Archive for October, 2009

When undertaking a home improvement project, attention usually focuses on major building work such as an extension, loft conversion or fitted kitchen. Of course, this is perfectly understandable as these larger projects will very often increase the value of a property whilst providing additional space. Nevertheless, it is important that some of the smaller touches to a home improvement project are not neglected, as one day these can come back to haunt homeowners who are desperate to sell up.

Old and worn-out garage doors are typically unsightly and do very little to encourage potential buyers that the house itself is worth their investment. Undoubtedly, old garage doors have a tendency to break down or become stuck – a poorly functioning garage door implies that the remainder of the house has been neglected too, regardless of whether this is in fact the case or not. Thus, it is well worth putting the ‘wow factor’ back into a property by selecting brand new, fully functional garage doors, of which there are many different types available on the market.

A brand new ‘up and over’ garage door is usually the cheapest and most straightforward type to install. Up and over garage doors represent a good investment provided that they match the general facade of the house and are of a good quality construction. Garages that are situated close to the pavement or road, or where space is at a premium, will often benefit from roller doors, which are not always the most aesthetically pleasing options available but are certainly among the most functional. Indeed, roller doors also allow for cars to be parked up close to the garage itself, as the doors do not require any horizontal swinging space. Sliding doors also offer additional space, whilst it is generally important to consider the security provided by any new garage door.

In a perfect world, all houses would be detached and located no closer than 20 metres from the neighbour’s property. Furthermore, all neighbours would be delightful and cheery souls who respect your privacy, consent to all building plans and generally do nothing to upset your utopian living conditions.

Unfortunately, this is not how life works and, whether you like it or not, the chances are that your neighbours will be a touch awkward and disagreeable and, worst of all, they will likely live in an adjoining property.

Indeed, the Party Wall Act 1996 bestows legal obligations on homeowners who share a wall in common. A shared wall is most often that which separates two or more adjoining properties, such as in the case of semi-detached and terraced houses. Party walls in a legal context can also describe walls that are present on boundary lines between properties or any wall against which a neighbour has built another structure. Party walls can also describe many other types of commonly shared walls but, for the purposes of this post, it is necessary only to examine those that are most common: the walls dividing properties.

According to the Party Wall Act 1996, any work that is considered trivial or minor, such as the erection of shelves, replastering or painting, will not require permission from the neighbour. However, if a homeowner wishes to do something of a more substantial nature to the party wall, such as increase its width for soundproofing purposes, extend its height or insert a damp proof course, permission ought to be sought from the neighbour before any such work is undertaken. Indeed, work of this kind must only be carried out after formal notice has been served to the neighbour, who can lodge an appeal against it. Thus, it is usually best to discuss building plans affecting a party wall before proceeding.

Most homeowners and property developers are already well acquainted with the benefits of undertaking a loft conversion, building an extension or even installing a garden office alongside the conservatory.

However, homes that comprise a dark and occasionally dank basement often use this space for storing boxes, old furniture and other items that will become home to thick films of dust and various creepy crawlies. Indeed, the use of basements in this way is not entirely inadvisable, as it can be useful to find space for that which is not currently required but may be dug out again one day.

Nevertheless, more enterprising homeowners and property developers – especially whose properties are located in affluent areas – will look at their unsightly and often eerie basements as sources of great potential. Indeed, aside from renovating an existing basement into a more usable living space, undertaking a full basement extension can add both value and space to the home.

Basement extensions have tended to be the preserve of the very wealthy, whose properties have already been extended upwards and outwards to their limits. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to change in the face of tighter planning laws on basement extensions that are currently in the pipeline and the fact that an average extension of this nature costs around £300 per square foot to dig out, fully fit and furnish.

Notwithstanding the relatively high costs (a typical loft conversion will set a homeowner back some £95 per square foot), the basement extension provides an entirely new opportunity to add a fully functional storey to the home from the bottom up. Furthermore, basement extensions can add new rooms to properties, especially kitchens, home gymnasiums, offices, media rooms, squash courts and swimming pools, that may enable larger families to stay put in the currently depressed housing market.

The loft conversion is a home improvement task with which many homeowners and property developers will be all too familiar. Traditionally designed to create additional space, often for a home office or spare bedroom, a loft conversion is a relatively inexpensive way in which the value and usability of a property can be extended.

Moreover, if Government plans go ahead to retrofit all existing lofts with heat-saving measures under its Energy Saving Strategy (HES), which suggests that by 2015 all homes with cavity walls and standard lofts must be insulated to the highest standards and by 2030 even so-called “hard to treat homes” (old buildings, solid walls, etc.) must be improved, the loft conversion may no longer be an optional home improvement job.

