How to make your home feel bigger without extending in Bromsgrove

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

Depending on where you live, the average cost of an extension is reckoned to be between £1,200 and £1,800 per square metre. Whilst most of us who buy a property wish to change it in some way and may plan to extend, arranging the necessary finances and permissions can take a long time. 

The answer could lie in creating proper storage space so that you can reorganise your existing rooms.

The cost for boarding is around £35 per square metre, so whilst still being an investment, this can be a practical solution compared to to building costs. Boarding and ladder fitting can also be achieved within a day and with minimal disruption, leaving you free to start reorganising your space.

In fact, a boarded loft, safely and easily accessed with a fitted ladder can totally transform a property by opening up storage possibilities.  Items that are not needed every day can be kept out of sight and brought down from the loft when required.

Modern ladders are light but sturdy and glide into place without the fear of trapped fingers. Going up to the loft to retrieve belongings is no longer a chore.

Take a look at our Facebook page for photos of recent work. You can message us through the page or call us on 07712 327889.

Still time to board your loft before Christmas in Stratford-upon-Avon and Alcester

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

If the thought of putting the Halloween decorations away seems scary because it involves a trip up to an unboarded loft, then think about getting the professionals in.

With November about to start, there are eight weeks left to go until the big day. Although of course 2020 was an exception, we are usually busy in the run-up to Christmas as customers want to organise their space before guests arrive. This year, after last year’s restrictions, we expect to be busier than ever.

A stable loft floor means safe and easy storage

A boarded loft means no more wobbling around between joists as you try to retrieve boxes of decorations. With a stable base you can store and access items without taking your life in your hands.

Add in a fixed ladder and going up to the loft is a breeze. There is a ladder to suit your space and budget: we offer timber, folding aluminium ladders and telescopic ladders where space is tight.

Booking loft boarding jobs now for November and December

We are booking in jobs now for November and December, so contact us to arrange a no-obligation quote or take a look at our Facebook page to see photos of recent jobs and customer reviews.

Want to store away your summer items? Why autumn is a busy time for loft boarding in Warwickshire

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Dare we say it…there is an autumn chill in the air! Whilst we want to hang on to every last day of summer, the new season is approaching and, for most of us, so is a return to work and routine. If you have been enjoying summer past-times, such as camping or summer sports, now might be the time to pack away equipment ready for next year.  Or you might be swapping your summer wardrobe for your winter one. For these reasons this is a busy time of year for Stu’s Loft Ladders as people decide to have their loft boarded as a way of storing seasonal items.

Loft Boarding Installation
Even just boarding the centre section of a loft creates functional storage space

As September arrives, these are some of the seasonal items most commonly stored in a boarded loft:

  • Camping – great fun and an affordable means of gaining a much-needed change of scenery. However, camping comes with a lot of equipment. Not just the tent itself, but beds, cooking equipment, chairs and all the paraphernalia of an outdoor stay. If you don’t want to jam up your shed or garage, then the loft is the ideal space for storage. If gaining access is awkward, we can even enlarge the loft opening so that getting bulky items up there is a breeze. 
  • Summer clothes – as the nights draw in you may be reaching for your winter woollies and finding it tricky to see what clothes you have in an overstuffed wardrobe. By taking out your summer clothes and vacuum-packing them, they will be free from dust and moths, ready for the warmer weather in 2022. They can then sit happily in the loft out of the way until you need them again. The same goes for summer footwear which, can go into clear boxes with lids.
  • Summer sports – if you have a hobby that you enjoy in the warmer months with equipment that you won’t need until spring, making the most of your loft means keeping other areas in your home clear. Whether it’s cricket bats, paddles, wetsuits or body boards, having loft storage sorted frees up space in the rest of your home.

So, at the start of the new season, give us a call on 07712 327889 for a no-obligation quote for loft boarding, fixed loft ladders or a new hatch. See more about our services here.

For Stratford-upon-Avon homeowners, loft boarding can be the first step to regaining control of the clutter

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The Bank Holiday weekend is the perfect time to have a clear out and to take control of your possessions.

Often we can feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff we hang on to. Most of us have it – a dumping ground, whether that be the garage, utility room, cupboard under the stairs or spare bedroom. The place where we shove things that we may need later or don’t want to look at. Over time, that area can become overwhelming and we just shove things in and quickly shut the door.

If you don’t have loft storage, boarding the loft can be a positive first step in reorganising your home and sorting out the mess. Starting with a clean slate is an opportunity to tackle the problem areas in our homes. With a little organisation, the loft storage can be really functional. Think labelled boxes, shelving and enough boarded area to move around in between boxes so that items can be retrieved and returned easily.

Truss shelving is an inexpensive addition that creates an area for neatly storing boxes at the sides of the loft, leaving the floor area free to move around in. We can even build bespoke shelves so that items such as suitcases are off the floor and neatly stored.

If the mess in your home can make you scream, boarding the loft can be a positive first step to regaining control through proper storage

So, if you would like to create a little more order in your home, give us a call on 07712 327889 for a free, no-obligation quote. We cover Warwickshire and Worcestershire from our base near Redditch.

Spring means time to look up with loft storage in Warwickshire and Worcestershire

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Spring is on the way! With lock down measures set to ease over the coming months and, hopefully, not long until refuse and recycling centres start opening again, it’s the perfect time to have a clear out. If you are tackling a project like sorting out the garage or shed, you will be left with some items that you want to keep, but don’t want to have hanging around taking up space.

