Thursday, March 17, 2011

Why Bother With A Loft Conversion?

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, so moving house at the moment can be very risky just to get that additional room and you could lose out heavily. (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}.


But you really need another room so what can you do? A loft conversion is a very good idea as it will meet your requirements for that other room and it will add value to your precious home. In a recent survey conducted by the Alliance and Leicester building society it was revealed that a professional loft conversion can add as much as £40,000 to the value of your house. You also have the benefit of not moving house and all of the costs that come with that.


A change in the planning laws in 2008 has seen a real surge in 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.


When considering a loft conversion price will obviously be a factor. But you need to be careful here as an inferior conversion will not add value to your home and may even decrease it. Don’t accept any proposal with a temporary staircase as this will add little value in the eyes of your local estate agent. 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 are the advantages of a loft conversion over a traditional home extension? There are lots of advantages. A loft conversion will be fine for the majority of house types and styles. The cost of a loft conversion is also likely to be a lot less than a home extension would be and there is no need to lose valuable outdoor space as well. Most home extensions will require planning permission which can take months whereas a loft conversion will probably not. The design, planning and construction time for a loft conversion should be considerably less than a traditional home extension would take .


With an installation of solar panels you will be helping the environment by using the panels to generate electricity and hot water too. This will also decrease your fuel bills too. 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 final price that you can expect to pay for your loft conversion depends on the structural requirements for the flooring, the size and shape of your loft, whether or not water tanks need to be moved and a whole host of other factors. 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.

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