Indeed, the HES consultation phase outlined potential carbon emission savings of approximately 44,000,000 tons annually through improvements to loft insulation, which is certainly no minor saving in the context of the international battle to reverse global warming. However, forcing homeowners to make such improvements is always going to be difficult in a logistical sense and it will be the case that many homeowners cannot afford to make the necessary changes, which is why the so-called ‘pay as you save’ loans have been suggested as a solution.

Whatever the mechanisms by which lofts are converted into eco-friendly rooms, it is clear there are advantages in improving their energy efficiency. Homeowners who are already looking into inexpensive ways to convert their “hard to treat” lofts whilst ensuring insulation is of a high standard will no doubt be interested to learn walls can be internally insulated to good effect and at a relatively low cost using 110mm Celotex rigid foam, which offers around double the insulation of traditional fibreglass boards. Celotex is approximately £21 per square metre, whilst TLX Silver (£11) and plywood panels can be used for doors and flooring.

Although not everyone will have the available funds to splash out on a new fitted kitchen, those who are planning to spruce up their existing kitchens with entirely new designs and fittings are advised to shop around.

Unfortunately, a new kitchen design can set the average homeowner back around £7,500 – excluding new appliances and depending on the size and shape of the kitchen. However, whilst this price will be considered acceptable by some people, many others would expect more value for money in this challenging post-recession age (admittedly, the UK economy is not quite out of the woods just yet).

In fact, it is more than possible nowadays to purchase fitted kitchens for £5,000 or less. Furthermore, before splashing out on the lavish £10,000 option provided by your local home improvement retailer, it is worth contacting a reliable and professional builder or carpenter for a quote on a custom-built solution. Indeed, many experienced woodworkers will be able to provide excellent rates for replacing worktops, fittings and doors, although remember that basic kitchen appliances such as fully integrated ovens and fridge freezers must also be factored into the overall cost and purchased separately. Nevertheless, inexpensive fitted kitchens from popular high street retailers can be found with a little effort.

Ikea’s stylish Applad Kitchen with Faktum frame costs just over £1,100 for just about everything except the kitchen sink… and taps, appliances, lighting, knobs and handles. The Applad’s effective use of draw and cabinet space makes it attractive for many customers. At the other end of the price scale, the Driftwood Kitchen from Kitchens Direct is arguably just as aesthetically pleasing as Ikea’s Applad but, at just under £5,000, it offers a more complete design comprising modern styled slab doors, high quality cabinets, twin steel sided drawer boxes, laminate faced worktops, end gables, accessories and an attractive platinum plinth.

The typical home office is usually tucked away in a corner of the home, such as in a hallway, dining room or spare room. The home office can even find itself in a garage or loft conversion, which do not always offer adequate levels of heating and space to make working conditions pleasant.

There can be many problems associated with the home office, especially where loud and curious young children are involved. Likewise, cabin fever is a real fear for those who work all day at home and then spend their evenings there. Indeed, a change of environment once in a while can be extremely beneficial for physical and mental health of home workers.

Fortunately, for those with a spare £25,000-£30,000 in the bank (or, given the recent economic crisis, under the bed), a garden office can be built to solve most of the aforementioned problems. Although the garden office has been around for quite some time now, its basic designs have evolved considerably over recent years. Indeed, modern garden offices, such as those available from www.roomsoutdoor.co.uk, offer attractive, fully functional and potentially lucrative additions to the home (well, the garden).

Although the cost of a good quality garden office is not at all cheap, their installation at the bottom of a garden can add significant value to the home. Moreover, homeowners who are currently struggling to sell up and move on to larger properties in this depressed market may find that a garden office provides the additional space they require. Furthermore, the garden offices are equipped with solid walls, floors, cladding, electrics and even plumbing, so they provide a peaceful and pleasant environment for home workers. Although the outdoor home office certainly solves a problem or two, homeowners ought to remember that wi-fi signals will not always extend to the bottom of a garden, so construction should be planned carefully.

When the time comes for a much needed holiday, the typical homeowner will hand over a spare set of house keys to family or friends with the intention that they will look after the property in his or her absence. Obviously, the trustworthy soul who accepts the keys and checks on the house several times a day – or even lives in the property for the duration of the homeowner’s holiday – is a friend (or family member) worth keeping. Of course, an individual may not be able to keep up with house sitting duties alongside all other aspects of everyday life, so handing over a property for the safekeeping of another is not always the perfect solution to the problem of leaving the home unattended for days, weeks or even months.

