Many people love the idea of transforming their home with a loft conversion, extension or even basement room, but are put off by the perceived cost. However there are a number of simple design choices that you can make which can significantly reduce the overall cost of your building project. Have a look at some of our top tips below.

Keep your loft conversion simple

Although it may be tempting to plan your loft conversion to include mansard roofs or a dormer conversion, bear in mind that these will cost significantly more than if you plan to just include a number of simple roof lights. Of course you will get less headroom and possibly limit your useable floor space, but if you can live with that then it will save you money. Other money-saving tips for loft extension include positioning any bathrooms directly above those on the floor below so that installing water and soil pipes is much simpler.

Consider sharing your side return

If you are going to extend out into the side return to increase the side of your kitchen then it might be worth seeing if your neighbour is also having the same thoughts. Being able to share a builder will save you money and also make any party wall issues much simpler and cheaper to resolve.

Think about drainage

If at all possible it is worth planning any project to keep draining as simple as possible. For example if your plan includes building over a manhole cover which will then need moving, this could add up to £2,000 to the cost of your build. Also, as with loft conversions, try and keep all water and drainage as close to existing supplies as possible, as having to extend or create new pipelines will add to your costs.

Buy off the peg

When designing your project it is worth trying to include as many simple shapes as possible which will mean that you will be able to take advantage of standard materials and off-the-shelf windows and doors.

Think second hand

Not only might you be able to save money by looking to eBay and other such avenues to source second hand (think ‘vintage’ or ‘retro’!) materials and items such as radiators, doors, sinks etc, but you can even make some money by selling the things that you will have to get rid of as part of your project. You can even sell your old kitchen units or even your old conservatory!

For more information about how you can achieve the home of your dreams on a budget, contact the friendly builders at Wisecraft Ltd for a no obligation chat.

Let’s face it, a loft conversion can be a fantastic way to get extra space in your house, without losing any of your precious outdoor space – and our amazing skills in that area (even if we do say so ourselves!) are one of the reasons why we are one of the premier builders for loft conversions in Bolton. However for many of us one of the unexpected downsides of having our loft beautifully converted into a stunning master bedroom suite, spacious playroom for all of the kids’ toys or a dedicated man cave, is that suddenly we lose all of that storage space. But fear not! Here at Wisecraft we have lots of nifty hints and tips to help you regain lost storage space from places you never even knew existed (or, at least, you knew they were there but had never thought about using them for storage!).

Keep some storage space in the loft

This may seem somewhat counterintuitive, but even with the most spacious loft conversion you can still keep a surprising amount of storage space. For example there is often an amount of loft space that is difficult to reasonably use as living space, such as into the very corners of the eaves, which can be boxed off and can still provide extremely useful storage whilst not really losing very much floor space from your new room.

Utilise that awkward space under the stairs

Obstinate places that don’t make great living space can in fact make fantastic storage space with just a little vision. The sloping, slanted space under the stairs is rarely going to make a perfect dining area but can either be boxed off to provide a large cupboard for household appliances and other large items, or fitted with made to measure shelving to create organised storage for smaller items or even turned into a home office to which you only need to wheel up a chair.

Try going up, up, up!

In many houses there is a wealth of unused storage space, just look upwards! By simply extending shelving and cupboards etc right up to the ceiling you can create a surprising amount of extra storage. And yes, it may be a little more difficult to reach, but surely you would only be storing things up there that were previously in your loft?

For more information about gaining a new living space in your loft without losing too much of your valuable storage, contact the loft conversion experts at Wisecraft today. We are more than happy to come round and provide free, no obligation advice and quotes – all we ask for is a cup of tea….with 3 sugars!