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Winter Warmers #1

1/27/2015

We were challenged by Nick Knowles, presenter of DIY SOS, to share our knowledge when we disagreed with his comments that only very rich people can afford to insulate and make their homes warmer and more energy efficient. This is first in a series of blog posts where we will share effective DIY tips that you can use to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home or property for free or very cheaply.

If you would like us to help you make your home or property feel warmer and more comfortable and reduce your energy bills contact us. We specialise in eco refurbishing - making existing buildings work better and more efficiently for you. We also design extensions and new builds following passive house principles and a fabric first approach.

Air tightness is a growing area of knowledge in the construction industry. We now know that up to 40% of heat loss can be due to leaky buildings.

We often feel cool draughts from the uncontrolled air leaking in and out of cracks, holes and gaps in our buildings. By blocking up some of these we can both feel warmer and save on heating bills.

What you will need for this DIY project is a simple roll of sellotape.

Look at your doors and windows and stick a piece of sellotape over any keyholes that are either unused or not used very often. This might be some patio doors to the living room which you can easily reuse again in the summer by removing the sellotape.

This is an almost invisible and simple fix to quickly reduce draughts.

Warning! We do need some ventilation in our buildings to keep our indoor air healthy so don't block up everything!

Share your DIY draught excluding tips in the comments below. #winterwarmers

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New Year. New You. New Home

1/8/2015

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The beginning of a New Year is always busy with new projects and resolutions. Starting the year afresh and make it better than the year before.

After a fortnight at home with the family, many homeowners decide that they need to make changes or add more space. Space to host large dinners for a growing family, a spare room for visitors or somewhere to work on all those new years resolutions - perhaps a home gym or project room.

There are lots of things to consider when improving your home. You need to think strategically when deciding what work to have done to make sure you get what you want and need and it's within your budget.

To help you with your decision making here are some tips to consider when deciding how to improve your home.

1. Decide what you need

I often find that through carefully questioning my clients during our first meetings, to understand the bigger picture, I find solutions that they hadn't imagined and that can be much better value for money.

Sometimes a big extension is not the answer to giving you the home you need. Ask yourself the following questions to help identify what you need and how your home can meet this:

What do you want to be able to do but your space is not allowing you to do?
How many people does the space need to work for?
What spaces do you have now and how do you use them?
Are there any unused or underused spaces?

Where do you get the best light and views and are these important to you?

2. Set a Budget

It's best to be realistic about money. Once the budget is set make sure that the works are chosen carefully to fit within this budget. Be aware that sometimes spending a little extra in some areas can save you money in the long run. It's not always necessary to carry out all the work at once but it is usually best to have it all designed together so that the final result is a harmonious whole.

When considering how much to spend make sure you include costs for the following:

professional fees: architect, structural engineer, quantity surveyor, party wall surveyor, etc
local authority applications: planning and building control

possible extras: storage, rental / holiday elsewhere during the work, professional deep cleaning afterwards, more takeaways and meals out while the kitchen is out of action

VAT: remember to take into account the likely extra 20%

contingency: setting aside an extra 5-15% is wise, particularly if the work involves an existing building

I recommend getting cost estimates based on sketch designs early on to ensure that the works carried out are in budget and give you the best value. The Home Design Workshop gives you sketch designs that meet your needs and are a good basis to check out practicalities like cost.

To give a finger in the air idea of how much the extra space might cost to build I use a rate of £2k per m2. Although nowhere near as accurate as a quantity surveyors estimate, this calculation helps guide initial decisions on how much space is worked on to suit the budget.

3. Consider build options

How you choose to have your project built can have a huge impact on the cost and speed of the construction and the quality of the end result. Consider how much time you have to devote to the project yourself and what skills you have. Do you want to get hands on and self-build or do you want to hand over the keys and come back to a completed project?

These are some of your build options with pros and cons:

design and build: one company that carries out everything from the design to the completion of the build. This gives you the least design and quality control but the most cost certainty. Typically this is the most expensive option as the companies which deliver this option take on all the risks of keeping the project on time and in budget. There is the potential that they may reduce quality to offset unexpected expenses incurred during construction.

main contractor: you employ a design team to carry out the design and apply for permissions, then a contractor to manage and carry out the construction. This gives you full control of the design and quality and allows you to make changes during construction. However, I recommend that changes during construction be avoided by making the right decisions during the design stage. Be aware that the later changes are made the greater they impact on cost and time.

self managed with sub contractors: you employ each member of the design and construction team separately, giving you maximum control on design, quality and cost. For inexperienced project managers there is a big risk that the project will take longer and cost a lot more.
self-build: you employ specialists as required but largely carry out the work yourself. This gives maximum control of design and cost but quality can suffer unless you have sufficient skills and it can take a lot longer to complete construction, especially if you have a full time job to fit the build around. Remember that to comply with legal requirements some work must be carried out by a fully qualified tradesperson.

To give you more help with your early decision making I have created the Design Your Home Vision Checklist.

This helps you address key decisions from the start so that you can take your project forward with confidence. You can get that like-new home you've dreamed of!

Click on the button below to get your copy of the checklist.

I want to make a start on my new home!

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Winter Warmers #1

New Year. New You. New Home

1. Decide what you need

2. Set a Budget

3. Consider build options

Design Your Home Vision

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