loft conversion 1

It’s that time of year when homeowners everywhere start thinking about their current available living space and what they can do to make more/the most of it. An obvious answer would be to move altogether, but moving house is costly and not the most simplest of solutions - especially when you’re already settled and absolutely in love with your property and the surrounding area.

So what other options are available? Well, it’s typically a toss-up between an outward home extension on the side or rear of your property or a loft conversion. Both are excellent choices for increasing useable space but each has their own advantages over the other. It all depends on what kind of budget you have and how you intend to use your renovated space once it’s finished.

We think a loft conversion tops a home extension (pretty much) every time. But in order to help you come to a decision, we’ve listed a few good reasons why:

Cost and return on investment 

Let’s start with the most important thing; the amount of money you’re going to need to spend. Of course every individual project is different but the average cost of both is relatively similar. It’s only when you break it down into time spent on the project when a loft conversion starts to pay off considerably more - adding an average of £20,000 onto the value of your property. (As opposed to the £16,000 added with a house extension).

Timescale

Timescale is a huge factor when it comes to home renovations. Not just from a perspective of cost, but also the sheer convenience of things - after all, nobody wants their home to look like a building site for months on end.

A loft conversion will typically take around 3 to 6 weeks, whilst a home extension takes considerably longer at roughly 6 months.

Space efficiency

Building a house extension means outwardly expanding your home closer towards the property line. This in itself can sometimes create animosity between neighbours who live in close proximity, as well as compromising valuable garden space. Converting a loft, however, generally won’t affect the next-door neighbours and won’t compromise space in or outside your home. If anything, you’ll be making the most of space that may otherwise go unused.

Versatility and limitations

Okay, we’re not entirely biased. There are occasions when a house extension would be the better option if you wanted more space - especially if your ideas were rather ambitious. Limited floorspace and headroom can make converting your loft troublesome. We’ve already mentioned when a loft conversion might need planning permission, but there are also things you can and cannot do regarding fire regulations.

A home extension generally offers more ‘things’ you can do with it, as you’re practically building a new structure from scratch. With a loft conversion you’re typically confined to the space you’ve already got.