A loft conversion sounds like a great idea. There’s so much space only getting used by the Christmas decorations, but there’s a lot that goes into a loft conversion. More than people think. We’re going over all the things you should consider before getting into a loft conversion, the good and the bad. Read on for all the details.
The scale
Often, the act of converting your loft into a livable space isn’t as simple as adding a bed and calling it a day. This isn’t a livable space that is an important and extensive part of your home. To get it into the state of a room, you might need insulation, new walls, new floors, extended wiring so you have power, and you might even need an extension, which will mean more work and structural changes to your home.
All of that means you will need to get planning permission to convert your loft, which is an arduous process in itself.
All that is to say that this isn’t going to be cheap. The planning permission in itself has fees attached. And skipping a step could put the health and safety of whoever’s using it at risk, as well as the structure of your home. These are a lot of expensive things to consider. If you didn’t insulate you’d have an area too cold to use, if you had damp you didn’t notice, your guests would get sick, if the floor isn’t replaced you could stick your foot right through, etc.
The insurance
You will need to double-check your homeowner’s insurance, especially if you intend to extend your loft. Extending the building’s height will take some change to the fundamentals of your home, which your insurance will be interested to know about.
It’s important that you tell your insurance provider what you plan to do before you get started. Not telling them could invalidate your policy, which is important when you consider the number of things that could go wrong in a loft. It’s a place known for flooding, wear and tear and creatures to love. It’s easy to see how certain criteria impact your policy costs when getting an online homeowners insurance quote, as it’s customizable and quick.
The storage
Everything that’s in your loft will have to go somewhere. If you’re storing the Christmas decorations, the kid’s old toys, seasonal clothes, your old photos and vinyl and anything and everything else up there, you’re going to need somewhere to put it when you empty out the loft.
This is a good chance for a clear out. Your things can be separated into things you can find a place for, like your photos, things that can be donated, like the kids’ toys, and the things you can’t find a place for, like the Christmas decorations.
One option is to put the bulky things in a storage unit. They will be well protected from the elements and any greedy fingers, and you’ll have made enough room for at least a sofa in the loft.
The practicality of it
The harsh reality of the idea is that it’s often just not practical. A lot of things can get in the way of converting a loft. You might get started and see the roof needs repairing. You might not have room to lift your head, but an extension isn’t in your budget, or physically possible. You might find a nest of bees, and because they’re endangered you can’t move them. You might have the loft that you can only access with a stepladder, which isn’t exactly fun when you’re weary and trying to get to bed, and not in the least bit practical for the elderly.
And worse, you might have thought of solutions to all of these and sent off your planning permission, only to see they’ve rejected your ideas or thought of something else.
The benefits
All that said, there are a lot of benefits to converting your loft. For one thing, you will raise the value of your home. You can now say a two-bedroom building is a three-bedroom building. Typically, a loft conversion can add 20% to the value of your home.
Or you could turn it into another guest space to use as a home cinema, game room, office, etc. With so much space, you’ll be able to do what you want with it, making it an affordable option to move if you find you don’t have enough space.
As long as you’re going in with your eyes open – and your wallet full – you can create a great living space in your loft.