Econoloft - Loft Conversion Specialists Opiniones 

We asked Econoloft to build a bedroom and ensuite for us in our loft space. Not only were they very competitive commercially but the team went above and beyond when they were on site.

By far and away the best head joiner was Sotir. Him and his team completed the build in super quick time - just 8 weeks from start to finish. Sotir was incredibly professional and was able to suggest alternatives as we went along, and provide guidance on our ideas based on what he’d seen before. I cannot recommend him enough - to the extent I would suggest requesting him if I were to use Econoloft.

Econoloft themselves required a bit of management on the admin side, however I would highly recommend them to anyone looking to do a loft conversion. To have completed our loft to such a high standard in such a quick time with no issues is no mean feat, and they have fantastic builders working for them who I can’t say enough good things about.

Over the course of the extension from initial sales consultation through to the work being finished, Econoloft were very good and worked hard to give a high quality service.

After a long process of planning permission (refused), resubmission and then a permitted development certificate, they were able to move very quickly to beginning the work which was excellent. However, there was a breakdown in communication here where the scaffolding company called me to book in a time before I'd even been told by Econoloft that the work was beginning. This was frustrating because due to the work we had to move out for two months and had previously been told that the work would not start for quite a while; this meant that we had to rush to secure a place to live which caused a lot of difficulty.

One other thing to note is that due to the rising inflation, we were told that the price we agreed would have to rise by approx. 12%. This was of course disappointing, but frankly there was very little we could do about it and of course we know that had we chosen to go elsewhere at this point, the final cost would have been even higher.

Once the build started, the four stars is absolutely deserved and perhaps even five. We were lucky enough to have a truly superb crew, led by Sotir who went the extra mile from start to finish. He's an excellent communicator, sending photos and messages regularly throughout the work to let us know progress or raise any concerns. Our neighbours constantly told us how careful they were and and how they cleaned up so well all the time. Coupled to that, they worked so hard that the work was finished well ahead of schedule - weeks, in fact. I can't recommend Sotir highly enough, he's done a superb job and we're very happy with the end result.

With the benefit of hindsight, there are so many moving parts to an extension that from time to time things are bound to go wrong occasionally. What I can say is that when the build actually got under way, I have been really impressed with the process. A big thank you to the whole team for all of your hard work.

Quite honestly could not recommend. Long delays, price increases and had to chase constantly. Whole thing has been extremely frustrating and hard work. Cost us an absolute fortune in lost rent

Genuinely brilliant. Job was done in about 14 weeks. As normal in these kinds of projects there is a bit of an overrun. We were kept informed of all stages of progress by Lee. If for some reason the team weren’t going to come in. We were told.

Overall very clean as the team were up in the loft and us downstairs there was no interruption at all. Also, helped by having a portaloo outside.

The job once finished and decorated (by us) was just great all very well finished off.

Team Lee proved to be very professional and friendly whilst on site. Unusually for builders etc… we were sorry to see them go!

