If you want to include the attic as a full-fledged living space in your house, you must replace the loft ladder with a fixed staircase. This is also a good investment for the sale of the house.
An attic floor can be seen as storage space, but you can also create an extra bedroom. A staircase to the attic ensures that it is no longer a closed part of the house. This not only brings a lot of comfort and convenience. You also easily earn back the investment when you sell the house. You can include one or even two extra bedrooms in the sales text. Replacing the loft ladder with a fixed staircase is more difficult and more expensive than it sounds.
What do you have to consider before the renovation?
Preparation for the renovation is an important start. It is not a matter of enlarging the stairwell and placing a staircase under it. It must be measured exactly and it must be checked whether the fixed staircase can be placed in the same place. This must be measured by an expert. A fixed staircase needs a lot of space. This estimate is difficult to make by lay people in this field. A loft ladder is often located in a place where the fixed staircase cannot be placed. In that case, one hole must be closed for another hole.
Is the attic suitable for a fixed staircase?
The addition of the attic to the living space should pay off. The standing space in the attic must be sufficiently high. The extra square footage should make it worthwhile. If necessary, it will be advisable to first provide for extra square meters by installing dormer windows. For a few meters of extra space, it is a bad investment to install a fixed staircase in your house.
Cost-determining factors
The costs of the renovation are highly dependent on the scope of the operation. If the stairwell has to be relocated, the renovation will be much higher in comparison to widening the hole. In addition, the costs also depend on the material of the first floor. A hole in a wooden floor is easier to widen than a concrete attic floor.
What does the installation of a fixed staircase cost?
The cost of the stairs themselves will range from £ 1,100 to £ 2,500, but that doesn’t cover the cost. You also have to call in professionals to widen the stairwell, install the stairs and have the edge work carried out. The total costs of the renovation depend too much on peripheral factors to make a good estimate. Assuming a wooden floor and a fixed staircase in the same place, it would be possible with an investment of € 2,500 to € 3,500. In most cases it will be more expensive.
The staircase will probably have to be moved to a different location. You also have to take into account additional costs to finish the whole after the renovation. A total bill of at least € 5,000 will be the rule rather than the exception. For such a renovation it is important to call in professionals. It is not a remodel that can be done by someone who is just ?? handy ?? is. The chance of mistakes is high. Fixing errors will push the bill far.
