Planning Your Building Project (3/3)← Back

What do you want to achieve?

There are three main reasons for renovating, all of which are looked at in more detail later on in this blog.

More space

It's often possible to improve the layout of your home. For example, traditional dining rooms are rarely used today, so where there's a small adjoining kitchen it can make sense to open it up to create a stylish and modern kitchen/diner. Or sometimes a large bedroom can be successfully divided into two single rooms. Or you could add a building, an extension or converting the loft or an underused garage.

Improved facilities

If you can no longer face that all avocado bathroom suite, or the kitchen units are falling apart, refitting them should be money well spent.
Most properties would benefit from improvements like thick installation, draft free windows and doors, and perhaps a more efficient heating system.
Even a spot of decorating and a few extra plug sockets can make all the difference without spending a fortune.

Repairs

If there is water dripping down your walls, it's a pretty good reason for a spot of renovation work. But whilst you are having repairs carried out, it can be a good opportunity to make some of the improvements, suggest decoration, draft proofing or lagging any pipework in the vicinity.

Does the project add a value to your property?

Some improvements have more value than others. Much will depend on the extent to which it overcomes a major drawback, such as enlarging a small kitchen or provision of parking when none existed previously.

High value improvements, where almost all of cost is typically recovered, includes things like redecorating in neutral tones, and anything that improves “liveability”, example space, layout and style. So adding an extra double bedroom, converting the loft or building an extension is normally money well spent.

Medium value improvements, where about half the cost is typically recovered, include projects like refitting kitchens and bathrooms. But when it comes to improvements like installing double glazing, building a swimming pool or converting an integral garage, you may only recover less than a quarter of the cost in the value they add to the property.

Some works can actually damage the value, such as ripping out period fireplaces, historic tiling or antique cornicing. Restoring original features like sash windows can add considerably more value than fitting cheap replacements, and stripping floor boards and restoring old doors etc to make the most of the properties history can boost its appeal.

But perhaps the best use of money is to fix any obvious defects, such as ensuring the building is strictly sound and weather tight. Although not the most glamorous of the renovation world, it's always a good idea to carry out basic repairs such as touching up paint work, filling cracks, and straightening cupboard doors. Something as simple as resealing moulding joints around baths and showers can work wonders, as can mending the dripping taps and replacing the odd cracked pane of glass.

If you want to have a chat about your project to see if I can help, just get in touch, I'd love to hear from you.