Monday, 27 February 2012

Loft Conversion an alternative to moving house


Quality loft conversions can be really good for home improvement in the UK as a result of their numerous benefits. It is also an alternative to moving house if you are looking for an extra room.

In today's uncertain housing market, moving to a larger home is not always the best option. On top of the expenses incurred just to gain one or two extra rooms, there is also the hassle and stress of moving to be considered. In cities like Clapham and Wimbledon where the housing market is constantly of a high price, it can be a big risk to move house just to gain an extra room and it could turn out that you end up losing a lot of money.
 
There are many reasons homeowners may need extra space. Perhaps you have a growing family or a new baby or a teenager who craves more privacy. Maybe you're considering moving an aging parent in to live with you or you could use the extra space for a home office.

There are various options of loft conversion available and the style you choose will be influenced by the type of house you live in or the area, but rest assured most houses can be done, including those with modern trussed rafter lofts. The various styles for a conversion are roof light, front/side dormer, gable, wrap around, and mansard and rear dormer conversion. Whatever your needs or wants, a loft conversion is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to add to your living space without actually moving.

Several factors must be considered before undertaking a loft conversion. An inspection will be made to ensure that there is enough space in the loft to make a conversion feasible and that the area under the roof bridge allows for adequate headroom. There must also be enough space for the access stairs. The roof will be checked for any signs of leaks.

When choosing a builder please do the usual, check their credentials, don't pay money upfront, make sure you have a contract, make sure they have a schedule of how they are going to undertake the work and don't just give a job on price alone. If you get multiple quotes and one of them is cheaper then be careful as they are either going to try and hammer you with hidden costs or have not priced it correctly and the job will be done on the cheap, if they can finish it at all.

Once you have decided to accept the loft design company's proposal, they will begin the process of obtaining planning permission, if required, a certificate of lawful development and building regulation approval. Where appropriate, they prepare and submit detailed structural engineering calculations to your local building control department for approval. Most companies handle all of the paperwork associated with your conversion.

Once permissions are received work can begin on your new loft conversion at a time convenient to you. A reputable loft conversion company handles everything, right up to the time when your new loft is ready to be decorated.

Hazelbrown.co.uk provides the best loft conversion services in Wimbledon, Clapham and London.

Friday, 13 January 2012

Loft Conversions Add Style to Your Home

Loft conversions are one of the most popular forms of home improvement in the UK as a result of their numerous perceived benefits. The most obvious benefit of having a loft conversion is the fact that space will be added to your home which is a great solution for a family who needs an extra bedroom, or for someone who wants office space. In fact there are many reasons why people choose to have their loft converted.

Loft conversions have the obvious advantage of providing a great space, they increase the value of the property, they take away the hassle of moving and adding an extra bedroom in the loft is often much cheaper than moving to a house with an extra bedroom in the same area. Loft conversions are also advantageous in comparison with traditional extensions in that they are cheaper to do, they don't take up valuable outside space and you don't have the hassle of sharing your house with tradesman for weeks on end as most of the work is carried out through the roof.

There are various options of loft conversion available and the style you choose will be influenced by the type of house you live in or the area, but rest assured most houses can be done, including those with modern trussed rafter lofts. The various styles for a conversion are roof light, front/side dormer, gable, wrap around, and mansard and rear dormer conversion.

When considering converting your loft, price will obviously be a factor. But you need to be careful here as an inferior job will not add value to your home and may even decrease it. Estate agents view conversions with temporary staircases as adding very little value so ensure that you use a quality company who will advise on permanent staircases. Paying for a professionally designed and constructed job may seem painful now but it will pay back in spades when you come to sell your property.

What are the advantages of a loft conversion over a traditional home extension? Well there are many. Whatever kind of house that you own it is very likely that it will be suitable for a loft project. The cost of a work is also likely to be a lot less than a home extension would be and there is no need to lose valuable outdoor space as well. Most home extensions will require planning permission which can take months whereas a converted loft will probably not. Another major advantage is that conversions often take less time to plan and build which means that you are not sharing your home with local builders for weeks on end.

