It’s A Building Site!

It’s A Building Site!

stairs-home-loft-lifestylePexels By: Life Of Pix

You know how you’ve always wanted that dream kitchen, gorgeous lounge or en-suite guest bedroom? There’s never been a better time to carry out some home improvements because with spring in the air the weather’s warmer and less prone to storms. You’ll also have the pick of the builders because lots of people choose to hold off on having building work done in the months leading up to the summer holidays. Why? Well if you’re away you can’t accurately check on their progress, can you?

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Creating An Open Plan Space

Open plan living is trendy, modern and highly desirable but it’s important to note that not all houses are designed for it , and if you do decide to knock down walls, create archways and take off doors then the aesthetic of your entire home will change. It’s also worth thinking about heating and lighting as wooden doors tend to act as natural draft excluders so if you remove these you could find your gas bills increase almost overnight. When it comes to planning the design of open spaces you need to consider what that room used for and how it interacts with other rooms nearby.

For instance, what can you see from your living room right now? If there’s a wall up it’ll probably be nothing but once that’s removed does the lounge back onto the kitchen? Dining room? Or into the hall? Which rooms get the most light or overlook the garden and do you have enough space to move around without bumping into furniture? Don’t forget to think about how far your dining room or proposed eating space is from your kitchen too!

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Converting Your Loft

Before you begin covering up floorboards, sketching out room designs and calling builders for quotes when it comes to loft conversions you need to think smart. You may believe that it isn’t much of a big deal, but a transformation is going to change the structure of the house, which means you need to know if the building can take the extra weight. Don’t forget if you plan on turning the loft into another bedroom you need to be able to stand up in it! If you’ve got a sloping roof, there’s obviously going to be much less room than downstairs so check the head height first. You may also not have thought about it yet but how are you planning on getting up there?

Existing ladders are fine for the occasional trip to pop something in storage but if you’re converting, fire regulations state you’ll need actual stairs as well as possibly needing to remove the old boiler or water tank to elsewhere in the house. If you have an en-suite, you’ll need to install plumbing as well as make sure there’s extra blown fiberglass insulation as lofts can get quite chilly. Conversions will need building approval, but not necessarily planning permission as it all depends on what you intend to do with the space. If in doubt speak to a local builder who should be able to advise you on your design as well as any costs, materials and the time the project’s going to take.

Tia, and TipsfromTia.com  is trying to keep you looking good and
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