{"id":1395,"date":"2016-09-18T13:48:18","date_gmt":"2016-09-18T13:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/?p=1395"},"modified":"2019-03-08T14:24:44","modified_gmt":"2019-03-08T14:24:44","slug":"planning-and-financing-for-your-loft-conversion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/blog\/planning-and-financing-for-your-loft-conversion\/","title":{"rendered":"Planning and Financing For Your Loft Conversion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wall-house-window-loft.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1397\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/wall-house-window-loft-440x300.jpg\" alt=\"wall-house-window-loft\" width=\"440\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A loft conversion shouldn\u2019t be undertaken without serious planning and financial consideration beforehand. Approaching the task in a gung-ho fashion can render the new loft space uncomfortable at best or unusable at worst. Planning and financing for your loft conversion is a very important aspect, which you should not ignore.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are plenty of aspects to consider, such as the ventilation, insulation and accessibility of the room, as well as the cost factor. Planning permission is not required for the majority of domestic loft conversions, although you\u2019ll still need to satisfy certain building regulations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before any work begins, it\u2019s advised to seek the advice of a professional builder or conversion specialists to guarantee you stay on the right side of the law and minimise safety risks. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initial Considerations<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before the technicalities of the loft conversion begin, building regulations must be satisfied to ensure the new room is fire proof, structurally sound, sufficiently insulated and provides an effective escape route in the event of fire. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a terraced or semi-detached property, you will need to obtain a Party Wall Agreement, because the steel beams required for support will rest on the wall shared with your neighbour. More information on Party Walls notices can be found on the government website <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/guidance\/party-wall-etc-act-1996-guidance\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, providing the framework for preventing and resolving possible disputes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A bit of simple common sense should also be applied at the pre-planning stage. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will the loft be used enough to justify the conversion expense?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is there enough \u2018liveable\u2019 space inside for an occupant to be comfortable?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you require a bathroom or toilet? How will this affect the house plumbing?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there any accessibility issues getting up and down into the new room? <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Planning<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/measurement-millimeter-centimeter-meter-162500.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1398\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/measurement-millimeter-centimeter-meter-162500-440x300.jpeg\" alt=\"measurement-millimeter-centimeter-meter-162500\" width=\"440\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To find out the internal height, measure from the top of the current floor covering to the inside highest point of the ceiling \u2013 anything above 2.3 metres is generally considered to be manageable, although this can depend on the intended occupant. Also take into consideration sloped roofs and how they will affect living space. In general, a 30% or higher gradient will be okay. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Manageable access into the room is a necessity for a loft conversion. Regulations state that a permanent staircase has to be erected when converting the loft into a bedroom, bathroom, playroom or office. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember to take advantage of the loft position in the home to bring in natural light. Skylights or dormer windows can be fitted depending on the type of loft conversion undertaken. Windows are required for ventilation purposes \u2013 there\u2019s no other source of clean air into the room \u2013 and this will also prevent condensation and mould from forming. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finance<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider how the conversion will increase the value of your home. Data suggests that the figure could be as much as 25% (depending on the area you live in)\u2013 a fantastic boost to property owners, especially as the operation itself won\u2019t cost as much. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because a loft conversion is a safe investment and generally low-cost, obtaining finance is typically straightforward remortgaging the property and releasing equity; essentially lenders recognise that the venture will increase the overall worth. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For low-income or elderly households, you may be entitled to government-backed home insulation grant schemes. Contact your local authority for any assistance regarding this. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/accountant-accounting-adviser-advisor-159804.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1399\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/accountant-accounting-adviser-advisor-159804-440x300.jpeg\" alt=\"accountant-accounting-adviser-advisor-159804\" width=\"440\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loft Conversion Benefits<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The benefits of a loft conversion are plentiful. Not only are you creating additional living space but adding value to the property as well. Furthermore, the loft is often the easiest and least disruptive room to convert. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, without the proper care during the planning phase, the investment can backfire and leave you with an impractical room not fit for purpose. Take your time over the process and seek qualified conversion specialists before undertaking such an operation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019d like to speak to someone about converting your loft, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/contact\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">get in touch for a chat<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not convinced about converting your loft space? Did you know that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/blog\/londons-housing-crisis-would-be-solved-if-all-lofts-were-converted\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">London\u2019s housing crisis could be solved if all the city\u2019s lofts were converted<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A loft conversion shouldn\u2019t be undertaken without serious planning and financial consideration beforehand. Approaching the task in a gung-ho fashion can render the new loft space uncomfortable at best or unusable at worst. Planning and financing for your loft conversion is a very important aspect, which you should not ignore. There are plenty of aspects [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1431,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advice","category-lofts"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1395"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1395"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1395\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1890,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1395\/revisions\/1890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.mpklofts.co.uk\/wp54\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}