In order to get the most benefit from your loft conversion, carefully work out the costs to make sure that these do not add up to more than the conversion will be adding to the value of your property. You should also not have your loft converted simply as a way to make your property more valuable – it is important that it is something that adds value to your life as well as the property for it to be truly beneficial.

hazelbrown.co.uk provides the best loft conversion services in Wimbledon and Clapham, United Kingdom.

Friday, 6 January 2012

General Building Contractors for Construction

Choosing a building contractor can be a difficult task. Whether you are planning for the construction of buildings, roads or any other structures, it is majorly required to consult the building contractors in order to structure the thoughts. As a major constructive work can never be achieved by an individual therefore, one must knock the professional builder to work out the plan.

The first step to getting the best building contractor is to do your research. While opting for hiring the building constructors, it is required to know the various details regarding the contractors before trusting them completely. Construction of buildings is not something easy to deal with however it must be dealt carefully to come up with the excellent work!

You could also ask friends, family and coworkers if they know of or have used a reliable building contractor recently, and then phone up that contractor to get a quote. It is always good practice to use a building contractor with solid references, endorsements and qualifications.

To be a trustworthy contractor, one must carry valid contractor license. He must have the required certificates and the local licensing authority. Apart from this, while choosing the building contractors, few associated factors are needed to be revised. Construction companies could also be checked by contacting the Business Bureau in your area or country.

Once you have done your research and narrowed the search down to a few candidates you will need to get all of the different contractors to give you a quote. By comparing quotes from a few different contractors you will be able to get the best price and best quality. And you might even get some contractors to lower their price if you inform them that there are other candidates that have given a lower price.

There are various different contractors that specialize in different building fields, from swimming pool contractors to apartment block contractors, cupboard contractors and everything in between. You should make sure that you get a contractor that is able to do the job that you want done.

While selecting the contractors, rather than selecting the new one or trusting on someone who is amateur you can definitely approach to general building contractors. The general building contractors acts as the mediator to offer you the best possible solution for accomplishment of the work.

Lastly you need to get a solid and professional written contract between you and the contractor that covers everything from payment, to the amount of time allocated to the project and liability.

Monday, 28 November 2011

Loft conversions: A cost effective and less stressful alternative to moving house.


All families need more space as the kids grow older and have their own friends at home or to stay over. One option is to make more space in your current home by having the loft converted. Your current existing roof space can be converted into that extra room you have always dreamed about. Before the project of converting your loft to a usable space is initiated, several factors need to be considered. 

Firstly, the space that is to be used for the project should be properly inspected to ensure that the dimensions of the loft and planned conversion are feasible. The type of conversion that is chosen is generally influenced by the property owner's taste and budget. It is better to initiate a process that is within your budget than to initiate one that exceeds your budget and as a result can not be completed.

Secondly, adequate sound proofing on both the floor and ceiling of your converted loft are essential. This is one thing that many people overlook when constructing the room and only when the job is finished do they realize that the noise generated by someone moving around in the loft above them is much greater than they ever imagined, especially if it is intended as a bedroom, the noise of wind and rain bouncing off the outside roof can be enough to keep even the heaviest of sleepers from having a good night's rest.

Thirdly, getting the amount of light that comes into the loft correct can also be an issue, not enough natural light flooding in through windows can create a gloomy space that no one really wants to claim as their own and too much light can make it very difficult to work or sleep in.

Lastly, a residential loft conversion must have a permanent access staircase. The building regulations require there to be a safe means of escape in the event of fire from any storey with a floor level more than 4.5m above ground level. This is usually achieved by creating an enclosed staircase that will resist fire for at least 30 minutes.
To ensure a smooth loft conversion make sure that you choose a professional loft conversion company that can handle the whole conversion project which will meet your decorative needs. Hazelbrown.co.uk can help you to unlock the full potential of your property and really make the most of your house. Our loft converters in Clapham offer endless possibilities to enhance your lifestyle whilst also investing in your property.