Increasing Your Property Value
A great reason to start home improvements is to add value to your property. Particular improvements will increase the value; such as double glazing, central heating and fixing structural problems or superficial defects. Adding value to your property will give you that extra satisfaction of knowing the initial costs you had to outlay for home improvements resulted in a profit.
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Update Your Services
After an assessment, if the electricity or plumbing needs updating, do it. Updating your services will definitely increase the value of your property. Adding extra sockets will add value to your home and in some cases, it might be worth opting for attractive face plates for sockets and switches. If rewiring, update lighting and add extractor fans in the bathrooms.
Consider a pressurized plumbing system, instead of gravity fed, as it eliminates the need for a header tank, which will free up space, ensuring good pressure on hot and cold supplies. If you have room for a cylinder, you can have stored hot water for filling a bath quickly. If not, consider a combination boiler that provides hot water on demand, but make sure you choose one with a good flow rate. You need at least 10 litres a minute for a decent power shower. |
Modify Existing Space
Adding new space will increase the value of a property, but first, you should consider how you can improve the use of the existing space. Maximum value will be added by improving public space, such as the kitchen, dining and living areas. Draw up a simple floor plan. Play around adding and removing walls to achieve the optimum layout.
Think about making use of traditional circulation space, such as halls and corridors that may not be needed in a home suited to today's less formal lifestyles. Think about combining dining room and kitchen to create a dining kitchen and other potential multi-functional living spaces. Fewer but larger rooms with clear sight lines will make a house seem larger, especially if the flooring and wall finishes continue throughout.
Before removing any walls, work out which wall is structural by checking the direction of the floor joists. Joists should always rest on structural walls. Structural walls can be removed, but will need to be replaced with steel-work and this will require calculations by a structural engineer or building surveyor. Adding new stud walls to divide existing space is relatively straightforward and inexpensive, but remember to add acoustic insulation.
Think about making use of traditional circulation space, such as halls and corridors that may not be needed in a home suited to today's less formal lifestyles. Think about combining dining room and kitchen to create a dining kitchen and other potential multi-functional living spaces. Fewer but larger rooms with clear sight lines will make a house seem larger, especially if the flooring and wall finishes continue throughout.
Before removing any walls, work out which wall is structural by checking the direction of the floor joists. Joists should always rest on structural walls. Structural walls can be removed, but will need to be replaced with steel-work and this will require calculations by a structural engineer or building surveyor. Adding new stud walls to divide existing space is relatively straightforward and inexpensive, but remember to add acoustic insulation.
Double Glaze Those Windows
Heat won't escape with double glazed windows keeping you warm and toasty during those cold nights of the year. Double glazing will also protect your home from leaks on rainy days and will add insulation, keeping out noise. Overall double glazing will ensure you a better night's sleep and increase the value of your property. We recommend going down the expert route for this installation, so do your research to get the best possible deal.