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It’s a fact that a garage conversion can go a long way to add a resale value to a home or property. Therefore, in the event whereby your home already has parking facilities in place you can put into consideration converting your garage into a habitable space which will add to the sales price of the house by adding an extra room or increasing the floor space. So exactly how much does a garage conversion add to your home’s resale value?

Garage conversions can be seen as a cost effective means of adding more space to your house. However, not only does it add space, but can also add up to 20 percent to the value of your home. It’s also a way of adding an extra living space to your home that’s not under strict planning complication unlike the alternatives. Generally, if your garage happens to be connected to your house, the cost of converting it to another room should between £10,000 to £20,000. As a home owner, converting your garage into an extra room can help increase the value of your home by up to £45,000. And if you’re to comply with the set rules under permitted development rights, you may not even require to submit a planning application.

In the event whereby your garage is detached from your house or perhaps you live in a flat ( or maisonette) or a listed building , you’ll need to apply to the local authority before commencing your project. It’s always wise to check if there aren’t any planning conditions attached to your home or property.

With cavity walls being very similar to other type of brick works, it can be quite confusing to figure out the type of wall your property possesses. If your house was constructed after the 1920s, then its highly likely the you have cavity walls, while older houses (houses before the 1920s) are likely to have solid walls. What’s more? If you happen to own a home that was built in the last decade, then it’s very possible that it was built with insulation installed during construction.

An effective way to determine whether or not your property is built with cavity wall is to examine the brickwork on your home’s exterior. The bricks will typically possess a regular pattern if it features cavity walls. In the event whereby the brick work is covered by render, you can also figure it out by taking a measurement of the wall’s width. If the brick wall is beyond 3000mm in thickness ( from the exterior wall to the interior wall), then it probably features a cavity. Meanwhile, a wall that’s narrower is very likely to be solid. Stone walls, on the other hand, may actually be thicker but are most times solid.

In a situation whereby your house is built using steel frame or timber frame, or made using pre-fabricated concrete, there are varying rules that applies when it comes to insulation and should be examined by an expert before any insulation is installed. More often than not, most contractors will have installed special air vents, which can also be a good indicator that a cavity wall insulation has been done.

With homeowners now a lot more unwilling to move or make any costly extensions due to the uncertainty that lies ahead in the property market of the UK, a garden building which represents a cheaper alternative seems to be the best option available. Not only is it one of the most affordable ways to add space to your home while staying within your budget, but it’s also one of the best ways to add immense value to your property as more and more potential home investors are now seeking properties with an outdoor garden room. They’re the perfect investment for those looking to expand their space without having to carry out huge extension projects which normally consumes both time and money.

Garden rooms are best built by professionals to guarantee the best results. However, if you feel confident enough to undertake the project, then this guide will give you an idea of the process.

✓ Build the foundation. Here you can build the foundation using concrete, but in cases whereby there are root systems closeby then you can make use of low impact screw piles.

✓ Start the construction process with timber frame, SIP panels as well as other modular components and materials

✓ Once you’re done with the construction process, the next course of action will be to develop and position the roof structure on to the top of the newly constructed garden room. Here, you can also decide to use sun pipe and solar heating or PV panels. You can also protect the construction from the elements by making use of cedar cladding.

✓ Doors installation. The best type of doors to use here are draught sealed doors which can also be treated hardwood or powder coated aluminium .

✓ Make the finishing touches here and there and make sure all connections are complete.

Are you considering converting your garage into a more usable space in your home? If yes, then you’d probably want to know if you’ll require building regs before converting the garage. The answer to this question is yes. Although you may not require planning approval to convert your garage into a more usable space, but you’d usually need approval under the Building Regulations.

When re-structuring your garage into a habitable space, the following should be taken into consideration: structural alterations, ventilation, moisture proofing, insulation, fireproofing, escape routes as well as the submission of a building building notice or full plan application to the local council in order to inform them about the planned project.

• Walls

You’ll require an approval if you plan to infill the garage door with a window and a new wall. This is because the garage may have been built of a shallow slab which implies that a new foundation would be needed for the new wall construction.

• Floor

Even though there’s a high possibility that the garage floor is strong enough for domestic use since its designed to withstand the weight of vehicles, you may however need to upgrade to make sure it suitable for both thermal insulation and damp proofing. In addition, there may also be the need to to alter the floor level in such a way that it matches that of the remaining parts of the house.

• Ventilation

According to the Building Regulations requirements, there’s a need for adequate ventilation for each individual rooms which includes garage conversions for general health purposes. What’s going to determine the ventilation level that’ll be required is the frequency at which the room is used. Ventilation can be provided through purge or simply opening the window or via trickle ventilation.

External Wall Insulation (EWI) is the act of insulating a home by fitting insulation to the exterior parts of the building which in turn improves thermal performance, cuts energy consumption ( savings on energy bill) and also adds to the home’s visual appeal. The systems are built in multiple layers, with the insulation board offering a plethora of options with each being suitable to varying projects and their needs. Installing an external wall insulation comes with a variety of benefits, let’s have a look!

