Loft conversion styles
When your housing needs are changing and you need more living space in your house, you have more than the option of moving into a bigger place. Many times, people choose to extend their current home, for various reasons. They may love their current neighborhood, the house may be close to work or school, they have formed a strong connection with their home. And sometimes moving to a new home may be too expensive. If you find yourself in one of these situations, then you can either choose to extend your home, or to convert your loft and make it livable. A house extension will take away from your garden space, so this is something to consider.
But it may be great if you want to extend your kitchen or bathroom for instance. A very popular choice would be to transform your loft into the additional bedroom or office space you need, and luckily, there are plenty loft conversion styles to choose from. The area where your house is plays an important role in what your loft conversion will look like. If you live in a conservation area, then there will be many restrictions about your conversion. And even if your house is not in a conservation area, it may still need planning permission if it is an ample remodel that changes the appearance of the house.
There are some conversion types and some criteria that will make your building project fall under permitted development. It’s best if you look at the surrounding homes, see what types of loft conversions they have, learn about the loft conversion types, and start identifying what works best for you. Better yet, when you have some rough idea in your head, you should contact an architect or building company, preferably with experience in loft conversions, to get their advice. There are several conversion types there, each with their characteristics, construction times and costs. There is no single best solution, rather one that is appropriate to your existing house location and design, timeframe and budget.
You can choose from simple Velux conversions, where your attic is suited for living, and just needs some windows to let the light in and access stairs to it, along with some minimal interior decorating. Or, if the roof height and slope don’t allow it, you can choose to have a box-shaped conversion, let’s say a mansard or a dormer. Or something in-between. The combinations are truly numerous and creative, allowing you to create your perfect loft to fit your needs and taste. Because it is also a matter of taste, what loft conversion styles and design you like most. As mentioned above, there will be building regulations to be followed in any loft extension, and maybe planning permission will be needed too. These need to be sorted with the specialists you will hire. You should not choose to live in a place that is not safe and suited for living. A loft conversion that is not following quality and safety standards will be impossible to be sold later.
Whatever the extra space you need, think carefully about the floor layout, the staircase placement, windows, storage spaces, insulation. You should consider adding a bathroom to it too, this will make the whole conversion functional and a pleasure to live/work in.
