PLANNING ATTIC CONVERSIONS

The planning regulations regarding attic conversion are somewhat vague under Irish planning law. The biggest variable is the use to which you plan to put the room when finished. That use will also bring into play the Building Regulations Act as to the structural form it must take.

An attic conversion obviously has to have windows, with Velux windows being the obvious choice. If the windows are to the rear of the house, or to the sides, if not overlooking neighbours, then planning permission is not needed from your local authority. However, if they are to the front of the house then planning permission is required as you may be invading the privacy of your neighbours by having a view from the additional height. Any material changes to the front of a house require planning permission.

An attic is the space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building. As attics fill the space between the ceiling of the top floor of a building and the slanted roof, they are known for being awkwardly shaped spaces with exposed rafters and difficult-to-access corners. While some attics are converted as bedrooms or home offices, complete with windows and staircases, most attics remain hard to get to and neglected, and are typically used for storage. Attics can also help control temperature in a house by providing a large mass of unmoving air. Hot air rising from lower floors of a building often gets trapped in the attic, further compounding their reputation for inhospitability. However in recent years many attics have been insulated to help decrease heating costs.