Why A Loft Conversion Could Be A Very Timely Step

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If you live in a town like Telford and want to upsize in your next house move, now may seem a tricky time to do so. House prices may have dipped a bit, but mortgage costs have soared after a series of base rate increases.

However, one of the biggest problems is that the number of new homes being constructed is low and falling, a problem not just in Shropshire but across the UK as the housing market slows.

New figures from the National House Building Council have shown that the number of new home registrations in England in the second quarter of 2023 was down 42 per cent on the same period in 2022. Every region except London saw falls, with the West Midlands plunging by 54 per cent with just 2,877 new properties.

This means the number of options for anyone seeking a bigger house is shrinking, making it harder to find one that is suitable. In such circumstances, it makes sense to consider the benefits of a loft conversion in Telford.

Not only could this give you the extra space you are looking for, but it brings further benefits too. You don’t have the upheaval of moving home, while the improvement can add significantly to the value of your home if and when you do sell up and move at some future date.

How the housing market will progress in the coming years is uncertain. Speaking at a housing development that is taking place in the West Midlands, prime minister Rishi Sunak signalled a possible watering down of current targets to get 300,000 new homes built per year by the mid-2020s.

Saying he was “proud” of the “progress” made in raising housebuilding numbers so far, he said: “But we’ve got to do it in the right way, I don’t want to concrete over the countryside, that’s something that is very special about Britain.”

That may not just mean lower numbers of homes being built, but a larger proportion that are constructed in regions like the West Midlands being built on brownfield in bigger urban areas such as Birmingham and the Black Country, rather than newer towns like Telford.

Garden Offices ‘Could Boost Home Value By £30k’

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Home offices have become increasingly popular since working from home took off during the pandemic, so much so that having a separate study could significantly increase the value of a property. 

Since national lockdown was announced in March 2020 and those who could work from home were forced to do so, office workers have been less than inclined to go back to the old way of doing things. 

In fact, most people have set up an office space in their house one way or another. Having a distinct room for working has its obvious advantages, including helping to create a better work-life balance. 

That is why lots of homeowners have opted to build extensions or transform garages into offices.

The Express reported that David Wilson Homes said there has been growing demand for garden buildings recently, as a result of high interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis. 

Consequently, this has meant homeowners are unable to afford to purchase bigger homes and are choosing to add to their existing property instead. 

Curchods estate agents in Weybridge agreed, with its managing partner Grant Letts saying having a small garden studio can add £30,000 to a property.

He also noted these extra buildings “may help your property sell faster”, which is appealing to sellers in this difficult market. 

There are many ways homeowners can add offices to their homes, from building a garden study to extending into the loft. 

For more information about loft conversions in the West Midlands, give us a call today. 

Most Infamous Design Flaw In British Construction History

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Designing and building a new project, whether it is a standard home, some kind of elaborate architectural project or a community building, is a long and involved process involving a large number of different people and careful ideas.

It involves architects, planning officers and builders in Wolverhampton who know their stuff and the local area.

This makes it baffling that a farce such as 20 Fenchurch Street could ever have occurred.

Initially proposed as London’s highest public park, 20 Fenchurch Street and its top floor “sky garden” were designed by Rafael Vinoly, an Uruguayan architect known for daring and typically very effective designs such as the Curve Theatre in Leicester and the Tokyo International Forum.

Its initial design had an unusually bulbous shape that was wider at the top than it was at the bottom, resembling the look of a two-way radio, quickly garnering it the nickname “Walkie-Talkie”.

There were concerns that it would affect nearby St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower Of London, although it was ultimately approved.

However, besides being considered amongst the ugliest buildings in the capital, it was found that for two hours each day, the curved glass facade focuses light onto the streets south of the building.

The result is a death ray effect and street-level temperatures of over 90 degrees Celsius, enough to fry eggs on the pavement, melt cars and set a doormat on fire.

This led to the building becoming known as “Walkie-Scorchie” or even the “Fryscaper”, and it was a particular point of embarrassment until the temporary screens were installed to stop this happening.

Whilst this was later fixed with a brise soleil and installing non-reflective film, it did not help the reputation of a building that was considered to be amongst the ugliest in the country and with a selling point that visitors argued did not live up to expectations.