If you think your home can use more space and you are eyeing the loft for a conversion project, you are definitely on the right track. Loft conversions represent an ideal way to turn a part of your home that is rarely used into a functional room.
This represents no small investment, however, and as such, you want to make sure you avoid certain mistakes. In this guide, we will list some of these mistakes so that you can better prepare for doing the right thing with the loft.
Here are Loft Conversion Planning Mistakes:
- You don’t make sure the loft is a good fit for conversion – rushing into such project without initial consideration is a big mistake. There are certain requirements the property needs to fulfil, in order to be a good candidate for loft conversion. For starters, there needs to be at least 2.3-4 metres of head height in the room. This is the minimum for comfort, unless you want to constantly bend in order to keep your head safe. In some cases, there are options to raise the height, so that is worth investigating.
- You don’t take time to pick the right contractor – there are no two ways about it: loft conversion requires specialist help. See if you can get any personal recommendations, because often times your friends and family members will have the contact of a good contractor. Check reviews on independent websites next, and see if there is anyone you can work with there. Ask contractors and builders for references, in order to make sure they can get the job done.
- You don’t acquire planning permission – loft conversions belong to the category of permitted development, most of the times. However, don’t just assume that is always the case. You have to check, because if the project involves roof space altering, then a planning permission is required. This is especially the case if you occupy a period property, a flat or a conservation area. At the very least, you want to make sure you know the limits and conditions, and whether your planned project exceeds those.
- You ignore your neighbours – if you live in a semi-detached property, you share a wall with your neighbours. That wall you share is called a party wall, and whenever you want to do any conversions, you will require a party wall agreement before doing any work. After all, your neighbours are in their right to dispute the extension, so you need to communicate honestly with them. Sorting out that party wall agreement is a good way to ensure that you don’t run into problems at a later stage of the project, when you have already invested time and money into it.
- You ignore the details – it is easy to get caught up in the big picture and forget about the small details. That is where a loft conversion specialist will matter most. They will have the knowledge on how to approach the project in such a way that even the small details are well taken care of. When they first complete the initial assessment, they will want to discuss matters with so that you are in the know of how the room will look. Make sure you ask them questions about it, and voice any concerns you have. That way, when all details are taken care of, you can give the green light.
Knowing more about the most common planning mistakes with loft conversions can save you a ton of worries and make it so that such a project ends up with great success for you.
