Loft Extension London Ideas: The Loft Playroom

There are lots of projects a loft extension in London can help you execute, and lots of ways a loft extension in London can improve the enjoyment you and your family get out of your home. One popular option is to make use of a converted loft as a playroom/play area for the kids.

Planning The Loft Playroom of Your Kids Dreams

If you have younger children, creating a dedicated space they can call their own in the form of a loft playroom is a win-win situation for everyone. The kids get their own area to be as rowdy and creative as they want (within reason) and the rest of your home (hopefully) remains adult friendly and presentable to the world at large.

A child’s playroom, above all, else, needs to be a safe and secure place to play. That is where a loft conversion specialist comes in. They will be able to execute the structural work that needs to be done to ensure that it is. Once their work is done it will be up to you to decorate it and you’ll need to be ready to add your input while they are still working as well, about things like flooring choices and lighting.

With all of this in mind here are a few great tips for creating – via loft extension in London – a playroom your kids can enjoy for years:

The Walls

Fads come and go in a kid’s world, and at a frequent rate. Sometimes it can seem like one month they are crazy about one thing and the next they have forgotten all about it and moved onto something new. Therefore keeping up with a “theme” for their playroom walls can be tough.

Removable wall decals are one way of doing so easily though. A few decals featuring their current favorite cartoon characters or interests can be purchased for just a few dollars from you local home store. They affix in seconds (literally) and can be removed and replaced just as easily, when they become “old” and the kids have moved onto a new interest.

The Floors

Carpet is OK for a playroom but gets messy and dirty very easily when there are active children around and lugging a vacuum cleaner up to the loft every two days to try to make sure it stays clean may not be something you want to do.

Cork flooring is one popular new alternative and for a couple of good reasons. Cork’s spongy properties will cushion a kid’s fall far better than even the deepest carpet pile can. It is also a material that possesses natural anti bacterial properties and will resist dust and dirt far better than other flooring options and, perhaps best of all, as the space will be above your head it muffles sound brilliantly, so whoever is watching telly, or trying to sleep, a floor down won’t be disturbed by the noise of kids at play.

Storage

A good playroom has lots of storage space, and lofts can usually provide that, especially in the eaves, but to be most effective it needs to be kid friendly storage space. Shelves set high on the walls and liable to fall at any minute tallboys are not the best options.

Adding a number of brightly colored plastic storage boxes is a better idea. They are tough and durable and because they are located at “kid height” even young toddlers can be taught to put away their toys neatly at the end of the day.

Child Safety Tips

A loft playroom for young kids should be one of the safest rooms in the home. Asking your loft conversion specialist to put child proof covers on plug sockets and keep trailing wires to a minimum are musts. Opting for furniture without sharp edges can help make that the case as well.

Add Flexible Furniture

Tiny tables and chairs are cute for toddlers but they have a very limited useful life. A low table and lots of kid friendly options like floor cushions and beanbags are a better idea as they will be as suited to use by a teen – when the loft playroom becomes a loft hangout – as they are for a tot.

The post Loft Extension London Ideas: The Loft Playroom appeared first on ABC Lofts : The Loft Conversion Specialist | ABC Lofts | West London.

source https://www.abclofts.co.uk/loft-extension-london-ideas-the-loft-playroom/

Can You Really Do Your Own Simple Loft Conversion?

DIY home renovation is something thousands of people devote weekend after weekend to and there certainly is something to be said for the satisfaction that comes from seeing a transformation that you effected yourself. One project that many a weekend DIY warrior has decided to tackle themselves is a simple loft conversion. After all, how hard can it be? The guys on the telly made it look easy enough.

However too many people do make certain common mistakes when renovating or improving their own home via a simple loft conversion that sabotage their efforts and either leave a big mess that someone else – ie a local loft conversion specialist – has come in and clean up or a rather empty looking bank account.

A successful DIY home project of any kind should ideally not only increase your enjoyment of your home but its actual value as well, even if it’s only a little bit. Here then are some of the things to keep in mind if you were to decide to try and attempt a simple loft conversion by yourself:

Have a Plan

Every home DIY project, however big or small, including a simple loft conversion, needs to be planned out before you begin, even if that plan is just scribbled down in notebook somewhere.

For example, if you plan to freshen up the look of your loft a bit there’s usually more to it than popping down to the shops and buying a big can of paint. Are you going to do something with the floors as well? Is there really enough light up there to see if you are planning to create a loft home office space? How long do you think it is going to take? A little simple planning can really make all the difference and can also quickly show you that maybe your planned DIY conversion is a little out of your depth after all.

Have a Budget

Often what starts out as a small project spirals out of control cost wise as people keep adding “just one more thing”. A budget should be a part of the plan. Allow a little extra but try to stick to it as closely as you can.

Another example. The homeowner who intended to buy a fairly inexpensive new desk for that home office in the loft. But when they get to the shops they fall in love with a fancy £1,000 model and buy that instead (because they saw some expert or another recommend it, it’s ergodynamic, or something…)

Trouble is, now they only have enough cash left for decent flooring to surround it, not the nicely patterned carpet they’d planned on. The end result is nowhere near as nice as it could have been and the whole simple loft conversion to amazing home office project falls a bit flat…

Don’t be Too Cheap

Saving money where you can is one thing but going too cheap can backfire on you in a big way. That carpet that is so much less than all the others you have looked at? Chances are it’s cheap for a reason; the quality isn’t there. Sure you save a bit now but when it needs replacing in just a couple of years because its worn out already you’ll wish you’d spent that little bit extra in the first place.

The same goes for getting help when you need it. If your simple loft conversion is turning out to be a little more complicated than you had imagined stop and call in the calvary in the form of an experienced loft conversion specialist. It’s not admitting defeat it’s simply being smart enough to know when your lack of knowledge could foul everything up and cost you big time.

