Two self-contained homes
House into Two Flats
Splitting a house into an upper and lower flat, with separate entrances, fire separation between floors and new sound insulation designed in.
Turning one building into separate, self-contained homes means getting layout, planning, fire safety, sound insulation and structure right together. Xpanza designs flat conversions as one coordinated job, producing drawings and calculations that are ready for the council, ready for building control and ready to price from.
Every building starts from a different place, and each route brings its own planning and building regulations questions. Here is what we design most.
Splitting a house into an upper and lower flat, with separate entrances, fire separation between floors and new sound insulation designed in.
Larger properties converted into several flats. More units means more for layout, escape routes, services and structure to resolve together.
Shops, offices and other commercial buildings converted into homes. We confirm the right planning route first, then design the layout and structure to suit.
Bringing unused upper floors back into use as self-contained homes, with their own access and the right separation from the floors below.
A flat conversion is more than redrawing a floor plan. Each flat has to be self-contained, with its own access and services, and the floors and walls between flats have to meet building regulations for fire and sound. Planning and structure have to agree with each other before anything is submitted.
You send the measurements and photos; we send back a coordinated pack covering layout, planning, structural and building regulations. One team, one fixed fee, with no gaps between the drawing, the application and the steel.
Existing and proposed plans showing how the building divides into flats, with entrances, stairs and room layouts worked out early.
Drawings prepared to validation standards, forms completed, and the application submitted and tracked through to a decision.
Steels, new openings, wall removals and floor upgrades calculated and drawn, coordinated with the architectural layout.
Construction detail covering fire separation, escape, sound insulation, drainage and insulation, all in one coordinated set.
Where the work affects a shared wall or boundary, we can prepare the party wall notices and manage the process too.
Four areas decide whether a flat conversion passes first time. We design each of them in from the first draft, not after planning.
Flats need fire separation between units and a safe way out. Layout, doors, stairs and construction are designed together to meet building regulations.
Floors and walls between flats need to limit noise. We specify the construction on the drawings so it can be priced and built correctly.
New walls, openings and floor upgrades change how the building carries load. Our structural calculations are coordinated with the layout from the start.
Each flat needs its own entrance and workable services. We plan access, drainage and service routes before the design is fixed.
Address, measurements, photos and what you want to create. We confirm the planning route and what the conversion will involve.
Flat layouts agreed, entrances and stairs positioned, fire and sound separation planned. You react and adjust until it works.
Planning drawings and application prepared; structural calculations and building regulations drawings coordinated with the design.
Construction-issue drawings ready for the build, and we answer site and building control queries on our work.
Straight answers to the questions we’re asked most about flat conversions, from planning to building regulations. If yours isn’t answered here, call 07446 197853.
Creating separate flats is a change to how the building is used, and it normally needs planning permission. The rules differ between Wales and England, and the route depends on the property. We check what applies to yours before you spend money on drawings.
Yes. Flat conversions involve fire safety, means of escape, sound insulation between flats, drainage and structure, so building regulations approval is needed. We prepare the drawings and calculations building control asks for.
It depends on the building, but it often includes steels where walls are removed or openings are formed, new support for altered floors, and checks on existing walls and foundations. Our structural calculations cover all of it, coordinated with the layout.
A flat conversion creates self-contained homes, each with its own kitchen and bathroom. An HMO is a property where tenants share facilities. They have different design and licensing rules, so it matters to decide which route you are taking before the design starts.
It depends on the size of the building and the number of flats. Use our cost calculator for an instant indicative estimate based on our published rate card. Your exact price is confirmed in writing after a free consultation.
If the work affects a shared wall, builds on the boundary or involves digging near a neighbour’s foundations, notices must be served before work starts. We can prepare and serve them as part of the same project.
Send us the address, your measurements, a few photos and what you want to create. We’ll confirm the route, quote a fixed fee and get the design moving.