Case study: King-sized rooflight loft conversion in Warrington.
Amanda & Graham Lees had been let down by other builders again and again. We won the job with a fixed-price quote that didn't move — and delivered the king-sized bedroom they'd been waiting years for. £20,300. Around 3 weeks on site.
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Victorian terrace · Warrington
- Conversion type
- Tier 1 Rooflight (Velux)
- Time on site
- ~3 weeks (15 days)
- Fixed price
- £20,300 all-in
- Beds added
- +1 king-sized bedroom
- Planning
- Permitted development
- Building Regs
- Full submission + sign-off
- Built by
- Three founders on site
Why they called us.
Amanda and Graham had wanted a loft conversion for years. They knew what they needed -- a king-sized bedroom upstairs to give their family the space the house had always lacked. The problem wasn't deciding to do it. The problem was finding someone who actually showed up.
By the time they reached out to us, they'd been let down repeatedly. Builders who quoted then ghosted. Builders who started then disappeared. Quotes that drifted upward as the work went on. Their words to us at the survey: "We should have done it sooner, but kept getting let down."
We did a free on-site survey, took the measurements, talked through what they wanted. A few days later we came back with architectural drawings and a fixed written quote at £20,300 -- itemised, all-in, no caveats. They accepted, we booked the start date, and the price never moved.
What we did.
The Warrington terrace had decent ridge height but a tight landing footprint -- not enough space to drop a straight staircase up to the loft. We designed the staircase to rise into the master front bedroom from a top winder, achieving the 2m headroom over the top tread within the available space. To keep the new staircase enclosure from disturbing the master bedroom, we built a partition wall across the master with full acoustic insulation between the two zones.
The build sequence took around 15 working days on site:
- Stripped the loft of decades of old loose insulation back to original timbers
- Installed new joists at the correct spec for habitable bedroom load -- existing joists were undersized
- Decked the new floor with sound-deadening underlay between joists and deck
- Cut in the Velux top-opening rooflight, fully flashed and weather-sealed to the tile interface
- Built and installed the custom-spec staircase with top winder, balustrade to Building Regs Part K
- Stud-work for the new internal walls, plus the partition across the master bedroom for the staircase enclosure
- First-fix electrics: ring main, lighting, switching, smoke alarms interlinked with the existing house system
- Plasterboard with acoustic spec under the staircase, plaster, two-coat paint
- Final clean-down, Building Regs sign-off, walkthrough with Amanda & Graham
The four images below walk through the whole build -- raw attic to king-sized bedroom.
The whole build, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual project -- raw attic to king-sized bedroom.
Raw Victorian attic as found. Bare brick gable, no floor.
First-fix carpentry. New stud walls, OSB floor going down.
Fresh-plaster phase. Velux in, light streaming in.
Finished king-sized bedroom. Carpet, paint, ready to live in.Every detail of the Warrington 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 habitable load. Existing ceiling joists were undersized -- could not carry the weight of a bedroom. Build-up: existing plaster ceiling, 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. Sealed thermal envelope with vapour control layer. Achieves Building Regs U-value comfortably.
Rooflight -- Velux top-opening
Single Velux top-opening unit cut into the existing roof slope. Manufacturer's flashing kit, weather-sealed at the tile interface. Top-opening gives clear ventilation that doesn't intrude into the room.
Staircase -- custom top-winder into the master
This was the project's technical challenge. The landing footprint wouldn't take a straight flight while clearing 2m headroom over the top tread. We designed a custom staircase rising into the master front bedroom from a top winder -- three turning treads at the top -- to achieve compliance within the available footprint. Built on site by Paul. Acoustic-insulated partition wall between the new staircase enclosure and the master bedroom -- the bit that's invisible after handover but makes the difference between a quiet new bedroom and one that disturbs the master at every footstep.
Electrical first-fix
Liam (qualified electrician) handled the fit-out personally. New ring main, switching, lighting, double sockets per wall. Smoke alarms interlinked with the existing house circuit -- Building Regs Part B fire safety requirement.
Building Regs route -- full sign-off
We submitted, attended inspections, achieved full sign-off. Planning not required -- permitted development applied. We provided architectural drawings as part of the quote process -- Amanda specifically mentioned the drawings in her review.
Amanda & Graham's own words.
We are so happy with the new king-sized room we have. We should have done it sooner, but kept getting let down until we found Wolsten, and Liam. From the initial visit, and then the drawings they produced -- the price also stayed the same, an actual fixed price! Would highly recommend.
Three founders. No subcontractors.
Liam, Ryan and Paul on every job. You meet all three at the survey.
Liam
Led the Warrington project from survey through Building Regs sign-off. Handled the architectural drawings and electrical fit-out personally. Amanda & Graham's first point of contact throughout.
Ryan
Time-served bricklayer. Handled the structural blockwork and the partition build into the master bedroom for the new staircase enclosure.
Paul
Built the custom staircase on site -- top-winder, balustrade, every cut measured to the property. Every Wolsten staircase is Paul's.
Warrington · Cheshire
Warrington's housing stock includes substantial Victorian and Edwardian terraces with the generous ridge heights that make rooflight loft conversions a great fit. Most of the borough sits under permitted development for rooflight and standard dormer work; conservation areas in Stockton Heath and Grappenhall require planning consent for any external changes.
We're based in Westhoughton -- about 30 minutes north of Warrington. Local Building Control office is Warrington.
Questions homeowners ask about projects like this.
Can I get a Warrington loft conversion for around £20,000?
The Warrington project shown here came in at £20,300 fixed -- a Tier 1 rooflight conversion on a Victorian terrace with custom staircase work. Your project will vary based on roof type, head height and finishes, but rooflight conversions on similar Warrington 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 you really stick to the fixed price?
Yes. The Amanda & Graham quote above ("the price also stayed the same, an actual fixed price!") is exactly what we mean. Our quotes are itemised and written, and the only thing that changes the number is if YOU change the scope mid-job (e.g. add an ensuite). Otherwise: the price you sign at the start is the price you pay at the end.
What's the staircase situation on a terraced loft?
Warrington terraces often have a tight landing footprint, which means a straight-flight staircase won't clear the required 2m headroom over the top tread. The fix is usually a custom staircase with a top winder -- three turning treads at the top -- routed off the master bedroom with an acoustic-insulated partition between staircase enclosure and master. That's exactly what we did on Amanda & Graham's project.
Do I need planning permission in Warrington?
Rooflight conversions and standard rear dormers fall under permitted development in most of Warrington. Exceptions: properties inside the Stockton Heath, Grappenhall or Lymm conservation areas, listed buildings, or properties under Article 4 directions. We'll flag any planning requirement at the free survey.
Will it add value to my Warrington home?
Typically 15-25% on a Warrington property -- usually significantly more than the cost of the conversion. The bedroom-count uplift (3-bed to 4-bed) is the biggest single driver.
Get a fixed Warrington-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 -- and the price you sign is the price you pay. Exactly the way Amanda & Graham's project worked.
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