Preparing your property for a loft conversion, or any major works, is something you should seriously think about. There will likely be a lot of disruption to your family if you decide to stay in the house during the conversion. There will also be a lot of dust and other debris to deal with, and you need to prepare to ensure your furniture and other household items are not destroyed should anything go wrong. Now that you know the why, how do you go about preparing for the conversion?
Reduce Clutter and Improve Access
To make the work of the contractor easier, it is always a good idea to remove any items you have in the loft. These items can be reused in some way or disposed of. You also need to make sure the loft is accessible to the people working on it because doing this helps the contractor get to work as soon as possible instead of taking a day or two to clear the items in the loft so that it is accessible.
Dust Sheets and Covers
Many companies that do loft conversions will clean up after they complete the project. That said, you could make their work easier by covering all your items with dust sheets and covers. Because of the nature of the works being undertaken, it is likely your house will be dusty. No matter how good a job of cleaning the contractor does, it is inevitable that you will still find some dust in some areas they miss. Reduce the chance of this happening by having the right protections in place.
Ask Them About Your Amenities
In some houses, the water, gas, electric or even air conditioning systems will pass through the loft. The contractor might ask you to switch them off while the work is ongoing. It is therefore a good idea to know where all the switches for all these systems are so you can turn them off when you are asked to.
Assess the Types of Conversion Possible
Once you have all the above in order, you should consider the different types of loft conversions that are possible. There are many factors to think about, including the type of roof you have and its pitch, the amount of additional space you will have once the conversion is done, and how the conversion will affect the rest of the house.
There are different types of conversions depending on the type of your property. To see what options are available to you, your budget and your type of property, talk to different architectural designers. You will want to find someone who operates in your area so that you can have regular consultations about the conversion. There are designers like CK Architectural who operate throughout the country, with branches in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and more. If you take a look at the CK Architectural Birmingham website, you can take a look at their gallery and see some examples of projects they’ve completed in the area. If it does turn out that a loft conversion isn’t for you, these architectural experts also offer services like house extensions and barn conversions. Regardless of your location, you can do some research into what can be done and see if there’s a branch nearby.
A loft conversion is a major project that gives you additional space in your house. Proper planning should be done because there will be a lot that you need to prepare for beforehand. Before work commences, you should have Planning Permission and ensure the contractor you choose adheres to all Building Regulations. Because you are adding additional living space, you will also need to have the sound insulation tested so that the property adheres to approved building regulations.
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Daniel Peacock.