Tag: renovate

Essential considerations for a seamless home renovation

Essential considerations for a seamless home renovation | H is for Home

Are you putting your stamp on a new home or have you decided to revamp or modernise an existing property? Home renovation projects can be incredibly exciting, but they can also be stressful and time-consuming. If you’re preparing to start making plans, here are some essential considerations for a seamless home renovation.

House plans, drill, screws and wall plugs

Setting a budget

The cost of renovation work can range from hundreds to millions of pounds, depending on the size of the property and the scale of the project. Before you set any ideas in stone or turn your attention to choosing wall colours, tiles or flooring, set a budget. Do some research, think about how much you want to spend and consider the ceiling value of your property. You want to create a stunning home but you also want to add value. If you spend too much, you might find that there’s a gap between the total cost and the value of your home.

Some types of projects add more than others, but it’s always wise to be wary of the risks involved with overspending. Once you have an idea of what you want to do, it’s advisable to meet with estate agents or valuers to discuss the difference the plans you have will make. Your budget will be affected by a host of factors including labour charges, the materials you use, whether you need a ceiling replacement, new plaster, damp repair and the quality of the finish.

All renovation projects have the potential to go over budget, so it’s useful to have a contingency fund available. When establishing a budget, you may need to think about additional costs you might incur including finding somewhere to stay if you have to move out while the work is completed, for example. Always ensure you add the total cost of each individual job or purchase. If you miss out extras like VAT, this will mean that your planned spend will be much lower than the actual total.

Mood board on a wall

Looking for inspiration

There are endless possibilities when it comes to planning a new kitchen, adding an extension or creating a master suite in the attic. Even if you think you know exactly what you want, it’s a useful exercise to visit showrooms and interior stores and to flick through home magazines, read blogs and explore online galleries. You can take ideas and elements from different properties and mix and match trends to design something unique that looks incredible and works on a practical level for your family. It’s also worth discussing plans with experienced architects and reputable building firms, as you might find that they can elevate a basic plan and conjure up a host of innovative ideas based on what you want. Take your time to go through the details and make sure you’re 100% happy with the plans before you proceed.

Man drawing plans

Planning in advance

Carrying out extensive work to a property requires careful planning. Every stage and phase of the development should be planned in advance, and you should have an insight into what is happening and when you can expect to be able to start enjoying your new home. Before you sign any contracts or make any payments, call several firms to get quotes, read reviews and testimonials and ask neighbours, friends, relatives and colleagues for recommendations. Once you have some written quotes in front of you, compare them and look for the company that offers the best value, rather than the lowest price. Bear in mind that you might need planning permission to get started, depending on the nature of the project. If this is the case, you’ll need to factor in the time it takes to apply and await a decision and any added costs.

There are several practical considerations to bear in mind when renovating your home. One is undertaking work yourself. In many cases, home-owners leave everything to building companies and architects, but if you’re keen to save money and accelerate progress, or you want to roll your sleeves up and get involved, there may be some jobs you can tackle. Clearing rooms, stripping wallpaper, ripping out kitchen units and painting walls are good examples of suitable DIY tasks. If you’re going to end up with a lot of junk or rubbish, ring around for the best value skip bin hire and see if you can call in favours from friends and family members.

Another issue you may have to figure out is where you’re going to live while the main jobs are completed. If you’re replacing your kitchen or reconfiguring the entire ground floor, it might not be possible to live on-site. You could ask relatives to put you up for a short period of time or get a hotel room, or you could look into a short-term property let if you’re expecting the build to take several weeks or months. Weigh up the options and think about which one will suit you and your family best.

House in mid-renovation

Adding personality

This is the most enjoyable aspect of the project for most home-owners. Once you’ve set a budget, liaised with experts and figured out layouts and structural changes, you can focus on personalising your home and showcasing your style and flair. The finishing touches can make all the difference, so think carefully about colourways, furniture choices and fixtures and fittings. Consider how you’re going to use each room and how you want the space to look and feel. Maximise natural light and take advantage of views of your garden or rolling hills, crashing waves or verdant fields in the background. Large windows and bi-fold doors are ideal for bringing the outdoors in and flooding living spaces with light. You can inject colour, carry themes and showcase your personality using accessories such as wall art, soft furnishings, plants & flowers and lighting.

Embarking upon a home renovation project is an exhilarating proposition, but it can also be daunting. To ensure a seamless transition, set a budget at the outset, conduct through research, choose reputable builders and architecture firms, plan meticulously and add personality. Planning ahead can save time, effort and money and it can also make the process much less stressful.

