Maximise The Space In Your Home

1. Maximise The Space In Your Home Growing families often run out of habitable space in their home when their circumstances change. Therefore it is quite common these days to see homeowners consider loft conversions in Surbiton, South West London and elsewhere. In fact, cities such as London are more popular than ever before, with more people moving in all the time. This often leads to a shortage of accommodation and makes it more difficult for the family whose space is limited to find a replacement home. Many now understand that it is of importance to consider what additional space your home does offer and then to maximise that space or potential space. The loft is a perfect example. THE LOFT – ADDITIONAL SPACE Lofts differ in size and volume, according to the house they form the top level of. A small or semi-detached home may not offer you the space that a bigger semi or freestanding home would. What is sure, however, is the fact that proportionately every house with a loft offers its owner the option of going up into the roof area and create the space they need to fit their needs and circumstances. This may be to add office space, or you may need another bedroom with bathroom, or an entertainment area. Whatever your reasons for wanting to convert existing loft space into another room, it is possible if you can use the additional space. LEGAL REQUIREMENTS An ordinary loft conversion does not need planning permission from the authorities as it is often regarded in the UK as part of so-called permitted development; however, your home and its structure need to fit certain minimum criteria to qualify for a “no need for planning permission” scenario. A basic renovation such as adding windows and doing minimal internal work will not need permission, even though it is always good to check with the local authorities. Better still: let the loft conversion service you employ, do it for you. They do this all the time and have the knowledge that the average homeowner lacks. For example, you may be considering a loft conversion that involves exceeding specific limits and conditions as far as changing/altering the roof space goes. You need to be sure you stay within the laws of the country and your local authority. LIMITS When considering a loft conversion, get your conversion service to confirm the following for you: •The property is not situated in certain prohibited areas such as a national park, or in a region considered for its natural beauty (such as in parks and similar locales), or in a conservation area, or that it is a monument, for example. •The added space will not be more than 40m3 for a terraced property and not more than 50m3 for semi-detached homes. •The conversion will not cause the existing roof to extend higher than its current highest point and it does not extend beyond the principal elevation of the roof. •The conversion must exclude balconies and verandas. •The conversion should not overhang the outer wall of the home as it is before you start the renovation. The above gives an idea of what is not allowed in terms of which a conversion is affected. Once the conversion service has confirmed the above and other issues for you, it may well be time to go ahead and acquire the building materials that are similar in appearance to the rest of the house. There are limits as to what materials you may use and how much (if at all) the outward appearance of the home may be altered. Once you understand the limits, also legally, and you have set aside enough funds for this renovation, it is time to convert your loft so you can add that additional space that you require. About Us At LMB Group we offer clients across London and Surrey our years’ experience as leading loft conversion and extension experts. Our company is a CIOB (Charted Institute of Building) accredited service and therefore belongs to a select group of services known for meeting the highest standards in the building industry. We offer clients that need to add space and value to their homes a great many choices and different loft conversion and extension options, all backed by many years in the industry and professionally executed by our experienced teams. We are a professional, trusted company with many successful projects under the belt, and with the passion to ensure that every task we take on, is completed to clients’ satisfaction.