Not every householder can find the cash to move these days, with real estate selling prices soaring and costs spiraling. The cost of moving needs to be added to the asking price of the new home as well as all the unavoidable extras when you're determining the total expenditure involved. However moving house is not the only option open to you when your family is outgrowing your current home.

You might extend your home to create more space but even this can be very expensive and might depend on your ability to get planning permission. Another possibility is a garage conversion, which would be cheaper but is dependant on you having a garage and not needing it for your car. Another option is to do a loft conversion, which could not only be cost effective, but could also put more value to your property without the need to increase its footprint.

Lately, for some of the reasons mentioned above, loft conversions have become ever more popular. You must be sure your property is in fact well suited for a loft conversion prior to making your final decision. Not all houses are actually suitable, particularly recently constructed properties which have got trussed roofs. The perfect homes for doing loft conversions are the older properties, particularly those constructed prior to the seventies.

You will need to speak to a local builder to check on the scenario with your particular loft space and make sure it is suitable. If everything is okay to go ahead with the conversion, you could request a quotation from the builder. Get some additional estimates from different loft conversion specialists, so that you've got a good selection of tradesmen. When deciding on the ideal person for the work you need to use your intuition and not simply go with the lowest estimate.

Loft conversions seldom need planning permission, therefore it is improbable that your conversion will. To check if planning permission is required, talk to your local planning department.

Do not suppose that doing a loft conversion is going to be cheap, as it's a fairly expensive thing to do. If you don't already have the required money you could perhaps ask the bank for a loan, which is often not too difficult as the likelihood is that your conversion will add considerably to the market value of the house. As a general rule of thumb you may expect a loft conversion to cost approximately as much as a decent size brick built extension though the probability is that you will gain more additional space with a conversion while not increasing your property's footprint.

Which type of conversion you can have is likely to be determined by the style and design of your actual house. Loft conversions come in various styles such as: mansard loft conversions, roof lift loft conversions, hip-to-gable loft conversions, loft pods, dormer conversions, roof light conversions and velux conversions. Talk to your chosen loft specialist or builder to confirm which kind is best suited for your house and which is the most economical to fit your allowed budget.

Dormer Conversions

One of the most popular styles of conversion at present is the dormer style, a design which delivers the best value for money, though still generates the maximum additional space. This is a favorite choice for house owners because its both practical and pleasing and offers almost everything which could possibly be needed. With this pattern its even possible to include a little balcony, which means that you are generating supplemental exterior space too. You will discover there are several kinds of dormers namely flat roof dormers, shed dormers, Velux dormers and gabled dormers. Consult with an expert to learn which one would be perfect for your home.

Velux Windows

One of the best known names in roof windows, Velux, have been around for more than 60 years and you can rely on them to provide a loft window which is both effective and top quality. These windows are built to be fitted in line with the gradient of the roof and hence don't alter the look of the roof structure, nor do they normally require permission and they are reasonably inexpensive to fit. Velux windows produce a good amount of light and in fact might even require blinds fitted the summertime. If your attic has a fair amount of headroom, a Velux conversion may be a good solution for you, in particular if you have limited resources.

How Much Time Will it Take to Do?

The timescale for doing a conversion is determined by a number of things such as the trustworthiness of the contractors, the availability of required materials, the design of conversion, the weather conditions and the level of pre-planning that's undertaken. As a rough guideline a rear dormer conversion carried out on a terraced property should take approximately four or five weeks, a hip to gable dormer on a semi-detached house ought to take about five to six weeks.

When your conversion is finished, there are numerous uses you are able to put it to. You may use it as a new bathroom, an additional bedroom or a guest room. But of course there are plenty of uses to which a nice conversion might be put, constrained only by your ingenuity!