Loft and Basement Conversions in Cheltenham
The Pros and Cons of These House Renovations
From foundation to roof, our team at Mint Builders have a home improvement solution for you. If you’re looking for extra space, whether for an additional bedroom, a much-needed home office, or a bespoke entertainment zone, we’re the Cheltenham-based construction company you need. We specialise in all manner of house extensions, basement conversions, loft conversions, and custom house renovations, and no one beats us on value, customer experience, or turnkey results.
In this article, we examine two of our most well-regarded renovations and the many benefits associated with each. We also comment on their disadvantages so that you can fully assess which one might suit your plans.
Basement Conversions
The Pros
- Maximises Existing Space: basement conversions use the entire footprint of a property, providing significant additional space for social areas, home gyms, or extra bedrooms
- Energy Efficiency: the surrounding earth naturally insulates these newly created spaces, resulting in lower heating costs and a more stable internal temperature
- Noise Reduction: basements are inherently good at dampening noise, making them ideal for uses that might generate more sound, such as music rooms or workshops
- Versatile Use: these house renovations offer multipurpose spaces tailored to specific needs, such as Airbnb rentals, which can be fully self-contained
- Increased Market Value: like their attic-based counterparts, basement conversions enhance property value and can be particularly lucrative in high-value areas
The Cons
- Cost: basement conversions can be expensive, especially if significant structural changes, complex alterations, waterproofing, and underpinning are required
- Ventilation: these interiors require adequate ventilation to prevent musty odours and maintain air quality, which adds to the overall cost and complexity of the project
Access and egress are vital for basements, especially emergency exits, and installing additional staircases or windows might be challenging in some Cheltenham properties. Our builders will ensure you have all the necessary information you require before choosing basement conversions over any of our other space-creating house renovations, such as house extensions or garage conversions.
Loft Conversions
The Pros
- Increased Living Space: loft conversions complete unused attic space, providing additional rooms without affecting the building’s footprint, unlike house extensions
- Cost-Effective: they are also relatively cost-effective compared to moving to a larger house, avoiding the expenses related to stamp duty, legal fees, and moving costs
- Natural Light: attics often benefit from an influx of natural light, mainly if skylights or dormer windows are installed, and this can create a bright, pleasant living environment
- Less Disruption: unlike house renovations that require extensive preliminary works, loft conversions don’t impact the majority of your home or day-to-day activities
- Property Value: according to various sources, a well-executed loft conversion can increase a Cheltenham home’s market value by up to 20%
The Cons
- Structural Challenges: the roof structure, ceiling height, and load-bearing capacity must be assessed, and reinforcing the structure can increase the costs
- Building Regulations: attic conversions must comply with regulations covering fire safety, insulation, and accessibility, which requires detailed planning
The sloped roof of a loft can limit usable space, making some areas challenging to use. This can restrict the type of rooms you can create, often necessitating custom furniture. Whilst not a significant issue, our team at Mint Builders will remind you of this at the planning stage so you can budget for bespoke installations such as wardrobes, shelving, shower cubicles and screens. It would be best to consider how to get new furniture up to the attic as well.