Cellar Conversion Bromley Greater London (BR1): A basement (or cellar) conversion can turn that dark, inhospitable basement into a warm, dry and airy living space while also generating an extra room in your Bromley property. Whether you want to use the extra space as a home gym, games room, bar or even turn it into a self-contained living area, a basement conversion brings useable space closer to the living area of your house than can be accomplished for example with a loft conversion.
It's also a relatively straightforward way to add more value to your home; the property specialists Savills state it can raise the market value by as much as fifteen percent to comparable homes in your neighbourhood. If you have already converted your loft space to provide space for your growing family, a cellar conversion gives you a good way to create much needed additional space. It's about more than just improving your everyday living; such an investment also positions your property competitively in the Bromley real estate market.
Before rushing into this process it's definitely worthwhile to ask a few questions: 1. For what are you going to use the additional room or rooms created? 2. How do you steer clear of "cowboy" builders and locate a high quality Bromley firm who will be able to convert the cellar and provide assurances and guarantees for all of the work involved? 3. Just how much work will need to be conducted on the cellar to turn it into a useable area? 4. Is the expense associated with a cellar conversion really worth the benefits that you gain from it?
Why Choose a Cellar Conversion in Bromley?
If you're simply going to remodel a pre-existing cellar without needing to raise the height of the ceiling, then generally speaking you're not going to need planning permission. You will however need to check with the local council if you share a party wall (requires different rules), if you live in a conservation area or if your property is listed.
To be honest the only limits to your cellar conversion are your budget and your imagination. Maybe you have always desired a home cinema or games room, or you could put in a bar and "hey presto", instant pub for you and your friends. With recent opportunities for home working, converting your cellar into a tranquil and out of the way office space, where you're much less likely to be disturbed, may be just the ticket to get you out of your stressful daily commute.
What is Involved?
Even if your basement conversion requires no local authority planning permission, there are a set of approvals and certificates required from the Building Regulation authorities, to make sure it is legal. These Building Regulations, that have to be adhered to by your builders will make certain that the cellar conversion satisfies all the necessary construction guidelines in relation to ventilation, health & safety, fire escapes, damp proofing, water sources, electrical wiring and ceiling height. These regulations and rules will be handled as an integral part of the build process by your Bromley basement conversion specialists.
To make sure your basement conversion stays warm and dry throughout its life, a damp proof membrane or cementitious tanking will have to be installed even if there are no visible signs of damp or water ingress. Any damp proofing and waterproofing that you choose to use should comply with the BS8102 regulations which your Bromley cellar conversion specialist must observe. For peace of mind, ask the construction company if they offer an insurance backed warranty to cover damp proof membrane failure and any resulting water ingress.
The upgrading or installation of ventilation, electric wiring, insulation, heating system, water sources, floor coverings and lights will all have to be talked over with your selected contractor. Growing in popularity is under-floor heating which distributes warmth evenly around the space and is really effective. This space saving method of heating is hidden beneath your basement flooring and needs little upkeep once installed.
An accredited electrician must be called in to complete all electrical re-wiring and testing on your cellar conversion project. Lighting can be recessed to avoid height issues and there are plenty of low cost and efficient LED fittings that look awesome and will brighten your conversion to make it seem light and airy.
There are rules and regulations pertaining to adequate insulation and ventilation to basement conversions and your building contractor will want to discuss the various options. Substandard insulation can leave your conversion with possible cold spots which can increase dampness. Damp and mould can also be triggered by heightened humidity levels if the level of ventilation in your basement conversion is inadequate.
Selecting a Basement Conversion Specialist in Bromley
As with all building projects, it is better to obtain more than one estimate to give you an opportunity to evaluate prices from different companies in Bromley. Ask to see relevant building trade accreditation and membership certificates, if you've got any doubts about their credentials.
A preliminary price quote could be provided following an on-site survey for a standard basement conversion with waterproofing, flooring and access measures being evaluated. During discussions with your building company you're able to add in your own personal necessities, for example you may need a room to be split up, have a bathroom or kitchen installed or increase the ceiling height by digging out the existing floor.
The final quotation should include all necessary building regulation, party wall agreement and planning application paperwork applicable to the Bromley area before any work is able to begin. So as to get a better perception of the costs involved in each stage of construction, you should make certain the final quotation also gives a complete job-by-job breakdown of each section of the project.