The post Can You Really Do Your Own Simple Loft Conversion? appeared first on ABC Lofts : The Loft Conversion Specialist | ABC Lofts | West London.

source https://www.abclofts.co.uk/can-you-really-do-your-own-simple-loft-conversion/

Loft Conversions – Not as Overwhelming as They Sound

Some Surrey homeowners believe that converting their loft , although it will almost add to the function and perceived value of their home is just too much of daunting home remodeling project to undertake, even if they will be hiring a loft conversion company Surrey to do all of the actual work for them.

They hear horror stories about roofs caving in because the wrong beam was knocked down , families having to spend months away from their home when a loft conversion project took longer than unexpected, projects going way over budget and draining someone’s wallet dry, a loft conversion company Surrey disappearing overnight with their clients money and the job unfinished and sometimes worse.

Some of these stories may be true, some may be exaggerations, but the fact is that a loft conversion does not have to be a project that is anywhere near as hard or daunting as it may sound. As long as you plan carefully, take your time and find the right people to work with making your home a better and more useful place to live should end up being a very rewarding experience.

Here are some important considerations to keep in mind to help make sure the whole project progresses as planned;

Budget

Before you begin talking to a loft conversion company Surrey and making grand plans for your new space sit down and work out a realistic budget for your project – and then stick to it. Such budgets tend to spiral out of control when a homeowner starts submitting change order after change order to their loft conversion specialists because they have had another “great idea” that only just came to them, without giving proper thought to just how much more that bright idea is going to cost them.

Real Estate Market Considerations

Even if you are not planning on selling your home anytime in the near (or distant) future, it still pays to ask a couple of local real estate agents about the loft conversions that tend to offer the best return on a home-owner’s investment in your area.

They will also probably be able to tell you about what kind of loft spaces turn home buyers off, so that you won’t end up building a white elephant room that no one will want should you end up deciding to sell after all.

DIY Disaster

If you listen to many of those loft conversion horror stories properly they begin “When we decided to do a loft conversion” and the we means the homeowners and a couple of their “quite handy” mates. Thanks in part to all those glossy TV shows and Internet blogs many people think that they will save themselves a lot of money by building a room or living space in the loft themselves.

The problem is that a loft conversion is often very much like building a little house. You need to add the plumbing, the electrics, the walls, floors, ceilings etc and still make sure that one, the whole thing does not fall apart and two, the local building inspector does not come knocking on your door to tell you it all has to come down because you failed to get the right permits and permissions.

Loft conversions are a remodeling projects that are best left to the professionals right from the very start. Take your time, do some research to find a good loft conversion company Surrey who has experience in the field and in the end you should find that having your loft conversion done, which is so useful you don’t know how you lived without it, was not that painful at all.

The post Loft Conversions – Not as Overwhelming as They Sound appeared first on ABC Lofts : The Loft Conversion Specialist | ABC Lofts | West London.

source https://www.abclofts.co.uk/loft-conversions-not-as-overwhelming-as-they-sound/

The Pros and Cons of Commissioning a Residential Loft Conversion

By commissioning a loft conversion a homeowner can make their home far more “livable” and potentially increase its resale value, certainly in terms of its perceived value in the eyes of potential home buyers. The addition of a brand new living space can also allow families to remain in the neighborhood they have come to love even when the current home has become a little to small for their current needs.

However, before you do decide to commission a loft conversion there are certain things you should be aware of that may affect you decision to undertake such a potentially life changing home remodeling project.

Building Restrictions

There is little doubt that wherever your home is located there are going to be more than a few rules and restrictions to be met if you are considering a loft conversion. Although rules vary from place to place and borough to borough, it is a general rule of thumb that anything that is going to alter a home’s “footprint” needs to be regulated and a loft conversion will almost always do that.

Working with a local professional who has extensive experience in >loft conversion can be of the utmost importance in this aspect. Because they are used to doing these kinds of jobs they already know all of these rules and regulations and can make sure that your project does not fall afoul of them.

What Kind of Change Do You Want to Make?

Converting a loft is something that is being utilized to create an increasing number of different kinds of living spaces. The more extensive of them are being utilized to accommodate adult children returning home, adding a home office space, adding the kind of recreational space that can accomodate all of the great tech that makes up a modern media room and even as small rental units to generate a regular extra income.

Having a vision and actually getting that vision executed properly in reality are two very different things though. Again, working with an experienced professional will help. They’ll be able to let you know just how realistic your plans are and then help you make sure that the project is executed efficiently, attractively and on budget from start to finish.

Does Your Loft Present Any Special Challenges?

Not all homes are created the same and that goes double for lofts. Although they may share some general characteristics every loft space is different, and some are, in all fairness, more difficult to convert than others. Not all of these challenges are immediately evident to the untrained eye though. A trained specialist in loft conversions can spot them though, and if they can be overcome will be the right person to help crete plans and strategies to do so successfully.

Finding the Right Contractor

Wherever your home is located it is likely you will be faced with page after page of contractors in your local Yellow Pages or the average Google Local search who will claim they can provide you with the new loft living space of your dreams. So which one do you actually choose to do so?

The best option for a loft conversion project of any kind, no matter how big or small is often hiring a loft conversion specialist. These individuals are adept at both undertaking such specialist projects in the first place and at pulling together the kind of larger team of subcontractors you are likely to need (plumbers, electricians, painters, carpenters etc) and making sure that everyone works together to get the job done as efficiently and expediently and within budget, as possible.

The post The Pros and Cons of Commissioning a Residential Loft Conversion appeared first on ABC Lofts : The Loft Conversion Specialist | ABC Lofts | West London.

source https://www.abclofts.co.uk/the-pros-and-cons-of-commissioning-a-residential-loft-conversion/