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August 2010
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- August 2010
To move or improve that is the question
With house prices as unpredictable as the current climate, my sympathy goes out to those in that vexed position of not knowing whether to sell their home or stay. According to most pundits, the good news is that house prices will recover; the bad news is that this is unlikely to happen for at least another year or so.
For many estate agents, the situation appears optimistic in that new properties are steadily coming onto the market; after all, if you have nothing to sell, how can you keep your business going? That is really where the good news stops I am afraid. The reason for this is simple; the first time buyers who traditionally prop up the housing market cannot make the first rung given that banks are demanding deposits of at least 40% to secure the best mortgage deals. Whilst some first time buyers are fortunate in having parents who can help "sponsor" this first move - possibly for the sake of their own sanity, for many, house buying is completely unachievable with the average deposits standing at £34,000. Until the banks revisit their lending policy, the housing market will continue to wade through metaphorical treacle.
With the banks doing their level best to reduce their lending risk, this does little to address families pressing need for enhanced living space. However, all is not lost, with a little imagination and creative thinking, your home may in fact offer more potential for expansion than we actually realise. You simply need to be pointed in the right direction to spot those hidden opportunities to either add more space or improve the existing layout.
Start by looking at all of the options for your particular house type, from extending up, out or down to changing the existing room plan. Then decide which option best meets the needs of your household and your available budget. Bear in mind that even if your extension adds less to the value of the home than what it costs, providing it gives you the space you need when moving is not a real option. Above all, please remember that we have been through property slumps before and any kind of improvement work you carry out will offer you the potential edge when you do finally come to sell and in the meantime, provides improved accommodation levels.
Five steps to increasing living space:-
- Establish your budget; to help you with this, why not visit the extension calculator located on the www.doineedplanningpermission.co.uk website? This will give you a rough estimate of anticipated costs.
- Understand your property works for you; for example, would a single ground floor space be more beneficial when compared to 2 reception rooms?
- Identify potential constraints; any works you carry out to a listed building will require consent and will have to be carried out in a way which respects the existing fabric of the building. If your house has been the subject of previous extensions, this may constrain what further building works you may be able to carry out. If the latter is the case, don't dismay, as remodelling the internal layout may be the solution.
- Consider the potential options your house offers; for example, terraced properties offer considerable opportunity for remodelling and semi-detached properties offer opportunity for loft conversions.
- Think garden; if you are lucky enough to live in a house with a large garden, why not erect a garden room?
For many of us, we enjoy where we live but are forced to move because our families have outgrown our present homes. Before you consider moving, re-evaluate your present home and who knows...
Think Tree House
As a child, my abiding memory of summer was spending carefree days climbing trees in the nearby woods and building structures that could loosely be described as tree houses. Sadly, old age and a complete lack of fitness mean that today, the stairs are enough of a challenge let alone a gnarled 20 foot tree.
However, you will be pleased to know that enjoying the garden from an elevated position is no longer the preserve of the young, the super fit or experienced mountaineers. Subject to planning permission (which in certain cases will be required), tree houses can offer a novel and multifunctional way of enjoying the great outdoors from the comfort of your own garden.
There is no limit as to what you can build a tree house for, be it a wooden playhouse, tree fort, office or place to entertain. Tree houses can be built solely within a huge tree, they can be partially supported by tree trunks or be totally free standing. The tree house can be any height off the ground and finished in so many different ways.
The fun of having a structure elevated off the ground is all the associated activity that goes with it, be it the fireman's pole or a bridge rope.
6 Imaginative Ways to Improve Your Bathroom
When it comes to saving money on home improvements, we can proudly boast to being part of the money saving gang. We often equate saving money as being cheap and inferior which is a misconception. Fear not, we wish to share with you six imaginative ways of improving your bathroom without having to go to the costly expense of ripping it out and starting again.
Our first tip is don't despair. In most cases, a degree of imagination and inspiration will help rejuvenate that space. Setting aside the sanitary ware, which can often be costly, think about those elements, which can be replaced fairly readily and easily. By these, we mean the lights, taps, tiles, bath panel and colour scheme together with your toothpaste holder and towels for example.
Our six-point guide to a rejuvenated bathroom:
- Flooring: If your floor covering is unattractive, have you thought about removing it and painting the floorboards or concrete which sit below?
- Taps: An instant success is to replace the basin and bath taps together with the toilet flush handle. There are some many styles to choose from that you will quite literally be spoilt for choice. If you want to go for a contemporary look, the vogue is for brushed steel. If you live in a period property for example, why not visit your local architectural salvage yard. You will be surprised what bargains you can find there!
- Bath panels: A bespoke bath panel can often set your bathroom apart from the rest. In choosing the next generation of panel, be sure to choose one that is not painted MDF (will often not stand up to repeated splashing) and that can be removed easily in order access any pipe work hidden behind it.
- Mirror: As we have done in our bathroom, how about completely mirroring one wall? This instantly creates a sense of space, light and openness. If you do opt for a full width mirror, do pay the extra fitting fee a glazier will charge as believe you me, screwing a 6 foot mirror to a tiled wall is not fun (particularly if you really don't know what you are doing). If you can't afford a new mirror or indeed are looking for something out of the ordinary, do visit your local second-hand shops or flea markets.
- Tiles: Tiling the entire bathroom may be too expensive and therefore not an option. In that case, how about tiling small wall areas in order to provide visual contrast?
- Accessories: Once the hard work is over, let your imaginative side take control and go for those colour co-ordinate accessories. Good quality towels in sophisticated colours can in their own way make the space. Add to this a few candles together with an unusual towel rail and you have created your very own sanctuary. One you will be proud of and be completed in time for the locusts!
There is more to your drive than simply Blocks and Mortar
In these times of economic budget tightening, it is often those "I can do jobs" that become a reality. Yes, with the correct materials and a level of competence, any person can lay a new concrete driveway or indeed asphalt it.
However, you may not be aware that since 1st October 2008, homeowners must use permeable paving if replacing existing, or installing new drives or pathways in their front gardens. If you don't use a permeable system or water cannot soak into the ground via another route, all hard surfaces with an area over 5 sq metres will require planning permission.
Please remember that ignorance is not a defence and it is the homeowner's responsibility to ensure that this is the case under the new planning rules. Whilst you may not recognise this, a failing to receive planning permission may come back to haunt you if in years to come you wish to sell your property (see the Frequently Asked Questions section).
If you feel you are not confident in undertaking such a project, as the old adage goes "cheap may not always be the best". Therefore, if you are tempted by an offer in the local paper or other means, "which is too good to be true", why not take a moment to check the credentials of that company?
With all work you intend having done to your property, we recommend that you ask your prospective contractor to give you examples of similar work they have carried out local to you. Do take the opportunity to visit the job and do take the opportunity to chat it over with the home owners who commissioned the work.
Let us know your experiences both good and bad when it comes to driveways.
