Loft Extension Advice, Home Expansion Tips, Attic Move, Property Improvement
The Benefits of a Loft Extension guide
11 Sep 2019
Move Home or Extend – The Benefits of a Loft Extension
These days with rising house prices and a fluctuating property market, the home you live in now is becoming more important than ever. With money tight for so many people, it’s imperative to use the space you have in your home wisely – and simply looking to buy a bigger house isn’t always the best or most practical option.
The growing popularity of loft conversions in homes across the UK is obvious to see with a recent Nationwide survey showing that a loft conversion (including a bathroom and bedroom) could add 21 per cent to the value of a property.
The chances are that if you look down the street you live on, there’ll be one house or more which has a converted loft or an additional floor added to the property. You may notice the top floors of several homes have more than one window – where a loft has been split into two bedrooms.
It’s very common these days as the rise in loft conversions continues to prosper in Britain with many home improvers intent on house projects to improve their life quality as their family and personal circumstances change over time. It’s not just about the increase in value to your property but also about your individual needs and home comforts. The statistics back this up as well with an estimated four out of every ten homes in London having a loft conversion.
Loft Extension Benefits
So what exactly are the advantages of a loft conversion and what should you do with your loft once it’s been converted?
Increase the value of your property
Spending your hard-earned money on getting a loft conversion might seem like a vast outgoing but the additional space and usable area can add significant value to your home. If you ever decide to put your house on the market, you may find it puts the price of your property up by a significant figure, as well as making it more attractive to a wider range of people. So the building costs of a loft conversion could be easily recouped when a sale goes through years down the line.
Add on some solar panels
Getting your loft converted will most likely mean that you have scaffolding around your house for a certain period and this could make solar panels more economical to install at the same time if you want to save some money on your electricity bill too. An expensive part of installing solar panels is the scaffolding but you could make hay while the sun shines by planning a solar panel installation alongside the new loft. Skylights can also be positioned in a way to guarantee the maximum amount of panels can be fitted, bringing bigger benefits. Getting solar panels alongside a loft conversion means you won’t need to get the builders in twice.
Additional Space
You may be thinking about starting a family or your teenage children are looking for a bit more space. Having an additional room to use for whatever you please will free up room in the rest of the house and make your home seem bigger.
Save on hefty moving fees
Let’s face it; moving house is never straightforward for a number of practical reasons, not to mention the unstable nature of the current property market. You may have grand plans for buying your dream home but it may be that you are already living there and just need to be clever with the space which is right under your nose. Converting or extending your loft is much less stressful with most loft projects being complete in six to eight weeks. So you don’t have to worry about moving to a new area or all the additional costs associated with buying and selling a home.
Loft Extension Uses
So you’ve converted your loft but what are you going to use it for?
Another bedroom
You’ve put the time in to get your loft converted so you may as well show it off. Why not make it into a cosy guest bedroom with panel windows overlooking the area. A guest bedroom, which is professionally insulated will keep in plenty of warmth and stop cold air coming out. As it’s right at the top of the house you can benefit from warm air coming up from other rooms as well.
Children’s Play Area:
Once your children are out of nappies and get a little older, the chances are they need more room to play. A loft play area is a larger, safe space for your little ones to have fun in and enjoy. If you are planning on definitely using it as a play area, the loft conversion will be a basic one as you can fill the space with toys if that is the sole purpose.
Extra bathroom
Not the most obvious choice but more and more people are getting an additional bathroom in their loft which is really handy if you have a big family or guest who stay with you on a frequent basis. A loft will also have enough space for a loft and a shower to give you more options. It’s worth noting that many water tanks are located in the loft so you may need to think this through before you replan how you want your converted loft to look.
Study
With home working an option for so many people these days, it makes sense to make space for a quiet working area where you can get on with things. A phone extension and wi-fi are easily installed these days so it’s just a case of finding the right desk and office furniture to furnish your working area.
TV Room
Most families will row over what to watch on TV each night but with an extra room and screen, you and your partner can sneak away and watch a film while the kids take control of the living room.
So, as you can see, it really makes sense to consider a loft conversion for your home. There are multiple benefits and plenty of ways to use that space without it costing an arm and a leg.
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