From our point of view we would definitely recommend Econoloft

Like many people, I looked at some of these reviews prior to appointing Econoloft and I thought to myself, there’s no way that this company is as bad as everyone is making out within these reviews, surely all of these customers are overreacting. After dealing with this company for the last 6 months I can honestly say that all of the feedback you read here is true, communication is poor within this company, the customer service is non-existent and they will make you feel like you’re the issue, even if their the ones that have missed all of the deadlines they’ve set. They talk a lot about how many loft conversations they’ve done, but I would question how many customers are actually happy by the end? If you want to see first-hand how unprofessional this company is, just read some of the companies public replies in response to some of the honest feedback posted about them, it truly is shocking that companies like this still exist and don’t value customers. We was quoted 6-8 weeks to do a loft conversion, this ended up taking 16+ weeks and we still have snagging to be rectified, the completed works is also not that great. Prior to Econoloft commencing work we was advised of an increase in material costs due to various factors, however, we was not advised of any other delays. The most important thing you need to note before going with this company is that ‘nobody’ works for Econoloft, everything is outsourced, the people who do work for Econoloft are rude and have no concept of customer service or aftercare. We had ‘one’ joiner work on our loft for the duration which is why I took so long, however, they keep saying material shortages was the reason, even thought all the materials were delivered on the first day. Within their glossy broacher they make reference to a ‘team’ of people to make you think that there will be a load of people working on your home, it’s all fake, these people simply don’t exist, they also make reference to site managers who you can call (some 24hrs a day in an emergency) I’ve attempted to call all site managers and none of them have ever answered any of my calls or responded to my emails, I’ve also emailed a complaint with concerns to all of the site managers/directors and nobody has had the decency to respond to me, the most insulting thing is that this company has the time to respond to comments that people have made about them on the internet but they can’t answer the phone to customers or respond to emails, it truly is bizarre. Once they take your deposit they honestly don’t care about you or your concerns, I was later told that directors and site managers do not normally respond to emails or complaints. The customer service manager and customer service advisor are rude, argumentative and unhelpful, they both regularly make mistakes, the manager has sent me personal data that relates to another customer and regularly forgets to reply to emails. The real issue here is that nobody works for Econoloft so if you need answers your better off not calling them. The contractors they refer are incredibly unreliable, the electrician agreed a start date with me and decided to go on a skiing holiday with his family and delayed his start, the plaster agreed a start date and decided to go on a valentine’s getaway for 3 days and delayed his start date, the tiller started on time but agreed to return to complete part of the works and never did, the plumber also delayed his start. All of the outsourced trades were also constantly complaining about Econoloft while on site, about materials, the directors, the second fix guys, the supervisor, the way the company operate, the customer service manger being on stress leave, it was all becoming unbearable and I’m Glad it’s coming to an end. Just be mindful that Econoloft will never proactively contact you, and be prepared to be shouted at and ignored if things go wrong or get delayed.

Very happy to recommend econoloft. They began work on the day promised but the builders soon discovered unexpected problems. These were quickly resolved by their in-house team and although there was a slight delay work resumed quickly. Callum was instrumental in coordinating this and remained calm and resolute throughout. Due to the age of our property and its structure further problems revealed themselves but again these were swiftly resolved.
All the trades people who worked on our conversion were extremely polite, competent and friendly.
The people working in administrative roles were efficient, helpful and cheerful at all times.
Work was completed to an excellent standard and on time. We are delighted with our new room.

Econoloft were very attentive and although there were a few building material delays, our builders worked round problems without too much stress. They worked from 8am till 5pm every weekday and couldn't have been more helpful. The neighbours appreciated their respectful behaviour, always clearing up and making very little noise. We can't fault the workmanship of every part of the build and we're delighted to have now moved into what feels like a hotel room. Thank you to all the Econoloft team, we would recommend you every time.

Dreadful company.
Customer service is awful, no replies, having to chase constantly, workmen leaving because so bad to work for. Work done badly and needing re-doing.
Basic checks not done at outset, meant we found out we needed planning permission three weeks into work starting, despite asking previously several times and being told it would be under permitted development. Once we finally got planning, they have been terrible! One issue after another, now nearly finished but no replies to messages and stuck with scaffolding over Christmas! Not impressed, they offer bribes to recommend them but frankly I'll not lie and leave others to such a horrid experience.
So many other decent companies, highly recommend you look elsewhere.

Our Econoloft conversion was done quite a few years ago and the process was a nightmare from beginning to end.

I had my few minutes of fame on Radio 4's "You and Yours" consumer programme as a result of the project, around the time that they were struck off from FMB membership following complaints from multiple customers including myself.

Anyway, bringing things a bit more up-to-date, their poor fitting of the Velux windows and non-replacement of roof felt eventually led to various roof leaks, which eventually necessitated a complete reroof, which we had done by a local family-run company a couple of months ago (at considerable cost).

The only good thing about the original conversion project is that it has remained standing for quite a few years - possibly thanks to the insistence at the time of the building inspector who required multiple upgrades of the structural parts of the conversion.

