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When it comes to house renovation costs, nothing is certain. As a rule of thumb, you should always expect the unexpected. Unforeseen circumstances (mostly unfavourable) can crop up from anywhere, at any time, greatly affecting the cost of the project. However, if you’ve completed proper planning and done your due diligence on your property before commencement, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t put the works on budget.

The cost of a house renovation project depends on a lot of variables. These variables include the type of property you’re undertaking as well as the amount and complexity of the entire project. What’s more? Whether you decide to do some of the work yourself or wish to hire quality tradespeople to cover the entire project will also tell on the cost of the home renovation.

In the event whereby you wish to completely gut your property and begin from square one, here are some of the cost you’re most likely going to incur:

✓ Planning applications and building controls

✓ Architect’s design and specifications

✓ Contractors and build costs

✓ Snags as well as unforeseen problems

What will be the biggest cost, which will be determined by the amount of work you need done, is most likely going to be the structural and building work, which can reach up to tens of thousands of pounds.

Asides from material and labour, the administrative costs is another important cost you’ll need to factor in. The first thing here is usually insurance, this is because all regular building insurance policies does not cover large scale renovation projects. So if what you’re planning is a huge structural change to your property, then it’s more likely that it won’t be covered by your buildings insurance policy. In this event, you’ll have to take out a specialist renovation insurance.

Do I Need Planning Permission For A Loft Room?

The answer to this question is maybe. Generally, loft rooms are covered under “Permitted Development which means you won’t need to apply for a planning permission to build a loft room. This is like an advance planning permission provided by local authorities to allow some particular building works to be done such as loft conversions, rear extensions and more. When you’re covered by a “Permitted Development, you’re given the free range to oversee your home’s development without much interference from the regulations or the council. However, for permitted development to apply, there are some specific criteria that must be met. Therefore, if your loft room does not meet the following requirements given below, then you must complete a planning application before proceeding.

• In a terraced house, the converted loft space must not be more than 40 cubic metres.

• In a detached building or semi detached house, the converted loft space must not be more than 50 cubic metres.

• The existing roof slope at the front of the house must cover the extension made.

• The extension should not increase the height of the roof in any way.

• Verandas, balconies and any other structures of this nature must not be included in the extension’s plan.

• The side facing window openings should be at a minimum of 1.7 metres above the ground. The windows must be obscured as well.

• The roof extension should be set back as far as practically possible. It should be at a minimum of 20cm from the current eaves.

• The roof extension should not overhang the house’s roof or it’s wall.

• The materials to be incorporated must be the same or at least similar to what you already have on the house’s exterior.

When Does A Loft Become A Habitable Room?

When a loft is being converted to functional space, there are a multiple options it can offer. It’s not uncommon that at the conversion of this space, many household may not have a specific plan on how it’s going to be used. However, they know later on an actual need might arise, perhaps as you start working from home, developing other hobbies that requires an extra space or the family grows.

The loft can easily be converted into a game room, study room, playroom or even a household’s “breathing space etc. However, when the family grows and you wish to make use of the space on the top of your home as an extra bedroom, there are many factors to consider. The fact is, just because there’s enough space to fit a bed, doesn’t make it habitable. For a loft to become habitable, it must be built specifically for the purpose of being a sleeping area and must also comply with the relevant building regulations. It’s as a result of this, many property sale particulars include “potential third bedroom, subject to regulations statement written on it as well as the boarded and insulated loft space’s dimensions.

Loft conversions building regulations are set in such a way to ensure that adequate attention is given to both safety and structural elements to build a new space that’s fit for undetermined household use. These regulations are established minimum requirements to guarantee the following:

• The new floor and ceiling’s structural integrity.

• The existing roof and party wall modification’s structural stability.

• Safety during fire incidents plus an escape route.

• An appropriate stairway access.

• The proposed changes’ structural suitability to the external environment in association with the local area as well as any unique factors specific to the property.

Insulating your loft roof comes with a wide range of benefits. Not only do you get to maintain a comfortable temperature in your house for longer, but you’ll also get to cut down on your heating bills. If you wish to insulate your loft roof, you’ve come to the right place! This process can be very tedious and time consuming especially if you don’t what you’re doing or lack the required confidence to pull it off. It’s advisable to hire the services of a reputable professional who can guarantee the best results for help and also save you some time and money that can come from potentially costly errors.

