Cellar Conversion Hitchin Hertfordshire (SG4): A basement conversion can change that dark, cheerless cellar into an airy, dry and warm useable living space whilst also generating extra room in your Hitchin property. Additionally, it brings a fully functioning room nearer to the main living areas of your house, which is very useful for entertaining, to use as a study, a home gym or even a spare bedroom for a teenager or elderly relative.
According to the property agents Savills, a converted cellar (or basement) can also add somewhere between 10-15% to the market value of your house. If you have already converted your loft to accommodate your expanding family, a basement conversion allows you to create much needed additional space. An investment like this, while improving your everyday life, also strategically positions your home in the competitive real estate market.
Before rushing into this process it's definitely worth asking two or three questions: 1. How will you pick a contractor that you can count on to do a high quality cellar conversion in Hitchin? 2. What are you going to do with the extra room or rooms created? 3. What level of work is necessary to do a conversion on your basement or cellar? 4. What sort of costs are involved and what positive benefits can be gained from a basement conversion?
Why Pick a Cellar Conversion in Hitchin?
If your home has already got a cellar, there's no need to apply for planning permission if you're simply transforming it into a living area, but if you have to dig up the floor to elevate the ceiling height then you need to double check with your local council first. There are various different regulations if your house shares a party wall with a neighbour, is in a conservation area or is listed, but in the majority of cases you're free to utilise the area as a living space with very few constraints.
Among the main reasons given by householders in Hitchin for renovating a cellar or basement is to transform the unused space into something practical. If like many other people in Hitchin you find space is limited, this will be a top priority. A basement conversion can also be used as a means by which to earn extra income by turning that largely unused space into a self contained flat and renting it out.
To be fair the only limits to what you can do with your basement conversion are your imagination and your budget. In Hitchin home cinemas, games rooms and bars are favoured options for the use of a basement conversion, to provide a welcome space for entertaining family and mates. If you're a home worker a cellar conversion can become the perfect home office by providing you with a bespoke area where you are much less inclined to be disturbed.
What is Involved?
As has already been mentioned, planning permission may not be required in the majority of instances, however you definitely will need to have Building Regulations clearance. This will make certain that your new living area adheres to all the Health & Safety laws and recommendations for fire escapes, minimum ceiling heights, water supply, ventilation, damp proofing and electrical wiring. These regulations and rules will be handled as an integral part of the construction process by your Hitchin basement conversion specialists.
Even if there are no visible indications of mould or damp in your basement, it will still require some type of damp proof membrane in order to stay dry and make it suitable for converting. Your Hitchin builder will help you choose which procedure is most suitable for your cellar conversion and also ensure it complies with the recommendations laid down by the British Standards BS8102 regulations. A trustworthy company should be willing to offer an insurance protected warranty for their work, in the event that the membrane fails.
The upgrading or installation of heating, ventilation, floor surfaces, insulation, electrical installations, water supply and lights will also have to be discussed with your selected builder. A very efficient way to warm up your basement and cellar conversion is to put in underfloor heating, which evenly spreads the heat around the room. It needs very little upkeep once it has been fitted and is a concealed sort of heating, which helps to save precious space.
Only competent electricians should be used to complete any electric installations that has to be done on your cellar conversion. Try to look for recessed lighting systems to reduce the concern about height problems, and with an assortment of cost effective LED lights currently available, your basement can feel airy and bright even in settings that are devoid of natural light.
There are rules and regulations concerning the necessary ventilation and insulation to cellar and basement conversions and your building contractor will want to chat about the different options. Substandard insulation will leave your basement conversion with cold spots which could increase damp. Damp and mould can also be a consequence of heightened humidity levels if the quality of ventilation in your cellar conversion is substandard.
Picking a Cellar Conversion Company in Hitchin
It is best practice to acquire at least three quotes from different builders in Hitchin, to compare guarantees, services and prices for your cellar conversion project. If you are at all in doubt about the expertise or workmanship of a building company it shouldn't be a problem if you ask to see their certificates of accreditation and membership to the relevant building and construction trade associations.
After a site survey you could be given a preliminary estimate which evaluates the standard cost of your basement conversion, and covers elements like floors, access adaption and damp proofing. Follow up calls from the building firm should look to provide clarification of your own specific requirements, for instance increasing the height of your cellar by the excavation of the existing floor, or the installation of a kitchen or toilet in a separate room.
The final quotation should include all required planning application, building regulation and party wall agreement paperwork pertinent to the Hitchin area before any actual work is able to commence. The final quote should also give a job-by-job breakdown of the individual components of the cellar conversion to give you a true understanding of the costs involved at each phase.
The builder should be able to offer advice on all these issues and recommend ways to improve natural light to brighten the conversion by the installation of light wells or opening up stairways. If you need new electrical wiring for extra electrical sockets, lighting or computing and entertainment systems these should all be sorted out now.
Access to your basement is of prime importance as subject to how you wish to use your newly created living space could mean that the entryways need to be widened. Your elaborate design may be based on your dream of turning your cellar into a mock pub, games room or gym, but if the access isn't suitable how will the equipment get down there?
Whatever it is that you eventually want to do with your cellar conversion you want it to remain dry and warm right through the year. Employing a trustworthy builder with membership, accreditation and assurances from the construction and building trade organisations will enable this to be achieved and put your mind at rest.
A FMB (Federation of Master Builders) accreditation and membership by your Hitchin building contractor illustrates their reliability in the building industry. Another excellent way to check up on a contractor's reliability is to find out if it's listed on the Trustmark website. This is a helpful scheme run by by Trading Standards with approval from the government.
