Loft Conversions – Are They Worth It?

Quality loft conversions can be a really good alternative to moving house if you are looking for an 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}.


So if you need that extra room what do 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. A leading high street building society – the Alliance and Leicester – discovered that a well planned and built loft conversion can see the value of your property soar by as much as £40,000.This also means of course that you don’t have to move house and you can save a considerable amount.


In 2008, the planning laws were changed and this resulted in a huge increase in the number of loft conversions. The law changed to “permitted development” when it comes to loft conversions which means that most conversions will not require local government planning permission. 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.


Prices will vary from different contractors when estimating your loft conversion. It is not wise just to accept the lowest estimate because if the conversion is planned and constructed poorly then the value of your house could actually fall. Don’t accept any proposal with a temporary staircase as this will add little value in the eyes of your local estate agent. Think about the future and the jump in value you will see when it is time to sell and pay for the highest quality loft conversion that you can get now.


What kind of advantages does a loft conversion offer over a normal house extension project? 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. Local government planning permission will almost certainly be required for an extension whereas a loft conversion shouldn’t under permitted development. 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 .


It is even possible to reduce the world’s carbon footprint by installing solar panels in your loft conversion to aide in the generation of electricity and hot water. This will also decrease your fuel bills too. Incentives are available from the government for householders who install solar panels for the generation of electricity and water incentives are on the way.


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. Regardless of the price a loft conversion should always be worth considering.



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.