If you’re dreaming up your perfect loft conversion, whether it be a Mansard, Dormer or Hip to Gable, then you’re probably thinking about all the fantastic benefits you’ll get from one. The added space in your home, the extra value to your house, the separate property on top of your home that you could rent out for extra income! During researching getting your new loft conversion however, you may have stopped to take a moment and think about the disruption and cost it would incur, with one of those thoughts being whether or not you need to leave your house during a loft conversion!
Unfortunately, while every building team tries their best to lower the disruption for their clients during building projects, there will naturally be some due to the need of moving materials and tools in and waste back out as well as builders moving in and out of the property. What we do is try to ensure that our builders are as compassionate, understanding and friendly as they can be, which we hope will make you feel more at ease. The question of whether or not you need to leave is a personal one, but there are a number of factors to take into account that can inform your decision.
What kind of loft conversion do you want?
If you are getting a loft conversion that requires changing the structure of the roof in any way, such as a Dormer or Mansard, then our building team will build scaffolding to the roof and endeavour to only enter and exit the loft through a small entrance through the roof. This means that our builders will only have to go through your house near the very end of the conversion when they have to close the gap and place the finishing touches to the inside of the loft. this reduces the total disruption to you. At the same time, these conversions take longer, so noise and the scaffolding maybe be an issue for a few months.
If you’re getting a Velux conversion however, we won’t be erecting scaffolding as we won’t need to change the roof structure. While this will save you money, it does mean our building team will have to work through your home which may cause some noise, mess and in certain circumstances may distress those with special needs, such as autistic children, vulnerable elderly people or those with mental illness. In these circumstances we’ll do what we can, but it may be best for you to move out during the period of the loft conversion if you believe moving temporarily would be less disruptive. However, because Velux conversions are done quickly, you’d only be looking at a month to a month and a half of disruption.
Does your chosen company clean up after themselves?
This is something you should ask any building company you’re approaching regarding your new loft conversion. All we can say is that we take pride in adding value for our clients, so our builders do their best to clean up after themselves. We also hire a clean-up team after our work is done, to make sure your house is back to how you had it before the conversion, if not even cleaner! This includes any dust and dirt on the floors and walls!
What time of year is it?
Finally, while this may seem oblique, you’ve got to bear in mind, we’ll be cutting holes in your roof even if it’s just a Velux conversion (to place in windows/skylights). This means your house will be open to the elements! If you have to schedule your conversion for the Autumn, you’ll be a victim to the rain, and if you’ve scheduled it for winter, there’ll be no insulation from the outside air! We highly recommend moving out during the period if it is a time of year with bad weather just for your own comfort!
While there re other considerations, such as the electricity and gas being cut off at certain times for installation, dust reaching into other rooms and pets etc. the three questions above should help you come to a solid decision as to whether you want to move out or not! We always leave the choice up to our clients and can work whether or not you are living in the home at the time. If you have any doubts or questions for us regarding your planned loft conversion, then feel free to contact us today!
