Get the Most Out of Your Home Refurbishment.

If you're planning an extension, home refurbishment or both here's some pointers that should help.

Pretty much everything is possible subject to budget, timescale and everyone following the relevant guidelines and regulations.

Starting your Home Refurbishment Plan:

Make wish lists - Compile a wish list, irrelevant of budget, and focus on what is important to you and the property. After you have made your wish list start to highlight the tasks by priority.
Pinpoint your budget - This important factor will help determine the level of finish you're trying to achieve and will help you choose the correct purchase level for your project.

Sometimes projects take longer to complete than you first imagined because they become more comprehensive.
If you have a specific date that you want the work completed by it is worth working back from this to find the right start date. Just like a financial contingency, allow for a time contingency also.

Budget:

Be realistic, work out exactly how much money you want to spend. Is the project a quick fix or an investment that is made to last? If you have expensive taste, this must be reflected.
It is always important to have a little extra put aside as a contingency, this may become necessary if something unforeseen pops up, if it doesn’t the contingency becomes a saving which could be used on another part of your next project. This is usually 15-20% of the build cost.

What do you want the finished project to look like?
How will the final layout work?
Will 3D drawings and rendered images help you visualise the space and layout?
Think about colour schemes and finishes. Start collecting images of styles and ideas you like and dislike either from magazines or digitally. It will help pinpoint what you like and more importantly what you don't like.

If you've had architects plans drawn, do they ‘work’?
Do the plans fit with how you want to live now, in 5 years time and further possibly?

Is there space to extend, do you want a rear or side extension, is it worth converting the loft, basement or garage?
Is your property listed or do the deeds show any building and planning restrictions and are there any covenants?
How successful have neighbours been in achieving planning permission and are their extension similar to what you want?

Space planning: How to get the best use out of a space?
Functionality: How does the space work?
Practicality: Will the space work the best it can?
Build works: Structural; remedial.
Ceilings: Repaired; smoothed.
Electrics: Wiring; fuse boards; sockets; lighting; audio & visual; alarm system.
Heating: Boiler; radiators; underfloor heating, ground source pump, solar panels.
Insulation: Making your home as energy efficient as possible.
Furniture: What is being used? What doesn’t work. What new pieces are required?

Once you have done the build/refurbishment make sure that you have a budget to see the project through to completion.
Accessories and artwork.
Prints & mirrors.
Lamps and lighting.
Colour schemes.
Soft furnishing and window treatments.
Fireplace: Re-Commission; log burner; gas; electric.
Flooring: Carpet, LVT; Wood.
Doors: Internal and external.