• Thermal Performance Improvement

With EWI, the thermal inertia of the walls are greatly enhanced while also restricting the loss of heat. Ultimately, this lowers heating costs, enhances the comfort of indoor thermal and also reduces CO2 pollution.

• Eliminates Noise Pollution

When the noise levels are high, it can have a bad impact on our overall well being. A great way to reduce the disturbances from the outside like traffic noise is by fitting an External Wall Installation system.

• More Comfortable Living Space

Do you know the damp in homes can contribute to respiratory problems? A properly insulated home will greatly limit the impact of condensation by combating the damp issues. As a result, you can always expect your house to be cosy and comfy irrespective of the season. A cooler summer and warmer spring is guaranteed with EWI.

• Enhances The Property’s Visual Appeal

Looking for an excuse to rejuvenate your home’s aesthetic appeal? Well, you can as well try out adding an EWI system. There are a plethora of unique colours and styles you can pick from to beautify your home effortlessly.

• Adds Value To Property

An insulated home will generally cost more than an uninsulated one at the time of resale. Potential home buyers are more interested in the acquisition of a home with an EWI system due to its various benefits - and a higher demand can only imply a higher price!

Adding a garden room to your property is a great way of creating an additional space within your home without having to invest heavily in large house extension projects. And not only does it expand your living space, but it’s also a way to add good value to your home or property. With the various benefits offered by a garden room, most individuals are usually surprised with just how affordable the living space can be. However, just like any other home improvement, the price of a garden room is influenced by a wide range of factors. These factors include the design you opt for whether standard or customized, the size of the garden room, the materials used, the number of fixtures and fittings you want as well as any other special design feature you require.

Asides from the money needed to put up the structure, there are also some common extra cost that’ll also be expended for both the interior and exterior of the living space. For instance, there are some furnitures and fittings that you’d like to put in your garden room and these will also form part of the overall cost. There’s also the electrical connections cost and this will vary depending on the distance of your room, the cables to be used as well as your electrician. For this part, you can expect to spend anything within the range of £850 to £1200 and since it’ll be used all year long, it’ll also require appliances for heating, insulation, electricity and ventilation.

Generally, the overall cost you should be expecting to pay for a modular build garden room will range between £10,000 to £40,000.

It can be very hurtful when you’re looking to get a house and then identifies one that’s almost perfect, but that one thing that’s lacking is significant enough to prevent you from making an offer. For instance, you may like neighbourhood, the lot’s size, the number of bedroom and lots more. However, the only thing that’s holding you from making an offer is the outdated kitchen. This is the point where you wonder whether a mortgage can include the cost of renovation. In this article, we’re going to give you a good insight into this and more. Let’s have a look!

One of the major things your lender will put into consideration when you apply for a mortgage is the price of the property in question. For instance, so you’ve found your “almost perfect home for let’s say £400,000 and the cost of your intended renovation work runs up to about £150,000. In this event, you’re definitely going to find lenders who wouldn’t be too keen to let go of their cash. And that’s mainly due to the fact that lenders are only able to afford you, at best, 95 percent of the purchasing price. In other words, if you really want the house, you’ll have to finance it yourself no matter how much potential you think the house possesses.

This, however, does not mean that you can’t find some mortgage lenders who’ll allow for building costs. They exist, but this will mostly take place when the work is complete and the property is revalued. You may also be lucky enough to get a purchase plus improvements mortgage which allows you to renovate now and pay off the renovations over time at a better interest rate than other loan types.

Sand is a very important element in bricklaying as far as a mortar mix is concerned. Generally, the quality of the sand is the major factor determining the quality of a plaster mix or mortar mix. It’s recommended that the sand should have enough ‘fines’ (- 75 micron material) to get a good plastic mix with a water content that’s less than 350 litres/m3. Generally, a mortar mix or plaster mix is made within the range of one bag of cement to 200 to 300 litres of damp sand.

Apart from experience the next best indicator of the quality of sand is a field test. In other words, if you do not have the required training or experience in bricklaying, the best bet to determine the amount of sand for a good quality mix is by carrying out a field test. Let’s have a look!

• Get about 50kg of sand and air dry it.

• Scoop 25kg of the sand, 5 kg of cement as well as litres of water ( with 1 litre and 1.5 litres of the water in different containers).

• Mix the cement and sand to form a smooth, uniform and consistent colour.

• One after the other, mix the the sand - cement mixture in the three quantities of water. Do this until you’re able to achieve a mix that’s workable enough to use as plaster.

With that done, you should take note that if 5 litres of water is sufficient then the quality and quantity of the sand is perfect. If you’d require 6 litres of water to get a mix workable as a plaster, then both the quality and quantity of the sand is average. However, if you’d need 7 litres of water to get a mix workable as a plaster, then the quality of the sand is poor. Any requirement of water above 7 litres implies a very poor quality of sand.