Basement Conversions in London

If the work will be simply converting an existing cellar without altering the property’s external appearance, the likely answer is no. However, you likely will need planning permission for any basement conversion work set to entail: 

• Making any structural changes
• Altering the property’s external appearance
• Creating a unit of accommodation separate to your main residential building

If it turns out that the work indeed needs planning permission, we can apply for that planning permission to spare you this potentially burdensome administrative task.

If the type of basement extension you have in mind would require the space to be excavated to create more room or external changes to be made to the property, such as with the addition of a lightwell, then planning permission is likely to be necessary.

However, as planning rules are subject to change and can vary significantly between different geographic areas, we would recommend that you contact our team and your local planning authority for guidance well before you initiate any basement extension work.

This approval will be necessary if the project will involve substantially upgrading an existing cellar or creating a new basement space from scratch.

With this approval, you can be certain that the basement conversion or extension will meet a minimum standard on the following health, safety and welfare measures:

• Ventilation
• Fire safety
• Foundations
• Energy efficiency

We can produce structural drawings and work alongside local authority building control to help you in achieving Building Regulations approval for your basement project.

This is undoubtedly a complex subject. Provided you keep your basement conversion basic, it should cost about as much as a comparable loft conversion. However, a converted basement could leave you with a larger amount of usable floor space.

Compared to lofts, basements lend themselves better to use as cinema rooms, where the underground setting provides its own darkness and sound insulation. However, you might prefer us to convert your loft if you want a space that could benefit from natural light flooding through.

Potentially, yes. However, you would need to think carefully about the issue of drainage. In the likely event that the floor of the basement in question is much lower than the height of the surrounding drains, you will need some type of pump – though, fortunately, we could install one for you.

The professional skills of our London-based tradespeople include fitting bathrooms – complete with any necessary toilets or sinks, all of which would naturally rely on the drainage system.