There is, however, another option available to homeowners – especially those who live in or close to major cities or areas that attract tourists on a regular basis. Specifically, homeowners who spend time away from their properties each year may wish to leave them in the hands of complete strangers who do not even live in the country. On the face of it, this would appear to be a somewhat ridiculous suggestion, but it is exactly what some entrepreneurs have decided to do after spotting an opportunity in the market.

Indeed, there is a growing demand amongst tourists for fully furnished rental properties in Britain that are usually significantly cheaper than standard hotel accommodation and are prepared for everyday living, which is more than can be said for most hotels. Furthermore, homeowners can expect to pocket a tidy sum of cash – around £500-600 per week in major cities on average – whilst they do little more than sit back and enjoy their vacations. Those interested in letting their homes to tourists may wish to contact ivylettings.com for more information.

Bad puns aside, glass has long been the material of choice for homeowners and property developers who have sought to introduce more light into their homes. Traditionally, glass is used in featureless exterior walls that would otherwise make rooms appear drab and gloomy.

Indeed, it is now fairly common to find improved homes with additional glass pieces, fittings and structures, especially where ceilings are concerned. The ubiquitous glass box extension, which is essentially the same as any ordinary building extension except that it is comprised chiefly of glass, has also served to popularise the movement towards a more glassy home.

In addition to flooding rooms with natural light, which is extremely beneficial to both the mind and body, glass serves to show off the interior decor of a home to a much greater effect than if standard, featureless brick walls were employed throughout. It is difficult to describe the various ways in which natural light affects the balance, tone and mood of a home, but in essence glass can transform a tired and dreary property into one that is imbued with life.

Of course, overhead glass windows, bi-folding doors and box extensions are all established tools employed by ardent home improvement enthusiasts. However, it is worth noting that glass is not limited to these tried and tested techniques. In fact, glass can be used in the home’s interior to great effect in a multitude of ways. Perhaps one of the more exotic uses of glass is in the construction of high-tech staircases and flooring surfaces, which can be used to heat an eco-home or, somewhat ingeniously, transformed between transparent and opaque states at the flick of a switch. Furthermore, there are many stylish, sophisticated and unfortunately expensive items of furniture that comprise entirely of glass, including bookcases and cabinets.

There are many ways in which the home can be made more secure through home improvements, from reinforcing front doors and locks to installing security lights and cameras. However, whilst it is only natural that homeowners protect themselves, their families and their property from burglars and other such criminals, it is often the case that many fail to secure that which is most at risk. Indeed, although it is obviously important to concentrate on the areas of the home that are the most valuable (generally people and property), in this modern age of digital communications it is also necessary to secure the internet.

Of course, it is always important to ensure that firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware software are installed on all computers and that each is kept up-to-date. Furthermore, computers ought to be password protected at the administrator level and wireless internet must always be encrypted. However, even when these basic steps are followed it is still possible for hackers to break in and do damage. In particular, wireless internet connections have been heavily targeted over the last few years by those who wish to use the web at someone else’s expense, which can be especially damaging when employed for illegal practices. In fact, even an encrypted wireless connection is not entirely safe.

However, online homeowners will no doubt be interested to learn that researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a so-called anti-wi-fi paint. Comprising aluminium-iron oxide, which resonates at the same frequency as wi-fi, the paint is designed to absorb radio waves and other airborne communications and data. In theory, should the paint make it to the market as expected, it will provide homeowners with the chance to spruce up their walls whilst improving their internet security. Indeed, in theory at least, the paint should block all wi-fi signals from leaving the home.

Although the UK housing market is in considerably worse shape than in 2007 – at least from the perspective of homeowners looking to sell – the number of homes being sold across the country remains at a steady rate.

Unfortunately, whilst certain home improvements such as a garage conversion or extension can add vital space to the home, it is sometimes necessary for larger families to simply move on. Considering the average cost of a home is not expected to return to 2007 levels for several years, now may be a good time for many people to sell.

Therefore, it is crucial homeowners are able to maximise the sale price of their homes in a deflated market. In order to achieve this, the adage first impressions count for everything is arguably the single most important factor to consider when preparing a home for sale. Indeed, a loft conversion or building extension will add thousands of pounds of value to a house but, if the look and feel of the home is wrong, many potential buyers will be turned off before making it to the front door.

Houses with that so-called ‘wow factor’ are, therefore, among the quickest to be sold on the market at the list price. There are a number of simple steps that can be followed to help create a positive first impression. Generally speaking, potential buyers will appreciate a well-kept front garden (however small), so always ensure the front of the home is professionally landscaped. Potted plants and hanging baskets can spruce up exterior walls, which can be pointed for further effect. Also, make sure the house is clearly numbered or named, there is sufficient lighting, window frames are in excellent condition and you have invested in a good quality front door.