Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions page for transforming your living space through innovative home improvement solutions.
Whether you're considering expanding your living area with a stylish loft conversion, creating a dream kitchen extension for culinary delights, embarking on a holistic home renovation journey, or exploring the possibilities of home extensions, you've come to the right place.
Our expertise and insights cover every aspect of these exciting projects, helping you make informed decisions and turn your vision into reality.
Explore the world of possibilities as we delve into the details of loft conversions, kitchen extensions, home renovations, and home extensions, each tailored to elevate your living experience to new heights.
Loft Conversions
The cost of a loft conversion naturally depends on what you want to achieve. A Velux conversion will cost £15,000 - £20,000, while a Dormer conversion will cost £30,000 - £60,000. Hip-to-Gable conversions involve making structural changes to your roof, costing more.
These conversions cost around £40,000 - £65,000. The most expensive type of loft conversion is a Mansard conversion. These change the entire shape of your roof and can cost anywhere between £45,000 - £70,000.
Most loft conversions won't require planning permission as they fall under the permitted home developments category.
But it's always best to check, as there are some limits on what you can do to your home without planning permission.
While you might be a DIY expert, we don't advise that you try to convert your loft yourself. There are many things that can go wrong, and it's better to rely on the expertise of professionals.
For example, you need to ensure you have enough headroom once the conversion is done, which is tricky if you have no experience.
There are several pitfalls you can fall foul of when converting a loft, including:
- Not leaving enough headroom
- Failing to check if you need planning permission
- Failing to meet building regulations
- Getting your proportions wrong
- Forgetting your stairs
- Overspending
- Not notifying your insurance provider
- Not considering your lighting
- Being too noisy
Rooflight loft conversions are your cheapest option. These conversions involve installing rooflight windows, allowing natural light into your loft. All the plastering, insulating and flooring are secondary and usually fairly affordable.
While this may sound basic, sometimes less is more. If you want an effective and cheap way to convert your loft, rooflight conversions are your best choice. The average price of these conversions is £15,000 - £20,000.
Kitchen Extensions
An average kitchen conversion will cost between £30,000 to £50,000, but you can add another 20% on top if you live in London or the South East.
Extending an existing kitchen is known as a "kitchen bump-out". Most homeowners choose this option to create more space for new appliances or kitchen features.
They are usually less expensive than full extensions that affect other parts of your home.
So long as your plans don't go beyond your permitted development rights, you won't need to apply for planning permission for a small kitchen extension.
Most of the limitations imposed on extensions refer to changes made to the front of a property or where it borders a road or other properties.
The kitchen is one of the busiest areas of most homes. It also acts as a multifunctional space, where you can cook, eat, relax and spend time with family and friends.
Therefore, investing in such a crucial part of your home has its natural advantages.Not to mention that it could add value to your property should you eventually decide to sell.
The timescale of a kitchen extension depends on the scale of the project. Therefore, there's no average timescale to work from.
However, most small extensions usually take between 6 - 16 months, but can sometimes take much longer.
Home Renovation
The first benefit of investing in higher-quality materials and upgrading your home is that it can save you money. Since you're rejuvenating your home, you won't need to replace these materials again for a long time. House renovations also make your home more relaxing to be in.
Rather than focus on what you don't like every time you walk through the door, you can create the perfect home that is a joy to live in. Upgrading your heating system and other areas of plumbing or electrics will also reduce your utility bills while also adding value to your property.
The main motivation behind a home renovation isn't financial - you're trying to create the perfect home for you and your family.
However, renovations undoubtedly increase the overall value of a property. This is why some homebuyers go out of their way to find homes to renovate before selling them for a profit.
While the main reason for renovating your home is to create a better space for you to live in, it will naturally increase your property's value.
Most people buy a new house because they want more room or an improved version of the home they already own. Therefore, renovations achieve the same goal as buying a new property but for a fraction of the price.
The most expensive part of any home renovation is replacing the existing roof.
If your surveyor suggests that you need a new roof or you've included it in your plans from the start, you should budget at least £5,000 - £12,000 for it. Of course, this depends on the size of your property and your planned changes to your roof system.
Home Extensions
The best way to make your extension more affordable is to use off-the-shelf products. This means you'll need to build your plan around products like standard-size windows or doors.
It's made-to-order products that increase the cost of an extension. Therefore, try to use readily available products wherever possible to reduce costs.
A single-storey extension will cost between £2,000 - £3,000 per square metre. Of course, these prices vary depending on where you live and the materials you want to use in your extension.
Two and three-storey extensions also cost much more.
Like any other home alteration, you need to check your permitted development rights. These will tell you what you do and do not need planning permission for. There are certain extensions that will require full planning permission, such as:
- Those covering more than 50% of the land around the original property dimensions
- Extensions going beyond the front elevation or side elevation that front a public road
- Extensions reaching higher than the original roof height
- Single-storey extensions reaching 3 metres beyond the rear wall of an attached house or 4 metres beyond the rear wall of a detached house
- Single-storey extensions more than 4 metres in height
The 50% rule states that any extensions to your house should not cover more than 50% of the land around the original dimensions of your property.
If your extension will cover this amount of land, you'll need full planning permission.
The average timescale for an extension is similar to that of a kitchen extension: between 6 - 16 months. Again, this varies depending on what your plans involve.
You'll also have to account for all the different processes involved, such as plumbing and wiring, alongside uncontrollable factors, like the weather.