Homewowners still confused about planning permission

Many people are still confused about the issue of planning permission when it comes to extending their home.  If you are considering a loft conversion in 2013 their advice is to get the right information before you start.

Becke Livesey from loft conversion company Econoloft said:  “In October 2008 planning laws were relaxed which means the majority of loft conversion can be built without planning permission – these properties fall under something called ‘permitted development rights’.  Even so, building regulations still apply but the process is usually more straight forward.

“However, the confusion lies around the fact that permitted development rights are not universal.  For some properties, permitted development rights are more restricted or do not apply.”

As a general rule, if you live in a flat, a maisonette, a conservation area, national park or an area of outstanding natural beauty you will still need planning permission to construct a dormer as part of your loft conversion.  Homeowners should check with their local authority on whether or not planning permission is required before employing a loft conversion company.

Homeowners should clarify their position prior to asking for quotes as the design of the loft will be considerably affected by whether or not planning is required.  It will have to meet strict criteria - though is you use an experienced loft conversion company this should not pose any real problem.

More information is available at http://www.econoloft.co.uk/planning_permission.php or call Econoloft on 0800 269 765.

Social housing provider moves into loft

Social housing provider Riverside, which looks after Sandwell Council properties has recently unveiled its plans to ease overcrowding.

Riverside has developed two bedroom loft conversions for council house properties in a bid to ease overcrowding and provide homes suitable for larger families.

The council aims to complete six or seven similar conversions each year.

Becke Livesey from national loft conversion company Econoloft said:  “There is no reason why council and housing association homes cannot have loft conversions. 

“There is a national shortage of large family homes in the social housing sector and expanding into the loft to create an additional one or two bedrooms would be a cost effective use of their funds.

“It would be good to see more social housing providers follow this example”.

Phil Spencer gives lofts conversions a thumbs up!

Phil Spencer gives loft conversions a thumbs up!

Phil Spencer, along with his TV partner Kirstie Allsopp has set himself up as a property guru presenting hugely popular programmes such as Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation, Relocation.  In fact Phil has written a book all about getting money from your property, entitled Adding Value To Your Home (Vermilion £12.99)

In a recent interview with the Telegraph Phil shares some of his professional tips and not surprisingly top of the list for adding value to your home is a loft conversion. 

Phil says he is using a recent survey of 110 estate agents, carried out by mortgage lender GE Money, which concluded that a loft conversion adds an average 12.5 percent to the selling price.  Phil says spending £20,000 on a loft conversion can add £40,000 the value of your home.

And of course Mr. Spencer is not alone in citing the value of a well planned loft conversion.  Time and time again estate agents and lenders say that you can’t lose with a loft conversion, especially in areas where property prices are at a premium. 

Loft conversions are often less hassle and less expensive than moving, they provide the space you need in the short term and according to the experts, provide added value in the long term.

Becke Livesey from Econoloft which builds around 300 loft conversions every year said:  “It’s always good to see yet another property expert recognising the value of a loft conversion.  More and more people are looking for extra space without having to move and expanding into the loft is a win-win situation.”

Other ways to improve your home include building a conservatory, having a basement conversion, making your garage into a room, paving the front garden, external painting and changing the windows.

Inside, Phil’s advice is to invest in a decent kitchen, to create larger rooms by knocking down walls and having a bathroom with the wow factor.

Update your insurance when you complete your loft conversion

MoneySupermarket.com has recently revealed an interesting point – that when people upgrade their home with a loft converson for example, they are not updating their home insurance.

When we have spoken to our own clients the reason for not updating insurance is quite simple – they genuinely don’t think about it.  However, it’s an oversight that could have massive implications - because failure to report structural changes to a property could actually invalidate your insurance policy.

Having a loft conversion is usually accepted as the home improvement likely to add most value to a property.  If it adds more than around £10,000 then your insurance premiums could increase – but surely this increase is worth it for the peace of mind?

And while we are on the subject of insurance – don’t forget you should only  work with a reputable builder when carrying out major improvement like a loft conversion.  You need to ensure that the company you use offer a guarantee on their work and materials and that both the company and its tradesmen have public liability insurance.

Becke Livesey from Econoloft a national loft conversion company said that homeowners should ensure the company they select can offer genuine customer testimonials and be a member of recognised trade bodies.  “Look for logos such as the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) which is just one sign of a reputable organisation,” she said, “and don’t be afraid to ask to speak to previous customers.”

