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Home Improvement Budget

Now that you have a realistic idea of-.chat needs doing to your home, theiiext step is to plan what the variousimprovement options will involve in-,..rms of time, logistics and, of course, money. 'lie most common projects can be divided up into a number of groups;is a brief summary of what eachme might involve.

Changing the room usage

Just because a particular room in the house currently has a particular function, it does not have to maintain that function. For example, if you havethe traditional arrangement of tworooms, one used for sitting and one fordining, you could consider swappingtheir functions. Similarly, a bedroomswap could involve parents giving uptheir large bedroom to a teenage childfor use as a study and recreation room.Other possible options include turninga spare bedroom into a home office,switching the kitchen and diningrooms to make. better use of space andaccess, or fitting out a small spare roomas a second bathroom.

Altering the existing room layoutSometimes the way your house is laidout no longer suits the way you want tolive. Rearranging the room layout is abigger job than changing the roomusage, since it usually involvesremoving or building internal walls. Itwill nor give you any extra floor space,but it will let you use the existing floorspace more efficiently and creatively.Options that involve knocking downwalls include creating a joined livingand dining room, a combined kitchen-diner, or a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom from two smalleradjacent rooms.

You can build partition walls in largespaces to create extra rooms, and youcan also change the size of adjacentrooms by repositioning dividing walls.Repositioning doors to alter trafficroutes can make a difference, and youcould even consider altering the waythe staircase runs.

Converting uninhabited areas

Unless your house has a flat roof, youwill have a loft (attic), and this couldoffer the perfect opportunity forconversion to valuable extra living space. The conversion is a complex jobto carry out, since its feasibility depends on the way the roof was built,how access to the loft (attic) can hecreated and how safety requirementscan he met. It is definitely a job to heleft to an architect and builder or to aspecialty loft-conversion company.

Older houses with basements offeranother conversion option. Here thefeasibility depends on the size of thebasement (many are just small storagecellars), how damp-proof it is and howeasy it will be to provide ventilationand some degree of natural light - allessential if the basement is to be usedas a habitable room.

Installing tall glass doors leading on to anoutdoor area is a simple alteration to a roomthat makes a dramatic difference.

The third uninhabited area you mayhave available for conversion intoextra living space is an integral orattached garage. if you intend to create habitable rooms, you will haveto upgrade the damp-proofing (water-proofing) and insulation. Garages canprovide the opportunity for some creative converting, and it is worthraking the time to consider what ispossible. The garage-door opening, forexample, can be filled in as a largewindow. A doorway into the house willhe needed unless one exists already.

Building art extension

If rearranging existing space or carryingnut internal conversions cannot giveyou the extra living space you need,then building an extension is the onlysolution (apart, of course, from movinghouse). Its feasibility depends mainly00 whether you have the space toextend and whether the work counts aspermitted development under the localbuilding codes. Depending on whereyou have the space and what you wantthe extension to provide, you couldbuild a one-storey or two-storey building at the side or rear of theproperty: front extensions seldom getplanning permission. The design andconstruction of a home extension isdefinitely a job to leave to theprofessionals unless you are a highlyskilled and motivated person withenormous organizational skills.

If all you want is some extra room downstairs, adding a conservatory(porch) to the side or rear of the housecould be the answer. Modernconservatories are modular buildings, sothey are quick and simple to erect - even on a do-it-yourself basis, althoughmost people leave their construction toa specialist supplier. Adding one is alsorelatively non-disruptive, since all theconstruction work occurs outside thehouse. Conservatories count as homeextensions for planning purposes.

Getting better services

Older houses are likely to benefit fromsome upgrading of their services - theplumbing, the wiring and the centralheating system. Plumbing improve-ments could include washbasins (sinks)in bedrooms, a second lavatory,plumbing in a utility room and so on.Wiring work can provide extra socketourlers and up-to-date lighting.Heating improvements can bring moreefficient water and room heating. Thekitchen and the bathroom seem toneed upgrading even ten years or so tokeep them looking up-to-date andworking efficiently.

Improving the site

Nor all home improvements involve the house. Improvements to the sitecould include building a garage or carport, providing extra car-parkingspace in front of the house, creatingwalls, paths and steps and addingoutbuildings such as a garden shed, agreenhouse, a children's play house oran aviary. All can add significantly tothe way in which you live in andenjoy your home.

Converting a loft or attic could be theperfect solution as children grow up and desiremore spece.This can he quite complicatedhowever, so do seek specialist advice.

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