Tag: renovate

Planning an extension: things to consider

Planning an extension: things to consider

Have you found that you’re running out of space in your home? A lack of space is a common problem many people face, and sometimes no amount of decluttering can resolve the issue. There are usually two ways to remedy the situation; you can either move to a larger property or create extra space in your current home. Adding an extension to your property is often the more cost-effective of these two options. However, extending your home can be a complicated process, so it’s best to be as prepared as possible. Here are some factors to consider when planning an extension to your home.

Woman looking at a building plan on a computer

Plan your budget

Deciding on how much you’re happy to spend is a significant decision to make, and you may need to alter your renovation plans to fit your budget. It’s crucial to remember that building an extension requires many different materials. The costings for your renovation will need to cover everything from the Visqueen gas barrier through to tiles for the roof and the outlay of paying the building company’s fees.

You might want to explore different options to create more space in your home, such as a garage or loft conversion, as well as a traditional extension. Your budget may stretch further when used differently while still enabling you to gain additional space. Playing around with different ideas can be a great way to save yourself money while maximising the space in your home.

Builder in blue overalls looking a blueprints

Finding a contractor

When you invest your money into improving your biggest asset, you need to be sure the work is done to the highest standard. To get the best quality renovation, you need to have the right builders to complete the job. When searching for a contractor, it’s helpful to start by looking for recommendations from people you know. Once you have recommendations, it’s beneficial to check testimonials and look at examples of the builder’s previous work to gain an idea of the types of projects they’ve worked on and how satisfied their customers are with their service. The next step is to start requesting quotes for the job and to ask about their availability.

House undergoing renovations

Preparing the space

Once you’ve found the perfect builder for the job, it’s helpful to make some preparations in your home ready for the project to begin. Creating extra space around the area that will be extended is an excellent way to start your preparations and should save the builders a task. With the area already clear, they should be able to get to work faster on the construction. As the builders are likely to need clear access through your home to work on the extension, it’s a good idea to ensure that there’s plenty of room for them to walk through with tools and materials. Moving any valuables, rugs and furniture out of the way is a great idea to prevent them from being damaged or broken. Once you’ve freed up the area, you should be all ready for the extension works to begin.

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Making sense of renovating your home

Making sense of renovating your homecredit

It’s not always easy renovating your home, because not only is it a heavily creative task that you need to focus on, but also a goal that requires real organisational effort. The logistical plans you must put in place can help make this process a success or a continual effort that seems to always require updating and fixing.

For this reason, making sense of renovating your home is perhaps the best place to start; this involves planning. If a room is having its flooring replaced, odds are, you won’t be able to use it. This means that your children may have to share a bedroom for a week while you renovate and make the space liveable. Such considerations are quite obvious, but are worth planning for to see just what the best options are. And you may also need to adapt your home a little.

For instance, traditional and modern carpets require specialist care and installation respectively. And it’s best if the room is clear so any professionals can do their job properly. So always try to accommodate anyone who needs to work in your home.

From there, shaping your entire organisational flow is also important. When will the tradesmen be able to work on your room, and when can they get in the materials? Working in tandem with your hired services in this way can be tremendously helpful.

Let’s consider some other baseline tips to help you make a success of your home renovation goals:

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Storing items until you’re ready

Storing items until you’re ready to bring them back into your home can be a real benefit, and can prevent you from having to lock off other rooms with stored items while you finish. With the best storage services, you can keep your valued property under lock & key and 24/7 external surveillance, ensuring that when you’re ready to add the finishing touches in your home, you can do so comfortably.

Furniture icons

Orienting & moving furniture

Orienting and moving furniture around the space can help open up certain segments of renovation potential, like allowing electricians room to rewire a few sockets or to redirect the cabling. Furthermore, taking the time to reorient the furniture before you begin can help you see if your new design will make the most of the space, giving you more room to walk. Perhaps you can even find flaws in your current plans, such as realising that a headboard against the window means that it will block out natural light. With that in mind, you can more readily consider your plans going forward.

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Considering ‘layers’ of application

Considering the layers of application you may plan for can help you avoid nasty issues or logistical problems when trying to renovate. For instance, this can help you move furniture properly after you’ve wired up all the fixtures in the room and make sure that cables will reach sockets, or it’ll help you more easily hang the wall decorations without having to clamber on furniture to put it up after the furniture has been placed for good. Furthermore, you may find that the paint sample doesn’t reflect light well in the day, and only after figuring that out can you decide on your feature wall design. Layering, in terms of how you test your creativity and execute it can be very worthwhile and will potentially aid you in a better end result.

With this advice, we hope you can make more sense out of renovating your home.

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Must-have tools for renovating your home in 2021

Must-have tools for renovating your home in 2021

When you decide to renovate your home, it often feels like there are a million & one tasks that need attention, all at the same time. We sympathise; we’ve been in that precise situation ourselves on a few occasions!

