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Things to Consider Before Starting Home Improvements

When looking to spruce up the home, it stands to reason that we want to get started sooner rather than later. However, starting a project without preparing beforehand could mean that we face a series of dead ends when it comes to advancing a project. Different considerations will need to be made depending on the size of the project but considering the following factors will ensure that your home improvements are carried out in the right way. Will Home Improvement Hinder the Value? While certain elements of home improvement can be straightforward, we also need to ensure that we’re ensuring that bigger projects aren’t going to reduce the value of the property. An example of this can be the planning of an extension. It would be easy to assume that this would be a good way of raising the value of the property, but in some instances, it could be detrimental. This is especially true if the result simply looks bolted on. If you’re hiring the service of a professional, then it would be advisable to ensure that the work carried out will fit in the aesthetics of the property. A professional will only be too happy to offer some pointers if you’re unsure of what kind of aesthetic to choose. ` Know Your Budget Small renovations can soon lead into bigger things, which is fine if you have the budget in place. However, not having control of your budget could mean that you end up spending more than what’s available, and there a series of projects that remain unfinished as a result. Knowing how much you have to spend before beginning ay renovations ensures that you’re able to make informed decision as you go, rather than leaving it to chance. It also allows you an opportunity to get a better idea of what each aspect of home improvement will cost. Will You Require Permits? If you’re looking to carry out the home improvements yourself, then you will be required to check what permits are required. However, if you’re employing the services of a professional, then its often the case the permits will be taken care off. However, you shouldn’t simply assume this, and double check just to be on the safe side. It’s better to check beforehand than have to deal with the ramifications afterwards. How Will You Deal with Waste? Dealing with waste is important when it comes to home renovations, as is how its disposed of. Not adhering to the rules in either instance could result in a fine in the worst-case scenario. As such, it is of the utmost importance that you only use a professional service in relation to waste disposal. Regardless of whether you use a skip hire company in Falkirk and Stirling, or use a refuse collection service in London, you need to ensure the service you use has right credentials in place. Will There Be in Contracts in Place? Many can shrug off the importance of contracts, feeling that an oral contract is good enough. However, contracts give both parties a clear indication of what’s expected, and what work will be carried out for the fee paid. This is especially true if there are several contractors carrying out different tasks. Ensuring you have contracts in place ensures that you’re fully aware of where your money is going, and what to expect and the end of it all. Should you find that there are things that haven’t been completed as per the contract, you then have something to fall back on should you have to start legal proceedings. Make Sure There is Adequate Access for Contractors It may seem like an obvious thing to consider, but it’s easy to forget about the finer details when you are concentrating on the bigger ones. However, failing to ensure there is adequate access to the property could mean that the project comes to a grinding halt. If you’re unsure of whether this is adequate access, then it may be worth touching base with potential contractors first and advising them of your current situation. A professional will be experienced in what works best and will be able to advise as to whether your current layout poses a problem or not. Keep Neighbours Informed Getting planning permission when it's needed is essential, but even when its granted, we should be courteous and inform neighbours of any planned works. This ensures that you’re not met with a barrage of complaints. It also ensures that contractors are subjected to their frustrations, which could mean they have to keep halting work. It’s better to deal with any objections beforehand, rather than assume that the neighbours will be fine with work being carried out. Will Home Improvements Affect Your Everyday Life? Although we may have made allowances in relation to neighbours, costs and choosing the right contractors, but what about our own affairs. IN some instances, home improvements could have an impact on your everyday life, and there may be times when you must seek out other accommodation in the short-term. Factoring this beforehand means that you’re able to make plans for accommodation elsewhere should the work being carried out have an impact on your everyday life. Overall Many of us will have a plethora of ideas when it comes to home improvement, but it’s important that we approach projects in the right way. Taking the time to work out a budget and find out the finer details will save a lot of time later on and will ensure that there are no interruptions to the project being carried out.

