Property Advice: Is our attic conversion going to cause trouble when we sell?

It sounds like the attic space you created is well done and very usable, but that doesn’t automatically make it a legal fifth bedroom in the eyes of a buyer, their solicitor, or their mortgage provider, writes Majella Galvin

Depending on the size and design of the conversion — especially if it included dormer windows or structural changes — you may also have needed planning permission at the time.

Hi there — we’re starting to get our house ready for sale, and we’re wondering what we need to do. We’ve lived in the countryside for almost 20 years, and it’s been a great place to raise our three children. The house has four bedrooms, but, a few years ago, we converted the attic in to a fifth.

It has proper stairs, heating, lights, and windows, and it’s been used as a full-time bedroom ever since.