If you are planning to embark upon a renovation or building project, you may be tempted to take on the design of it yourself, or hire a contractor without calling on the expertise of a professional residential architect. Understandably, you want to know the completed works are exactly to your expectations; within timelines agreed, and that it hasn’t cost any more than it should have. All of this is a lot easier to achieve with a professional architect on your team.

[Read more…] about 5 advantages of working with a residential architect

The kitchen and dining room are usually attached as it makes sense to have the room where you prepare your food next to the room where you sit down and eat. However, a lot of homeowners feel they would rather their kitchen and dining room be part of the same open space.

Kitchen and dining room renovations account for quite a large proportion of the home renovations that are conducted up and down the UK simply because they are often the most practical and appealing. The idea is to open out the transition between the kitchen and the dining room so that you have more space at your disposal.

What once were two separate rooms becomes one large room with essentially two parts and this is something that people really enjoy because it feels bright and sociable and there is more opportunity to extend your storage options. This approach also allows cool kitchen design to creep further into the house which is a real advantage if you love a more modern style. In some listed properties and conservation areas, it is worth knowing what you can and cannot do before you start on your kitchen/diner project

London is famous for stunning Georgian, Edwardian, Victorian and Regency period properties found in beautiful parts of the capital such as Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Mayfair. These houses are absolutely gorgeous on the outside, but often need a certain amount of modernisation to make them as impressive on the inside. This is purely down to the fact that the properties have been standing for a long time and need periodic attention to meet modern tastes and requirements.

Interior renovation does not have to be drastic to be effective. The key lies in finding a local construction firm who understand how to renovate period property, update listed buildings and their interiors so they are clean, safe, attractive and energy-efficient – something that can be achieved whilst introducing a simple but sophisticated new style.

It is important to choose a team of designers and builders in the capital whose skills allow you to renovate your property using modern techniques, whilst maintaining the historical appeal and aesthetic charm that makes these houses so impressive in the first place.

Fortunately, when it comes to property renovation, London has plenty of professionals with the expertise to deliver the right balance of continuity and modernisation for your home whether your home is a listed building or in a conservation area.

It is tempting to try and save a little bit of money when you know that one or two of the rooms in your house need some serious refurbishment work doing to them. Sometimes, for smaller renovation projects in London, it might be worth taking it on yourself if you are competent and skilled in project management and know what you are doing. However, it might be a lot less stressful and rewarding, as well as getting the job faster and consider whether it would be better to use a professional renovation company to get your refurbishment completed on time and on budget.

There are a few serious advantages to having a team of building professionals who have carried out several residential property renovations in conservation areas and if appropriate, on listed buildings. There are other posts on this in our advice section. It is probably sensible to kick off discussion with the difference in quality you should expect from professionals compared to doing it on your own.

Professional craftsmen and trades working for a reputable design and build company will have plenty of practical experience in carrying out a property renovation such as yours. With an excellent breadth of skills and building talent related to each aspect of the renovation process. Is that something  you can compete with? Really? Try and answer the question honestly. You don’t want to have to call in the professionals at a later date if you come across problems you don’t have the expertise to overcome. If you have really made a mess of it, you could end up costing yourself considerably more than you set out to.

The previous article started the process of examining why it is usually best to speak to professionals about getting your renovation project off the ground. Although you can try and go it alone, a range of different factors make paying to get professionals on board a wiser option in most cases. We have already discussed the matter of the quality of the work, but two other factors stand out alongside this one.

The first of these factors is time. You want to try and have your renovation done as quickly as you can so that your house is liveable sooner. A team of professionals can work on the project full time. Their experience will allow them to work quickly and accurately so that they meet the timescale set by the project manager.

The second factor is cost. The fact is that professionals know precisely where to source materials and how to get them at the most cost-effective rates. Without this expert knowledge there is every chance that you will pay just as much to get the renovation done on your own as you would to have the input of professional designers and builders.