How To Create Extra Living Space With A Loft Conversion ~ Fresh Design Blog
Loft conversions are incredibly popular because they allow you to convert unusable space that already exists in your home, into usable space. No need to extend the footprint of your house and eat into precious garden square footage, instead, you can enjoy a high-quality conversion of the space that already exists at the top of your home, giving you at least one new room to use as you wish.
Loft Conversions & The Problems They Solve
Loft conversions are more popular than house extensions because they solve a lot of common problems homeowners have, without much complication or inconvenience at all.
One great example of this is with garden space. 1 in 8 British households in the UK don’t have a garden, and that number jumps to 1 in 5 in London. You can create a huge amount of liveable space from a loft conversion without having to have a garden or even any land attached to your property.
Even if you do have a garden, you probably don’t want to eat into it. It’s precious and valuable – something many of us learnt in lockdown. Financially, a garden is also an asset when it comes to selling your home as some research suggests it could increase the value of a home by 5-25% and even more depending on its condition and size. With a loft conversion, you can keep every single square inch of your nature haven whilst still benefiting from more liveable space inside the property.
Another common problem loft extensions solve is with the cost and time associated with extensions – something many people just don’t have to put into enhancing their home. Loft conversions commonly cost less than a house extension because they don’t require foundations to be built – the same reason they tend to take less time to complete and are less of an inconvenience, too.
Mainly, though, loft conversions solve one of the most common homeowner problems of all – not wanting to move, but needing more space. They help homeowners across the country feel more comfortable in their home by adding more available functional space. With loft conversions there’s no need to leave the place you love the most because it’s not big enough.
Key Benefits Of Loft Conversions:
- No need to use garden space
- No need to have a garden
- No need to move house to get extra space
- Functional space can be used as you wish
- Can add kitchenette, kitchen, ensuite and multiple rooms in some cases
- Energy efficient
- Beautiful natural light
- Cute, unique and quirky space
- Can be utilised as a rental space
- Often adds value to the home
- Facilitates at-home careers
- Often faster, cheaper and more convenient than an extension
- Particularly useful in areas like London where building outwards is often impossible
- Commonly no need for planning permission
- Provides ability to get more natural light & access to surrounding views
Different Types Of Loft Conversions & The Space They Create
The most compact loft conversions involve the loft space you have being insulated and reinforced, so that it is safe and usable. With this conversion you would usually have skylights too, so that the space is flooded with natural light. This is still enough functional space for all kinds of uses such as:
- Home office space
- Creative uses such as a studio
- Nursery
- Playroom for older children
- Bedroom
- Walk in wardrobe
- Study
- Mini-living room
- Snug
- Basic home gym
A dormer conversion can add more functional space as it adds a small box to at least one side of the conversion (there can be more than one dormer added).
For maximum space, you can have a Mansard which actively changes the slope of the roof so at least one roof slope above is almost horizontal like a flat roof, and the side of that section is vertical, so overall, the conversion offers a lot more room at head height or higher. L-shaped conversions can be even more spacious with the potential for an entirely self sufficient flat to exist within one conversion.
The types of conversion that are suitable for your property depend on your budget, the type of house you have, potential Planning Permission hurdles, and other factors. A professional loft conversion company can tell you about your different options, how they might look, the living space they create, and the different costs involved.
Extra Options
When we think about the living space associated with a loft conversion, the first thought is usually of a single room to be utilised however the family can most benefit. However, there are lots of extra options to consider for loft conversions that have enough space for those extra options, extending the potential ways the conversion can be used. Here are some examples of extra options you can have with some loft conversion designs:
- En-suite bathroom/ wetroom
- Juliette balcony/ full outdoor space
- Luxury bath in the bedroom
- Kitchen/ kitchenettes
- Multiple rooms (living area, bedroom etc)
- Partitioned to zone the space
Which options are available to you depends on your budget, design needs, and the potential offered by your building.
It All Starts With A Fantastic Design
By working with a trusted professional loft conversion company you can be given all the different options for your home and then build on that to ensure that the conversion meets your expectations and needs. Every property is unique in what can be done to the available loft space because there are so many different types of buildings, and there are many factors to consider like the area surrounding the property, whether it is a period property, existing works done and the condition of the building as a whole.
The best loft conversion companies will take all the different factors into account, and with that they then have the ability to provide you with all your different options, the associated costs, and potential workarounds for issues that could be problematic. Working with architects, building engineers and other experts in their field, the construction company will ensure that the results you get are accurate, cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing and the best possible option when it comes to maximising your loft space. Having a loft conversion to add living space to your home is a true investment that homeowners simply don’t regret if they are designed and built well.
Are You Ready To Enhance Your Home With Extra Living Space?
With a loft conversion you can have a whole extra room and potentially even more with an efficient, convenient conversion that may not even require Planning Permission.
To find out how much available living space could be created by converting your loft, speak to an experienced loft conversion company today. It could be exactly what your family needs to enjoy better functionality from your current home.
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