Renovating a house is an interesting project and since a lot of money is involved in the project detailed planning is necessary.
In some projects, the main agenda will be to discover the original features hidden underneath the paint and dust which should have to be brought back to its former glory. And sometimes it will be extending and rebuilding the house.
The success of renovating a house greatly relies on how well we are prepared for what lies ahead and, to some point, an expectation that there will be some not-pretty surprises. Renovating a building can bring about many unique challenges that will need your detailed attention and should be resolved before your dream home can begin to shape. Most importantly these issues do involve hidden costs.
The solution is knowledge of these hurdles in advance and having a step-by-step plan of action ready at all times. This will ensure and keep the project on track and within the predicted budget.
What is the Importance of Schedule of Works?
A schedule of work is the most important planning tool when it comes to renovating any civil structure. Without a clear and brief inventory of tasks, work schedules can fall behind and jobs might get halted and cause unnecessary delays.
A schedule of work is crucial to anyone renovating a home. It should outline every single job that requires to be performed from start to finish and most importantly in the right order. Jobs should be allocated in such a way that each team gets enough space and time to complete their task.
In renovation, there is no room for error to avoid the same it is ideal to make use of a checklist.
The work schedule should include the assigned jobs to each individual, with the value of work, payment details, schedule and contact details.
At first glance sometimes a renovation project might look perfectly safe to do, but upon further investigation, it may prove otherwise. Your contractor should be well experienced enough to tell you when to walk away from a renovation project and to consider rebuilding the same from scratch.
Renovating a house and reselling is a traditional way of attempting to get more money for your old house but ironically, the shortcuts taken by the contractors can mean innocent people could end up spending considerably more for a property than it’s actually worth.
The good news is that now it is possible to know the condition and cost of any structure by availing our valuation services. Before you commit to purchasing any property or project kindly contact us to assess the actual condition and value of the same.
How is a property assessed for renovation?
During the initial site visit, look for the merits and demerits of the site in terms of what could be done with its design and how can the living conditions improved. For example? check whether there is enough outdoor area to do the extension.
Analyze the location and don’t forget to fully evaluate the current structural integrity of the building.
It is always recommended to consult a structural engineer. Since they will be able to give a report which would highlight all the sections of concern.
They will furnish you with an idea of any crucial repairs that will be required. These detailed reports will help you in calculating the cost involved.
A building report is very helpful in determining the construction methods and materials that have been previously used on the structure.
This data can then be used to identify new materials which can be a better substitute for the existing ones and can thereby reduce renovation costs by the use of eco-friendly and sustainable materials.
Are Digital Survey Reports Important?
It is one of the helpful tools for planning renovation. And always remember to get a digital survey done from the right people. This will give you an exact scale drawing of the layout of the existing building, topography and vegetation.
The digital survey and reports enable you to plan more effectively it is a very powerful planning tool. While planning obtain as much info as possible on the new materials and make sure that the procedures followed to fix the same is satisfactory.
Do keep in mind that most of the known structural problems have solutions. Structural repairs are always expensive and they massively impact your budget. So the quicker you find out about them the more beneficial it is to the budget.
What’s the Difference between Renovating or Remodelling?
The terms renovate as well as remodel are often utilised interchangeably but they do have entirely different meanings. If referring to buildings, renovation is more comparable to restoration than remodelling. It means reverting something to its original state.
Remodelling essentially refers to changes in the elevation or structure of the building, sometimes achieved by altering its design or extending the rooms.
Most of the time we achieve a combination of the two returning the original features with minor modifications to the layout and aesthetics making your old house more appropriate for modern-day living.
Is it important to Hire an Architect?
Since creating a design for an existing house is more complicated than designing a new project it is always wise to involve an Architect in your project. With his correct design, you can save a lot of money and time.
An Architect can help you with the good design and elevation for the house. He can also assess the structural condition of the building and compare the same with the structural engineer’s report.
When renovating a residence it is not always required to hire a designer it purely depends on your task at hand. However, expansion plans and total remodelling projects, as well as those in sensitive areas or listed buildings, will almost always require professional advice.
Once you have a design you are happy with and which has been approved, you should create a schedule of works to ensure that you are carrying out alterations in a sensible method to decrease disturbance and duplication.