If you want to know more about loft conversions visit www.econoloft.co.uk or call  0800 269 765. 

Need more space in your terraced house?

Homeowners will all agree that no matter how beautiful a terraced property might be, there is a downside in the form of limited space.

If you have a growing family, or just simply want more room for when guests come to stay, instead of taking the obvious, and more expensive option of moving to a larger property, why not consider the much more cost effective option of converting your loft?

Lofts are probably the most underutilised space in the home. People forget about them as they are usually just used for storage or merely to collect dust. Lofts are full of old boxes, unwanted clutter that could be stored elsewhere or thrown away, and most importantly provide a space that could potentially be transformed, offering up to 30% extra living space.

Transforming a loft into another room requires some careful planning and professional advice. Many homeowners spend a lot of time and money on renovating other parts of their property and never even realise the opportunities they have up in their loft-so why not get up that ladder now and take a look?

You have to begin by simply clearing out the clutter in order to move around up there. Make a decision about what you want from your new space – master bedroom? En suite? Home office? Spare bedroom? Play room? The choices are endless.

The benefits go beyond creating extra space too. A loft conversion can increase a home’s value by 20.9%, especially if you convert the loft into a new bedroom and turn your property into a place with even more room capacity. An updated loft can give homeowners a seller’s advantage in a competitive property market.

Converting a loft from a wasted storage space into a functional living space is the best option for terraced homeowners looking to amend, improve or change their living conditions. With a professional loft conversion company, such as Econoloft, you can have this work carried out with minimal disturbance to the rest of the home.

Shop around for quotes, ask your friends/family for recommendations, research the websites and find out if they are trustworthy contractors. There is no reason why a terraced loft conversion should be any more difficult than a project in a semi or detached property. In fact, older terraced properties are ideal for converting as the roof space is usually very large and the pitch of the roof steep enough to allow for ample headroom without having to build a dormer.

Contact Econoloft, the loft conversion authority, for more information.

10 things you need to know...

Short of space? Time to think about converting that loft. Here are 10 things you need to know about loft extensions:

Do I need planning permission? It depends. You will need to submit plans or a building notice application to your local authority, and the work will have to be inspected by a building control surveyor to check that the extension complies with building regulations. If your new room increases the volume of the house by less than 50 cubic metres (or 40 cubic metres for terraced houses), does not face a highway or increase the height of the roof, then you should only need a permitted development certificate. You will need planning permission if you live in a conservation area, a national park or an area of outstanding natural beauty, such as the Norfolk Broads. Listed buildings require listed buildings consent. Do not assume anything: rules vary from borough to borough.

Who should I employ? If you're after something simple, relatively low-cost and efficient, then you should employ a specialist company. Loft specialists do the whole thing, although if you want something unique it is best to go with an architect-but this will be much more costly. 

How do I find these people? Personal recommendation is always best, otherwise, call around local companies for quotes and look online for reviews. Many loft conversion companies will be popular in certain areas, so if your neighbour has a loft conversion, ask for their advice.

What are the design options? At its most basic, a loft extension involves no more than strengthening the floor, installing roof lights and putting up a loft ladder, which is fine if all you want is a bit of extra space. However, if you want a proper room, however, you'll need a fixed staircase, which means complying with lots of regulations. First, there must be 2m of clear headroom above both the existing staircase and the new one. There are also rules about treads, risers and pitch (the slope of the staircase, to you and me): the stair treads must be no less than 220mm, risers no more that 220mm and the pitch no more than 42 degrees. Don’t panic though! A loft conversion company such as Econoloft can advise you on whether your home will be suitable for this, and the majority of the time there is very little disruption whilst this is going on.

Types of loft conversions vary, and will depend on the style of the property. The standard dormer is just a box-like structure with a window jutting out of the roof slope, but it can be stretched right across the length of the roof. A mansard roof has the angle of its pitch divided, to slope more steeply at the lower part, than the upper, (common in French architecture). Again, an expert will be able to advise on the best option for your home.

Are all houses suitable? Unfortunately not, as some don’t comply with the regulations. However, the majority of homes are suitable, and it’s just a case of asking for an expert’s opinion.

