Loft conversion is a cost-effective way to extend your living space

You’ve completed your loft conversion research, you’ve found a builder, and you know which kind of roof you’re going for – it’s time for your build to get underway! Hooray!

Now you’ll need to be able to answer questions like “where do you want sockets?” and “are you having any wall lights?” These questions start surprisingly early in the build and you’ll often be asked by the electrician, on the day – so it’s really useful if you can have this in mind from the start.

But how do you know where you need sockets? And if you’re having wall lights behind your bed, where’s your bed going to be? It’s helpful if you can visualise where everything is going to go to get these things right – it’ll be the difference between a natural space that is easy to live in, and one where you rely on extension cables to allow you to plug things in the right place!

We’ve gathered tips to help you make the right decisions when it comes to furnishing your loft space …

Ask your builder/loft conversion specialist to draw up floor plans – with ceiling height

You’ll probably have some kind of sloping ceiling somewhere in your loft, so it’s really important to have this marked up on floor plans. Sloping ceilings are definitely usable and there are amazing things a good carpenter can build into eaves space, but you probably won’t want a bed under the lowest ceiling point. 

Don’t rely on seeing this on paper – get your tape measure out and mark this height on a wall so you can actually see how much (or how little) headspace there will be.

Have a look at specialist furniture companies

Special ranges and shops offer smaller size furniture suitable for use in lofts. A low bed can make the ceilings look higher. Look also for furniture that does two things at once – think cabin beds with storage space under for children’s rooms, or wardrobes that also have drawers inside them.

Look at cloakroom bathroom suites

En suite and cloakroom bathroom suites take up much less space than standard ones. Since you will be building from scratch and it won’t make much difference to installation, think about back-to-wall options, which also save space. Or if your loft bathroom space is really small, explore wet room options that get rid of the need for a separate shower enclosure.

Explore options with your builder

Builders know good tricks! Yours might be able to create storage nooks directly into the walls themselves – for example as a useful space inside your shower to store shampoos etc., or either side of your bed instead of bedside tables. 

Make use of walls

Lots of furniture on the floor can make a room feel cramped. Look at wall-mounted options instead where you can (think wall shelves rather than a bookcase, or wall lights instead of lamps on tables.)