For many people, a loft conversion will give them the much-needed space they are looking for in their house. Some people transform their loft into a home office, others an additional bedroom. No matter what you want to turn your unused loft space into, converting your loft can come with some common mistakes during the process.
If you want to stay clear of any issues, then here are the main mistakes to avoid when converting your loft space:
Not getting planning permission
Many assume that a loft conversion will fall under permitted development rather than requiring planning permission. Whilst this is true, and many conversions to loft space will not need you to apply for any planning permission, you should never just assume that this is the case.
Any loft conversions that are in conservation areas, to listed buildings or to a top floor flat will almost certainly require you to apply for planning permission from your local authority. We recommend that you speak to your Simply Loft surveyor or get in touch with an architect to see what planning permissions may be required.
Going over budget
Loft conversions come at a cost, and budgeting for one can be hard. After all, you will never know precisely what you will need and how much it will cost. That said, you should always work out how much of a budget you have before you get to work.
Going over budget or not having the right budget in the first place is always a common mistake with loft conversions. Not only can they mean that you end up costing you a considerable amount of money, but they also could impact the level of work you can do if you run out of money before it is finished.
Not thinking about your lighting options
Lighting is essential when you think about the interior of your loft conversion. Lighting design includes the natural lighting that comes into your interior and any artificial lighting that you may want to add. You may also want to consider how much light you can bring in with the windows and how this will impact your loft conversion (too much light may be an issue if you are changing it into a bedroom, for example). You also want to consider how the light fitting you wish to add will work with possibly low or sloped ceilings.
Not having a large enough head height
One of the biggest mistakes that you can make when it comes to converting your loft is not to calculate the amount of headroom that you have. At a minimum, you should have 2.2m, but if you want to be as comfortable as possible, you must aim for 2.4m. When you consider that floors can add a few inches when they are finished (depending, of course, on the type of flooring you choose), then you can see why this is a common mistake.
Not considering your neighbours
When it comes to your life, there is always a chance that you will think that what you do in your own home is nothing to do with your neighbours. However, you should keep them in mind when it comes to loft conversions.
If you live in a terraced or semi-detached house, you may need to comply with the Party Wall Act of 1996. Not only this, but letting any adjoining neighbours know that you will have work carried out in the loft space of your home is good manners.
As you can see, loft conversions come with lots of things to think about and mistakes that can be made. If you know what to look out for and the main mistakes to avoid, you will already have the perfect loft conversion for your home.