If you are concerned about how you can get more natural daylight into your cellar conversion, your chosen builder should be able to offer solutions such as installing light wells or opening up staircases, and should also address any other doubts you might have. They will also be able to suggest how best to adapt the basement and electrical installations for additional lighting, plug sockets, entertainment systems and networking you need.
If your access to the basement is limited it might have to be adjusted subject to what use you have in mind for your conversion. When all is said and done, what is the point of designing an elaborate cellar conversion as a gym, bar or pool room if it's not possible to get the equipment down the stairs.
It is clear that whatever you plan to convert your basement into, you will need it to remain warm and dry in summer and winter. For this you need your builder to be qualified and endorsed by accreditation and membership to the relevant trade organisations.
You can find out if your Bromley building company is on the list of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) to ensure you are dealing with a trusted and reliable builder. You can check how efficiently a conversion company has performed on previous jobs by accessing the TrustMark website and looking at the reliability figures it has achieved. The Trading Standards Authority supervise the scheme and it is backed by the UK government.
There are plenty of honest, legitimate builders in Bromley who will be happy to help you convert your basement with the assistance of a highly trained and qualified workforce within the building trade. However it only takes a small group of dishonest companies to create distrust, and a competent conversion company will recognise your fears and help allay your uncertainties if they possibly can.
Of course, it's not just in and around Bromley itself that you can get cellar conversions but additionally in St Paul's Cray, Downham, Shortlands, Elmstead, Elmers End, Sundridge, Chinbrook, Keston, Bickley, Spring Park, Chislehurst, Lee, in these postcodes: BR1 2AH, BR1 1HD, BR1 2DJ, BR1 1JQ, BR1 1JF, BR1 2BZ, BR1 1ZB, BR1 1SD, BR1 2AW, and BR1 1JA, and other nearby villages and towns. Local Bromley basement conversion specialists will most likely have the postcode BR1 and the telephone dialling code 020. Checking this out should ensure that you access local providers of cellar conversion. Bromley householders can utilise these and countless other comparable services. Click on the "Quote" banner to to make enquiries and obtain cellar conversion quotes.
Home Cinema Conversions Bromley
Of all the numerous ideas about what you can do with your new basement conversion in Bromley, one of the preferred options nowadays is to transform it into a home entertainment centre or home movie theatre. If you love nothing more than watching box sets, movies or soaps this may well be the perfect choice for you. Since cellars and basements are generally darker because of the lack of daylight they are an ideal setting for a cinema. What's more, this will establish some extra social space to your home and be a useful place where friends and family can hang out and come together.
Basement Conversion Surveys Bromley
At some point most homeowners in Bromley with a cellar or basement will think about converting it into a space that can be lived in. You will need to have a professional survey carried out to make sure that your basement is actually suitable for converting.
As soon as the surveyor, who'll be certified in below-ground constructions, is aware of the planned use of the converted space he or she will be able to perform an in-depth survey. This will provide the surveyor with a notion of what systems need to be installed to accommodate your expectations.
The structure of your cellar or basement will be checked over, and the requirements for adequate ventilation, water drainage and electricity installation will be taken into consideration. Building regulations and British Standards requirements are specific where cellar conversions take place, and your certified surveyor will deal with each requirement that is relevant. These measures include things like ceiling height, fire escapes and damp proofing, and whether any party wall agreements have to be satisfied.
Cellar Waterproofing Bromley
One of the most critical elements of a basement conversion is waterproofing your existing cellar. Shelling out a small fortune on converting your basement or cellar and then discovering that it's still mouldy and damp isn't an experience that you want to endure in a hurry. This is the reason why you need someone you can depend on to undertake the work to the highest possible standard. When you're looking to waterproof an existing underground cellar, there are basically two ways to do it. The incursion of moisture into your basement can either be checked by a cementitious tanking material, employed as a wet slurry type mixture to form an impermeable surface, or it may be redirected into a cavity through the use of waterproof membranes, whence it is silently pumped out of the building.
Planning Permission for Cellar Conversion in Bromley
If you already have a basement below your home in Bromley, and just want to convert it from a damp, dark storage room into a functional living space, you won't need planning permission, since it's viewed as "change of use". If you have to increase the overall volume of the property by excavating the cellar floor to raise the ceiling height, you might then need to get planning permission, since it will be viewed as a form of extension. This sort of planning application will in most cases be granted, assuming that you're not altering your home's external appearance to any significant degree. Your chosen cellar conversion company in Bromley will be able to help you with this, or you can chat to your local authority planning department. You could also head over to the planning portal herefor more details.
