General Builders in Wimbledon Can Help you to Improve your Home

To improve or move? That is a question that is faced by many homeowners nowadays. A well planned home improvement project can actually add to the value of your property whether you sell it a few years down the line or immediately. There are general builders in Wimbledon that have years and years of experience in the building industry that can manage your home improvement project from start to finish.

If you decide to improve your home rather than get involved in the incredibly stressful process of moving house, then your building project will most likely fall into one of four categories.

• Remodelling existing rooms
• Converting unused space within the house
• Extending your property
• Adding a conservatory

Some of these projects will require planning permission and/or a Party Wall Agreement between you and your neighbours.  Also, depending on the type of work that is planned you may require Building Regulations approval. The first step though, is to decide which route you want to go down to improve your home.

If you decide you want to remodel existing rooms this will probably involve one or more of the following:

• knocking down internal walls
• dividing rooms with partition walls
• installing en-suite bathroom or downstairs cloakroom

Remodelling can often be the best solution if you want different living accommodation rather than additional space. Generally planning permission is not needed for this type of work but you must comply with Building Regulations if the work involves changes to the structure of the building or the drainage.

If you want to convert unused space within your home then you are looking at loft, basement or garage conversions. Loft conversions are an easy way to add an extra bedroom, office, gym or bathroom to your home. Basement conversions have become more and more popular over recent years and especially in urban areas where land is expensive. Basement conversions tend to be more expensive than loft conversions simply because of the specialist work that is involved. A lot of people use their garage as a storeroom when it could be better used as a habitable space. You will need to make sure your garage is upgraded so that it meets the current Building Regulations.

The general builders in Wimbledon that you choose to manage your project will be likely to spend several weeks or even months in your home so you will need to be confident that they can do the work and that you will be able to have a good working relationship with them. General builders in Wimbledon should be more than happy to give you references and should also be happy for you to visit their previous clients so you can see for yourself the standard of work. You can also ask family and friends for recommendations or use the Find a Builder service to search for general builders in Wimbledon.

Cost Effective Loft Conversions Guide

Moving home can incur costs running into the tens of thousands of pounds, so it is not surprising that many people are opting to move up instead of moving on. One option many people are opting for is a loft conversion. Converting your loft not only gives you a fabulous light-filled space and an extra floor for your home it can also add an extra 20% to the value of your home.

Most homes built after 1975 are suitable for a loft conversion. A simple way to check if your home is suitable is to see whether you can stand upright in your loft at its highest point, as this needs to be at least 2.3 meters. A loft conversion is a major job and you will need to get architectural plans drawn up. You will need to consider things like whether you want a bathroom, what the rooms are to be used for and the amount of storage space you want. It is also worth thinking about lighting and other electrical requirements, such as how many electrical sockets you will need.

There are various options of loft conversion available and the style you choose will be influenced by the type of house you live in or the area. The various styles for a conversion are roof light, gable, wrap around, and mansard and rear dormer conversion. Whatever your needs or wants, a loft conversion is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to add to your living space without actually moving.

Contact your local authority building control and your local planning department to get a full understanding of the rules and regulations involved. Make sure your builder and designer explain any changes to your existing property with regards to fire precautions. Be aware that you will need to be flexible, for example the positioning of windows. DO NOT rush your decisions and plan carefully as this is an important investment and do not expect the job to be over in a week or two.  No matter how good your builder is, this is a major job and will inevitably be disruptive for a while.

Hazel Brown is an established company that can help you unlock the full potential of your property and help you make the most of your house. Visit their website www.hazelbrown.co.uk to see the full list of services they have to offer.

Home renovations and refurbishment increases value over time

It's important to understand your options when it comes to home or building renovations and refurbishments. There are many different ways you can approach the concept. You can do-it-yourself and for smaller projects such as redecorating or even just moving furniture to give a different layout DIY is ideal. However, for larger projects such as renovations and refurbishments, installing a new bathroom, or re-designing a kitchen you would need assistance from professionals that are experienced.

A renovation can increase the appeal of your home. Renovation increases the value of your building or home. It creates extra space to cater for ever changing needs, an expanding family and for entertainment purposes.

Home additions and extensions are often the simplest and best way to add additional living space to your house. An addition is when you add another floor or level to the top of your house. As both extensions and additions have pros and cons related to them, it is advisable to contact a builder or an architect before reaching any important decision. Do a little research and look for a builder who understands your needs.

If you are a novice bathroom renovator, when performing home renovations, you will find that besides the kitchen the bathroom is probably the second most expensive and time consuming room in the house to renovate, but if done properly will be a good investment for years to come. One of the first decisions you must make is whether you are going to do the job by yourself or hire a renovator to do the renovating. Think this through, thoroughly assess the time, money and experience factors that will greatly affect your bathroom renovation project.

You could also ask friends, family and coworkers if they know of or have used a reliable building contractor recently, and then phone up that contractor to get a quote. It is always good practice to use a building contractor with solid references, endorsements and qualifications.

