How much does a loft conversion cost?
Moreover the answer to this question is the most commonly wrongly answered.
So how much does a loft conversion cost? Unsurprisingly the first thing most people do is jump online and search “loft conversion cost”. What is surprising however is the inaccuracy of the information that is spat up.
According to Google (so it must be true, right?) at a loft conversion will cost from £20,000 up through £40,000 and beyond. Other figures that jump out are £30,000 and £35,000.This is a problem because it’s misleading. I wouldn’t blame a homeowner for picking up the lowest common denominator and using that as a benchmark against which to compare actual loft conversion quotes from builders. I’d probably do the same.
But the problem comes, you see, when the homeowner is confronted with the actual cost, and guess what, it’s WAY more than they initially thought. The home owner thinks the loft company is having a laugh and the loft company’s instinctive though is to lower the price in a race to the bottom, just to win the work. So the loft company gets the work and the homeowner gets a cheap loft, everyone’s a winner, right? Wrong.
The fact of the matter is that in London, the average 3 bed family home will cost £4,000 on scaffolding, £3,000 and design fees, building control fees, planning fees, party wall notices, completion certificates, parking permits for vans, all the material for the job, steels, structural timers, bathroom suits (which in themselves can be well in excess of £9,000), tiling, flooring, carpets, plumbing, heating, lighting, VAT and on and on. So you see where this is going right? In short there is a minimum cost that any given loft can be completed for.
The truth is the ‘higher’ quoted price wasn’t actually high at all; it was accurate. In an effort to meet the homeowner cost expectations the contractor tells them the price they want to hear.
Regrettably, and invariably, what so-called ‘cheap’ loft conversion contractors have to do is one of two things. They will either cut corners and not finish the job properly to save money, or they will just increase the price once the job has started. Sorry folks I’m sure it’s not what you want to hear, but I’m only telling you what you already know – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And whilst we’re on idioms, if you pay peanuts, you get…well, you already know.
OK, OK, you get it, cheap prices floating about on Google are wrong. So how much does a loft conversion cost? In London the average 3 bed family home will cost around £260 per square foot to build, fully finished. This comes with all the usual health warnings of course, taking into account the individual finesse of each house, and is subject to a full architectural survey and planning provisos.
For an accurate cost of a loft conversion on your home, I’m afraid you won’t find it online and you will need to get the experts over to quote you directly. We are well known loft experts in London and Surrey.
Good luck dear friends and be happy to pay for quality workmanship in your home. If you need a quote just fill out our form or get in touch info@cityloftslondon.com / Or call 02088988299 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