Choosing the Right Builder for Your Project

Regardless of whether we’re looking for a house extension, or have a more challenging project on the horizon, the meeting of deadlines and assurance of quality means we need to make sure that we’re choosing the right builder for our needs. We’ve probably all heard the horror stories associated with hiring the services of an incapable builder, and the stress it can cause when an inexperienced contractor has promised you one thing, only for you to be met with another. Fortunately, the majority of builders operate in a moral and ethical way, but this doesn’t mean we should choose the first builder that comes along. A little research ensures that you’re not going to be let down when it comes to your building project. Experience is Vital It stands to reason that the longer a company has been operating, the more experience it will have, and this is especially true for the construction industry. They are many facets associated with the world of construction, and while there may be some contractors who are experienced in one field, they may not be as experienced in another. This means that the costs associated with ay building work can pile up, as we’re having to use more than one professional for the work that needs to be undertaken. Using a construction company that has experience will ensure that you’re not only being given access to true professionals, but you will often find that the quotes are more cost-effective, as the work is being carried out by one company as opposed to several. Communication is Key When dancing which construction company is the best fit for you, you will often be able to determine a lot of by the initial contact. Is the company answering your questions? Have they had experience with type of work before? Are they able to complete the work in the allocated time? Although not every construction company will be able to meet your deadlines in every instance, a professional company will ensure that you’re made aware of this, and when you can realistically expect the job to be completed. If a construction company can’t give you the answers you need, then it be ay worthwhile looking elsewhere. Don’t Assume the Cheapest Quote is The Best It’s understandable that we don’t want to spend a small fortune when it comes to building work, but we need to be careful we’re not swayed by the price alone. Although some companies may offer a cheaper price than a more experienced company, you may find that there are some limitations with the service you use. For example, it could mean that inferior products are being used, which means you could end up paying for repairs in the future, or even having to hire the services of another professional to rectify the issue. Check for Reviews and Testimonials A company that has completed successful projects in the past should have little issue in providing you with reviews and testimonials. How these are presented can depend on the company. For example, some may have their testimonials on their website, whereas others may have reviews on Google My Business or Yelp. If a construction company seems a little coy about providing you with past testimonial, it’s advisable to search elsewhere for a professional. Check the Company Is Insured Nobody likes to think about the things that could go wrong when using the services of a construction company, but you need to ensure that you’re checking the credentials of the company you’re planning to use. Although many construction companies can offer customers a reliable service, there can be instances where something could go wrong. If the construction company is insured, then there’s little to worry about. However, if you’ve chosen a contractor who isn’t insured, then anything that goes wrong could be left for you to deal with, and often your own home insurance will not be able to cover such an occurrence. As you can imagine, this can be very costly, as not only will you need to pay to have any damages rectified, but also for the initial work to be carried out again. Ensure a Contract is In Place for Substantial Work There will be times when the work of a builder must go over budget, but a professional will keep you in the loop at all times and let you know what options are available. If you’re looking to have a lot of work carried out, then it can be useful to build up a contract with the construction company so both parties are fully aware of any obligations and costs. If a company is pushing you to hand over money with no clear quotation insight, then you need to refuse until clarity and confirmation have been offered. A professional construction company will have little issue in coming up with a contract that outlines the work that needs to be carried out as well as the cost agreed. Ensure Payment Dates are Agreed Following on from the creation of the contract, there may be phases during the work where payments need to be made. Agreeing with what phase of completed work payment should be made ensures that there are no misunderstandings later on. Although a construction company must understand a customer needs to ensure the capital is available, customers also need to understand that a majority of the money will be spent on materials, so regular payments may be vital for the project to move forward.    

3 simple tips on how to increase the value of your home

If your long term plan as a home owner is to eventually sell your property then, it’s a high time you started thinking of home improvement ideas that will help increase the value of your home. These ideas will often go beyond construction and may even involve just some subtle changes in your home’s exterior environment. In this article we are going to share with you 3 simple tips on how to increase the value of your home.

1 Make the house more efficient

Today, home owners are looking for homes that will cut their cost of maintenance therefore part of the improvement you can do is the construction of amenities that help make the home more efficient and less costly to maintain. Some of these amenities can be solar heaters, underground water storage tanks, water filtration systems, and biogas systems amongst others. This will help in the reduction of utility bills thus increase the value of your home.

2 Adopt low maintenance landscaping

Any home owner who has a lawn will fully understand how expensive it is to maintain one. The time, money and energy required to keep it looking beautiful can be a lot. It’s therefore a good idea to adopt a low maintenance landscaping and this can include replacing your lawn with a flower garden that has plants that are originally from the region. These will require very low maintenance thereby bringing down costs and essentially raising the value of your home.

3 Do some tree planting on your compound

Trees not only increase curb appeal but will also have added benefits such as ensuring you have a good environment in your home and also some much needed shade. This essentially will bring some tranquility to your home and this is something home owners will be willing to pay extra for because it’s very rare to find. These are very doable things and the beauty is the long term payout will be way higher than the investment cost.