Loft Conversions – Is There A Better Way?

Many people are realizing that building a professional loft conversion is a lot better than moving home if all you need is one extra room. In an area like London where the housing market is constantly changing, it can be a big risk to move house just to gain an extra room and it could turn out that you end up losing a lot of money. (With the additional costs of stamp duty, increased mortgages, conveyencing fees and paying removal companies it can really be expensive|Not forgetting all of the usual moving costs such as a bigger mortgage, stamp duty, normal removal expenses and solicitors fees it can really mount up|Then there are the costs which are always associated with moving home such as removals, the cost of hiring a solicitor, higher mortgage payments and stamp duty}.


So if you need that extra room what do you do? Well a loft conversion is well worth considering as it will give you that additional living space and increase the value of your property at the same time. A leading UK building society (the Alliance and Leicester) conducted a survey recently and discovered that a quality loft conversion can increase your home’s value by up to £40,000. You also have the benefit of not moving house and all of the costs that come with that.


In 2008, the planning laws were changed and this resulted in a huge increase in the number of loft conversions. What it means is that the majority of loft conversions don’t require formal planning permission but instead can be constructed under a term called “permitted development”. Building regulations are a separate issue and still very necessary to comply with as the loft conversion will be a room for people to live in.


It is natural to consider the price as a high priority when deciding upon loft conversion estimates. But don’t just jump at the lowest quote as a low quality conversion could actually lower your home’s value rather than raise it. Estate agents view conversions with temporary staircases as adding very little value so ensure that you use a quality company who will advise on permanent staircases. Paying for a professionally designed and constructed job may seem painful now but it will pay back in spades when you come to sell your property.


What kind of advantages does a loft conversion offer over a normal house extension project? Well there are many. Most houses, regardless of style, will be suitable for a loft conversion. A traditional house extension should be far more expensive than a loft conversion and you won’t lose any valuable outside space either. A lengthy planning permission process will be required for extensions but loft conversions should avoid the need for this with the recent changes in the law. Another major advantage is that loft conversions often take less time to plan and build which means that you are not sharing your home with local builders for weeks on end .


You can go a step further with your loft conversion and help the environment by installing solar panels to generate electricity, heat your water or both. Your electricity bill should be reduced also. If you choose the solar panel route to generate electricity then you will be eligible for incentives from the government for this and water incentives are also planned.


The cost of your loft conversion will depend on a number of factors such as the size of your loft, structural requirements, whether existing water tanks need to be moved or replaced, floor structure requirements and so on. Overall it should prove to be a sound investment.



There are many advantages to choosing a loft conversion if a quality solution is sought. To find out more about quality loft conversions visit this link loft conversions London.