Adding a loft room can be a great way to squeeze additional revenue from your property and will instantly bump up your home’s value, especially if you’re living in a hot real estate market where space comes at a premium. Loft conversions are very serious projects though, and there might be details you may have overlooked. While some of these could be minor and easily fixable, others could throw a massive wrench in the works and end up costing thousands. Here are some of the mistakes people make when performing loft conversions and how to avoid them.
Not Meeting the Minimal Requirement
Before you even start thinking about a conversion, you have to know if the property meets the minimum requirements first. In order to convert, you have to make sure that there is at least a 2.3m head height. There are some cases where you can extend that height, but it will cost you.
Not Consulting with an Engineer First
The first thing you have to do is work with an engineer or a consultant team to know if this is even feasible. They might find out something that could affect the integrity of the structure and make the addition dangerous. These people will also be familiar with local regulations and might be able to inform you of some of the permits you need, or if your project is possible under the law.
Structural engineer services like RWA Consulting, for instance, will be able to come in and see if there are any possible issues with the structure. They might be able to help by reinforcing the structure and help you all throughout the conversion process. You can also let them handle the whole design and build project if you want. If you want to learn about their RWA Consulting and what they have to offer, you can find out more here.
Going DIY
Loft conversions are complicated and require a high level of expertise. This is something even so-called advanced DIYers should avoid. Unless you have real qualifications, it’s always better to go with a professional team. One mistake could put yourself or people around you at risk, so make sure that you at least get a consultant in.
Going for the Highest Quote
At the other end of the spectrum, you have people who will gladly overpay anyone. They will assume that quality can be gauged by how high the service charges, but it’s not that simple. Anyone can charge pretty much anything they want, so that’s not much of an indication. You want to see what other people had to say about them and you want some references as well. Hopefully, you can also get to see some of their work in person. The more information you have on them, the better.
So, if you’re going to start a loft conversion project, you have to make sure that you steer away from these mistakes at all costs. Whatever you do, always make sure that you work with a qualified team unless you’re a professional yourself.