What about fire safety? You have two main options: either your new room has an escape window with enough space below it to accommodate a ladder, or you install self-closing fire doors on the staircase enclosure. If you've gone for an open-plan design, then the staircase must be enclosed and linked to a suitable escape route.

What will it cost? You could do a very basic ladder-and-loft-windows job for around £10,000, while a one-room plans-to-plaster finish extension by a specialist begins at around £21,000. Add £1,000 for a shower room. If you have a small budget, then shop around for quotes. Econoloft say there is no such thing as a typical loft conversion as all of its work is bespoke and designed to fit the local area, the house and the customer’s personal needs, so it entirely depends.

How long will it take? Building should take about six to eight weeks on average, sometimes less.
Can I stay in the house while work goes on? Probably, as long as you're prepared to put up with a bit of disruption-although most people are surprised how smoothly the process goes. Most of the work goes on inside the roof space, so it shouldn't interfere too much (if you haven't got a spare loo or you don't want the builders in your bathroom, then consider asking them to bring a Portaloo). The most disruptive bit may be when they break through the loft floor to install the staircase. This should only take a day, but if you don't like plaster dust, you'd be wise to go out.

Will the extension increase the value of my house? If it is done properly, you will probably get your money back and most likely make a profit. 

The home improvement that adds the most value

With even more bank holidays coming up, a third of us face the prospect of spending half our salary at the DIY shop and devoting valuable holiday time to the state of the spare bedroom. It's worth taking a breath and asking one quick question:

Will your home improvements make your home worth more - or will they actually damage the value of your property?

A survey by Topps Tiles found that 75% have no idea of the improvements which add the most value. When asked to guess which project was worth the most they plumped for a new kitchen, followed by an extension and a new conservatory. In fact all these answers were wrong: a loft conversion is a clear winner.

The loft conversion adds an average of £20,876 to the value of a property.

Men are slightly more clued up on what adds value to a property than women. Some 29% of men correctly identified a loft conversion as the home improvement that adds most value compared with only 19% of women. 

Loft conversion expert Econoloft said: "As a general trend, women tended to think that improving the interior of their home would add the most value, whilst men tended to opt for home improvements that create more rooms and space."

Fire warning over DIY loft conversions

Residents are being warned about the dangers of carrying out DIY loft extensions after crews struggled to access a fire.

The landlord of a house in Nottinghamshire was recently issued a prohibition notice for converting a loft into a bedroom without council permission.

The property caught fire and firefighters could not access the loft as the hatch space was too narrow, proving that loft conversions have to be safe.

"A loft conversion can be a cost-effective way of creating more space within a house but it is essential the room is safe for people to use it," said Becke Livesey from the Loft Conversion Authority.

"Carrying out work without the necessary permissions may also invalidate their house insurance in the event of a fire or structural problems."

A prohibition notice means a loft space and/or property cannot be occupied until the loft meets building regulation standards.

Compulsory green deal policy on home improvements brought to a halt

Ministers are to reject moves that require homeowners to make their properties energy efficient before building extensions.

All the mandatory elements of the government's green deal for homes are to be scrapped following an intervention by Prime Minister David Cameron.


This means that the government will reject proposals currently out for consultation by the Department for Communities and Local Government that would have required homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient if they were undertaking home improvements, such as a loft conversion.

Local government minister Andrew Stunell had proposed that any homeowner intending to make a property more energy-hungry by building an extension, should redress the balance by improving insulation, upgrading a boiler or adding better heating controls.

The homeowner would be required to spend 10% in addition to the cost of the main works; so if spending £20,000 on a loft conversion an additional £2000-worth of energy efficiency measures, such as loft or cavity insulation would have to be installed.
The money would go to local contractors, paid for through cheap finance provided by the green deal and repaid through subsequent lower energy bills.

A government source said: "The idea that people are going to be forced to improve their energy efficiency or install a new boiler because they want to extend their garage or make their house better is not going to happen. It is not policy now. It is out for consultation, but the prime minister is opposed to it, and it will not become policy. It is not fair to ordinary people trying to improve their homes."

The source stressed that No 10 was not opposed to the green deal itself so long as it remained voluntary.

Consequential improvements are already required for buildings over 1000m² which have an extension added, but this excludes most homes. About 200,000 domestic extensions, loft conversions and integral garage conversions are carried out per year.