Living in your dream house is a sign of success and accomplishment. However, with time, you may have a large family and require more space. A loft conversion can help you create this much-needed space.

Research indicates that you can enhance your property's appearance and increase its market value by more than 20% if you carry out improvements like loft conversions. Loft Conversion Essex professionals can convert your home's loft, saving you from incurring extra expenditures and minimizing your chances of moving to a bigger house. This work only needs about five weeks to be complete. Before venturing into loft conversion, here are some things you should consider:

1. Structural Integrity

A loft conversion isn't just about creating space in your home. Instead, it may also entail building an extension that will add more weight to your house. It's vital to check that the structure of your home can carry the additional weight. You can know this through various ways, though the most common is to expose your house's foundation to determine its strength and depth. 

It's the foundation, beams, lintels, and pillars that'll shield the extra weight. Even after hiring a loft conversion contractor to check out these details, it's essential to invite a building control officer to take a look. You can dig a trench at the edge of the house or a small hole to reveal the foundations. 

A professional control officer will advise you on whether your building needs underpinnings or not. If it needs underpinnings, you may have to spend more money.

2. Building Regulations

A loft conversion isn't a major project. Because of this, some people don't seek approval from the building regulation offices. Seeking approval isn't a must, but it's vital to let your project be approved before hiring a loft conversion contractor. That way, in case the contractor causes a risk, you can follow up on the matter quickly. It'll also make the project official and enable you to ask for a fixed quote from your builder that'll save you from working on vague estimates.

The regulations also require you to inform your neighbor about any loft conversion plans you have if your home is a terraced house or semi-detached building. Before starting the project, you should give the building authority a 48-hour notice to send a building control officer to inspect and issue a completion certificate. Don't settle your account with the contractor until you receive the certificate. 

3. Insulation

Insulation is vital for a new loft because it'll make it comfortable to live in. One of the vital insulations you need is heat insulation. However, fixing it may not be simple because it needs to be fixed between the roof covering and rafters. 

A good option would be to make your new loft air-tight and install underfloor heating to give warmth during winter. You may also need to install soundproofing on the loft's floor to prevent noise from disturbing the people below. 

Conclusion

Building a loft can help you create more space in your house. However, it can only give you the comfort you require if you do it correctly. A professional contractor may install the loft perfectly, but you need to consider these three factors to ensure it's built according to your preferences.