I've only posted this review now because a local Facebook post was seeking recommendations for loft converters and I thought I should check how Econoloft are getting on. I was horrified to see that recent reviews suggest that they should still be treated with caution!

COWBOYS. AVOID.

I am not sure who is writing these positive reviews for Econoloft as my experience is the opposite.
The work to complete a simple loft extension took 11 months and was done as cheaply as possible.The finishing of the work is not of a high standard. The building certificate has been delayed for 5 months. Econoloft have not been proactive in getting the matter resolved although they employed PWC to carry out the inspection. I have found there to be lackadaisical approach to ensuring customer service and customer satisfaction. I have so many unanswered emails and mis-information. From the paperwork I have the complaints procedure seems to be non existent. And I am still awaiting paperwork.
I am so disappointed in this company, as it claims to be an established company and is also registered with several reputable organisations!? But once they have had the money they are hands off and seem not to care.

We had Econoloft to do our loft in 1993. So many problems with it too many to list here. Didn’t respond to phone calls. In the end we had to pay for someone to correct all the issues.

The sales and planning part of the process to convert our loft was ok. The drawing plans were a bit of an issue and were in our case completely missing of structure calculations. In the end we went with our gut and a dedicated local company, who done a fanstatic job.

We chose Econoloft after watching their YouTube video and reading reviews . We were really impressed by the way they supply their own tradesmen from start to finish meaning we didn`t have the hassle of arranging different trades ourselves. We started our loft in June 2020 as soon as the full lock-down was eased . All the contractors they used and the lead Carpenter were really good and done a great job . Things did take slightly longer because of the Covid situation ( but that was to be expected ) however we was always kept up-to-date with any delays by our lead Carpenter and the girls at the office . We`re quite fussy about finish but everything in our loft was finished to our standard and Econoloft even replaced our Juliet Balcony with a better part at no extra cost because it would have looked much better . The cost come in slightly higher than we budgeted for but we did finish it to a very high spec and we are really delighted with the finish , it was money well spent 🥰Thank you Econoloft .

I had a far from satisfactory experience with Econoloft (or Eco-NO-loft as I now call them) After spending £3000 with them as a deposit, all I got for that were basic architectural drawings, some paperwork for a planning application, and a one hour site survey. I have no new loft because I fired them before the work even started, and nine months were completely wasted.

I have supplied a detailed account below. I understand however that most can't be bothered to read long reviews, so here is a brief summary for those people:

I found them incompetent administratively, unreliable, unprofessional, untrustworthy and I did not feel in the least bit valued as a client. It became clear as time went on that there is just something 'dodgy' about them. Make sure you do your due diligence thoroughly if you are thinking of using them. If you read their reviews ( which I wish I had done), you will see that they are a very hit & miss outfit.

Now for the detail:
I was referred by a friend who went with them because they were the cheapest. He was happy with the building team who did the work So I made it clear to Eco-NO-loft that I wanted the same team on my job.

Econoloft do not have their own builders. They tout your job to a tradesman for a negotiated price. They do not volunteer this information and I only found out much later in the process.

The basic architectural drawings were incorrect 3 times and caused a month of delayed time whilst they were sent back and forth.
Once I signed off the drawings (which still were not 100% accurate but I was fed up with telling them by now) I expected the planning application to be made. After 6 or 7 weeks of checking the public planning portal on the council website, there was still no sign of my project, so I called the council to find out why.

They told me that they had received the application from Econoloft but they had sent the wrong certificate with the application. The council had made Econoloft aware of this and had requested the correct paperwork straight away. The requests went unanswered for 6 weeks. Econoloft denied any responsibility.

Eventually the planning was approved and a start date for the work was agreed, and I was told that the building team I requested were on board to do the job. After this, contact from the company became very poor. As the start date approached there was no final contract/specification as promised. My requests for information were being ignored or fobbed off. I started to smell a rat and called the builder myself.

He told me he had been offered the job by Econoloft but had turned it down because he was not happy with the money he was being offered. It was also him that told me Econoloft do not have their own team of tradesmen.

