Case study: Twin-Velux loft conversion in Stockport.
Claire Pudley's daughter was outgrowing the back bedroom. We added a daylit loft bedroom with twin Velux skylights, a space-saving staircase and bespoke eaves storage all the way around. £19,500. Around 3 weeks on site -- and the best quote of three she received.
Project at a glance Verified Wolsten build
- Property type
- Edwardian terrace · Stockport
- Conversion type
- Tier 1 Rooflight (Velux)
- Time on site
- ~3 weeks (18 days)
- Fixed price
- £19,500 all-in
- Rooflights
- 2 × Velux top-opening
- Storage
- Bespoke eaves + under-stair
- Building Regs
- Full submission + sign-off
- Built by
- Three founders on site
Why they called us.
Claire's daughter had outgrown the back bedroom -- a familiar story in a Stockport family home. The family needed an extra bedroom, ideally a properly daylit one she could grow into, without forcing a move from a house they were settled in.
They'd done their homework. Claire got three quotes from local contractors. Ours was the most thorough -- detailed survey, architectural drawings, itemised written quote at £19,500 all-in. It was also the lowest of the three, but that wasn't what won the job. What won it was the honesty: no deposit, no pressure, no hidden line items waiting to appear later.
From Claire's review: "the price was the best of the three quotes we received." But the more telling line is the one about the build itself: "made the conversion run smoothly." That's what we go for on every project.
What we did.
The Stockport terrace had typically generous Edwardian ridge height -- comfortable for a rooflight conversion without dormer work. The challenge was making every inch of the new room usable for a growing teenager. Our approach: two Velux top-opening rooflights for proper natural light (one on each slope), a space-saving steep staircase using the back bedroom footprint, and bespoke eaves storage all the way around to capture the awkward sloping wall space.
The build sequence took around 18 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 load
- Decked the floor with sound-deadening underlay between joists and deck
- Cut in both Velux rooflights -- one on each roof slope -- fully flashed and weather-sealed
- Built and installed the custom staircase, deliberately steeper than standard to minimise floor-space footprint while still complying with Building Regs Part K
- Stud-work for the new internal walls + ceiling
- Bespoke eaves storage built into the sloping walls all the way around the perimeter -- captures the awkward triangular dead space into proper usable cupboards
- Storage built into the staircase footprint -- under-stair cupboards for the room below
- First-fix electrics: ring main, lighting, switching, smoke alarms interlinked with existing house system
- Plasterboard, plaster, two-coat paint
- Final clean-down, Building Regs sign-off, walkthrough with Claire
The four images below walk through the whole build -- raw attic to finished daylit bedroom.
The whole build, in four shots.
Real photos from the actual project -- raw attic to finished bedroom.
Original Edwardian roof structure as found. Bare rafters, no usable floor.
Ceiling opened up, new staircase opening cut and framed.
Custom staircase installed, plasterboard going up.
Finished bedroom. Vaulted ceiling, twin Velux, partition wall complete.Every detail of the Stockport build.
The full set of photos taken throughout the project.
For the discerning homeowner.
What we actually built into this loft.
Floor build-up -- full habitable spec
New dimensional joists at the correct centres for habitable load. Existing ceiling joists were undersized. Build-up: existing plaster ceiling, new joists with sound-deadening insulation, vapour control layer, 22mm structural chipboard deck, underlay, carpet finish.
Insulation & U-value
100mm PIR (Kingspan) between rafters with a 50mm under-rafter layer. Sealed thermal envelope with vapour control layer. Comfortable winter, cool summer.
Twin Velux rooflights
Two Velux top-opening units -- one on each roof slope. The twin-Velux approach floods the room with daylight in a way a single rooflight never can. The opposing slopes give cross-ventilation in summer. Both units flashed with manufacturer kit, weather-sealed to the tile interface.
Space-saving steep staircase
Deliberately steeper than a standard staircase to minimise the floor-space footprint taken from the bedroom below. Still fully Building Regs Part K compliant: 2m headroom over every tread, balustrade height, spindle gaps. Built on site by Paul -- every cut measured to the property.
Bespoke eaves storage -- all the way around
The triangular sloping space between low roof slope and floor is otherwise dead space. We framed it out and built bespoke storage cupboards all the way around the perimeter. Hinged doors, accessible from the inside of the bedroom. This is the kind of detail that turns a usable loft into a genuinely lived-in one.
Under-stair storage
The new staircase footprint encroaches on the back bedroom. To recover some of that lost space, we built storage cupboards under the new staircase, accessible from the bedroom below. Nothing wasted.
Building Regs route -- full sign-off
We submitted, attended inspections, achieved full sign-off. Planning not required -- permitted development applied. Stockport Building Control handled the inspections promptly throughout.
Claire's own words.
The team made the conversion run smoothly. It took around 3 weeks for the guys to complete it and the price was the best of the three quotes we received. I would recommend Wolsten, 5 stars.
Three founders. No subcontractors.
Liam, Ryan and Paul on every job. You meet all three at the survey.
Liam
Led the Stockport project from survey through Building Regs sign-off. Handled the electrical fit-out personally including the twin Velux switching arrangement.
Ryan
Time-served bricklayer. Handled the structural opening for the new staircase and the trimmer work around the Velux openings on both slopes.
Paul
Built the staircase on site -- deliberately steeper to save floor space. Also designed and built every one of the bespoke eaves storage cupboards. Every Wolsten staircase and joinery detail is Paul's.
Stockport · Greater Manchester
Stockport's Edwardian terrace stock is among the best in the region for rooflight loft conversions -- ridge heights routinely exceed 2.5m, which means the space works as a proper bedroom without needing dormer work. The Heatons (Heaton Moor, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Norris, Heaton Chapel) are particularly well-suited.
We're based in Westhoughton, about 30 minutes from Stockport. Local Building Control office is Stockport.
Questions homeowners ask about projects like this.
Can I get a Stockport loft conversion for around £19,500?
Claire's project came in at £19,500 fixed -- a twin-Velux rooflight conversion on an Edwardian terrace with bespoke eaves storage and an under-stair cupboard. Stockport rooflight conversions typically sit in the £14k-£25k range depending on roof type, head height, and how much bespoke joinery you want. We'll give you a fixed written quote in 1 working day after a free on-site survey.
Is twin Velux worth it over a single one?
For a proper bedroom -- yes. A single rooflight gives you one column of daylight; twin rooflights on opposing slopes flood the room and give you cross-ventilation in summer. The cost uplift is modest (one extra Velux + flashing) and the lived-in difference is substantial. Claire's room is noticeably brighter than a single-Velux equivalent.
What about the eaves storage -- is it bespoke?
Yes. The triangular space between low roof slope and floor would otherwise be dead -- maybe 600mm tall, sloping back. We frame it out and build hinged cupboards into it, all the way around the perimeter of the room. Paul builds them on site so every dimension matches the actual house. Adds significant usable storage with no added floor space.
Do I need planning permission in Stockport?
Rooflight conversions fall under permitted development across most of Stockport. Conservation areas across the Heatons restrict external changes -- planning may be required for visible dormer or rebuild work. Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme are universally permitted development. We'll flag any planning requirement at the free survey.
Will it add value to my Stockport home?
Typically 15-25% on a Stockport property -- usually significantly more than the cost. Bedroom-count uplift (3-bed to 4-bed in a Stockport street) is the biggest driver.
Get a fixed Stockport-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 -- exactly the way Claire's project worked.
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