A loft conversion is a great opportunity to increase the space and value of your home. An extra room in the house can help to alleviate the stress of an enclosed space and revolutionise the way you use your home and each room in it – with the potential for another bedroom, office, gym or relaxation room – you can have the home of your dreams.
When looking to have a loft conversion, there are many things you need to consider, starting with things like your planning permission, building regulations and whether or not you have sufficient headroom. This can be more than enough to think about but if you’re looking to perform a DIY loft conversion, read on because we’re here to help you consider all the factors that will be involved during this process.
DIY Loft Conversion cost summary:
- Price range: £9,500 – £49,000
- Average cost: £29,000
- Cheapest price: £9,500
What is a DIY conversion?
This is the process where you renovate and refurbish the loft yourself. It’s important to remember the extras that will be involved during this process too; such as flooring, stud walls and insulation. This process generally takes a trained professional between 6-8 weeks to complete, so for someone doing this for the first time, expect the whole process to take longer than this.
The majority of homeowners that perform a DIY loft conversion, call in the specialists to do the complex jobs including the plumbing, electrics and insulation. Getting the main structure correct is incredibly important and also a much cheaper option than attempting, failing and having to redo sections of the conversion again. Once the essentials have been done, you can then complete your conversion and put your vision into fruition.
How to start your DIY loft conversion
Before tackling the job at hand, make sure that you have worked out all of the logistics. Make sure that you have sorted out planning permission along with building regulations and have spoken to your mortgage lender and insurer to make sure that you’re OK to start making progress on the transformation.
Know what you want to do with your new room:
- Bathrooms – when installing a bathroom in your loft conversion, you will need to consider whether you have enough headroom for a shower to be installed and whether or not your plumbing has what it takes to produce hot water into this new bathroom. If not, you may need to upgrade your plumbing, so that you can enjoy hot water in your new loft conversion.
- Soundproofing – like any other room in the home, your loft conversion should also be just as peaceful and relaxing. To make the most out of your room, you may want to use soundproofing materials so that you have peace and quiet from the outside world.
- Built-in storage – to save room in your new loft conversion, you may wish to opt for built-in storage, not only can it make the room look bigger but it can help you to store belongings that were already up in the loft.
- Roof lifts – is there enough headroom? Your loft must have a minimum height of 2.3 metres. If it is not, then you will need to have a roof lift – this must be done by professionals to ensure that your alterations are approved and safe.
- Windows – Velux or dormer, depending on your taste, style and budget, these windows are the most popular for loft conversions. Their styles differ greatly but both make any loft conversion look stunning.
- Lighting – although you will already be enjoying the natural light through your brand new dormer or Velux windows, you will also want to consider your alternative source of light for those dark nights. You may wish for one big light in the middle, spotlights or enjoy the use of many lamps to create a whole new mood for your loft conversion.
Turn to our fully accredited loft conversion specialists today to know more about our experience and what we have to offer you. With free design and planning alongside fixed prices, you can ensure security and no hidden extras when you choose Kingsmead Conversions. We work throughout a number of locations, including: Bedford, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and the neighbouring areas. If you’re local, contact our friendly team today!