Many people have a loft conversion done in their homes for the major purposes of freeing up or creating more interior space and increasing the value of their property. After the conversion is successfully completed, these homeowners realize that use of the additional living space in their houses is actually enhancing and improving their quality and enjoyment of life.
In order to ensure that this type of home renovation will have a strong positive influence on home life for you and your family, you will want to address several issues before making final plans for your loft conversion:
1. First of all, make certain that your attic is suitable and meets the basic requirements for conversion. If the attic ceiling is too low in the centre, or if it has an excessively steep pitch, your attic will not convert well into a functional room unless you take space from the rooms located on the floor below. This extensive type of renovation can be expensive and will make those rooms with lowered ceilings seem smaller and less attractive. In order to comply with the majority of current municipal building regulations in the US, there must be at least 2.3 meters of headroom beneath the apex and 2.0 meters above the stairs.
2. Be sure you locate the most appropriate architect or loft design company to plan and perform your conversion project. These professionals will obtain the best builder or contractor for you. During this process, they will request quotes for your loft conversion from several qualified builders. Then you and your architect or designer can compare these builders’ offers and examine each builder’s background, qualifications and experience. You can also compare their proposed work schedules and timeframes for your project before choosing one to work with. A normal loft conversion should be completed within four to six weeks.
3. Consider having a green loft conversion for an eco-friendly home environment. Through installation of solar panels you can dramatically increase the effectiveness and efficiency levels of your home’s energy usage. Whatever the cost involved—and it should be fairly modest—solar heating will definitely save you money over time.
4. Before beginning a loft conversion project, always contact local authorities to check municipal building codes, requirements and regulations. The work must meet the demands of your local buildings department inspections.
5. All windows or skylights installed during your conversion project must meet current building code and fire prevention regulations. If using the new space as an office, recreation room or bedroom, you may find the direct natural lighting provided by a skylight to be very attractive, functional and cost efficient.
Enjoy the Additional Space Available in Your Home after Loft Conversion
In many houses, the attic or rough loft space is generally used as a storage area, often accumulating a variety of items rarely needed or not currently in use. A professional loft conversion can turn this space into a stylish, functional room, an office, a guest bedroom, an exercise space, a family room or an entertainment centre. When deciding just what your newly converted loft space will be used for, you need to consider how sturdy it’s underlying structure is and how much weight its floor can support.
If an extra room is what you need, a loft conversion can be the perfect solution. If your purpose is gaining additional space to be used for a specific room type, it makes much more sense to convert your loft space than to look for another home. Especially in today’s uncertain worldwide economies, even property tax increases and upkeep costs on very reasonably priced homes can escalate rapidly and dramatically. In the long run, a new house may cost you more than you ever imagined possible. In comparison, a well-designed and executed loft conversion can answer your additional space needs for a very affordable fee.
Advantages of Choosing a Loft Conversion rather than a House Extension Plan
A loft conversion is definitely preferable to a house extension plan in multiple ways. In general, a loft conversion will be much less costly than an extension. Also, the overall timeframe required for the design and construction stages for the conversion process is usually much less than that required for a basic extension. In addition, you will not lose any lawn or garden space while converting a loft. Also, in most communities the permission granting process for conversion renovation plans by local authorities takes much less time to finalize than it does for a traditional home extension. You should consider a professional loft conversion to be a wise and sound investment which will result in many years of very desirable benefits for you and your family.
Quality Loft Conversion Will Enhance Your Home’s Value and Your Lifestyle
A fine quality loft conversion will increase the value of your entire home appreciably. A spacious, well-designed converted loft can add approximately $20,000 to $60,000 to the value and list price of your house. Especially if you choose to install a skylight or solar energy panels in your newly converted space, your home’s value and desirability may skyrocket.
Particularly during a real estate buyer’s market when housing prices have plummeted due to economic factors, a conversion can be vital to maintaining or increasing your home’s value and attractiveness to the market. Conversions also lend character and unique style to homes being shown for sale.
Most professionally designed and built home loft conversions cost the homeowner upwards of $10,000. On this one-time improvement investment, however, the property owner can expect and realize a generous return of over $20,000 (or more than 100%) in home upkeep and energy cost savings.
Most community residential building and zoning regulations will permit a space increase of 50 cubic meters in a standalone semi structure or up to 40 cubic meters for terraced homes. Just think what space additions of this size can do to enhance the appearance and functionality of your home as well as the quality of your home lifestyle. For instance, if your newly converted loft space is now your new office, its natural lighting is a wonderful improvement over many interior lighting plans, lamps and fixtures. In addition, you can now benefit from working in a modern, comfortable and beautiful room while enjoying the stunning view from the generous window space in your new “treetop” office environment. Or if your converted loft space is now a playroom with solar energy panels for your three-year-old twins, they can delight in hours of recreation in an eco-friendly, inviting interior play space.
Whenever you feel the need for additional space in your home, be sure to consider a loft conversion before planning a home extension or deciding to purchase a new home. Not only will you save valuable dollars and lawn or garden areas when you convert your interior space, you will also greatly increase the value of your home property while enhancing your home experience and your overall lifestyle.
Nisha Sharma is a freelance writer who helps to represent SimplyLoftLadders. Feel free to visit my site for more information on loft ladders UK.