Case study: Rooflight loft conversion in Worsley.
An older couple in Worsley wanted somewhere their grandkids could stay over. We turned their raw Victorian attic into a fully-finished bedroom with twin Velux skylights, bespoke eaves storage, and a custom staircase off the master. £16,500. Just over 2 weeks on site.
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Victorian semi · Worsley
- Conversion type
- Tier 1 Rooflight (Velux)
- Time on site
- ~2 weeks (6 days/wk)
- Fixed price
- £16,500 all-in
- Beds added
- +1 double bedroom
- Planning
- Permitted development
- Building Regs
- Full submission + sign-off
- Built by
- Three founders on site
Why they called us.
An older couple, settled in their Worsley home for years, needed an extra bedroom -- somewhere their grandkids could stay over on visits, somewhere that gave them flexibility for the years ahead without forcing them to think about moving. They'd looked at extending out the back into the garden, but the cost, disruption and prospect of losing the garden they loved made it the wrong call.
The loft above them was the obvious answer. The roof void had decent head height at the ridge and a generous unused floor area that, with proper structural work, could become a fully-habitable double bedroom -- ready for grandkid sleepovers, and adding lasting value to the home. They reached out for a free survey.
Within a couple of days of the initial enquiry we visited, took measurements and worked through what they wanted to achieve. A couple of days after that we provided a fixed written quote at £16,500. They accepted, we booked the start date.
What we did.
The new loft room needed to be properly thought through. The biggest decision was the staircase: there wasn't an obvious "free" landing footprint to drop one into, so we designed it to rise into the master bedroom from a top-winder, giving us the required 2m headroom over the top tread. We then built a partition wall across the master, with full acoustic insulation between the new staircase enclosure and the existing bedroom.
The build sequence took around 15 days on site, working six days a week:
- Cleared the loft of decades of old loose insulation, swept the floor void back to original timbers
- Installed new joists at the correct spec for a habitable load
- Decked the new floor with sound-deadening underlay between joists and deck
- Cut in the new Velux top-opening rooflight, fully flashed and weather-sealed
- Built and installed the custom-spec staircase with top-winder and balustrade, all to Building Regs Part K
- Constructed stud-work for the new internal walls, plus the partition across the master bedroom
- First-fix electrics: ring main, switching, lighting, smoke alarm wiring linked to the existing house circuit
- Plasterboard with acoustic spec under the staircase, plaster, two-coat paint
- Final clean-down, Building Regs sign-off, walkthrough with the homeowners
The four images below walk you through the whole build -- raw attic to finished bedroom.
The whole build, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual project -- raw attic to lived-in bedroom.
Raw attic void as found. No floor, no insulation, exposed brick.
100mm Kingspan PIR insulation going in between rafters. Full thermal envelope.
Eaves storage being framed in, plasterboard going up.
Finished bedroom. Twin Velux skylights, bespoke eaves cupboards.
Every detail of the Worsley build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into this loft -- the specs you'd want to ask any contractor for.
Floor build-up -- full habitable spec
New dimensional joists at the correct centres for a habitable load. Floor build-up: existing plaster ceiling preserved, new joists with sound-deadening insulation, vapour control layer, 22mm structural chipboard deck, underlay, carpet finish.
Insulation & U-value -- full thermal envelope
100mm PIR (Kingspan) between rafters with a 50mm under-rafter layer to break the thermal bridge. Sealed thermal envelope with vapour control layer.
Rooflight -- Velux top-opening unit
Single Velux top-opening unit cut into the existing roof slope, flashed with the manufacturer's kit and weather-sealed at the tile interface.
Staircase -- custom-built with top winder
Custom staircase rising off the master bedroom with a top winder -- three turning treads at the top -- to achieve the 2m headroom while fitting the available footprint. Built on site by Paul. Stair regulations (Part K): rise no greater than 220mm, going no less than 220mm, total pitch under 42°, balustrade 900mm high, spindle gaps no greater than 100mm. Partition wall with full acoustic insulation between staircase enclosure and master bedroom.
Electrical first-fix -- full ring & safety integration
New ring main spurred from existing consumer unit. Switching, lighting positions, double sockets on each wall. Smoke alarms interlinked with existing house circuit (Building Regs Part B).
Building Regs route -- full sign-off included
Building Regs application submitted, inspections attended, full sign-off achieved. Planning not required -- rooflight conversions on this property fell under permitted development.
The Worsley homeowners' own words.
We had the team convert our full loft space. They did it in just over 2 weeks. We are just so happy to have the space for our grandkids to stay over. On time, on budget and so pleasant to deal with.
Three founders. No subcontractors.
Liam, Ryan and Paul on every job. You meet all three at the survey.
Liam
Led the Worsley project from initial survey through Building Regs sign-off. Handled the electrical fit-out personally.
Ryan
Time-served bricklayer. Handled structural blockwork and the partition build into the master bedroom.
Paul
Built the custom staircase on site -- top-winder, balustrade, every cut measured to the property. Every Wolsten staircase is Paul's.
Worsley · Salford
Worsley is a Salford village with an excellent mix of Victorian and Edwardian semis -- the housing type that often works brilliantly for rooflight loft conversions thanks to generous ridge heights. Most of the area sits under permitted development for rooflight and standard dormer work; Worsley Village conservation area covers the central core only.
We're based in Westhoughton, a 25-minute drive from Worsley. Local Building Control office is Salford.
Questions homeowners ask about projects like this.
Can I get a Worsley loft conversion for around £16,500?
This Worsley project came in at £16,500 fixed -- a Tier 1 rooflight conversion on a Victorian semi with good head height. Rooflight conversions on similar Worsley/Salford properties typically sit in the £14k-£25k range. We'll give you a fixed written quote in 1 working day after a free on-site survey.
Do I lose master bedroom space if you put the staircase there?
On this Worsley project, yes -- we partitioned a small section of the master to enclose the new staircase. The trade-off was worth it: a full additional double bedroom in exchange for ~1.5m² off the master. Acoustic insulation in the partition means staircase footsteps don't disturb the master.
What's the typical timeline?
The Worsley build took ~15 working days on site, working 6 days/wk. Standard rooflight conversions typically run 3-6 weeks. We can compress timelines if needed.
Do I need planning permission in Worsley?
Rooflight conversions and standard rear dormers in Worsley fall under permitted development in most cases. Exceptions: properties inside the Worsley Village conservation area, listed buildings, or properties under an Article 4 direction.
Will it add value to my Worsley home?
Typically 15-25% on a Worsley property -- usually significantly more than the cost of the conversion.
Get a fixed Worsley-style loft quote in 1 working day.
Free on-site survey at your property. Itemised written quote back within 1 working day. No deposit, no pressure, no surprise extras -- exactly the way Len & Mary's project worked.
Get a free quote
Reply within 1 working day. We'll never share your details.
