished we will sell and move onto the next project with the money we have made.

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Comments (24)

Sarah Baker
3 years ago
Just a suggestion but could the dining room be used as a bedroom? Or maybe look at a loft conversion although this is the expensive option
Hayles Savvi
Original Author
3 years ago
I wouldn't really like to use the dining room but I could look at the loft. Does anyone have an idea on the cost?
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Those awkward stair boxes! We’ve got one in our bedroom and we had it incorporated with new wardrobes. It’s on the right. It couldn’t be completely incorporated as it is next to the door so we couldn’t build outwards, so we colour matched the box paint and frame with the wardrobes. I think your idea sounds great but I really like the idea Ellie has suggested!
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Have you asked why you can't make it an extended hallway? Assume it's about fire-exits etc. Is there anything you can do to allow you to turn it into a hallway as you want. I do think it will be weird walking into a box room with stairs to go up to your bedroom.
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Sarah Baker
3 years ago
We just did a full width and height dormer loft conversion which gave us 2 double bedrooms, a dressing room and bathroom.. We did everything ourselves apart from the plastering and we have spent around 10k. I would imagine you would be looking at 3 times that if you used contractors. Hope this helps. You would maybe lose the box room unless you could put the stairs somewhere else.
Hayles Savvi
Original Author
3 years ago
wow that's amazing was this without lifting the roof? and when you say did it yourself what did sort of things did you do? and what size house are you in? do you have any pictures?
H A
3 years ago
Hi, a partition wall in the front bedroom to provide storage/cupboard with access from box room? Look at the ‘stolen space’ article on here. Or, depending on your daughter’s age, give her some cupboard space or a study/chillout corner in one of your downstairs rooms. X
Sarah Baker
3 years ago
We literally did everything. Didn’t need to lift the roof as it had enough height. Luckily my partner is a joiner and a lot of it was woodwork. But we stripped the roof, put in the wooden frame, removed the chimney, installed steel to take the weight etc. I have pictures on my phone so will upload to my iPad tomorrow. We even put the windows in ourselves with some help from YouTube. As my dear old Gran used to say - you reap what you sow!!!
PRO
Expand & Build Ltd
3 years ago
Have you considered converting the loft to a bedroom for your daughter?
Dave Lumley
3 years ago
looking at that floor plan if you wantro avoid cost,the use the dining room as a bedroom. maybe put a table In the conservatory or if itll fit something in the kitchen
angelaanddave_bond
3 years ago
We took a foot off our main bedroom with a partition wall - made a big difference to the small room but we didn’t feel the difference at all in the main bedroom.
maxibird145
3 years ago
Sarah Baker would love to see your pics of the loft conversion
deepadb
3 years ago
Not sure if it would make enough of a difference but one option (that might be cheaper than a loft conversion, assuming you aren’t able to convert the loft yourself) would be to:
- convert the box room into a bathroom.
- convert the existing bathroom into a bedroom, stealing space from the back bedroom.
  Best of luck finding a good solution.
Sarah Baker
3 years ago
Here are a few. Not in any order but you will get the idea
Sarah Baker
3 years ago
More
Sarah Baker
3 years ago
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Steph
3 years ago
Swap the bathroom and box room over and steal some space from the rear bedroom (enough for a wardrobes etc). I provide internal remodelling and architectural design services if you need further help 😊 info@41interiors.com
Steph
3 years ago
Would also be good to add in another shower room and toilet downstairs
maxibird145
3 years ago
Sarah Baker that looks great , thank you for showing us
HU-649291758
3 years ago
Your house is spacious as it is but you could move the staircase to the conservatory and expand your daughter's room in the place the stairs used to be.
PRO
B & E Partnership
3 years ago
First of all, it appears that nobody has replied to your query of the cost of a Loft Conversion.

On average a loft conversion with rear dormer will be in the region on £ 35,000.00 to £ 40,000.00 with an ensuite.

1.0 :; you will need to obtain Building Control Approval under ' Permitted Development '.

You may not need Planning Permission , provided that the additional volume of the dormer does not exceed 40 cubic metres. The cost of the Building Control Permission including site inspection

will be approximately £ 750.00 including vat.

2.0 : You should ask the Estate Agent to provide you with a proper plans of the property which you have intention of buying as the ones which you have attached with your queries do not reflect the true picture.

3.0 : It will be far better for you to purchase a 3 decent bedrooms property with the additional cost of £35,000.00 toward the Loft Construction, unless you enjoy moving in to the new property and then be subject to living on a building site, with scaffolding back and front.

4.0. : Mrs Baker and her partner seem to have done a loft without any mention of Building Regulation Approval, without any scaffolding, without any engineer to advise on the 5 to 6 structural beams required for the loft floor and beams design and calculations need to be submitted to their Local Building Control Department for approval.

5.0. : Seek professional advise before you embark on such venture. The Programme ' Grand Design ' is very mis-leading in making people feel that they can project manage their own design without the help of others. It's a very stressful process and you need to factor the time it took you to do the work which would have taken only 6 weeks on average and the cost of your time as project manager should be factor into such process. which Mrs Baker has not mentioned.

6.0 : Good luck with what ever decision you and your partner will make on this issue. I hope it will be a wise one.

Regards

Alain B
Ellen Chamberlain
3 years ago
Hi, I stole some floor space from the bedroom next to my box room to create a fitted floor to ceiling wardrobe so the actual wardrobe is within the main bedroom On the box room side it has floor to ceiling sliding mirror doors and runs level with the rest of the wall and has masses of storage space. On the main bedroom side the stolen space is not noticed as it is in line with a run of fitted wardrobes in the main bedroom and looks part of those wardrobes. The fitted wardrobe has access from both bedrooms and works well as it means we now only have a single bed in the box room so the rest of the floor area is free. The fitter even suggested that when the box room is no longer needed as a bedroom that it could be converted to an ensuite for the main bedroom as the opening is already there.
PRO
Room-by-Room (UK) Ltd
3 years ago
Hi,

I would look at removing the wall between the box room and the bedroom and then install a new wardrobe which could be only for the box room or part for each room. Obviously, this wall could be load bearing so that will need to be looked at bu t not impossible. compared to spending £30K on a loft this is maybe £2k.

Is there room enough to build a waste high cupboard above the stairs? The space above a staircase is often overlooked in a small house but this would provide additional storage.

If you converted the loft you would loose the box room completely as the new staircase would be installed over the existing.
Ellen Chamberlain
3 years ago
Hi room by room. That's exactly what we did. But we only removed part of the dividing wall to the width of the double wardrobe. Works really well and we build over the stairwell with shelving hidden behind doors so it looks like another built in wardrobe. This is how we freed up floor space in the small box room
Trax Lowe
3 years ago
Hi, Just a comment. Inote references onv a number of comments that refer to lift conversion costing £30,000 to £40,000. I have recently been quoted closer to £60,000 for simple bedroom with ensuite shower room in relatively small 1950s semi.

Box room issue

Sarah Baker

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Box room issue

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Hayles SavviOriginal Author

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