With a loft ladder and boarding, you could keep those items in the loft and be able to easily retrieve them when you want them. So, if you only use your camping equipment or sun shade for the beach once a year (well we can dream during lockdown) then you could have them out of sight in a properly boarded loft. The same goes for sentimental items like photos that you will put into albums one day or CDs that you no longer play, but can’t part with.

Not boarding your loft = wasting space

We can’t say it enough – if you have a loft that is not boarded then you are wasting space in your home. At an average cost of £35 a square metre, boarding might cost less than you think and enable you to revolutionise the way you organise your home. All those items that you are keeping for occasional use or for “one day” won’t need to crowd your living areas. You could swap over your winter and summer clothes, vacuum packing them for protection. Think about how much nicer it would be to organise your wardrobe space and see what you have to wear. Our customers nearly always have plans for what they will store in their loft and it always amazes us from fishing gear to dance trophies. Really the possibilities depend on you.  

We are taking bookings now and provide no-obligation quotes for jobs throughout Warwickshire, Worcestershire and the West Midlands. Call us on 07712 327889.

Loft Boarding Installation

Looking for storage in Warwickshire and Worcestershire? Why boarding the loft and fitting a loft ladder could save you money

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

The cost for us to fit a quality loft ladder starts from £295. This might seem like a considerable outlay, but if you are thinking about paying for storage, then you really should consider it. Having a sturdy and easy to use loft ladder means that you will be able to safely access your loft.

Compared to storage facilities, a loft ladder could pay for itself in six months

Storage in a dedicated facility comes in at around £50 per month for a 5ft x 7ft area or £85 for 6ft x 10ft. Some facilities may cost less, but sting you with an access charge every time you want to put something in or out.  Based on the lower of these two figures, a fitted loft ladder would pay for itself in six months. Of course, you would also have the benefit of it for as long as you need.

Every m2 of loft boarding is less than a month’s storage

The same is true of loft boarding.  Every job is different, but as a guide you could think about paying £35 per square metre with Stu’s Loft Ladders.  So, you could look at it, that every square metre is less than the cost of one month in storage. You could board an area of 10m2 and fit a ladder for around £650 total and, compared to the cheapest storage costs, break even in a year. To boot, you will have gained more storage space at home than that cost would have bought elsewhere with all the extra convenience.

Boarding the loft could add value to your home

Boarding the loft could add value to your home. As a job that many homebuyers think of doing, having a loft that is already boarded could help your home to stand out for practical-minded house viewers.

Unless you are storing large items such as bulky furniture, boarding the loft is a great alternative to paid-for storage. Think about it. Your loft is secure and you can access items whenever you need them. You can also store them indefinitely without the costs racking up as they would in a storage facility.

Take a look at our services page to find out more.

Loft storage makes sense for our customers in the Midlands

Posted by Stu's Loft Ladders editorial team on

We all have items that we don’t use everyday, but want to keep. The loft is the often the prime area we use to store these belongings. Not everybody has a garage and sheds are often too damp for precious items.

Recent finished loft boarding job in Wellesbourne

Boarding the loft makes sense – an average house in the UK is 68m2. By boarding the loft, you will most likely be adding the same as one storey of storage– that’s the potential for an extra 30m2 of space.  When related to the cost of property per square metre that is a significant gain, particularly in the West Midlands in areas where property prices are high like Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

Average cost for loft boarding and storage space

We are often asked to give an idea of cost on the phone or through a message. Like most home improvement firms, we like to visit to ensure that our quote is accurate, but as a ballpark figure, £40 per square metre is a good indication of cost. This price includes upgrading the floor to accommodate insulation, pipes and wires. For a customer who really only needs extra space in their homes for storage that is an extremely cost-effective way of creating extra space compared to extending, but one that can have a similarly dramatic effect when it enables them to re-organise the space they have. Of course you don’t have to board the entire area and many customers choose to do a section of it, on average 10m2 to 15m2

Preparation to raise boarding above insulation

Loft storage top ten for Midlands customers

Our customers always have ideas for how to use the storage area we create by boarding their loft and often share their plans with us. The top ten most quoted items destined for loft storage are:

  • Christmas decorations
  • Suitcases
  • Clothes that are out of season – many people don’t have room in their wardrobes and swap over their summer and winter attire
  • Equipment for occasional or lapsed activities and hobbies – from golf clubs to skis
  • Books
  • Photos
  • Children’s toys and baby clothes/equipment
  • Sentimental items that customers don’t want in their living space but can’t quite part with
  • CDs and records – for customers that stream their music but like to know their collection is safe
  • Boxes left for safe-keeping by a family member – most often children who have flown the nest but still want the benefit of a free storage facility

Top tips when creating loft storage space

  • Think about the ladder – it will need to be sturdy enough to take the weight if you plan to store heavy items
  • Consider enlarging the hatch- many housebuilders fit a small hatch as standard, which can make taking items up and down awkward
  • In a new build you will need to consider the insulation. We create raised boarding that allows you to keep your current level of insulation and even adds additional thermal properties.

Bespoke shelving

As part of a wider job we can build in dedicated storage shelving. We are skilled and experienced carpenters and can create bespoke shelving to fit boxes, suitcases or whatever you need to store.

So, if you want to make the most of the space you have, consider looking upwards in your home and get the loft boarded.  We provide advice and no-obligation quotes – contact the team here.