Hip to Gable Loft Conversions: a Handy Guide

Nowadays, more and more homeowners are converting their lofts into living space. This is a great alternative to moving house and is ideal if you’ve got a growing family but want to stay in your home.

If you decide to convert your loft, you need to work out how to do it. A hip to gable loft conversion is a great way to make a loft into a comfortable and practical space. But is it right for you and your home? To help you decide, we’ve put together a guide on hip to gable loft conversions.

What’s a hip to gable loft conversion?

A hipped roof is a roof that has 3 or more sloping sides. A hip to gable loft conversion is when one (or both) of the sloping roof sides on the side of a house are converted into gables. This involves removing the roof side, replacing it with a vertical wall and extending the roof ridge and other sloping sides to meet the wall.

As a hip to gable loft conversion involves altering the roof on the side of a property, it’s not possible to construct one on a terraced house.

What are the advantages of a hip to gable loft conversions?

There are several advantages to a hip and gable loft conversion that make building one a worthwhile investment.

Create more living space

The main benefit to hip to gable loft conversions is that they create more living space. Plus, by removing a sloped wall in your loft they allow you to make the most of your floor space. Lots of people choose to make the most of their increased ceiling height by installing a shower and creating a master bedroom and ensuite.

Subtle

Another bonus to hip to gable loft conversions is that they can be really subtle. It’s common for homeowners to purposely match the materials used to build the conversion with the original house materials. So in many cases hip to gable loft conversions are hard to detect and blend in well.

Affordable

Hip to gable loft conversions are also a good choice if you’re looking for an affordable way to expand your home living space. Although they don’t tend to cost significantly less per square metre than other types of loft conversion, they typically take up less space so are often more affordable.

So a hip to gable extension has lots of benefits and is a great way to expand your home living space. If you’d like to construct one and are looking for a builder, we can help. Click ‘Start my project’, complete our online form and we’ll get you up to 4 quotes from local builders.

Price

Approx. £1,200 - £2,250 per square metre

Depending on size and materials

Construction time

4-8 weeks

Depending on size and materials


Advantages and disadvantages
  • Creates more living space
  • Subtle
  • Affordable
  • Not compatible with all houses
  • Doesn’t always create as much space as other types of conversion