Most building firms in the Hitchin area are legitimate and genuine businesses with a fully qualified workforce. An experienced building company recognises the fears of the general public, due to a tiny minority of unscrupulous traders, and will try everything in their power to affirm their integrity in a responsible and friendly manner.
Cellar conversion can also be provided in locations around Hitchin, for example Gosmore, Offley, Kings Walden, Weston, Walsworth, Pegsdon, Ashbrook, Ickleford, Holwell, St Ippolyts, Pirton, Lower Stondon, Little Wymondley, Lilley, in these postcodes: SG4 0RB, SG4 0PY, SG4 7WR, SG4 0PX, SG4 0TS, SG4 0LP, SG4 0LW, SG4 0TP, SG4 0EZ, and SG4 0NN, and other surrounding villages. Locally based Hitchin basement conversion specialists will probably have the postcode SG4 and the dialling code 01462. Verifying this should confirm you access local providers of cellar conversion. Hitchin property owners will be able to benefit from these and many other related services. To make enquiries and get estimates for basement conversion, click the "Quote" banner.
The Importance of Waterproofing
With regards to doing a conversion, waterproofing your basement is one of the most important aspects of the procedure. Finding that your new space is mouldy and damp 12 months after carrying out your conversion is certainly a thing you want to avoid. This is the main reason why you need to locate an experienced basement conversion specialist in Hitchin to undertake the project. There are basically 2 main ways by which an underground cellar can be waterproofed. The seepage of water into your basement can either be curbed by cementitious tanking, applied as a wet slurry type mixture to form an impermeable surface, or it may be redirected into a drainage channel by the use of waterproof membranes, from where it's silently pumped out of the building. cellar waterproofing services are also available nearby.
Small Basement Conversion Hitchin
Create a perfect new living area, even if your existing basement is a small area, by hiring a reputable Hitchin basement conversion company to design, plan and build it. It may be used as a utility area, liberating precious space in your kitchen by moving your tumble dryer and washing machine out of sight.
Maybe an office where you could work from home would be useful; even the smallest room can be used efficiently with purpose built furniture made and put in by a professional Hitchin company. Your small basement could be converted into a peaceful oasis, where you can forget about work pressures and listen to music or enjoy a decent book. All you need is lighting, a comfortable chair or sofa, and somewhere to store your books or music. The possible options for a small basement conversion in Hitchin are limited only by the depths of your imagination.
Cellar/Basement Conversion Surveys Hitchin
Many householders in Hitchin will think about converting their cellar or basement into an additional living area at some point. You are required to have a professional survey completed to make certain that your basement/cellar is actually suitable for conversion.
Taking into account the planned use of the space in question, the surveyor, who must be qualified in below-ground construction, will undertake an in-depth survey of your basement. This will provide the surveyor with an idea of what systems have to be installed to accommodate your expectations.
There'll be a full evaluation of ceiling, floor and wall construction, along with allowing for the requirements for drainage, electricity and ventilation. Building regulations and British Standards guidelines specifically target basement conversions, and your surveyor will deal with each stipulation in turn. Such measures include ceiling height, fire escapes and damp proofing, and whether any party wall agreements must be resolved. (Tags: Basement Conversion Survey Hitchin, Cellar Conversion Surveys Hitchin, Basement Conversion Surveys Hitchin).
Possible Ideas For a Cellar Conversion
- Utility Room
- Home Gym
- Snooker Room
- Mock Pub
- Additional Bedroom
- Child's Playroom
- Bathroom
- Rental Apartment
- Indoor Swimming Pool
- Micro-Brewery
- Home Office
Basement Conversion Tasks Hitchin
Things like damp proofing, wine cellar installation, sump pump installation, sprayed concrete in Hitchin, basement refurbishment in Hitchin, cellar flooring, cellar conversions in Hitchin, commercial cellar conversion in Hitchin, cellar excavation in Hitchin, cellar lighting, basement architectural design, cellar soundproofing, PIV (positive input ventilation), budget cellar conversion Hitchin, cellar tanking in Hitchin, cementitious tanking, waterproof membranes, budget basement conversion Hitchin, basement conversion in Hitchin, cellar electrics, cellar remodeling, timber preservation in Hitchin, small basement conversions in Hitchin, black mould removal, cellar refurbishment, basement conversion estimates in Hitchin, basement damp proofing, basement conversions, condensation control, cellar waterproofing in Hitchin are just a taste of the extensive range of tasks and services that your local Hitchin cellar conversion specialist can deliver. This is just a hint of what can be expected from someone doing cellar conversion. Hitchin professionals will provide a complete list of their basement conversion services when requested. If you have cellar conversion requirements in Hitchin, that you can't find here here, you could go HERE and submit the quote form provided.
Basement Conversion Near Hitchin
Also find: Weston cellar conversion, Lilley cellar conversion, Gosmore cellar conversion, Little Wymondley cellar conversion, Pirton cellar conversion, Lower Stondon cellar conversion, Ashbrook cellar conversion, Kings Walden cellar conversion, Ickleford cellar conversion, Offley cellar conversion, Holwell cellar conversion, Pegsdon cellar conversion, Walsworth cellar conversion, St Ippolyts cellar conversion and more. There are builders who do cellar conversion in practically all of these towns and areas. These seasoned professionals, well-equipped with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, can transform your cellar into a functional and welcoming living area. Transforming your dream of a snug basement lounge, an extra bedroom or a home cinema into reality is precisely what these experts can do. Local property owners can get cellar conversion estimates by clicking here.
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Basement conversions in SG4 area, and dialling code 01462.
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