Home renovation companies often shy away from issuing on-site pictures. Here at Home Tales, we feel these progress pictures are an incredibly valuable tool, both for our current clients and our prospective clients. The majority homeowners don’t know much about architecture or building works – and why would you? The process is very complex. For this reason, homeowners who undertake home renovation works are often fully reliant on the professionals to execute the job to a high standard. It’s important you hire a team you can trust. 

If it’s your first time undertaking a home extension or home renovation, you are stepping into the unknown. This is where on-site pictures come in useful. They help to put the project into perspective and give you some idea of what is about to happen to your home. What does demolition and strip out actually look like? At what stage does the steel go in? What is the set-up of a temporary kitchen and what does it include? These are all fantastic questions and they are all best answered with pictures. 

We thought we would run you through a couple of our on-going and completed projects. 

Loft conversion 

We extended into the loft of this mid-terrace property in Wandsworth, SW18. We obtained planning consent via permitted development. The conversion will include a new flight of stairs to the property, as well as a new spilt level landing area which enables access to the two new bedrooms and bathroom. The new loft will have 3 Velux windows inserted into the front elevation, two dedicated to the bedroom and one to the bathroom. The extension forms two dormers, one which sits on the main part of the house and another which sits on the existing outrigger. The front bedroom has a window to the rear which overlooks the side return of the property. The rear dormer has a window which looks over the garden. 

You can see in this picture the structure of the loft conversion is in place. You can see the openings for the windows have been created. The spilt level is very obvious here, as you can see the different levels across the two rooms. Like many period properties, there is a spilt level between the front and rear of the home. As the dormers sit on top of the existing property, the level change needs to be accommodated within the proposed extensions too.  

When you undertake a loft conversion, you will need to enable access to the new floor of your home. In most cases, a new staircase can be fitted above the existing staircase. If it doesn’t fit, you might need to cut into one of your first-floor bedrooms to enable a staircase to be created. Staircases have quite strict regulations when it comes to building control, so you need to ensure you have enough space for them. 

The build took 12 weeks and there was a scaffold up for most of this duration. The scaffold is really handy when undertaking a loft conversion. The homeowners decided to live in for the duration of the works. When the scaffold is up, the access to the loft within the property can be blocked off so there is very limited noise and disruption. The builders can then come and go via the scaffold, to limit disruption within the home. 

Ground floor extension 

We extended into the side return of this property in Southfields. The extended area added 11SQM of new space to this family home. This was encompassed into the existing area, which resulted in this large room, 4.5m in width and 6m in depth. This allowed enough space for a large kitchen and 6-seater dining table. The build took 14 weeks in total. 

The floor was dug down so the required layers could be built back up. This included a damp-proof membrane layer, underfloor heating and screed. The final floor tile is porcelain tile which is made to look like wood. 

The homeowner opted for Velux windows along the extended side return. This is a cost-efficient solution which is perfect if you are on a budget. Velux windows come a variety of sizes, so you can find an option that maximises the space available. Bespoke glazing is another option, but it is more expensive, and it can take longer on-site as the glass cannot be ordered until the frame has been created. 

There is a steel beam running the length of the extension and a box frame that frames the rear wall. The doors are made from aluminium and sprayed black to give the appearance of crittal doors. This is a fantastic option if you want that crittal style but don’t have the budget for genuine crittal. 

If you are considering a home extension, get in touch with our team today to discuss your project in more detail. If budget is on your mind, we recently wrote an article about the average cost of a home extension in London which you might find useful. If you want to get a cost which is more specific to your project, book a telephone consultation with a member of our team. They will take the opportunity to learn more about your project and explain more about how we work. Following the consultation, we can issue you with a no obligation quote. Get in touch with our team by calling us on 0207 043 2378 or emailing us at hello@hometales.co.uk. Alternatively, you can book a consultation directly via our live bookings page.