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Well the reality is, sometimes, neighbours just don’t get along. With several individuals living in close proximity, it’s little surprise they tend to get on one another’s nerves from time to time. However, there’s a difference between having a tiff and being able to transform your house the way you want without having to obtain your neighbour’s approval.

The short and simple answer to this question is, not necessarily. However, you must first educate yourself by thinking about your extension and how it affects the houses around you. We’d strongly recommend you talk proposals through with your neighbour so as to avoid possible conflicts later. There are a number of reasons why your neighbour can protest to your new home extension plans. Let’s take a look!

• In the event whereby your new extension is blocking their view or providing an unwanted shade on their property. Here, they have a legitimate reason to protest as no one would want their once sunny garden suddenly covered or plummet into shade.
• In the event where it leads to a loss of privacy. For instance, if your new extension possesses a window which overlooks the neighbour’s property in any way. This is likely to be taken as an invasion of privacy and that has a little to no chance of being a welcomed idea.
• If it’s a major project and going to take a lot of weeks before completion. The noise generated, especially when your neighbours are enjoying your summer holidays or weekends, can make their gardens not as relaxing as it used to be.

If you’re considering rendering your house or property, then you’d most likely want to know whether or not applying for a planning permission will be needed. In several cases, planning permission will not be required for the maintenance, repair as well as replacement of the existing render on your building. These activities are covered by what’s called “Permitted Development Rights, which allows you to carry out some activities without having to apply for a planning permission but always subject to following some strict guidelines. For rendering, as long as the material (render) possesses an identical appearance to those existing on the house as well as same colour, then you will not require a planning permission. However, there are a number of projects that have been highlighted in which a planning permission would be required. These includes the following:

✓ Re-rendering in a colour that different from the original one used on the house or building.

✓ Rendering over brickwork which was not originally covered.

✓ Rendering over pebbledash

✓ Removing pebbledash and replacing it with render.

Another exception to the Permitted Development rights are for houses in conservation areas, national parks or areas of outstanding national beauty.

Although, you wouldn’t normally require to submit a planning application for approval before you apply render, but in truth it’s actually a bit of a grey area which isn’t totally clear and doesn’t allow for much freedom or creativity. And due to this fact, homeowners who wants an absolute peace of mind may opt to apply for planning permission just in case. It’s also worth noting that whether or not a planning permission is required, a huge rendering work will need to comply with building regulations which includes the need to insulate walls on the inside or outside as part of the work on several older properties .

Is your driveway damaged or starting to show some signs of cracks and gaps? If yes, then you’d probably be thinking of repairing it before it gets even worse. Repairing a driveway is largely an unknown process but also a very tedious task as well. So if you’re looking to hire a professional for help, just how much is the repair going to cost? In this article, we’re going to look at the various factors that can determine the cost of a driveway repair.

In the UK, the average price of repairing a driveway is usually within the range of £1,400 to £1,800, where as the normal price of a driveway repair will range between £700 to £2,400. although some small repairs tasks can be as low as £250, while huge driveway repairs can skyrocket to about £4,200.

However, in general, the overall cost of repair a driveway can not be determined as each driveway is unique with their special repair needs. The factors that can influence the price of a driveway repair includes the material used, the perimeter of the driveway as well as the condition of the foundation. The only factor that’s not unique to any one driveway is the materials used, so let’s take a look at the differences in price using the based on the various types of materials available.

✓ Concrete. The average cost of repairing a concrete driveway is usually between £250 to £3,200. Have it in mind at most times the price of fixing an overly damaged driveway can be more than the cost of buying a new one.

✓ Asphalt. The average cost of repairing an asphalt driveway is usually between £750 to £2,800.

✓ Brick. The average cost of repairing a brick driveway is usually between £700 to £1,700.

✓ Cobblestone. The average cost of repairing a cobblestone driveway is usually between £500 to £1,600.

