Things to think about when renovating a property.
If you are thinking about renovating a property, there are many things to consider. If it is a property which you are looking to live in, you might focus more on the interior design and creating your dream home. If you are thinking about renting it out, you might want to make it look good but maybe not spend as much time or money to get tenants in quickly.
Take a look at our advice below, whatever your reason for renovating:
Full Building Survey
If you are buying a home purely to renovate it, it is wise to get a Full Building Survey carried out. There can be many hidden defects within a property which you can’t necessarily see. Problems such as subsidence, rot and damp can be devastating to a property and also be very expensive if you don’t catch them early. If you’ve already got tradesmen in to begin renovating, you’ll save money by asking them to sort problems at the same time.
Security
This could be something that you might overlook. It might not cross your mind to change the locks of the property once you have moved in, but this could be a massive security breach and could put your property at risk.
Always ask yourself. Do you know for sure that no-one else has a copy of your keys?
Our surveyor in Manchester elaborates:
“Before you bought the property, you had no control over who had the keys. Estate agents, letting agents, previous owners, neighbours… the possible list is extensive. The best advice is to start fresh – new locks, new keys and total certainty that your security hasn’t been compromised.”
Go Green
Being more energy efficient is going to help you whichever way you choose to use your property. Lower energy bills can help with the cost of running a home as well as making it more attractive to new owners or tenants. Check out the best ways to go green here.
Budget
Before you take any action you should budget accordingly. You don’t want to start doing work and then find out you can’t afford it. It would be a good idea to do a budget plan using a spreadsheet and get quotes to see how much things will cost you. It pays to be prepared.
Kitchen
As the kitchen is the heart of the home, this is one of the rooms which you have to make perfect.
If you are going to be renting out this property, you might want to keep it neutral so that the tenants can make it their own. On the other hand, if it is going to be for yourself you can make it into the kitchen you have always wanted. With a renovation you can basically start from scratch and create something very individual and to your own taste.
Whichever way you choose to use your property, you should make a plan and stick to it. After all the hard work is done make sure you crack open a bottle of champagne and relax!
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