Loft conversions certainly are not cheap. So, looking for a good quality and trusted local loft conversion company is something that you should make sure to think about carefully. Therefore, there are a wide variety of factors that you should be on the lookout for when hiring a loft conversion company. If you are based in London, United Kingdom, you will need a London loft conversion company that can provide you with quality services like Lofts 365.
But here are the top 5 things to look out for in a loft conversion company:
A Variety of Available References
References from previous customers will provide you with a powerful and clear indication as to whether a loft conversion company can provide an excellent service and ultimately leave their customers very satisfied. Any trustworthy and professional tradesman (or company) will most certainly have a variety of past clients that they can put you in contact with. This will allow you to get an honest and unbiased opinion of the service that they offer, thereby helping you to decide whether that company is fit for your needs.
Accreditations and Trade Association Memberships
Any form of construction work is extremely risky, difficult, and dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. So, it is crucial to choose a loft conversion company that is qualified for the job and therefore knows exactly what they are doing. To understand whether the tradesmen are qualified for their job, it is a good idea to see if they are a member of any accreditation schemes or trade associations. This help to clearly demonstrate that they have the appropriate skills and knowledge to do the job, but also that they will complete your conversion to specific quality standards.
However, trade companies are not legally required to be part of any trade associations. So, it should not necessarily put you off if they are not a part of them. Just make sure that you look at previous reviews of the company and that they are legitimate. If anything is unclear about the companies past work, then you should avoid them!
If They Have a Project Manager
When a trade company has a project manager it gives you a clear and direct point of contact. This puts much less stress on you because they can sort everything out for you and you also know exactly who to be in contact with. Therefore, this provides you with a more stress-free and convenient loft conversion process.
Legally Binding Guarantees and appropriate insurance
The last thing you want is to end up being conned by a company who promised you one thing but gave you something completely different (or in a worst-case scenario nothing at at!). So, it is essential that the conversion company sets out clear guarantees for the service that they offer you and that they show you documents of their insurance.
Both parties should always sign a legally binding contract that states any guarantees. But make sure that you not only sign a contract after you have carefully read it and are 100% satisfied with it, but that you also have an additional copy as evidence for yourself to keep.
The Value for Money
As with everything in life it is so important to understand the fine details behind what you are paying for. One of the most effective ways to understand this is by getting quotes from at least 5 or more companies (and it is worth noting here that the more quotes you have, the better). On the surface this not only allows you to easily compare each conversion company on an equivalent basis. But it also gives you an in-depth insight into the types of materials that each company uses, the services that they offer, and if they include VAT as part of the associated costs.
Therefore, by giving yourself this overview, you will soon conclude that the cheapest option available is very rarely the most appropriate choice. They will often include things that you do not want like cheap and unsustainable materials, inexperienced tradesman, or hidden costs that you never actually asked for.
After all you work hard for your money, so you would expect the company that you are paying to convert your loft to also work hard for their money and therefore truly value the service that they are providing to you, their customer.
So, follow these 5 key tips and you are well on your way to choosing the perfect loft conversion company to turn your dreams in to a reality.
