Allowing For Contractor's Costs When Renovating
One sure way of blowing the budget on a renovation project is to lose control of contractor’s charges but a keen eye on the budget can prevent that from happening.
Home Maintenance & DIY
Written by experienced and enthusiastic experts, our array of well-researched and informative features has been created to inspire and advise you to help you make your home a better place to be.
Allowing For Insurance Costs When Renovating
Property renovation can carry a number of risks, some financial and some physical. The good news is that insurance can help cover most of those risks.
Assessing Material Costs
Accurately assessing material costs is vital to ensuring that you don't waste money, either having expensive tradesmen waiting around or having to throw surplus materials away.
Avoiding Major Costs when Renovating
Keeping to the budget is critical on any renovation project and here we show you how to avoid the big costs.
Budgeting And Cost Control
Your renovation project can cost you a lot more than you think if you don’t put time into constructing an accurate budget in the first place then keep on top of as the project progresses.
Building a Two Storey Extension
If you're considering building and extension onto a property as part of a renovation project you'll get more bang for your buck if you can stretch to a two-storey one.
Building An Extension
Extending a house is becoming more popular as house prices soar out of control, and with stamp duty and moving costs taken into account it can often be cheaper than upgrading.
Can Our Electrician Refuse to Finish The Job?
Has your electrician pulled the plug on your project? Take a look at our guide to putting the spark back into your project.
Cellars And Basements
If you’re in a location where living space is in short supply, then the space underneath your house may present an opportunity for you to relieve the problems without having to move.
Conforming To Building Regulations
Building regulations are a necessary evil, but it is up to you, as the property owner to make sure that you know what regulations should apply to your renovation.
Considerations When Re-Wiring a Renovation Poperty
There are over twenty thousand accidents every year involving electricity, electrical devices or wiring in some form or another, so it makes sense to call in the experts when it’s time for a rewire.
Cost Of Planning Permission
The cost of obtaining planning permission is itself not a great deal, it’s the add-on expenses and the cost of getting it wrong that can really hurt.
Creating an Indoor Swimming Pool
Creating an indoor swimming pool can add value to your home and luxury to your life. Read our guide to getting started on a pool of your very own.
Creating an Outdoor Swimming Pool
Creating an outdoor swimming pool is a project with a luxurious, if costly, aim. We'll walk you through the considerations of taking on such a project for your home.
Damp Proofing
Damp is a perennial problems for buildings in the UK but with a few no-nonsense precautions and some regular maintenance, it can be kept at bay.
Dealing With Damp, Rot And Pests
If you’re renovating older properties sooner or later you’ll come across damp, rot and possible pest infestations. No need to panic though, they can all be dealt with and our guide will point you in the right direction.
Deciding Whether to Hire an Architect
This article looks at the benefits of having an architect involved in the renovation of your existing property or building of an extension onto it; it also discusses the uses of an architect when seeking planning permission
Demolition And Rebuilding
Renovation is all very well but if your property is in a very bad condition throughout, then it might be easier and more economically viable to knock it all down and start again from scratch.
Designing a Carbon Neutral Home
Aiming for a carbon neutral home when undertaking a renovation project makes sense on two levels, firstly you will save money on energy bills and secondly you will be contributing far less to the problems we are creating for our planet.
Eco Friendly Decorating
Green concerns are now more mainstream and property renovators who want to take a responsible stanch on damaging chemicals now have plenty of options to explore.
Finding the Perfect Property to Renovate
Avoid the money pits and find the perfect property to renovate with our guide to getting started in property renovation.
Getting Our House Ready to Rent: A Case Study
Getting your property ready to rent means erasing all traces of past tenants. Our case study shows how it can be easily done.
How To Avoid Surprises When Renovating
Surprises are likely to happen in every renovation, but they are in direct proportion to the amount of effort you put into preparing the project.
How to Utilise Water Saving Systems
The idea of using water as a precious resource is beginning to become natural to people these days but only a few decades ago it was completely alien. The new focus on ecology has delivered systems to help make the best use of our water.
Installing Security Systems
It’s a sad fact that more and more people in the United Kingdom feel a need to install a security system, or at least beef up their current security precautions.
Insulating Roofs And Walls
Climate change has pushed energy efficiency and insulation to the front of the property news and it makes solid sense to insulate well whether you are renovating fro profit or just improving your home.
Obtaining Planning Permission
Obtaining planning permission has a reputation for being tricky and frustrating, but if you take the time to understand the process and find out what the planners are looking for, it should be a breeze.
Planning Your Garden Renovation
Planning a garden renovation can be a daunting task. Read our great guide to help get you on the right track.
Providing Energy For The Home
Climate change is a growing concern and one of the ways that individuals can be sure they are not adding to the problem is to generate the power they require cleanly at home.
Renovating a Pond
Pond renovation, from basic maintenance, to total overhaul, is a great opportunity to improve your garden pond. Our guide will help you to get started.
