HOW IT WORKS
At Beacon, we believe in putting you first. We want you to be as excited about your new loft conversion or extension as we are and amazed by the final results.
Trust us, we know how stressful this journey can be. That’s why we do our best to be friendly, open and honest at all times. When you work with us, you can be guaranteed of a top-quality service delivered by a team of pros with years of experience under their belts.
1. INITIAL VISIT
Each project typically starts with a visit to your home. This is a free, no obligation meeting where we’ll discuss your requirements and what can be achieved. We’ll come to talk everything through with you, see what you need, explain how everything works, take some initial measurements and answer any questions you might have.
2. YOUR QUOTE
After visiting you, we’ll be in touch with a quote and to see if you’d like to take things further. From here, we’ll arrange for you to view a similar project that we’ve done so you can see first-hand the quality of the work, see how the spaces we create look and speak to our previous clients.
3. PRE-BUILD
The designer will then take the detailed measurements of your property so we can get the drawings done. Once these are complete, we will submit the drawings to the local Council in order to receive either a Lawful Development Certificate or Planning Approval.
4. THE BUILD
It’s at this stage in the game it all gets very real! For loft conversions, 70% of the works are completed from the outside before the new staircase is installed – your build team access the loft from the scaffold. On site, you’ll have a dedicated build team with a team leader who you’ll have a daily relationship with. We use trusted teams of contractors who we know can deliver amazing results that meet the standards we set and you expect.
5. POST-BUILD AND AFTER CARE
All our work comes with a 10-year guarantee and we’ll be on hand to provide any after care support you need. We also have great relationships with a number of companies where we can get you trade prices or special discount to add any additional finishing touches you might require. If you’d like to begin and arrange a no obligation visit then please get in touch.
Most properties can carry out a loft conversion or ground floor extension without needing planning permission under what’s known as permitted development. Generally, a loft conversion will not require planning permission and will fall within permitted development if it complies with the following guidelines:
• The property is a single household and not flats. A loft conversion on a flat or maisonette will require planning permission.
• The property is not in a conservation area and is not a listed building.
• Any alteration to the roof does not exceed the height of the existing ridge.
• Any alteration to the roof does not extend towards the front of the property.
• The volume of the altered roof does not exceed 40m3 (on a terraced property) and 50m3 (on a semi-detached or detached property).
Even though planning permission is not required for most loft conversions and ground floor extensions, we recommend that a Lawful Development Certificate is obtained from your local Council. The Lawful Development Certificate is essentially the Council confirming that the proposed works comply with the permitted development guidelines and thus is a lawful development. It is not a requirement for this certificate to be obtained, however it is very beneficial when it comes to selling your property. The cost of this certificate is £123. The Council may take up to 8 weeks to approve this certificate, however works may commence before the certificate is issued.
Should planning permission be required, the local Council will charge a fee of £226. A decision from the Council will take up to 8 weeks.
The party wall act is legislation that relates to matters concerning the boundary between your property and your immediate neighbours. For most loft conversions and extensions, it will be necessary to serve Party Wall Notices to your neighbours. If your neighbours sign this notice, there is no need to appoint a party wall surveyor. If your neighbour does not feel comfortable signing this notice, then a party wall surveyor will need to be appointed. Beacon will be happy to advise and assist on any party wall issues.
If the height in your loft from the top of the existing ceiling joist to the underside of the ridgeboard is below 2.2m, converting your loft may be more difficult and may require lowering the 1st floor ceilings to create extra height or raising the height of the property. Don’t rule out the possibility of a loft conversion before speaking to us.