Family & Friends
It's always really useful to ask if friends and family have any recommendations when looking for a builder for your project or undertaking in Bromley. As well as filtering out third-rate contractors and companies that have a dissatisfactory record for service, person to person references are generally the best way to identify somebody who is suitable for your needs.
Asking a friend or family member for their feedback also means that you can get first hand experience of the reliability and time keeping of the contractor, and if things went awry, how speedily were mistakes corrected, and what the contractor's attitude was like. They should also also be in a position to give you information about the quotation process and how accurate the original estimate was in comparison with the eventual price that was charged by the builder.
Your friends and relations are folks that you know, and at the end of the day in regards to advice, they're the people you can trust. If you find it difficult to get specifics on a particular contractor or building company, it is likely because they have had an unsatisfactory experience in dealing with them. And a lot of folks, rather than 'casting aspersions on' a second-rate company who they have dealt with previously, may even suggest a different builder, as they're happier speaking about a good business than a lousy one.
Basement Conversion Tasks Bromley
The number of tasks and services that can be accomplished by your local cellar conversion specialist are wide and varied, and should include things like woodworm treaments, black mould removal in Bromley, basement damp proofing, basement tanking, low ceiling basement conversions Bromley, cellar refurbishment, bonded sheet membranes, cellar architectural design, damp proofing, obtaining planning permission for basement conversion, cellar flooring, cellar surveys, basement refurbishment in Bromley, basement remodeling, basement surveys, cellar excavation in Bromley, basement conversion ideas, cellar damp proofing, basement lighting, bespoke cellar conversion, cellar remodeling, cellar conversion ideas in Bromley, budget basement conversion Bromley, basement rendering, basement conversion design, basement electrics in Bromley, small cellar conversion in Bromley, condensation control, basement flooding solutions in Bromley, small basement conversion, and others not mentioned. This is simply an indication of what can be done by somebody doing cellar conversion. Bromley professionals, when approached, will be happy to inform you of the entire range of basement conversion services that can be accessed. You can always go to this QUOTE FORM and fill in your details, if you have other Bromley cellar conversion conversion requirements that you need but cannot find here.
Possible Ideas For a Cellar Conversion
- Pub
- Spa Room
- Games Room
- Home Study
- Indoor Plunge Pool
- Man Cave
- Laundry Room
- Guest Room
- Gymnasium
- Additional Bedroom
- Children's Playroom
Basement Conversion Near Bromley
Also find: Shortlands cellar conversion, Chislehurst cellar conversion, St Paul's Cray cellar conversion, Bickley cellar conversion, Elmstead cellar conversion, Keston cellar conversion, Lee cellar conversion, Elmers End cellar conversion, Sundridge cellar conversion, Spring Park cellar conversion, Chinbrook cellar conversion, Downham cellar conversion and more. Almost all of these areas are served by building companies who do cellar conversion. Bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, these seasoned professionals are well-equipped to convert your cellar into an inviting and functional living area. These specialists are adept at making your imagined home cinema, snug basement lounge or extra bedroom a tangible reality. Local home and property owners can obtain cellar conversion quotes by clicking here.
Cellar Conversion Services Bromley
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- Bromley Cellar Flooring
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- Bromley Cellar Damp Proofing
Other Useful Trades and Services in Bromley Greater London: Naturally, whenever you happen to be doing home repairs and improvements in Bromley, Greater London, you'll probably need all kinds of different tradesmen and along with a cellar conversion specialist in Bromley, Greater London, you could also need a plasterer in Bromley, basement flooding solutions in Bromley, black mould removal in Bromley, a painter & decorator in Bromley, cellar surveys in Bromley, condensation control in Bromley, loft conversion in Bromley, a plumber in Bromley, timber preservation in Bromley, a carpenter in Bromley, a tiler in Bromley, garage conversion in Bromley, a building contractor in Bromley, damp proofing in Bromley, an electrician in Bromley, SKIP HIRE in Bromley, a handyman in Bromley, basement waterproofing in Bromley, and other different Bromley tradesmen.
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Basement conversions in BR1 area, (dialling code 020).
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