I was also promised by the sales rep that he would speak to our neighbours on our behalf regarding the party wall agreement as our relationship with them was not great. He never did speak to them or return any of my calls or messages about it.

When I told Econoloft I had spoken to the builder personally and found out he turned the job down and why, I was again fobbed off by the company directors with some crap about the job being 'too problematic' for him. It was a simple dormer conversion, and a much smaller job than the one he did for my friend.

I was promised details of another team that could do the job and contact details of previous customers so I could check them out. I never received any such details despite waiting two weeks. So I fired them off the job once and for all because my patience had finally run out.

I asked the directors for a £1000 refund of my £3000 deposit, as any reasonable person should not expect to pay that much for what I actually received, but my request was flatly refused.

I now have a reputable company lined up from Checkatrade to do the work. I'm having to wait until October for the work to start but that's ok. Incidentally, Econoloft are no longer members of Checkatrade. I find that quite telling.

The sales and planning part of the process to convert our loft was okay. The tradesmen they employed to do the work were pretty good. Unfortunately though the main reason we went with a company like this and not direct to a builder is so that we didn't have to chase constantly, but I'm afraid that hasn't been the case. I've had to chase all the time. There were two particularly long delays. The first, their supplier didn't have any architrave. This went on for five weeks until I had to get the architrave myself from Wickes. They blame the pandemic, but I don't see why they couldn't have just gone to a different supplier or ordered from a DIY store for me.

Then there was another five week delay waiting on a frame for a sliding door. Firstly they ordered the wrong thing, then both myself and the joiner had to tell them what it was they needed to order (more than once) and it still took weeks.

Currently my loft is complete and I am happy with it, but it was a lot more hassle than it should have been. I am now still having to chase them as even though we are four months after completion as I still don't have completion certificates.

I was really interested in the technology that eco loft use, especially as I wouldn’t need a party wall agreement. My neighbours are incredibly anxious and I think it will cause them stress.

I completed an online quote request and didn’t get a response. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and emailed them to check it had been received correctly. I got a reply asking for my contact details. I responded to this about 2 weeks ago and not heard any thing else since.

I am assuming they are very busy and don’t need my custom or my distance from Leeds is a problem but a quick courtesy email email would be nice. Ignoring me just feels a bit rude.

My loft conversion in 2015 was not without challenges but despite that it was completed to an excellent standard and the recent follow up care has been outstanding. The work was supervised by Pete Bassett, who managed the project to satisfactory completion and all my concerns were resolved. I can’t thank him enough for his support.

We couldn't have been more disappointed with the service or product we were given by Econoloft.

We had to chase responses to emails and messages as they were continually ignored until we eventually complained to the office manager about the lack of service we were receiving. We were assured it would not happen again. Sadly this turned out to be incorrect.

Unbelievably we were not able to speak to the architect about how we wanted our loft extension to be designed until weeks after planning permission had been submitted, instead having to send messages via their sales rep.

We were verbally promised a start date for the works to commence. This was not honoured with no prior notification from Econoloft. Indeed, as was becoming depressingly familiar, we had to leave a lot of messages and do a lot of chasing to find out what was happening.

Despite planning permission being granted we became so disillusioned with Econoloft that we decided to cut our losses and use a different company. The new architects have had to start from the beginning as they doubted the accuracy of Econoloft's surveyor's measurements.

From our experience, we would strongly advise caution before using this company.

We have just had our loft conversion completed by Econoloft. This is the very best company we have ever used. Everything you want (except the building inspector) is all in house including plans and steel girders manufacture etc. Brilliantly well organised from start to finish. We cannot speak highly enough about this company. We knew exactly where we were from day one. We were also very lucky with the team of professionals sent to look after us. The team we had working on our loft was second to none, with a very professional work leader. They were very clean and tidy, removed all rubbish from the site. Started work promptly at 8am and finished at 5pm.
We would most certainly recommend Econoloft to anyone considering getting their loft done.