A patio is an outdoor space which can be used for a variety of stuffs which includes fun time with family and friends, reading time or just relaxing as the fresh breeze blows. With all these benefits and more, it’s becomes more obvious that there’s a need to keep your patio in a tip top condition at all times. If otherwise, you may not be able to enjoy your patio to your satisfaction and probably, for as long as you would want. You simply have to provide it with a regular maintenance which involves inspecting and identifying the damages that needs to be repaired before it gets out of hand. Fortunately, the minor repairs can be done by yourself if you’re confident enough. However, for bigger damages it’s advisable to call in a professional for help. In this article, we’ll take you through the patio reparation process.

✓ Prepare the area. This involves removing the problem piece gently and carefully. If there’s a piece you think can still be useful, store it in the re-use pile or you can start a new one. Once you’re done removing the pieces, the next thing to do would be to start removing anything that’s unwanted from the damaged area like debris, unwanted soil etc, and start sand fitting with some fresh sand. This should be levelled out to ensure there’s no bumps.

✓ With the sand down, you can start by putting the pieces back in together. This should be done gently to avoid any further damage. Do this until your patio

✓

How Much Do Roof Rooms Cost?

The price of your roof room may vary depending on your location within the country. Other factors that can also play a key role in determining the price of a roof room includes the conversion’s type as well as the legal and technical issues it’s currently facing. Usually, the cost of roof rooms will range between £1,200 to £2,000 per square metre. The differences in the price per square metre is influenced by the size of the alterations to the roof, the type of roof room to be constructed, the access, location as well as the finishing type.

• DORMER LOFT CONVERSION.

Here, one of the slopes of a pitched roof is substituted for a box-shaped structure. The outcome is a flat roof space which enables the fitting of full sized windows as well as the incorporation of several appliances. This is quite expensive as it involves a total rebuilding of one roof pitch alongside the complete internal works that are associated. The average cost of a standard dormer loft project will range between £25,000 to £50,000.

• HIP TO GABLE LOFT CONVERSION

Here a vertical brick wall is used to substitute the roof’s slope at the ending part of the terrace on detached buildings. The average cost of this type of roof room will range between £32,000 to £60,000.

• ROOFLIGHT LOFT CONVERSION

This basically involves fitting rooflight windows in the roof. Other improvements include flooring, plasterboarding, strengthening of the existing floor, as well as installation of rooflights. The average cost of this type of roof room will range between £15,000 to £25,000.

• MANSARD LOFT EXTENSION

This roof room can create an extra storey on top of an existing building as it makes a space featuring two or four external walls that are a bit sloped. The average cost of this type of roof room will range between £40,000 to £70,000.

The main reason that people use cladding or rendering on their property is the aesthetic benefit. These materials can really boost the appearance of a home. Cladding and rendering can also increase the thermal performance of a property. Speak to a specialist to find out whether your property will benefit.

Rendering is an external wall’s plastered finish which provides a smooth finish while also protecting the brickwork from the elements like rain, snow and the likes. The traditional rendering is normally applied in two or three coats which enables it to be more resistant to surface cracks. In modern times, the finishes are largely different from the grey pebble dash of post war housing. Today, we now have a plethora of specialist products to pick from such as through-coloured silicone renders as well as one coat renders. The types of renders include the following:

✓ Cement renders. These are the common option that are usually mixed on site and used in a number of applications, then painted when dried. There’s a need to paint this type of render regularly to keep them looking great.

✓ Polymer renders. These are pre mixed and mostly pre coloured (usually with through colouring).

✓ Through-coloured products. These rendered do not need to be painted as the pigment is already added in the manufacturing process to colour the whole render.

✓ Lime renders. These are superior to cement as they’re less likely to trap moisture in the brickwork and also more good looking. However, they’re generally more costly and more difficult to apply.

Overall, rendering on a house provides several benefits. Not only is it able to protect your brickwork against the elements like the rain and wind, but it can also make the building more efficient. Being fully aware that about 30 percent of the energy used in heating a home is lost via the external walls, making use of a product such as acrylic insulated render is a smart approach to improve your home’s energy efficiency without affecting your interior living space.