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Are you thinking about converting your garage into a new space? Be it a new bedroom, gym, library or playroom, one thing you’ll have to consider before getting started is whether or not you’re going to require a planning permission. Unlike extensions that needs additional space, garage conversion is all about changing the existing structure of a space that’s already available to you - your garage. As a result, these projects are mostly covered by a planning policy that’s a bit different.

For a garage conversion, it’s very unlikely that you’ll need a planning permission. As a matter of fact, only 10 percent of garage conversions has been estimated to need a full planning permission, with the others coming under the permitted development rights. The permitted development rights, however, only provides coverage for home improvements that’s internal which implies that so far you’re not trying to enlarge your garage, you’ll not require a planning permission. But if otherwise, you’ll have to submit an application before commencing your project.

If you’re looking to comply with the permitted development rights, then your project must comply with some specific guidelines. These rules include the following:

• The work should be internal. No plans to enlarge or extend the existing garage.

• You should make sure that the materials used in carrying out the garage conversion is the same with the materials used in building the existing house.

• The building should not be extended.

You may, however, require a planning permission if you’re going to change a detached garage into a living space which could be a bedroom, small annexe or a living room.

Some houses excluded from the permitted development rights include flats, listed buildings, some new developments and most homes in a conservation area.

Patios do not require lots of maintenance. They will only need occasional cleaning to make sure that the material keeps its original appearance. It's always best to clean your patio with a pressure washer and occasionally tap each slab or brick just to check the sand underneath hasn't washed away.

If you’re planning to construct a kitchen diner extension, to help you set a budget and start planning you must first have a cost estimate that’ll complete the entire project. If not, there’s a probability that you may have to spend more than would have been necessary or probably break the bank to have the project done. In truth, there’s no single and short answer to this question as the cost of a kitchen diner is largely dependent of several variables. In this article, we’re going to give a good insight into kitchen diner extension cost so as to help you make informed decisions moving forward. Let’s take a look!

On the average, a kitchen diner extension will cost within the range of £25,000 to about £45,000, however if you happen to reside in London, you can expect the cost to be a lot more than that - closer to £60,000. And due to the fact that there happens to be a plethora of options out there, any decision to make be it on the size, tradesman, flooring, finishes or type of the kitchen diner extension, will have a considerable impact on the overall cost of the project. For instance, a basic kitchen diner extension cost can be within the range of £12,000 to about £15,000., while a high end kitchen diner extension can reach a whooping price between £80,000 to about £100,000.

The total cost of your kitchen diner project will rely heavily of the size as well as the quality of the finishes. For example, a kitchen diner extension that’s small and basic is likely to cost about £1,300 to £1,500 per square metre. However, if you’re going for higher quality finishes, you can expect to pay within the range of £1,900 to about £3,000 per square metre.

Finding a builder nearby can have enormous assistance when it comes to your build. Period on site, their familiarity of local planning permission, constructors’ dealers and other local trades are all vital bits of knowledge that you’ll welcome on site.

It is always wise to walk around in your local area or drive to a site where any construction work is going on. It’ll give you a proper impression of the constructors who are active nearby. You don’t have to like their style of work or the project they are currently carrying out – after all, a builder can only produce what’s on the plans in front of them.

Find a Builder Other Tradesmen Recommend

If you’ve had to call an electrician before or a local plumber and liked their work, you can always ask them if they have any builders whom they would recommend. Maximum tradesmen get used to seeing the similar acquainted names from one place to another in the sites they are working on and every so often has favourites for who they like to work with — and who they see as a good source of work.

Always Talk to Previous Customers

Once you’ve found a builder you would like to work with, ask them for a list of previous customers they have worked with; they ought to be glad to offer particulars if they’re self-assured they’ve done an effective job.

Look for a builder online

A decent place to start looking for builders online is on sites like the ours so that you can find quality tradespeople and see genuine reviews from previous customers. Not all online review sites can be trusted to display real reviews.

It shouldn’t do. Most companies will do all the interior work first, and the last job to do will be creating the opening from the house to the conversion. A reputable company will make sure they cause as little disruption as possible during this time.

Driveways usually sink because they haven’t been laid properly. They may not have been dug deep enough, or the installer might not have used the right materials. This will need to be corrected at the earliest opportunity, although in extreme cases, the driveway may need to be completly be relaid.

One of the main reasons why fitted wardrobes are a popular choice amongst homeowners is due to the fact that they’re able to help maximise storage space and since they’re usually customized for the particular room, they’re always good looking. However, just like any other home item, over time your installed wardrobe may start to look a bit dated and old fashioned. In these type of events and in order to save money, several homeowners would prefer to update its look to a more modern one without having to completely replace the fitted wardrobe with a new one. In this guide, we’ll give some great tips on how to update your old fitted wardrobe. Let’s take a look!

✓ Add mirrors to the wardrobe doors. Your old fitted wardrobe may be made of old fashioned laminate or chipboard which happens to draw scratches and dents here and there. If this is the case, you can simply add mirrors to help conceal the damage or unsightly marks.

✓ Include decorative trimming or panelling. You can choose from the various styles of trimmings you’ll find at hardware stores. By adding some strips of moulding, the whole look of your fitted wardrobe can change significantly.

✓ Painting. If the surface of the wardrobe permits, painting can go a long way to alter the look of the wardrobe.

✓ Change the handles. Handles may seem as a little item that doesn’t add to the aesthetics of the wardrobe. However, in reality, change your old handle with a more modern and fashionable one can make a great difference to the wardrobe’s overall appearance.

✓ Upgrade the interior. You can upgrade the interior of your wardrobe to give you more options and a better appearance. For instance, you may wish to have part of the wardrobe to offer integrated shelving or perhaps pull out drawers rather than having all the interior space for hanging clothes and garments.

Render serves two basic functions. One is it’s protective qualities as render acts as waterproof for the wall which enables them breathe by allowing water vapour move from the inside to the outside of the structure while also working to prevent water or rain from finding its way inside the structure. While the second function is the decorative qualities as render is able to provide the structure with a fine finish and colour to make the building a lot more appealing and correcting faults in line and level in the masonry.

If you wish to apply render on your external wall, you’d probably be wondering just how thick the render should be to perfectly serve both of functions. In this article, we’re going to take a look at just that!

For a render thickness, the British Standard Wind Driven Rain Index has come up with 4 ratings which include Sheltered, Moderate, Severe as well as Very Severe. An area with Very Severe rating include South West England. This rating implies that the thickness of the render in this area should be increased to at least 20mm for a direct one coat render applications as well as 5 to 6 external wall insulation base coat applications. And if you happen to reside within one mile of the coast, it’s strongly recommended you incorporate an extra repellent protection like Paraguard AG from Parex.

In general, render that’s prepared on site with cement and sand should be have a minimum of 20mm to 25mm thickness. Although, it should be noted that the quality of the render is based on quality of the sand incorporated, the design mix as well as being largely dependent on how good the mixing technique from the applicator is. The most common reasons why traditional renders fails is due to both poor mixing ratios and low quality materials used.