New builds are incredibly popular, often featuring excellent energy efficiency scores and a modern style that many people love. They are so popular, in fact, new builds cannot be created fast enough to deal with demand. In London, in 2021 over 500,000 new homes needed to be built to accommodate the extra population, and yet only half of that amount was estimated to be registered.
Are you a lucky new owner of a new build? No doubt you assumed it was the perfect choice at the time, but life happens and suddenly you’re in need of more space. Or maybe you want to increase the value of your home without compromising garden space.
Whatever your reason for needing to boost your new build, the fact is that a loft conversion is something that many people don’t associate with a newer building. Yet, it could be exactly what you need.
It’s cost-effective, energy-efficient, quick, and some types of conversion are really simple and highly effective. Just because your home was built recently doesn’t mean that it can’t be adjusted in the near future to improve its functionality.
Of course, as with any home renovation, there are considerations to make that specifically relate to new builds. Let’s take a closer look:
The Benefits of a New Build Loft Conversion
New build loft conversions can come with a huge range of potential benefits including:
- Protecting the outdoor space by building upwards
- Adding better views from a high-level space
- Increasing the room to grow a family
- Home office space
- Reducing the need to move house for the space you need
- Boosting the value of your home
A loft conversion is a really great way to enhance the functionality of a home quickly and easily, and it can be so much quicker and less disruptive than a traditional house extension too, averaging about 10 weeks from preparation to completion. Loft extensions often don’t require a project manager either because the most experienced companies simply have the manager of the build keeping regular communication with you. They also work with you every step of the way to ensure you have adequate guidance when it comes to planning and applying for the relevant paperwork.
Is It More Complex to Apply a Loft Conversion to a New Build?
Yes. A loft conversion on a newer home is sometimes more complex because it can have different features that make it more challenging to adjust the loft space.
After the 1960s, many homes were built with something called a W fink truss, which is essentially a large structural feature that if removed, causes the roof to be structurally unsound. It takes up a lot of space making the loft area as it is without adjustment, unusable. And so when you convert a new build loft space that has this feature, you have to place steel beams to reinstate the structural soundness of the roof and to create more room to actively utilise the converted space.
The new build will also need special adjustments if it uses something called structural insulated panels, which are advantageous in many ways (cost saving, lightweight, good thermal performance) within the construction of a home, but need adjusting to enable a loft conversion to be placed.
In some cases, the property might just use traditional blockwork in the build, which makes them very straightforward to convert.
Potential Developer Barriers
The majority of loft conversions on all properties are usually granted with Permitted Development and sometimes with a need to apply for Planning Permission. However, a unique problem with new builds and home renovations like loft conversions is the developer of the property putting a clause that prevents any work from being done.
It may be that because of the entire housing development there is a clause on all property buyers that they cannot do extensive external property work for a certain amount of time after buying. This can be for numerous reasons relating to the aesthetic of the estate, or the potential for the original building work to be disrupted. This can get complex if you have the ability to apply for adjustments if anything with your home goes wrong within a certain time of purchasing.
The best thing to do is check your paperwork and speak to the developers to either seek permission or have restrictions on your property removed. It’s always worth checking first, because building without checking where you stand legally could cause all kinds of issues down the line, including the need to remove the work that has been done.
Do also remember that even if you get permission, your next-door neighbour might not want to agree to have the same adjustments to their own contract via a party wall agreement you put in place (in the case of semi-detached or end-of-terrace).
A Higher Chance of Planning Permission Requirements
Because new homes tend to have less natural headroom and are shorter than lofts in older homes, the need for Planning Permission and not just Permitted Development is higher than with a period property.
There can also be a lack of Permitted Development rights from the off, as they may have been removed by the council or the developer, so Planning Permission has to be applied for so that the work can be done, regardless of the conversion type you choose.
What Types of Loft Conversions Suit a Newbuild?
It depends on your property and personal taste. Some people like to simply add skylights to their loft, which, as well as certain adjustments to make the space usable and safe, is a very simple and easy conversion. Other types, like dormer or mansard conversions, are worth considering depending on your budget or preference for the space.
As a general rule, you may well be restricted in your options because of the fact the house is a newbuild. Sometimes the money you may have liked to put towards a bigger loft space is used up simply to make the flooring safe and maintain the integrity of the roof structure. The best thing to do is speak to a trusted loft conversion company who can talk you through your options and give you a transparent quote.
Speak to a Local Loft Conversion Company Today About Enhancing Your New Build
If you would like a loft conversion, it may well be that for your property, it is a simple process, and if it isn’t, it is a really good idea to have a company onside who can help you to unpick the potential problems and understand what is needed to get the renovation you want.
Speak to a trusted loft conversion company today to start the process and find out whether or not a loft conversion is accessible to you. They may well know the developers who worked on your house and the surrounding estate. At the very least they will know which adjustments are needed to convert your loft space, and they will be transparent about the costs and timescale involved in that.
As a general rule, because of the potential complexities of a new build loft conversion you only really want to work with the best of the best local loft conversion companies, so that you have the best chance at a smooth process, and phenomenal, safe results.
