Enhance the space in your attic

Reports suggest there will be a shortfall of 750,000 homes by 2025 and one of the worst supply and demand mis-matches will be in London which faces a housing gap of 325,000 homes.  With this in mind many of us will be looking to enhance the space we already have and so Rena Trepka, a Design Consultant with Econoloft provides some expert advice on transforming your loft space. loft-ideas

1.     Check whether or not your will need planning permission.  Planning laws have been relaxed but even so you should always confirm everything with your local authority.

2.     When choosing which loft conversion company to use, make sure it has the TrustMark Logo, which shows that the contractor is insured against such problems as unfinished or below standard work. Find a company that gives you free insurance with a TrustMark provider, otherwise expect to pay about 1.5 per cent of the contract value for insurance.

3.     Ask for evidence of all guarantees – one year on installed equipment such as plumbing, five years on the general build, ten years on the fibreglass roof and ten years on the roof windows.

“Give yourself plenty of time to design the project as rushed decisions are often costly and regretted. A specialist should have a proven track record and can advise on all the options and tell you how to get the most of our the space available and your budget. loft-ideas

 “A loft conversion should not look or feel like an add-on and the transition from ‘old’ to ‘new’ should be seamless. The conversion itself, in terms of style should also follow rest of the house.”