Consider the way you live in your home now and think about where it doesn't quite work- for instance do you regularly cook for friends but find yourself stuck in the kitchen on your own while your guests sit in another room enjoying themselves? Do the children share a bedroom when they are really ready for their own space? Do you have a dining room you only use at Christmas which might be better used as a home office?
Remodelling existing rooms
Unless your property is listed, knocking down internal walls, dividing rooms with partition walls or installing en-suite bathrooms won't require planning permission but MUST comply with relevant Building Regulations. The work must comply with the Building Regulations if it involves alterations to the structure of the building or the drainage, for example removing a load-bearing wall.
If needed, we can arrange for a Structural Engineer to advise on the technical issues involved, or you may wish to arrange this yourself. Either way the Structural Engineer will deal directly with you, so you pay for this direct to the Structural Engineer, there is no mark up in price, nor is there any influence from us to the Engineer.
So if you need different living accommodation rather than extra space, remodelling could be the answer. Plan avery stage of your project in fine detail. Taking down internal walls will open up the kitchen, living and dining space, for example, should let light flood in and create a wonderful sense of space.
Converting unused space
Think about the space in your home that is currently filled with boxes and junk- all stashed away "just in case". It's quite likely that you could make much better use of your loft, garage or basement. A bit of imagination and meticulous planning can do wonders for these spaces. There is no mimimum headroom requirement to convert your loft, but common sense says at least two metres is a good guide to ensure that you can stand up in the room! (The stairs to reach your loft conversion, howver, must have a minmum headroom of two metres)
Garages
Most garages end up being used as storage roms but these could provide an extra reception or even a guest room, if your your garage is built-in to your home. As the basic structure aleady exists, often there is no need for expensive external walls and foundations.Disruption to your home life should be minimal and the project can take from a couple of weeks to a couple of months. But don't forget having an off-street parking area will always increase your property's value so a garage conversion may not be so valuable if it means you have to park your car on the street.
Basements
An increasing number of people are converting basements and cellar, particularly in central urban locations where land values are extremely high. However, it is significantly more expensive than an extension.
Building work is disruptive. Consider if you - or your pets - should move out for all or part of the building programme.
Insulate your loft
Make sure your loft is well insulated; the current Building Regulations state that the minimum recommended level of loft insulation should be 200mm (8"). If your current insulation is 100mm (4"), or less, you should invest in having it topped up to the 200mm level. As 25 per cent of the heat, you have already paid for, is going through the roof it makes good sense to prevent the loss, save money on the heating bills and enjoy a much warmer, more comfortable home environment.
