Loftplan Reviews

This review is in relation to the loft conversion Loftplan built for our house. Our house is a fairly standard three bed semi-detached property which needed both a dormer and hip-to-gable conversion. We got quotes from three companies and picked Loftplan for several reasons.

1. They provided a plan there and then as to how our loft would look.
2. There were no separate fees for drawing up plans. The approx £3k other companies put aside for this seemed very high.
3. Their quote wasn’t the cheapest or most expensive, but it was the most thorough and included everything you’d expect (we had to pay for ensuite tiling, skips and bathroom furniture).
4. They’re an established company with a lot of experience and resources behind them.

Once selected Loftplan were good at efficiently getting all the paperwork out, and things moving along.

There was a little uncertainty over the start date – but that was to be expected as it fell over Christmas / New Year and the associated weather. It was about three months from first sales pitch to scaffolding going up.

The scaffolding was done well – impressive since we had a large (and flimsy) conservatory to the rear of the property. They also happily added a request for extra netting to stop debris falling into our neighbour’s garden.

Next was the structural work. Taking place over winter and with the whole roof needing to come off I was concerned we’d be cold / wet but fortunately it was well covered and only took a week at most to get everything up to a point where tarps were no longer needed.
The builders were professional and timely. The only negative here was there were a couple of times (a few days over the space of approx two months) where they were called away to a different project – which was fine but we didn’t always get advance notification.

Once the structure was completed the stairs were added. This was the only part of the whole build where you’d have known a loft conversion was taking place as understandably there was a little disruption when the ceiling got knocked through. That said this was very well managed.

Throughout we had specialist plumbers and electricians attending as the project warranted it. The plumbing work didn’t always go smoothly (we lost pressure to our upstairs cold water) but any problems were handled really quickly and the problems solved.

Last came the plastering and carpentry. Both were completed to a really good standard.

Overall the build took around four months and there were only a few weeks of inactivity partly because we had a holiday so weren’t around to give our input.

The end product is amazing. We lost a tiny amount of space on our landing (one step had to come onto it) and gained a massive ensuite bedroom. The build quality is excellent – all the other trades we’ve had in not connected to Loftplan (carpet fitter, tile fitter etc) have commented that the standard was high. Aside from the loft we’ve had other benefits – the house now has a large number of mains fire alarms, and the old landing ceiling which was terrible has been replaced and the 1930s roof has been bought up to modern standards.

Four months on and the build looks brand new. There are no cracks and no problems despite moving from summer to autumn and the associated temperature drop, wind and rain. The loft was lovely and cool in the summer thanks to the double aspect, and now it’s getting colder the radiator and insulation are doing a great job keeping it warm.

We had one tiny problem post build – a faulty shaver point that was replaced quickly with zero fuss.

The initial quote was stuck to and we weren’t asked for a penny more. Seeing the materials that went into the loft, and the number of trades it feels like great value.

The litmus test – would we recommend Loftplan to friends and family. Yes we would (and indeed already have).

 

 

Alan P, Aldershot,

We have been astounded by our new 2 bed, ensuite loft conversion for us and our newborn baby.

Work started in the pregnancy and was completed when our son was a few weeks old.

Craig and Neil built the dormer and were great to work with, always making sure we were happy with the design.

Everyone we have come across have been professional and friendly and are accommodating (especially when you’re in early labour and the hand rails are being fitted).

We would happily recommend loftplan to anybody looking to develop their home.

It has been a great experience that we needn’t have worried about with the imminent arrival during the building works.

Thank you, Sarah, Dave and Edward

 

 

Sarah Goodman, Church Crookham,

We have been really happy with our loft conversion built by LoftPlan.

From the start we were kept fully informed by members of the company about each stage of the development.

We were particularly impressed by Mark, who was very professional and skilled at building the actual conversion.

The extra space it has given us has transformed our house, it looks like it has always been there rather than an addition.

I would 100% recommend LoftPlan to anyone considering doing a loft conversion.

 

 

Fiona Bridge, Caversham,

I am happy to recommend Loftplan who constructed our hip to gable and side dormer conversion giving us a double room and en-suite cloakroom.

The team showed lots of experience, were friendly and gave great advice and all at the agreed price. No hidden extras.

First impressions were good when Alan gave his consultation. He understood everything I wanted to do and showed knowledge of design and build. Something I didn’t get from a competitor’s visit. He was also patient and responsive dealing with queries for the final specification and contract.

The office were very efficient with their communication and Nicola and Melissa were helpful in getting answers. In fact no-one in the team avoided calls (as you get with some builders); they wanted to sort out any issues and get on with the job.

Bob and Kevin were the supervisors and kept on top of the job. Both were extremely knowledgeable and gave sound advice. We couldn’t have the same feature window as our plans and Bob told us our suggestion would look awful – he was right. He came up with a great alternative we are really pleased with.

Kevin was meticulous and I felt very confident he would ensure a good job was done for the finishing with nothing missed. Even the neighbour’s tiles were fixed with no question when we noticed a few were damaged. Sean (the carpenter) was also thorough ensuring a good finish.

Dan and Luke did the main construction. What a great hard-working team and lovely to have around! They got the main structure up very quickly (the neighbour was impressed) and again showed great experience and professionalism. Bob was away at the start of the build but Dan stepped up and was always ready to address any queries.

The plasterers did a lovely job and were so fast I didn’t get their names!

The electricians (Ron and team) and plumber (Alan) were professional.

Roofers Brad and Jason did a sound job and the scaffolders were friendly.

The only part of the build sub-contracted was the bricklaying for the rendered gable and that was the bit that concerned me most as it was someone outside the trusted Loftplan team.

Thanks Loftplan for a lovely space that has so far impressed all who’ve seen it.

 

 

Elizabeth Smith, Farnham,