When you design a home, you need to consider at least the following factors: How it operates How pleasant it feels to use How it looks How much it costs How much it will be worth Designing for function This is a pretty obvious concept. Draw a list of activities […]
Firstly, you’ve got to find a good builder. If you know people who have had a job done on time and done well, go and see the job yourself. Second, find out if the builder is a member of a trade body such as the Federation of Master Builders. If […]
1. Long views Look at a plan view of your property. Consider what you see and how far you see from some key strategic points: As you enter the front door As you enter the back door Generally, from any point where you may be parked, e.g. sitting on your […]
It may take you two weeks to find a good plot. On the other hand it may take you ten years! Plots vary in demand as you move away from London and, to a lesser extent, other large cities. The hardest places, probably in the world, to build a plot […]
1. You must provide some security The home you are building covers much of this (although half-finished work has a pretty depressed value). Generally the loan is structured so that the lender provides around 95% of finished value. In practice, this means you pay for 5% of the land cost […]
There are two purposes for creating this plan: It will clarify things for you It will convince others – including your financiers – that you know what you are doing Your project plan should cover the following key points: State the objectives of the scheme, including your profit targets, the […]
Strip or trenchfill – a 600mm wide perimeter of concrete around the base of the property a metre or so underground. Raft – A slab of concrete sitting on the ground and knitted together with embedded steel. Piles – Posts cut very deep and filled with steel and concrete. The […]
If you are buying the property in Knightsbridge, London you have to refurbish according to the value of the property. If you are buying a small terrace cottage in an ex-industrial district, you will want to spend much, much less. As a rule of thumb, look to spend a maximum […]
You can expect a builder – who is a member of the Builders Guild (or alternatively the Federation of Master Builders) to live up to their Code of Conduct. If they fail to do so, there is a prepared process of managing the dispute. This Code of Conduct is not […]
Take note of these tips for refurbishing your property – but make sure that you adapt this list to your local market. These are the essential features required by busy professionals. Item Notes: Walls / woodwork: Redecorating is the quickest and cheapest way to improve the ‘feel’ of your property […]
