Hip roof to gable roof conversion seems to cost around £5k, as we have been
investigating this ourselves. Velux window site has good instructions on
how to fit them and all the bits you need. One of the things is to seal the
space between the roof and the new ceiling to keep it moisture free - esp if
u are putting any bathroom stuff up there. My best source of information so
far has been a brochure on loft conversions free from Velux, ordered on the
website.
In general it all looks quite difficult - putting in a fixed staircase looks
a nightmare - it needs to be accurate too. Maybe you could get tradesmen
for the difficult bits and do the rest yourself. The money on a good
architect would be the best thing. He'll tell you all the regulations etc
and will also be able to advise on what you could tackle yourself, and will
do calculations like staircases for u.

Dormer windows give a lot of extra space

Regulations that I have heard of so far:
You need a fire escape window on a 3rd floor (Velux do them)
there needs to be a 2m clearance from the top stair to the ceiling above.
Doors on the 3rd floor need to fire proof. (Special doors available with
wired glass or at least a coat of fireproof paint on a bog standard one)
If u are putting more than one habitable room (bedr or study etc, not bath)
, there needs to be a fire escape on the outside.
You'll probably need a separate ringmain and will need a qualified
electrician for that.

Cost wise you could do a lot for £10k and a lot more for £25k, which seems
to be price range for most conversions.

http://www.loftconversionwarehouse.com
http://www.loftconversions.co.uk/

Good luck


"Steve Kimberley" wrote in message
...
I'm considering a loft conversion (two bedroom 1940s brick built house
with
'normal' loft/roof/etc)
If possible, I'll try to DIY myself but it may be beyond my scope.

Any comments/recommendations/disrecommendations? Any guesstimates on
possible/probable costs both for the DIY option and the
getting-someone-in-to-do-it option welcome.


Steve