As we’ve all been spending an extraordinary amount of time in our homes, it’s no surprise that many of us want to improve our surroundings.

Extending your current property is often less expensive than buying and selling. We know as we’ve now completed our loft and spent most of our time up there due to all the natural light.

You can add a life-changing amount of space with a loft conversion, so what should you consider as you start your project?

1. Colour

Although it’s tempting to decorate your loft extension in the same manner as the rest of your home. It’s important to consider that ceiling height is lower in loft areas as you generally use the square footage allowance to make the rooms wider or longer.

Use of darker colours will make a room appear smaller. Try and stick to whites, creams and pale shades or pastels.

2. Lighting

Lighting is always an important part of creating a livable home. One of the first things to consider is how many plug sockets you would like and where to position them. You are usually offered a certain amount with the cost of your build. I would aim for four per room.

For light fixtures, low hanging lights will most likely not be possible in loft spaces. The most popular are spotlights as these are flush with the ceiling, taking up little space. Think about whether you need extra ones in areas where you might have a desk or inside fitted wardrobes.

3. Special features

There are plenty of features which can add that little touch of luxury to your loft conversion. Often your building team will have a specialist carpenter who can create fitted cupboards or wardrobes with space-saving hacks inside them. It’s useful to fill up odd spaces left by pipes using this method.

If you’re into eccentric, cool, boho decor, here you will find skulls on sale. They’re unique, authentic and you’ll even support the local Balinese community if you decide to purchase one of them.

To add in even more light and create a wonderful master bedroom, consider adding a Juliet balcony or modern glass balustrades from the loft floor down to the main house. Your loft will seem like a beautiful sanctuary you will love retiring to at the end of the day.

4. Flooring

While you can have wooden flooring throughout your loft it’s worth thinking about comfort and soundproofing. Sometimes it’s better to have partially carpeted areas to buffer the noise from the loft floor down through the rest of the house.

5. Bathrooms

Often the idea of adding a bathroom gets overlooked in order to have a bigger bedroom. Most people end up regretting this decision and wishing they had fitted in a small shower room.

With clever use of space and glass partition walls, it’s incredible what you can fit in and how much enjoyment you will have from this addition. It doesn’t have to be costly and most building teams can source neutral, inexpensive items for you if budget is a concern.

There is a lot to think about when completing any major work on your home. It always takes longer than you expect but you will not think about this once you are enjoying the end result!

**This is a collaborative post**