[disclosure*]

Be bold when renovating your household

Be bold when renovating your household | H is for Home

A renovation project is always exciting; it’s an opportunity to refresh the aesthetic of your home. It’s a chance to regain the original appearance that your humble abode had. Time wears out a property, and that’s unavoidable, but you can always make improvements to get it back into shape. Regular maintenance will keep your house looking well-designed and feeling comfortable in the future, but you might have to get back to basics if you’ve recently been neglecting the upkeep of your property. These are some ways to be bold when renovating your household.

Open plan apartment

Rethink the way you use space

Some people decide to move when they run out of space in their home. However, in many cases, the problem is that home-owners are simply using their available space ineffectively. If you want to renovate your household in a bold way, you should rethink the way you use space. This might not sound as if it would revolutionise the design of your household, but you’d be surprised by the effect of a good layout. So, you should start by decluttering. Clutter can make rooms feel smaller, so it might be time to start selling your old belongings and giving some of them to charity or storing away items for later use in a storage unit at Henfield Storage London.

You could finally have a minimalistic home; you just need to clear out the things you don’t want or need. Of course, using your space well is important, too. Getting rid of clutter will make some room, but you also need to think about the way in which you store your belongings. For example, you could erect more shelves to create storage space for some of your things.

Pink and grey decorated apartment

Restore old furnishings

Before you go out and buy new furnishings for your household, you might want to look at the things you already own. Often, old furnishings can be restored. A lick of paint, for instance, can make an old cabinet look brand new. A vintage aesthetic can be intentionally stylish; it all comes down to presentation. If you have an old and broken chair, for instance, then you could use it as a table for a plant pot in your back garden. Get creative when it comes to your use of old furnishings. You might want to seek help from the Devine rug cleaning service if you have any old rugs that look a little worse-for-wear. Sometimes, a deep clean can entirely restore an old furnishing.

Stone country house

Renovate the front of your house

If you really want to transform the overall appearance of your home, you should renovate the front of your house. Start with the front door. You might want to replace it, or you could simply repaint it to make it appear brand new again. The entrance to your household is very important; it should make you feel as if you’re being welcomed into your own home. Of course, the entire exterior of your property should have this effect. You might want to repaint or replace any timber work. You could also do some landscaping; fresh flowers planted outside your house could create a colourful and soothing design for your property. Your home’s external appearance counts.

[disclosure*]

8 steps to creating your dream home

8 steps to creating your dream home | H is for Home

If you’re in the process of buying your dream home and making it your own, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Whilst buying your own home can be an incredibly exciting time of your life, it’s also one of the most stressful things you will ever do. With so many different things to consider before you even get started, you will need to be sure you’re planning absolutely everything you can well in advance. From wallpaper choices to the garden renovation, you want to be on top of things from day one. With that in mind, here are 8 steps to creating your dream home:

Make sure you have a budget in mind

The first thing you need to do is to make sure you have a budget in mind. Whether it’s a budget for the entire house move or a budget for your renovations, thinking about each individual aspect of your house is the best way to ensure you arrive at an accurate figure. Although this will involve a little bit of research when it comes to the average cost of move or renovation, the more clued up you are the more realistic your estimate will be. For tips and tricks on budgeting for your dream home, you can visit this guide here.

researching online on a laptop

Find as much inspiration as you can online

When it comes to renovating your dream home you’re going to want to make sure you’ve found as much inspiration as possible. With so many different trends and styles to consider, doing as much research as you possibly can is the best way to ensure you have picked the perfect choices for you. Use websites like Instagram and Pinterest to see how other people are styling similar rooms, pulling together your favourite aspects to make your dream home.

Shop around for materials and décor

If you’re buying your materials and décor yourself, make sure you’re shopping around. Whilst some products may only be able available to buy at one store, others may be considerably cheaper elsewhere. Although you may have quite a large budget when it comes to your renovations, anything you manage to save means you can put more money into something else. For tips and tricks when it comes to shopping around, you can visit this site here.

Speak to a professional for advice

If you’re unsure what renovations you’re going to be able to do with the house you have bought, you may want to speak to a professional for advice. Not only will they be able to tell you what is possible and what isn’t, but they’ll also be able to give you an estimated cost and renovation time. If needed, they’ll also be able to suggest contractors that can carry out the work for you. Whilst speaking to a professional can be expensive, it’s great for those with not interior design skills.

Architectural visualisation of a row of retirement homes

Use a visualisation tool to view your plans

If you want to take it a step further you could always choose to use a visualisation tool to view the plans you have in mind. There are lots of places where you can go to view an architectural visualisation of what your home may look like should you carry out a specific renovation. Whilst it may be another expensive option, it’s a great way to visualise how things can look once finished.

