From House Clearance to Skip Hire: Organising a Stress-Free Attic Conversion

Is there any such thing as a stress-free attic conversion? Of course there is! With some forward-thinking, planning and assistance from the professionals, you can transform a dusty old attic into an ultra-modern loft space. Whether you plan to use your newly converted loft as a guest bedroom, home office or entertainment den, there are a few crucial steps to take care of first. These include decluttering, finding reliable house clearance services and hiring a skip to get rid of the rubbish that’s undoubtedly piled up in every corner of your attic. These may not be the most fun parts of the job, but they’re certainly needed!

To help you convert a tired old loft into a beautiful and functional attic space, we’ve put together some of our top tips for organising a stress-free attic conversion. Read on for your helpful, step-by-step guide!

Before you begin, it pays to have a solid plan in mind for your newly converted loft. The way you plan to use it will guide some of the decisions you make during the conversion process, such as the placement of the attic’s new windows. Ultimately, the way you convert your loft will depend on your preferences and requirements, but it will also vary according to the size of the space and your agreed budget. 

Some of the most popular uses for a loft conversion include:

● A spare or guest bedroom

● A home office or study area 

● An entertainment zone, such as a home cinema or games room

● An extra storage room, such as a walk-in wardrobe

● A yoga or meditation zone

● A home gym or studio

● A painting or drawing studio.

As you can see, there are many creative ways to make use of your loft. Once you’ve figured out how you plan to use the space, you can start to focus on the more practical aspects of the conversion. 

Find contractors who specialise in loft conversions

Once you’ve decided how to use your newly renovated loft, it’s time to find a team of contractors who take care of the job at hand. Most importantly, they will be able to offer advice on the best type of loft conversion for you (dormer, hip-to-gable and mansard are all popular choices). They will also advise you on whether you require planning permission and how much you should expect to spend on the project. 

The right contractors will make your loft conversion much less stressful, so spend time doing your research to find a great company. You can do this by asking for recommendations from friends and family members, reading customer reviews and testimonials online, asking for case studies and checking the company is registered with the appropriate governing body (e.g. Which? Trusted Traders or something similar). 

The golden rule to organising a stress-free attic conversion is to prepare as early as possible. Finding a team of contractors to complete the job at hand is the first step, but you also need to think ahead to ensure you have the budget and time available for the conversion to go ahead. You also need to check exactly what services your chosen contractors offer. Remember that your new loft conversion will also need electrical wiring, plumbing, carpeting and decorating. If your chosen contractors don’t offer these services, find professionals who do and book them as soon as possible. 

Many people use their attic space to store items that aren’t often used (Christmas decorations are a great example of this!) but clutter will inevitably build up over the years. From broken furniture to dusty old documents that you no longer need, there’s quite likely a lot to sort through! This step, though it may not be very fun, can make converting your attic much easier and less stressful. The less you have to deal with, the less time and money your conversion will require!

Start by creating four piles. You’ll need one pile for items that need to be disposed of, one for items that can be recycled, one for items that you plan to donate or sell, and one for the items you want to keep. Once you’ve separated everything into piles, you can start clearing out the attic and taking everything to its new home. Items you plan to keep may need to be kept in another room until the building works have been completed. Everything else can either be disposed of, recycled or taken to a charity shop.

If decluttering a whole attic doesn’t sound appealing, you’ll be pleased to know there’s another option. Hiring a house clearance company is a simple way to remove the waste in your attic without lifting a finger! All you need to do is tell your chosen house clearance professionals exactly what you want to be removed and disposed of and they’ll take care of everything from start to finish. This is a great time-saving option for people who just don’t have time to clear out an attic (or for those who simply don’t want to!)

Local house clearance professionals can also help you deal with larger, bulkier items that would be dangerous to remove yourself. Pianos, appliances and large pieces of furniture are all items that often get confined to the loft once they’ve served their purpose yet which can be dangerous to move between floors without the right help. 

Instead of struggling with heavy goods like these and potentially putting yourself at risk, let the experts at your chosen house clearance company do what they do best! You’d be surprised at how much time and energy attic clearance services could save you.

Working with a house clearance company takes away the stress of waste removal. The clearance experts will have everything they need to dispose of your attic waste quickly, efficiently and responsibly - something that’ll make life much easier for you! However, if you decide not to use the services of a house clearance service, you will need to hire a household skip.

Having a skip outside will make getting rid of rubbish much easier and more convenient. Hiring a skip means you won’t need to drive car-loads of waste to your local recycling centre or worry about separating waste incorrectly. Established skip hire companies will collect and separate the waste from your skip on your behalf, recycling everything that can be to make your renovation as eco-friendly as possible.

Hiring a skip can also make the loft conversion process easier and more environmentally-friendly. The builders in charge of the renovation will be able to dispose of the construction waste safely and efficiently instead of it piling up in your house. 

Whenever you have work completed on your house, it’s always polite to keep your neighbours in the loop. This is especially true when you’re planning a loft conversion as the job is a noisy one. It may also go on for a couple of weeks or even longer. You should also let your neighbours know if you have hired a skip as it may block the front of their house slightly. 

Prepare for the arrival of your contractors

Clearing the attic space and finding responsible ways to dispose of your waste is a key step in preparing for the arrival of your chosen contractors. If the space isn’t empty, they won’t be able to get to work. However, it’s also worth giving your contractors a call to see if there’s anything else that needs to be done to prepare the space for the renovation. 

Maybe they recommend putting dust sheets underneath the ladder to your attic or perhaps they would like you to prepare a parking permit for their van. No matter their requirements or advice, it pays to double-check before work begins. This can help to make sure your attic conversion runs smoothly. 

Having contractors in to complete an attic renovation may seem interesting and exciting to your little ones! The chances are they’ll try to take a look at the ongoing conversion if left unattended, so keep a close eye on your children and pets while the contractors are at work. This will help to keep them safe from machinery or other potential hazards, such as parts of the roof that have been left uncovered.

Once your stunning new attic conversion is complete, it’s time to sit back and relax! However you plan to use your newly converted loft, we’re sure you’ll breathe a sigh of relief once every part of the project has been finished. 

Whether you require garden clearance services, old furniture removal, skip hire or any other type of residential or commercial waste disposal service, we have the solution for you!

We offer reliable, efficient and professional house clearance and skip hire services throughout Coatbridge, Hamilton, Motherwell, Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian, and are proud to have developed a reputation for excellence in every area we cover. When you work with Henry Waste, Skip Hire & House Clearances, friendly service and competitive rates also come as standard.

For more information about our range of house and business clearance services and waste disposal options, contact us today. We’re always happy to help!