Is your home starting to feel a bit cramped and stuffy? Why not transform your loft into a new usable space?
Loft conversions are a great way to extend your home, and create an additional room that you, your whole family, and even your guests can enjoy.
But just like other home projects, updating your loft isn’t something you can complete overnight. It is a process that entails several stages and phases.
The average timeline for these updates often varies but the procedure is almost always the same.
1st Stage: Design
The design stage involves two steps. This is the time when you will come up with blueprint designs that will depict the loft of your dreams. This initial stage is when you have to meet your design team which typically includes an architect who will visit and survey your house and check its environment. This is done to get all the necessary details regarding the property. The phase often takes two to four weeks.
During this part of the process, the design team will also consider several key factors like access, headroom, accommodation needs, and fire access when planning your loft. They will proceed to draw up the plans for these proposed conversions.
They will also draft several designs until you get the one that tugs at your heart the most. Once the model meets your requirements, the plans will be forwarded to the office of planning and building control to get the necessary permissions for your loft conversion project to get off the ground.
2nd Stage: Planning Permissions
Although planning permissions are not required for the construction of some loft conversions, you are still required to adhere to the laws on building regulations.
Since it often takes four to six weeks before these permissions are approved, make sure you check if you need them in the first place before you begin the project. This is important to ensure that your conversion will meet all the necessary building regulations. Failure to comply will only result in a tedious design and planning process.
3rd Stage: Planning
The actual timeframe required for the approval of the plan or for the building control to visit your site may differ depending on your location in the UK. This is because planning timescales are different for every local authority.
The local planning office can also give you a rough guideline and estimate of when the planning will get approved. You can lower the risks of rejection of your planning request and start all over again from the beginning if you make sure from the get-go that the planning is done right, with the design compliant with the local regulations and rules.
4th Stage: Building
After the approval of the planning, the construction company or project manner will now start working hand in hand with you in real-time so you can agree on start and finish dates that work in your favour. This way, you will be well-informed on how your loft conversion will come to fruition.
The full schedule of your loft conversion project will also be detailed in full so you will know what will happen and in what specific order. The plan will be executed afterward.
For instance, the team may begin with roof and exterior work. This will then be followed by the internal roof work, staircase installation, and loft access before the new room is joined with the rest of the home. Built-in decorations and other furnishings will be added as well.
You also need to remember that different types of loft conversions also have different timeframes for finishing the sequence of works, with considerable variations from each other.
A velux loft conversion, for example, is often completed in just four weeks or less being one of the simplest types of conversion.
A dormer loft conversion, on the other hand, may be done in four to six weeks, depending on the roof work requirements and overall size.
Meanwhile, hip and gable conversions may be completed in a maximum of six weeks. When the project calls for the replacement of the entire roof, as is the case in Mansard loft conversions, the timescale for completion can take seven to eight weeks.
It’s also worth noting that there will also be a wait time for planning and making the room off-site. The good news is that some methods like extending the ready-made room to the roof space can reduce the length of the project. More time is also required to install the staircase and create room access.
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