Give yourself enough time to renovate

Although you’ll be excited and want to finish your renovations as soon as you possibly can, it’s important that you’re giving yourself enough time to renovate. Whether you’re renovating before you move into the property or you’re doing it as you move in, you need to consider how much time certain rooms are going to be unusable. If it’s going to take a long time, you may want to consider doing all of the renovations before you move in.

Empty room with large double doors, blank white painted walls and wooden floor

Consider things that will be timeless

When it comes to choosing a design, it’s important you’re thinking of things that will be timeless. Whilst you can change the design of your home as often as you like, using designs that can be easily adapted to upcoming trends is the best way to ensure you’re not spending ridiculous amounts on decorating every time you update a room.

Remember, it’s all in the detail

Finally, it’s important to remember that when it comes to renovating and decorating your dream home – it’s all in the detail. Whether it’s adding your own personal touch using photographs and keepsakes or adding wall art and plants to add a bit of character to a room – you’ll be surprised how much difference the little details can make to a home.

Are you in the process of creating your dream home? What do you think needs to be considered in order to make it as easy as possible? Let us know in the comments section below.

[disclosure*]

The DIY projects you must never tackle

The DIY projects you must never tackle | H is for Home

While you might be a dab hand with a paintbrush or can apply wallpaper like a pro, there are some home improvement projects you would be smart to avoid. It is common for some home-owners’ DIY dreams to get ahead of their skill-set, which can lead to damage to their property.

When renovating your home, there are some tasks that should be left to the professionals. Learn about the DIY projects you must never tackle yourself.

Sanding a short plank of wood

Floor sanding

Never assume sanding a floor is easy, because it isn’t. It’s a skill that takes a great deal of time to master and attempting to do it yourself could permanently damage your flooring. It could lead to a variety of lumps and bumps that will not only stand out in your interior, but it could reduce your home’s value.

[disclosure*]

Group of sledgehammers

Removing a wall

If you want to create a more open-plan home, you might be tempted to take a sledgehammer to a wall. However, before you do so, you must consult a contractor to identify if it is a load-bearing wall.

If you do hit a load-bearing wall, not only do you risk the roof collapsing and the ceiling caving in, but you could be seriously hurt. Instead, hire an experienced professional to do the hard work for you.

Person testing a fuse box

Electrical wiring

While it’s often perfectly safe to install a dimmer switch or light fixture with instructions, this is where you should leave your electrical wiring projects. Unless you’re a licensed electrician, wiring should always be left to the pros. If you fail to do so, you could experience an electrical shock or set fire to your property.

Drawing with a pencil on a white brick wall using a spirit level

Fixing drywall

It might be tempting to fix broken drywall for yourself to restore your interior, but it is possible you will make the problem worse instead of better. Unless you want to exacerbate the issue, you would be smart to get in touch with a reputable Houston drywall repair expert, who can quickly and easily repair a wall to its former glory.

Group of large metal weights

Lifting heavy objects

Even if you pump iron at the gym seven days per week, you should still stay away from DIY projects that require you to move heavy objects from one place to another. For example, carrying a granite worktop could lead to a physical injury, and you could potentially damage the expensive material. Remember, the pros will have the experience and tools needed to quickly and effectively lift and transport the objects.

Two men reroofing a house

Repairing a roof

If you have noticed the wind blew away some shingles or you have a leak in your bedroom ceiling, you might be tempted to take to a roof to make an essential repair. However, not only will the DIY project pose a risk to your safety, but you’ll also need to:

  • Identify the location of the problem
  • Replace the shingles without causing additional damage
  • Buy the tools needed for the DIY project
  • Match the roofing materials

Amateur workmanship could also cause you more problems in the future, which is why it’s a smart idea to enlist the help of an experienced roofing specialist such as Team Roofing. It will ensure your roof remains in great condition for many years to come.

Dripping kitchen tap

Resolving low water pressure

If water is running from a tap at a snail’s pace, it is more than likely due to low water pressure. While it’s fine to remove an aerator and remove any gunk or debris, you should leave more complex tasks to the professionals. Low water pressure could be an indication of a much bigger problem inside a plumbing system, such as:

  • A water leak within the system
  • A fractured pipe
  • An eroded water line

Stainless steel dishwasher and stack of white crockery

Installing a dishwasher

While some retailers can provide free installation for a dishwasher, others might not. If they don’t, hiring a pro will be worth the extra expenditure. Many home-owners don’t realise that dishwashers come with many pieces and tasks to perform.

For instance, you need to:

  • Drill a hole in a cabinet for a water line
  • Position the water and electric lines
  • Attach the water lines

It can be rather tricky to set-up, which is why you should avoid embarking on the task yourself if you lack experience.

Always make an informed decision before attempting any home improvement project, as it could be more complicated than you think. By doing so, you could save yourself money in the long-run and can create a safe, beautiful home for both you and your family.