The Loft Conversion Process – Step By Step Guide
How TVM Loft Delivery Your New Lofts
Stage One – Have An Idea or Need More Space
Something, at some point will trigger the need to make more space in your home. This might be a growing family, or simply the want for a luxury space for yourself. Whatever your reason for thinking about having a loft conversion, price, adding value to your home or not wanting to use up your precious garden space for a development, you’ll soon realise the only way is up!
At this point you’ll start your research, and on many occasions you may be told, this isn’t viable for your home, you won’t be granted planning permission and many other reasons. Don’t worry this is far from the end, we’ve been to hundreds of homes that have been told exactly this, and we’ve resolved their problem. Many smaller or inexperienced builders won’t touch, or can’t manage certain types of loft conversions, but from our experience, rarely can we not find a solution. So just give a call and book a design and survey consultation and we’ll help you start making your ideas into a reality.
Stage Two – Initial Survey & Design
After contacting us, we’ll book a time slot to come over to your home. Don’t worry, we’ll ring you in advance if we are going to arrive outside that time!
On arrival our professional surveyor will have an initial discussion about your requirements and then do some base measurements and complete some checks on what is viable for your home. After this they will sit and discuss what options you have, and you’ll both agree one what you’d like us to quote for.
A few days later you’ll receive a quote in writing for the work discussed at the survey. The quote is preliminary at this stage, as more detail will be needed to complete a guaranteed quote (see next stage). If you’re happy, let us know and we’ll move to stage two
Oh and we forgot to mention, this stage is carried out at zero cost to you.
After A Loft Conversion
After A Loft Conversion
Stage Three – Drawings & Final Quote
Once you’ve decided you want to proceed, then next we get a full set of architectural drawings done and an engineering report. This means a second visit to take detailed measurements, which usually take about an hour to complete.
Once the drawings are complete, you can review these, you can make whatever updates you feel necessary to make it perfect for you and your home. We are of course on hand for advice at every stage.
When we have a finalised set of drawings, we’ll pull together a full itemised fixed price quote for the project. This is a guaranteed quote for your specifications defined at the drawing stage, meaning you have peace of mind that you’ll know what you’re getting.
Stage Four – Planning Permission & Scheduling
Once you’ve reviewed the quote, and you’re happy to proceed, we’ll start the process of getting planning permission for your project. This is a slick process now as we know what to put forward to complete this quickly on your behalf.
Typical 6 to 8 weeks later, we now have everything in place to commence work. We’ll then look to schedule your project into our work, and we’ll provide you with a provisional start date. We are a busy bunch, but your loft conversion will be scheduled in as soon as we can.
After A Loft Conversion
After A Loft Conversion
Stage Five – Installation of your new loft
Long before any works starts, we’ll be busy preparing everything for your loft conversions. We take into consideration the Party Wall regulations and order all the materials ready for the big start. A few days before we do, scaffolding will be placed around the property to make it safe and secure to complete the work ahead.
Most loft conversions have very little impact on the people living with the house, making it another big reason people choose this option over extensions. With this fact in mind we can make pretty quick progress on getting the new loft structure into place. Before you know it, we’ll have a base shell and a staircase into the loft.
With a few short weeks, your property will be almost complete, and you’ll be wondering how you ever managed to live without it. The final part of this process will be to ensure you’re happy with everything that’s been fitted, and complete a sign-off. This leaves you to start decorating and completing the new loft with furniture and your personal belongings.
Stage Six – Sign-off & Guarantee
Once the work comes to completion, we’ll be working to get your building regulations signed-off, as well as any sign-off needed by the local planning authority if needed. The final paperwork to be completed will be your 10 year guarantee for the work we have completed, so you now have full peace of mind.
The site will now be cleaned-up, scaffolding removed if not done so already, and we’ll leave you to enjoy your new loft conversion.
After this we might be in touch from time to time to check all is well, and to see if you would mind the occasional visitor to show them your new loft. As we said this we try to show all our new customers work we have completed, just like we did for you.
Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy your lovely new home…