Before you start rolling out, you’d have to make sure that all cracks, gaps and holes in the ceiling are filled with either a standard filler or decorators caulk. You can also clean between between the gaps in the joists thoroughly. And finally, check for hazards that can cause you problems before getting stated.

• Remember to leave ventilation gaps as you start from the eaves. Then work towards the loft’s centre, starting from the point furthest from the hatch.
• Lay the first layer between the joists which should be 100 mm and then the subsequent layer should be 170 mm to make it up to the recommended 270 mm.
• Carry the electric cables above the insulation and work around visible light fittings.
• Cut the roll in the centre of the floor when rolling out from the eaves on both sides with the help of a craft knife. Ensure that there are no gaps between the insulation and the joists’ edges.
• Lag pipes as you go in order to prevent walking over the insulation to get back to them.
• Ensure that the loft is totally insulated
• Insulate the hatch.

The importance of underpinning a house cannot be overemphasized. Firstly, what is underpinning? Well, underpinning is simply the act of reinforcing, repairing, strengthening or improving the depth of an existing foundation by lowering the footing to ensure that it rests more on more reliable and supportive soil. Not only does this method help to strengthen your building and preserve its structural integrity, but it also does increase your property’s value and gives you peace of mind knowing your property is safe. If you’re thinking about underpinning your house, you have two options – do it yourself or call in a reputable structural engineer. The latter is more advisable as the method involves a lot of specialized knowledge, skills and tools to guarantee a successful outcome. In this post, we’re going to take you through the process involved in underpinning a house. Let’s take a look!

To get started, you should know that concrete underpinning features excavating pier footings around the building at about 2 to 3 metres distance between each other. In some cases, underpins can be installed from within the house. The footings of the underpin should go very deep into the underlying soil in such a way that fully supports the weight of the building or structure. Once done, now proceed to attaching the new footing to the building. You can achieve this by excavating underneath the existing footing to make for a stronger prop. Individual prop and pier arrangement is then strengthened using strong steel bars. Once completed, the concrete is then poured.

A professional underpinning contractor will make sure there’s sufficient space left between the existing footings and the new underpins as this space will ensure that the new underpins can be easily used to jack up the house and level it once the poured concrete cures.

It shouldn’t do. Most companies will do all the interior work first, and the last job to do will be creating the opening from the house to the conversion. A reputable company will make sure they cause as little disruption as possible during this time.

Windows or lightwells can be a great way to introduce natural light into your basement, making it a more valuable, enjoyable space. However, they’re not always an essential requirement.

It’s important for your basement conversion to meet ventilation and fire safety building regulations. Windows can be a good way to do this, but they’re not the only option. Stack or mechanical ventilation, or ensuring that stairs up from your basement connect to an exit can be a good alternative.

So, while windows can be a great asset to your basement conversion, if you can’t afford them or they’re not structurally feasible, you can still create a basement conversion without them.

A garden room extension, also referred to as Sunroom or Solarium, is basically a stand alone garden building that’s totally detached from the home. They are typically semi-glazed building that features a tiled roof rather than glass. What would have been good examples of garden rooms extensions include conservatories, orangeries as well as pool houses, however they are constructed with the help of different materials and features which ultimately makes them different to garden rooms.

Garden room extensions are built with the major purpose of adding extra functional living spaces for a wide range of room options such as a second living room, dining room, study space, home garden office or a rehearsal space - the options are numerous. In other words if you’re looking for an additional usable space within your home or property, a garden room extension can be designed to suit your needs. So whether you need comfy sofas for evening relaxations, a sturdy office desk for work or large dining room table for dinners with family and friends, a garden room extension can be all that you need to achieve to your living space goals or just to add more value to your property.

Garden rooms extension has multiple alternatives such as a conservatory, garage conversion, loft conversion, extension and garden rooms. However, it has some great benefits over its alternatives. These benefits include, being very cost effective, hassle free, can be built within 5 to 9 days, rarely requires planning permission, does not require building regulations approval, includes a full professional installation and management without any need for subcontractors, modern and unique as well as being very versatile. Overall, if you’re looking to create an additional space in your home without having to break the bank, then garden room extensions may be your best bet.