Cost of moving hits the roof

July 21, 2004 -- British families converting their lofts to save on moving costs Survey shows extra bedrooms and studies are the most common requests. A survey released today by national loft conversion company Econoloft, reveals that many British families are converting their lofts to add an extra bedroom and or bathroom to their homes instead of moving home. ‘Over a third of our clients ask us to build a room for their growing families' said Emma Abram, General Manager of Econoloft, ‘This might be because they are about to have a baby or because their children have reached an age where they want their own rooms instead of sharing. They are aware the extra room will add value to their property and do not want to face the upheaval of moving at this key life stage.'

The rise in working from home is reflected in the second most popular reason given for adding a loft conversion: 16% of Econoloft's customers are looking to add a study to their home enabling them to work from home and to have a room for the family computer while 12% need a nursery or toy room.

The recent rise in house prices is reflected in the survey with 15% of Econoloft's customers say they extend into their loft intead of moving home. This saves on moving costs and stamp duty without losing any garden space or requiring new building foundations.

As well as a new addition to a family many of Britain's homeowners are accommodating other residents. Seven per cent of Econoloft's customers converted their lofts into a living area for a nanny or au pair, while three per cent need a bedroom for a student returning from college. Four per cent of families reconfigure their houses to make room for an older parent to move in with them.

The results also highlight a trend for British homeowners to build rooms for leisure activities, including four per cent of people asking for a games room and another two per cent wanting a music room. Just one per cent of Econoloft's customers call on them to add an extra room which they can rent out.

The top ten reasons for converting the loft were given as:
1    Adding an extra bedroom and or bathroom – 36%
2    Study or office – 16%
3    Save on moving costs – 15% of customers add space without paying for a move
4    Nursery/Toy Room - 12% want somewhere to store the toys
5    Au pair / Nanny – 7% have room for their children but need more for their nanny
6    Granny Flat – 4% need a room for an aged parent to move in with them
7    Games Room – 4% want a retreat for teenagers or children
8    Returning of a mature child – 3% need to find space for offspring to return
9    Music Room – 2% ask for a room dedicated to playing or listening to music
10    Rental income – 1% are looking to develop an income stream from rental

Emma Abram added, ‘Most of Econoloft's customers find they need an extra room but don't want to face the rising costs and stress of moving. A quality loft conversion can add more value to your property than the initial outlay, and converting your loft is simpler than building an extension with the bonus of preserving your full garden space'.

In response to the research results Econoloft has overhauled its website, www.econoloft.co.uk, to add more information, case studies including virtual tours and ‘Frequently Asked Questions'. The website was designed by retained interactive agency, Tamar.

About Econoloft
Elite Econoloft Ltd is a family run company established over 20 years ago by Derek Livesey. Derek is still active in the day-to-day running of the business and has daily contact with the tradesmen to ensure that the quality of conversions continues, whilst being available to offer guidance.

Econoloft is the UK's only national loft conversion company and states its mission, ‘To deliver a service that is beyond comparison, offering guidance whilst meeting the needs of clients. We aim to convert each and every loft to the highest standard, producing loft conversions that we are very proud of at very competitive prices.'

Elite Econoloft is a member of The Guild of Master Craftsmen, the Fair Trades Advisory Bureau and the League of Professional Craftsmen. Further details are available at www.econoloft.co.uk

The research was conducted by Econoloft based on 220 customer enquiries over the past three months.

About Tamar
Tamar is retained by Econoloft for design and maintenance of the company's website and search engine optimisation.

Founded in 1995, Tamar, www.Tamar.com, is a leading interactive media agency with experience of building and maintaining websites across all industry sectors from FMCG to the public sector.

Tamar's experienced team of developers, technical architects and strategists offers a full service from launching an online presence to search engine optimisation, brand creation, email marketing and traffic generation.

Headquartered in London, Tamar's retained clients range from Bravissimo.com to Endsleigh.co.uk.

For further information please contact:
Joanna Burton
PR Manager
Tamar
E: Joanna.Burton@Tamar.com
T: 020 8996 8704

Emma Abram
General Manager
Econoloft
E: Emma@econoloft.co.uk
T: 01942 722754

Neil McCarthy
Commercial Director
Tamar
E: Neil.McCarthy@Tamar.com
T: 020 8996 8708
M: 07957 165 121





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