“We wanted to be able to talk to the customer,” explains Stedman. “Just like a kitchen or bathroom showroom, you can see all our products built so that you can try them, and you can talk to someone knowledgeable for advice and information – we try to avoid ‘builder-speak’.” The Loft Shop’s free information booklet even includes a handy glossary: purlins, for example, are “the horizontal timber or steel beams that provide support for all the rafters in a roof”. The purchaser then gets a builder to do the installation.”The Loft Shop UK can put customers in touch with suitable builders through their Loft Link service. “These are builders who buy from us, so we know them – and we’ve seen their work,” says Stedman. He says that around 60 per cent of sales are to builders, and 40 per cent to home-owners. “Although homeowners are not necessarily doing the work themselves,” he notes “Buy-it-yourself, or BIY, is becoming quite common. Peter Stedman’s company, The Loft Shop UK, supplies all the necessities for a successful conversion, including ladders, staircases, roof windows, roof domes and escape windows.

But do not pay more than agreed, and be sure to keep the largest payment for final completion. Builders can be notorious for not finishing off small jobs because there is only a small amount of money outstanding.”If you are a keen DIY buff, it’s perfectly possible to convert your own loft. With loft conversions there are a lot of intensive up-front costs that need to be met by the builder Make sure the payments agreed to are there when requested. “This enables the customer to keep control of the project,” he explains.

“If your plans are drawn up by the builder himself, you are locked in and can’t look for another contractor if the price is hiked unexpectedly.”Be prepared to be asked for a deposit “Stage payments should be firmly agreed and available. “Assess each company and ask yourself, ‘Will I be happy to give this person several thousands of pounds and also complete access to my home?’ Ask for details of two or three customers to contact for references and follow them up! It’s surprising the characters that some people are prepared to throw money at without making even the slightest check on their ability to carry out the work or their reliability.”Williamson also recommends having plans drawn up by a professional architect or draughtsman. “I always recommend the use of loft conversion specialists as opposed to general builders,” he says. “Building regulations are designed for the safety of the construction workers and the people using the conversion,” Stedman explains wryly.If you don’t intend to get your own hands dirty, Laurie Williamson suggests getting three estimates for the job.