What to Keep in Mind When Renovating Your Home

The concept of home improvement is an aspirational one, but also something that comes at a substantial cost.

For example, a study has shown that renovations can add around £30,000 in value on average, while not every home improvement has been created equal in terms of its potential return.

But what are the key considerations when renovating your home, and what can you do to minimize costs without compromising on the quality of workmanship?

Taking the time to address any common signs of foundation issues before beginning construction will ensure that you have a solid and stable foundation for your home. Foundation issues can significantly impact the stability and safety of your home, and mishandling them can lead to costly repairs down the line. Therefore, it’s advisable to consult with a professional contractor or structural engineer who can assess the extent of the foundation issues and recommend appropriate solutions.

What to Consider Before You Start Your Work?

Regardless of the nature of your renovations or the individual questions that you want to undertake, there are some universal considerations to keep in mind. These include:

• #1. Be Prepared to Consult Your Neighbors: Work such as building conservatories and adding extensions can be noisy and disruptive, so it may make sense to keep your neighbors abreast of your plans. This ensures that they’re aware of any structural works and their potential impact, while it helps to maintain cordial relationships and prevent any dreaded complaints.
• #2. Get a Building Survey: If you intend to renovate a newly acquired home, you should insist on having a survey carried out by an accredited and chartered building surveyor. These surveys can cost anywhere between £500 and £1,000 depending on the size, age and location of the property, but they can highlight major structural issues that may either change or damage your plans.
• #3. Pause Before Starting Work: Once you have a broad construction plan and a survey in hand, it may be tempting to start work immediately. However, it may be worth pausing and creating a more comprehensive plan or budget before getting underway for real, especially if you intend to live in the home and need to adopt a more considered approach.

How to Save Money and Drive Productivity

As your work proceeds, you may want to seek out viable methods of saving money (so long as they don’t impact the time frame or quality of the project).

One way to achieve this is by distinguishing between skilled and unskilled tasks, as you may be able to carry out the latter yourself solely for the cost of materials.

This can include basic tasks such as wallpapering, painting and putting up shelves, while those that pertain to electrics, plumbing and central heating systems are left to qualified and accredited professionals.

This way, you can minimize your budget and reduce your overall spend, without compromising on your safety or the finish of the work carried out.

We’d also recommend that you create a contingency in case things go wrong, as you may need to pursue a compensation claim in the event of professional negligence from a qualified tradesperson.

However, you’ll need to determine whether you have a viable claim, which means that you can demonstrate that the advice or work carried out by a professional resulted in a significant financial or physical cost.

Make no mistake; you cannot pursue this type of claim for simple disagreements or misunderstandings, while such an issue can also be avoided through open communication and interactions with tradespeople.