Archived Entries
November 2009
How to make the best of your home when extending may not be the answer
No matter how big our house or how much storage space we have, our desire for more room to expand into is insatiable. I wander round my house, open rooms only to find them quite literally bursting at the seams, so much so, I find it almost impossible to once again shut the chaos away. Yes, the answer is a “spring clean” on a scale never seen before but hey, I don't really want to get rid of stuff because I never know when it might come in useful.
So, what is the answer? With money as tight as the play-off places in the Blue Square, building an extension may not be the most cost -effective way to create more space. Creating space is all about imaginatively reviewing what space you have and how best you can use it. For example, you may have an attached garage that serves no purpose other than housing the chest freezer and recycle bins. By converting these existing spaces into habitable accommodation is often cheaper than building an extension that won't sacrifice any valuable outside space such as hard standing areas or garden for example. If you do not have the luxury of a garage, why not think about remodelling your home to make the best use of space. My parents had an extension built some 5 years ago and the space created has not been fully optimised because the original outside wall continues provides a physical barrier between the extension and the original part of the house. After some debate and encouragement, the wall has been removed to create an enlarged kitchen area that allows them enough room to fit a table and chairs. With some imagination and planning, you may create that extra space you crave without spending a fortune.
Act Now to Save on Your Fuel Bills
I awoke this morning to read that household energy bills are predicted to soar by as much as 40% this winter as oil prices continue to rise. With wholesale gas prices already at a record high, investment bank Goldman Sachs predicts crude oil will rise to $200 per barrel from the current high of $123. The reasons for the price hike are complex, but what remains is that like it or not, we will all have to pay more for our household energy. Again, it will be the most vulnerable in our society who will bear the brunt and we must all act now to head off a potential social and economic crisis.
What can we all do to ease the price pain for less than £30?
- There is no such thing as loyalty in the world of free markets, shop around. By this I mean, don't be afraid to leave your current energy supplier. Use the many comparison websites to find a tariff that suits your lifestyle.
- If finances allow, why not pay for your energy bills by direct debit?
- Savings can be further found if you opt for a dual fuel tariff from the supplier; that is, get both your gas and electricity from them.
- Did you know that cutting down on drafts could significantly cut your heating bills as quite literally, you are heating the atmosphere? When you have the time, simply get your mastic gun out and fill all those gaps you may have between your walls and skirting boards and around window frames. By doing this, you will reduce drafts and the amount of heat lost to the outside.
- Think of fitting heat deflectors to your radiators. I appreciate they are a fiddle to fit (fixed to the wall immediately behind the radiator) but believe you me; I have already noticed the difference. Quite simply, they deflect heat that would be lost to the wall back into the room where the heat is most needed.
- Don't leave electronic devices on standby and the one lesson I have taken from junior school is that when you leave a room, turn the lights off and shut the door behind you.
We all have sit up and recognise that in economic terms, things are going to get harder for us all and with a little imagination, I hope we can lessen the anticipated burden of the impending rise in energy prices by taking some simple and relatively easy steps.
When it comes to home improvement, love thy neighbour as yourself...
A belligerent neighbour whose sole objective is to make your life as miserable as his own is a sad tale that many of us can relate to. To add further salt to those wounds, any bridges of reconciliation were burnt years ago with little to no hope of making up. However, at times, we have to swallow that bitter pill, bite our tongue and go that extra yard to "love thy neighbour" as who knows when you may need their support.
When it comes to home improvements, to have a neighbour who accepts your grand expansionist plans for a two-storey extension hard up against the common boundary for example is a case in point. Their support can save you money and angst in the long run. In most cases, many of the common projects we carry out will not need planning permission which means that the local authority will not be required to consult with your neighbour over the said project. From our own experience, we would recommend that for the sake of common courtesy, you let all your adjoining neighbours know of your future intentions to carry out works. Again, by having their support, life can be so much easier when it comes to executing the work. For example, you may live on a busy street with limited parking meaning that you may have to park a builder's van on a neighbouring drive in order to allow materials to be stored on your driveway.
If you require planning permission, your neighbours will be consulted by the local authority and at that point, will have the formal chance to either support or object to your proposals. Again, for the reasons set out above, it helps to talk in advance and hopefully, head off problems saving you time and money.
For those projects which are likely to affect your neighbour, the Party Wall Act 1996 governs the alteration of any shared structures, access for undertaking work, hours permitted for this and responsibility for repairing any damage. You must serve notice to all owners affected - both freehold and leasehold - two months in advance, ideally by hand with an independent witness or by recorded delivery. Include full details and preferably, a set of plans. If they fail to respond within 14 days or refuse consent, you are in dispute and must pay for a surveyor to negotiate a party wall agreement. You can share the same surveyor, but your neighbours have the right to appoint their own independent surveyor at your own expense. They don't come cheap and a typical party wall agreement will cost approximately £700 per neighbour.
It is also worth checking the property deeds to see if there are any restrictive covenants in place to prevent further development of your property without the consent of any beneficiaries. These apply to most ex-local authority properties and to many homes built on estates.
When your neighbour decides to play his music loud or has a dog that fails to stop barking...remember that home improvement...
