House extensions
The other route to more space. Some houses suit one, some the other.
Renovation
The space you need may already be over your head.
A loft conversion adds a bedroom, an office or a whole floor without touching the garden. Most owners cannot yet say whether they need a dormer or a hip-to-gable, and they should not have to. Tell us about your house and we will introduce specialists who can.
What we cover
Typical loft projects
- Dormer conversions: a box extension through the roof slope that adds headroom and floor area. The most common type.
- Hip-to-gable conversions: building the sloped end of the roof up into a vertical gable, often the answer for semis and end-of-terrace houses.
- Mansard conversions: rebuilding the roof to a near-vertical slope for the maximum possible space.
- Rooflight conversions: windows in the existing slope, the simplest option where the loft is already tall enough.
- Bedrooms with en suites: the layout most owners actually want, planned around the stair and the plumbing.
- Home offices and studios: quiet space at the top of the house, insulated and wired properly.
What we will ask you
So we can match you accurately, the enquiry asks which type of conversion you have in mind (dormer, hip-to-gable, mansard, or unsure, and unsure is a perfectly good answer); how the loft is currently accessed; whether you already have drawings; and which rooms you want the finished space to be.
Every question has a “not sure yet” option. You do not need to have decided anything before you talk to us.
Why choose Kalvaro
Head height decides everything, so start with someone honest about it
The first real constraint in any loft is the height under the ridge, and it determines which conversion types your roof can take. A good specialist measures before promising. Those are the only kind we introduce.
Verified before introduction
Trading history, public liability insurance and relevant accreditations, all checked before any loft specialist is introduced.
Evidence of real conversions
Photographs of completed work are required with every partner application, and we review them of completed lofts with their application: stairs, dormers and finished rooms, not just marketing.
Structural work, treated as such
A conversion cuts into your roof and loads your walls. We introduce established firms equipped for that, never a general fitter working upwards.
How it works
Four steps, one conversation
1Tell us about your loft
A few guided questions about your roof, access and the rooms you want.
2We review your requirements
A member of our team reads it personally.
3We introduce loft specialists
A small number of suitable, vetted partners.
4You choose with confidence
Compare, decide and start on your terms.
Loft questions
Frequently asked
The first test is head height: measure from the top of the ceiling joists to the underside of the ridge. Around 2.2 metres or more is a promising start; less than that and the options narrow, though they rarely disappear. A specialist survey settles it properly, and that is the first thing the professionals we introduce will do.
A dormer builds a box out through the slope of the roof to create headroom. A hip-to-gable builds the sloping end of the roof up into a flat vertical wall, which suits semi-detached and end-of-terrace houses, and the two are often combined. If you are unsure which your house needs, say so in the enquiry: most owners are, and the right answer comes from a survey, not a guess.
Many conversions fall under permitted development, but mansards, larger dormers and homes in conservation areas usually need an application, and building regulations approval is required in every case. The professionals we introduce will confirm what applies to your house before any work is priced.
Usually above the existing stairs, which keeps the landing logical and gives away the least space. It is one of the most consequential design decisions in the whole project, because a poorly placed stair can cost you a bedroom below. It deserves a specialist’s eye early on.
The professional you choose does, directly with you. Kalvaro makes the introduction and takes no part in pricing, so we neither set nor guarantee what the work will cost.
Very often, yes, and an en suite is one of the most requested layouts. It depends on where the soil pipe runs and what the water pressure allows, which is why the enquiry asks which rooms you want. Planning the plumbing from the start is far cheaper than adding it later.
Ready to discuss your loft?
It takes a few minutes and costs nothing. Our team will review your project within one working day.