House Extensions VS Loft Conversions: The Pros & Cons

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, around 15% of Londoners want to move out of the city, but over 50% want to move home but remain in the area of London. Many people are finding a middle ground instead, where they choose to extend their home instead of opting for the disruption and cost of moving house. 

Of course, there are still costs and disruptions involved in extending a property, and you still have a rather large choice to make, extending outwards or upwards? 

The fact is, there are benefits and downsides to both loft conversions and house extensions, and all - the good and the bad - form part of your considerations when it comes to choosing the next step for your home. 

To help you, here's an overview of the key pros and cons of both home extensions and loft extensions: 

House Extensions

A house extension is an extension of the footprint of your home, and it can be a literal doubling of your home's size or a simple addition that extends a main room like the kitchen or living room area. Let's take a look at the pros and cons of house extensions: 

Pros 

More Than A Bedroom

A house extension is as large as you want it to be, and for that reason, it has endless possibilities when it comes to design without any restrictions from the roof shape or room quirks associated with a converted loft space. So, while loft conversions are commonly used as bedroom space, a house extension can become practically anything. 

Easy To Fit-Out

An extension is usually easy to fit out and decorate because there are no quirky spaces often associated with loft conversions. 

Sometimes You Can Extend Up

Sometimes you can extend the new space you have built upwards, which isn't always possible and depends on the extension itself, planning permissions, and other factors. However, if possible, you can avoid losing more garden space by adding to your extension in this way. 

Skip The Cost Of Selling Your Home

The average cost of selling a house in the UK at the moment is approaching £4,000, based on the UK average house price. That is without accounting for time off work to move, packing services, moving services, and the cost of stress, which causes 60% of people to avoid moving altogether. 

It Adds To The Value Of The Home

A home extension could add up to 23% onto its value, which is a phenomenal boost. This is especially true if the extension is built in a way that is as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible and can achieve green certification. 

You Get To Stay In A Place You Love

Loving the local area and valuing the memories in the house you live in are key reasons that prevent a person from moving home. The issues that arise are usually because the functionality is problematic, and it can cause a family to have to leave the house, despite it almost being entirely perfect. Adding an extension solves that problem because it boosts the functionality of a home and enables you to stay in the place you love for longer. 

Cons

Lots Of Disruption

There is a lot more to a house extension than a loft conversion, which means it takes longer to complete on average (potentially over a year). This is a lot of disruption and often requires compromised living situations or moving out entirely for the duration. This can be highly challenging for any homeowner, especially those with children or pets. 

Can Be Stressful To Manage

A house extension can be stressful to manage, even with a project manager, which many people choose to avoid because of the associated costs. Coordinating the costs, materials, workers, any neighbor disputes, paperwork, not to mention living away from home or on a building site, can be cripplingly stressful. 

Lots Of Potential For Costs To Escalate

There are many potentials for the budget to be blown on a house extension project. Usually, this happens when new functionality, features, or materials may be added to the project without considering the additional costs, time or resources involved. 

Without due consideration, these changes can lead to costs soaring very quickly. 

Another reason house extension costs can escalate is when timelines aren't met because of supply, building work, or paperwork delays, which is often unavoidable but still stings financially all the same. 

You May Have To Compromise On Design

Even though you are extending outwards, there could still be compromises to be made on your house design. Planning permissions, local area restrictions on home aesthetic changes or styles, your house type, and literal garden space to expand into all mean your house extension may end up being less than your dream vision. 

Value Increase Does Not Guarantee That You Will Sell It For More

House values in the UK fluctuate hugely every year, depending on a wide range of factors. This means that although an extension could add value to your home, it is never guaranteed that you will get that extra value when selling your house. This is especially true if you pay out more than the average value to have it added. Going into an extension commitment, you should always be aware there is no guarantee you will get a return on investment. 

Pros 

Skip Planning Permission

Many loft conversion types don't need planning permission, although some still need building regulations approval. A roof light conversion, hip to gable, pitched roof dormer, and flat roof dormer is often added without planning permission. However, it varies by area and is always worth checking first. 

Loft Conversions Tend To Complete Faster Than House Extensions

Loft conversions can often be completed in as little as ten weeks from start to finish, much less time than a house extension. You can also continue to live in your home while a loft conversion is added, although if you do move out, the time period is shorter and so less disruptive and costly. 

No Garden Is Sacrificed 

Headlines in the media have suggested that London gardens are shrinking because some homeowners are choosing to extend the footprint of their homes. This is a mistake regarding the value of a London home, as outdoor space with property in this part of the country can add 20% onto its value. Following the pandemic and all of us valuing outdoor space much more, some reports suggest that the outdoor space of a home (if it is landscaped) post-pandemic can add a such as 75% to its overall value - a strong reason to reconsider that outwards extension. 

It Generally Costs Less Than A House Extension

The cost of a loft extension will often cost less than a house extension. This is because there is no need for foundations to be laid, in addition to other extra preparations. This saves a lot of money and time overall. Because there are no other companies involved and the loft conversion company can handle the project's design, construction, and management, money is also saved on the management of the process. 

Lots Of Choices

A loft extension like a Mansard style conversion can transform loft space into a huge space spanning the entire roof. This is because the roof is adjusted to be almost vertical. 

You could also choose hip to gable conversions, which are great for detached, semi-detached, or end of terraced houses, or dormer loft extensions that tend to be suitable for most homes and roof shapes. 

Skylight Loft conversions are also a popular way to boost the functionality of a loft space. This is especially true if the floor is already reinforced, as it simply allows light to flood in and the space to be transformed with minimal adjustments. 

Great Views & Natural Light

Many loft conversions allow London properties to get a view of the surrounding area, which may be otherwise out of bounds because of the upstairs level of the home. In addition, roof lights in the highest part of the home can see above the tree line and allow natural light to flood in for a beautiful aesthetic for a bedroom, home office, or creative space. 

Particularly Great For Homes In London

As we mentioned above, garden space is at a premium in London. Even outside of London, outdoor space is more important than ever. It's your slice of nature, and the benefits of being outdoors are far-reaching. You can preserve that precious outdoor space both in its functionality and value by building upwards, not outwards. 

Cons

Limits On How The Room Is Used

Loft spaces are often quirky, with unique little nooks and crannies, so designing the room and choosing what it is used for is limited in some ways. 

While there are some incredible design benefits to having a uniquely shaped room, some people may view this aspect of a loft conversion as a negative.  

It Isn't Automatically Listed As An Extra Bedroom.

You have to jump through some extra hoops to officially list your loft space as a spare bedroom in your home. A good loft conversion company can discuss this with you during the design process to know what needs to happen to get that official extra bedroom listing. 

Some People Don't Like The External Aesthetics Of A Loft Conversion.

Because a loft conversion changes the home's external look, it may well be that the new look of the house after the conversion is not to everybody's taste. Luckily, the best loft conversion companies can show you a mock-up of how the house will look with different conversion types, so you can opt for the type that pleases your eye the most on balance with your practical extension goals. 

"All of us start from zero, and we take the right decision and become a hero." - Govinda.

The choice between a loft conversion and a house extension is challenging. However, with the right decision, you can enjoy a fantastic fresh start with your home, which will boost aesthetic, design potential, and functionality.