To be a trustworthy contractor, one must carry a valid contractor license. He must have the required certificates from the local licensing authority. Construction companies can also be checked by contacting the Business Bureau in your area or country.

Once you have done your research and narrowed the search down to a few candidates you will need to get all of the different contractors to give you a quote. By comparing quotes from a few different contractors you will be able to get the best price and best quality.

Home renovations are not just limited to painting, tile installation, pressure washing, and kitchen remodeling. Renovations give you the opportunity to make your house custom to your standards. Having the ability to add on a garage or additional rooms, or simply work with what is already there, you can hire a building contractor to make your home the best it can be. Home renovations and refurbishment will not only increase value over time, but the most important part is it will make you happier day in and day out about where you live.

Loft Conversion an alternative to moving house

Quality loft conversions can be really good for home improvement in the UK as a result of their numerous benefits. It is also an alternative to moving house if you are looking for an extra room.

In today's uncertain housing market, moving to a larger home is not always the best option. On top of the expenses incurred just to gain one or two extra rooms, there is also the hassle and stress of moving to be considered. In cities like Clapham and Wimbledon where the housing market is constantly of a high price, it can be a big risk to move house just to gain an extra room and it could turn out that you end up losing a lot of money.

 

There are many reasons homeowners may need extra space. Perhaps you have a growing family or a new baby or a teenager who craves more privacy. Maybe you're considering moving an aging parent in to live with you or you could use the extra space for a home office.

There are various options of loft conversion available and the style you choose will be influenced by the type of house you live in or the area, but rest assured most houses can be done, including those with modern trussed rafter lofts. The various styles for a conversion are roof light, front/side dormer, gable, wrap around, and mansard and rear dormer conversion. Whatever your needs or wants, a loft conversion is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to add to your living space without actually moving.

Several factors must be considered before undertaking a loft conversion. An inspection will be made to ensure that there is enough space in the loft to make a conversion feasible and that the area under the roof bridge allows for adequate headroom. There must also be enough space for the access stairs. The roof will be checked for any signs of leaks.

When choosing a builder please do the usual, check their credentials, don't pay money upfront, make sure you have a contract, make sure they have a schedule of how they are going to undertake the work and don't just give a job on price alone. If you get multiple quotes and one of them is cheaper then be careful as they are either going to try and hammer you with hidden costs or have not priced it correctly and the job will be done on the cheap, if they can finish it at all.

Once you have decided to accept the loft design company's proposal, they will begin the process of obtaining planning permission, if required, a certificate of lawful development and building regulation approval. Where appropriate, they prepare and submit detailed structural engineering calculations to your local building control department for approval. Most companies handle all of the paperwork associated with your conversion.

Once permissions are received work can begin on your new loft conversion at a time convenient to you. A reputable loft conversion company handles everything, right up to the time when your new loft is ready to be decorated.

Hazelbrown.co.uk provides the best loft conversion services in Wimbledon, Clapham and London.

Loft Conversions Add Style to Your Home

Loft conversions are one of the most popular forms of home improvement in the UK as a result of their numerous perceived benefits. The most obvious benefit of having a loft conversion is the fact that space will be added to your home which is a great solution for a family who needs an extra bedroom, or for someone who wants office space. In fact there are many reasons why people choose to have their loft converted.

Loft conversions have the obvious advantage of providing a great space, they increase the value of the property, they take away the hassle of moving and adding an extra bedroom in the loft is often much cheaper than moving to a house with an extra bedroom in the same area. Loft conversions are also advantageous in comparison with traditional extensions in that they are cheaper to do, they don't take up valuable outside space and you don't have the hassle of sharing your house with tradesman for weeks on end as most of the work is carried out through the roof.

There are various options of loft conversion available and the style you choose will be influenced by the type of house you live in or the area, but rest assured most houses can be done, including those with modern trussed rafter lofts. The various styles for a conversion are roof light, front/side dormer, gable, wrap around, and mansard and rear dormer conversion.

When considering converting your loft, price will obviously be a factor. But you need to be careful here as an inferior job will not add value to your home and may even decrease it. Estate agents view conversions with temporary staircases as adding very little value so ensure that you use a quality company who will advise on permanent staircases. Paying for a professionally designed and constructed job may seem painful now but it will pay back in spades when you come to sell your property.

What are the advantages of a loft conversion over a traditional home extension? Well there are many. Whatever kind of house that you own it is very likely that it will be suitable for a loft project. The cost of a work is also likely to be a lot less than a home extension would be and there is no need to lose valuable outdoor space as well. Most home extensions will require planning permission which can take months whereas a converted loft will probably not. Another major advantage is that conversions often take less time to plan and build which means that you are not sharing your home with local builders for weeks on end.

In order to get the most benefit from your loft conversion, carefully work out the costs to make sure that these do not add up to more than the conversion will be adding to the value of your property. You should also not have your loft converted simply as a way to make your property more valuable – it is important that it is something that adds value to your life as well as the property for it to be truly beneficial.

hazelbrown.co.uk provides the best loft conversion services in Wimbledon and Clapham, United Kingdom.