When in this position, you naturally want to ensure that you’re doing the best job as possible, which often requires specific tools. None more so than if you’re undertaking somewhat specific jobs. The last thing you want is to encounter obstacles further down the line, due to being unprepared.

Fear not, we’re here to help! We’ve set out a short list below, detailing some of the must-have tools for renovating your home and what they’re used for in each case. Read on for inspiration, budding builders.

Illustration of a brown ladder against a purple wall

Ladders

This may seem like a glaringly obvious suggestion, but we feel it’s worth mentioning all the same. The worst nightmare when renovating or undertaking any job like this is to find that you need to reach something inaccessible and don’t have the means of doing so safely.

Whilst we can recognise that some jobs can be done without the need for a ladder, it’s always best to have one to hand anyway, to minimise the risk of injury when stretching. Whether you opt for a small stepladder or have one that can extend out to a taller level, the choice is entirely yours. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, and whatever brings value to the job that you’re tackling.

Illustration of a red drill

Drills and associated components

Naturally, many construction tasks require drilling into various parts of your property, so it’s another must-have tool when renovating your home. Not to mention, additional parts are also required to complete jobs like these, including the likes of drill bits & attachments and cowling kits.

If you’re unfamiliar with what these are, they’re provided by businesses like Tool Smart WA. They can protect you from any debris, dust and foreign bodies when drilling to fit a down-light or boring into a plasterboard ceiling.

The cowling kit slots onto your existing drill and can save the job of cleaning up after yourself once you’ve completed the job.

Silhouette illustration of a variety of hammers

Hammers

Another seemingly obvious tool suggestion, but one that includes a variety of versions. Along with standard hammers that we’re used to seeing both in person and in the media, there are other, more specialised hammers, which are used for particular jobs when renovating.

A Japanese cat’s paw is an example of a specific hammer and is specially used to remove nails from wood easily and effectively. This would come in handy when wanting to recycle timber beams or floorboards or to safely remove a wall within your property without any nails potentially causing harm to yourself and others in the vicinity.

While these are but some of the many must-have tools for renovating, we’re confident that they’ll make a drastic difference to the progress of your renovations. Ensuring that you’re as prepared as possible for your building project can make certain that you’ll complete the job in good time!

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5 points to consider when converting your garage

5 points to consider when converting your garage | H is for Home

If you’re beginning to outgrow your current home, upping sticks and moving to a larger house isn’t your only option. Instead of relocating, perhaps you should consider converting your garage into something more useful than a haphazard storage area. It’s an often underused space that could be transformed successfully into a spare bedroom, gym, home office, art, creative studio or laundry room.

Carpeted floor with knitted footstool

Flooring

The original floor of your garage is most likely going to be a basic poured concrete which is cold, hard and not necessarily the most attractive. The decision you make about new flooring will largely depend on your budget and whether you plan on laying it yourself or getting professionals in to do the job. If you’re confident with your DIY skills, engineered wood flooring or carpet with underlay are warm and good-looking options.

Underfloor heating

Heating

Typically, heating wouldn’t have been a consideration when a garage was constructed; the space may not have been included when your home’s central heating was installed. If you’re planning a major refit when converting your garage, installing underfloor heating would be a sensible option. If that seems like too disruptive a task, modern electric radiators that simply plug into a wall socket can be an economical alternative, costing mere pennies per hour to run.

Home gym equipment

Storage

No matter what you plan to use your garage conversion for, you’ll probably need some quantity of shelving and cupboard space. If you’re creating a laundry room, you’ll want somewhere to store and conceal your iron, ironing board, cleaning products and freshly laundered items. Every home office will need strong and practical shelves for keeping books, files and paperwork in order. A home gym comes with lots of equipment that needs a place to live; skipping ropes, weights, exercise mats and the like. To avoid them becoming tripping hazards, storing them in cupboards or lockers will keep them, and you, safe. If you’ll be storing precious or high-value items, ensure that any garage door repair work has been carried out beforehand.

Warm pendant lighting

Lighting

Lighting is the aspect that will ultimately set the mood and atmosphere of your new space; you don’t want to get it wrong. The usual lighting you find in a garage is those harsh fluorescent tube lights. In your new scheme, will you need bright, directional task lighting for craft working? Maybe you want warm up-lighting for a relaxed and chilled vibe. Lighting can be introduced into the room by using ceiling pendant lights, floor standing standard lamps or desk/table lamps with adjustable shades.

Working from home

Furniture

This will be where you add the finishing touches to your new garage conversion. The primary use of the space will determine the items that will be needed the most. If the plan is for it to be a workspace, you will need a desk or worktop space, filing cabinet and comfortable seating. If it’s going to be a chill out room, a comfy sofa and slouchy bean bags will be top of your shopping list.

And finally, don’t forget those last little decorative details such as wall art, soft furnishings such as curtains & cushions, pottery & glassware and a selection of house plants.

Your old garage, which used to be nothing more than a dumping ground, can be transformed into a beautiful and beneficial space.

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