The great fashion is to convert an old hangar or industrial premises and warehouses into a loft. And due, the loft offers many advantages: great luminosity, atypical dwelling,… However, the works of rehabilitation of a loft are expensive and require time. Indeed, the mandatory formalities are numerous and the rehabilitation work requires the intervention of building professionals. You can contact Best Loft Conversion Services in Leicester
Why convert a workshop or a shed into a loft?
More and more owners are investing in the purchase of an old hangar, a workshop, an industrial warehouse and even a factory. These buildings often make it possible to acquire a large surface area in the city . The objective is to transform these old sheds and professional premises into habitat for everyday living.
Divert the function of a place to make it a dwelling. The bet is daring, the challenge enticing for the daring. But as the saying goes, your home is a reflection of your personality. So, if you want to live in a place as singular and unique as you are, the loft is for you. Lofts have an industrial style that houses and apartments, new or old, cannot imitate. Here are, for example, photos of lofts illustrate the possibilities of industrial style lofts and workshops.
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Here are the reasons that may convince you to convert a workshop or shed into a residential loft:
- The cost first. Indeed, building a house is expensive and is subject to 20% VAT. In renovation, VAT drops to 5.5%. Even if the rehabilitation of a workshop into a loft represents an investment, it will always be less expensive than completely building a house. The price to create a loft is therefore profitable.
- Then, the space of a warehouse, a hangar or even a workshop can become a great playground for your imagination. You will be able to create the spaces of your dreams while preserving the soul of the place. In addition, a loft is often an opportunity to create special lighting and therefore a special atmosphere. The size of the loft and its large interior spacesmake it possible to fit out large living rooms.
- The polished concrete look is already fashionable in kitchens, bathrooms and has even invaded floors. In furnishing a space originally industrial, you are right in the trend. A loft has a modern and industrial stylewith exposed metal beams for example.
- Finally, your loft will allow you to increase your assets. From a simple workshop, you now have a habitable and very original house. Rehabilitated and modernized lofts are highly sought after on the market. The assurance of making a capital gain on resale according to the acquisition price of the old premises and the amount of work carried out.
Rehabilitation of a workshop into a loft
To rehabilitate a workshop or industrial premises into a loft, certain steps should be followed.
Prerequisites for the rehabilitation of a loft
Before embarking on the development plans, you must start by finding and buying an old hangar or industrial premises to be converted into a loft. These are few buildings on the market. But as there are also quite a few buyers for this type of atypical property, you should have no problem finding abandoned premises, an old hangar or an industrial building.
The fact remains that many points both at the level of the building and the administration must be taken into account . It is even advisable to be accompanied by a building craftsman if possible or to use the services of an architect. This support will cost you around 150€ to have the opinion of a professional and thus have a precise idea of the work that awaits you.
Large volumes, whether in terms of ceiling height or total building area, can complicate the layout of your future loft . Having advice on how to properly arrange your loft before buying the property will allow you to know which direction to go and to estimate the budget to be allocated. Hence the importance of being accompanied by a professional who has already carried out a development of this type. You may contact Best Loft Conversion Services in Leicester.
Purchase, authorization and craftsman
When you visit a warehouse or a workshop, you think that the hard work is already done and that it will always be saving money. However, the professional who accompanies you will be there precisely to judge the state of the frame, the roof and the walls . Indeed, the structure of the building must be healthy and must not contain dangerous or polluting materials (asbestos, lead, etc.). If this is not the case, it will be necessary to plan for renovation work on the roof or even for the recovery of the foundations. Your budget may take a hit.
Next, you need to look at the viability of the building and ensure that water, electricity and sewerage reach the warehouse. If this is not the case, you will have to inquire with the suppliers in question.
Finally, the administrative formalities are necessary. Here are the main administrative steps to take to rehabilitate a loft:
- You must request a change of destination of the building from your town hall. Indeed, the workshop that you covet was intended for industrial activities. But you want to live there.
- You must therefore request an authorization and a town planning certificate to be certain of being able to service the building.
- You must also file a building permit with the town hall in order to carry out the development work. For the deposit of the building permit, know that you do not have to resort to an architect if the surface is less than 170m². Beyond that, you will have to take an architect who will take care of filling out the file. He will draw up the plans and you can also ask him to coordinate and supervise the work for a fee.
All you have to do is choose the craftsmen who will be involved in creating your residential loft . For this, you will need a mason, a plumber, an electrician and a drywaller. Finally, if you have work to do on the structure itself, you will need a carpenter and a navvy.
Stages of work to rehabilitate a loft
The rehabilitation work of a loft can be more or less heavy depending on the condition of the building. Indeed, old sheds or industrial premises are very well preserved (foundations, structure, building), it will then simply have to be renovated and fitted out. Other buildings require structural work such as repairs to the roof or servicing. A complete renovation of building is then required. Therefore, the work to transform old premises into an industrial-style loft basically depends on the condition of the premises.
Here is the list of the main works to transform and fit out a loft:
- To carry out the work in the workshop in order to make it a pleasant loft, you will start by bringing in the water and installing the sanitation either by installing a septic tank or by connecting it to the sewer.
- If electricity is not present, it will be necessary to install a construction meter. In addition, you will have to carry out all the electrical installation of the loft and ensure that it is up to standard. A loft has a large surface area, so you must think carefully about the electrical plan of the accommodation: location of electrical outlets, …
- Next, you will move on to insulating the roof and creating the mezzanine floor. Indeed, the creation of a mezzanine makes it possible to have a floor while taking advantage of the very high ceiling height.
- If the floor also requires renovation, it’s time to pour the slab. In the process, the mason will take care of enlarging or drilling the windows or planning the location of the glass roof.
- Then, the plumber and the electrician will come into play after the plasterer has mounted the partitions on the ground floor as well as upstairs. At the same time, it will be necessary to provide the staircase to access the mezzanine as well as the installation of the heating and the installation of the windows.
- Finally, the tiler and painter will put the finishing touches to your loft by laying the tiles and applying the paint. This is to do the finishing work to decorate your loft and give it the desired decoration. You are ready to move in!
Price of a loft renovation per m²
On average, the price per m² of a loft renovation varies between €750 and €1,250 . This is the cost of work to redo and transform a loft. However, the larger the area of your loft to be renovated, the lower the price of the work will be.
Depending on whether you have the roof to redo. The water to bring in or the walls to straighten, the total bill will not be the same. The price indicated below is for a simple rehabilitation without major work. In the initial structure, therefore with a healthy roof and walls. It will take around €1,000 per m² to transform a loft .
Individuals choose to buy “turnkey” lofts . These are builders who then build lofts ready to be fit out according to the needs of individuals. This saves you the cost and duration of the work, but the purchase price of the loft is significantly higher. It is therefore possible to build a loft!
Quotation transformation and development of a loft
To have an accurate estimate of the cost of the work for your loft. It is best to request an estimate from a professional who will come to study your project on site. Indeed, many factors impact the price of the work of a loft rehabilitation. You can contact Best Loft Conversion Services in Leicester.