Hello, my name is Aaron but my nickname is Twinkle, I am a loft conversions expert living in Northampton, United Kingdom. My favorite passions are robot combat, mycology and footbag. I went to school in Stevenage and went to Leeds Beckett University. I have a brother Kyle and two sisters, I’ve a pet guinea pig called Goldie. I run a loft conversion company and help people create additional space in their houses so that they haven’t got to relocate.
With the ever soaring expense of buying a house in recent times, not everyone can even get together the funds to move to a bigger house just to gain that extra bit of space. There are more expenditures than simply the asking price of the new property to take into account, the act of physically moving home is pricey and there are plenty of added costs to consider. If your home’s not big enough to accommodate your ever growing family, actually moving isn’t the only real solution.
You might put an extension onto your home to create additional space but this can be very expensive and will be dependent on whether you can get planning permission. If you have a sizeable garage that you are not presently using, you could think about doing a garage conversion. A fantastic solution which can add value to your house while not adding to the property footprint, is to convert your loft.
In the last decade, for the reasons mentioned previously, loft conversions have gotten more popular. Before going along this avenue, you must be sure your home is in actual fact well suited for a loft conversion. Homes that have got roofs made with trusses aren’t usually suitable. Some older houses that were built before the nineteen seventies tend to be well suited for loft conversions as they were built using sturdy rafters and there was typically plenty of headroom.
You should get in touch with a local loft specialist to evaluate the situation with your specific loft and ensure it’s suitable. When your builder gives the all clear for a conversion ask him for an estimate. Speak to quite a few conversion specialists and obtain a number of estimates so you’ve got a broad notion of the probable cost. You ought not pick only on cost, try to use your intuition when deciding on the best tradesman for the task.
There is a pretty good chance that you will not need planning permission for your loft conversion, since most loft conversions don’t require this. Seek advice from your planning office or ask your conversion specialist about whether planning permission is needed.
Don’t imagine that a loft conversion will be cheap, as it is a fairly expensive thing to do. If you don’t already have the required money you could perhaps ask the bank for a loan, which is often not too difficult as the likelihood is that your loft conversion will add considerably to the market value of the house. As a general rule of thumb you may expect a loft conversion to cost you about the same as a good sized brickwork ground level extension although the probability is that you will achieve more extra space with a conversion whilst not expanding the overall footprint of your property.
The design and layout of your actual home will determine the kind of loft conversion you choose. There are several different types of loft conversion available in including: dormer loft conversions, hip-to-gable conversions, roof light conversions, mansard conversions, roof lift conversions, loft pods and velux loft conversions. Seek the advice of your chosen loft conversion specialist to fathom out which kind is most fitting for your property and which would be the most cost effective to match your budget.
Dormer Loft Conversions
Maybe the most preferred style of conversion presently is the dormer style, a concept which gives you the best affordability, but still provides the most possible space. This is a popular option with homeowners as its both appealing and functional while offering every little thing that could possibly be needed. With a dormer conversion its even possible to add a little balcony, which means that you are generating additional exterior space as well. There are distinct kinds of dormers for example flat roofed dormers, hip to gable dormers, shed dormers and Velux dormers. Ask a specialist to learn which one is actually the best option for your specific house.
Velux Conversions
Undoubtedly one of the most famous names in roof windows, Velux, have now been around for around fifty yrs and they can be relied on to provide a loft window which is both effective and good quality. These windows are supposed to be fitted in line with the angle of the roof and thus do not change the look of the roof structure, they don’t generally call for permission plus they are reasonably cheap to put in. They produce a good quantity of daylight and in fact might require blinds during summer. If your loft space has a decent amount of head room, a Velux conversion may be the best option for you, in particular when you are on a tight budget.
Just How Long Should it Take?
The time scale for doing a standard conversion depends on various variables including the prevailing weather conditions, the style of conversion, the capability of the constructors, the level of pre-planning that is done and the availability of materials. As an approximate guideline it should take about 4 to 5 weeks to do a rear dormer conversion on a terraced dwelling and around 5 to 6 weeks to do a hip to gable dormer conversion on a semi-detached dwelling.
You just need to decide what to use all that additional living space for after your conversion is completed. You might use it as an additional bedroom, a kid’s playroom or a new family bathroom. However there are numerous purposes to which a well designed loft conversion can be put, constrained merely by your inventiveness!
Follow the link for additional information: UK Loft Conversions