The rising houses prices over the last few years have led to a substantial increase in homeowners undertaking loft conversions. However, it is not just homeowners who are struggling to afford to move who are investing in the loft conversions market, the benefits from carrying out loft conversions are also being enjoyed by other homeowners. Some of the advantages you may experience should you decide to go ahead with your loft conversion include:

• An extra space – You can convert your loft into an extra bedroom, another bathroom or maybe even both. Lofts conversions are also proving to be popular choice for a spare office or study. This is primarily due to the extra light which can be provided through attic windows

• Return on investment – Loft conversions can provide a fantastic return on investment. In fact, recent studies suggest that loft conversions can add as much as 15% to the value of your home. However, it is important to note that loft conversions are more likely to add value to your home when they are well planned and carried out by loft conversion professionals. 

It would be great if you could click your fingers and loft conversions could just take place but unfortunately it doesn’t quite work like that. In fact, loft conversions can be expensive and lengthy in duration; which is why we would suggest undertaking the following steps to ensure that you get a great loft conversion which will add value to your home.   

1)       Suitability – Before you make any phone calls or fork out any money, it is first important that you consider whether or not your loft is suitable for a loft conversion. You need to consider the height of the loft and how big a space it is. Generally speaking if you cannot stand up in your loft then it is not suitable for a loft conversion.

2)       Strength – Another important consideration is whether or not your loft is strong enough. The areas to look at will include load-bearing walls, the existing floor lintels and the ceiling joists. You will probably need to build in new beams in the roof and floor, which means that if you live in a terraced house you may need a Party Wall agreement with your shared wall. The best thing to do is ask a structural engineer to check the plans to ensure that the correct steel and timber supports are being proscribed.

3)       Planning – You need to plan every aspect of this loft conversion to insure that you guarantee a return on the considerable investment you will make through your loft conversion.

4)       Professionals – You will need to seek advice from a professional architect, electrician, plumber and builder. Failure to do so may result in you not correctly following the loft conversions regulations which may result in you either having to take the loft conversion down or your house being more difficult to sell. 

5)       Regulations – You will need sound advice regarding building and fire regulations. You can request this information from your local authority building control department. You should also contact your local planning office to enquire whether or not you will require planning permission.

6)       Insurance – Consider insuring the work being undertaken on the loft conversion. It may seem like an extra expense but with the average loft conversion in London costing up to £30,000 it is definitely money well spent.

The first step in your project is to hire the right builder. Use www.findalocal-builder.co.uk to get a list of builders in your area, and then look at our other advice articles to see how to make sure you choose the best builder for you.