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A porch is a small and low structure (with a roof) located at the main entrance of a building or house. It’s typically without a window (although newer variations may come with one) and can either be screened-in or enclosed to prevent unwanted access from insects and extremes in weather. In addition, some homes may have a three-season porch or sun porch. This may be situated by the side of the house and covered by the roof overhang - they’re usually screened in to offer good access all year round.

Generally, porches serve a wide range of purposes. They include:

• Provision of an outdoor living space to relax during the summer months

• It’s an informal extension of the the living room.

• It serves as a great place for social gatherings especially in small towns.

• You can take off your dirty shoes and dry a dripping wet dog before entering into your living room.

• It can be incorporated for relaxation purposes and watching street activities.

• It can serve as a reception area for guests.

• It can also be used for outdoor storage.

Pros & Cons Of A Porch

Pros

• Due to the fact that they’re covered, porches may require little maintenance practices.

• It can go a long way to improves the curb appeal of your property.

• It protects against the extremes of the weather.

• It can be constructed using a wide range of materials.

Cons

• It does not improve the use of the property

• It can be quite expensive to install depending of the material required as well as size of the porch.

• It does not add to the value of the home unlike several other home improvement projects

• It may not be safe to be used by a child or pet.

Insulating your loft roof comes with a wide range of benefits. Not only do you get to maintain a comfortable temperature in your house for longer, but you’ll also get to cut down on your heating bills. If you wish to insulate your loft roof, you’ve come to the right place! This process can be very tedious and time consuming especially if you don’t what you’re doing or lack the required confidence to pull it off. It’s advisable to hire the services of a reputable professional who can guarantee the best results for help and also save you some time and money that can come from potentially costly errors.

Before you start rolling out, you’d have to make sure that all cracks, gaps and holes in the ceiling are filled with either a standard filler or decorators caulk. You can also clean between between the gaps in the joists thoroughly. And finally, check for hazards that can cause you problems before getting stated.

• Remember to leave ventilation gaps as you start from the eaves. Then work towards the loft’s centre, starting from the point furthest from the hatch.
• Lay the first layer between the joists which should be 100 mm and then the subsequent layer should be 170 mm to make it up to the recommended 270 mm.
• Carry the electric cables above the insulation and work around visible light fittings.
• Cut the roll in the centre of the floor when rolling out from the eaves on both sides with the help of a craft knife. Ensure that there are no gaps between the insulation and the joists’ edges.
• Lag pipes as you go in order to prevent walking over the insulation to get back to them.
• Ensure that the loft is totally insulated
• Insulate the hatch.

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.

As with every home development project, a home makeover comes with heaps of preparation and, hard work, but it is a remarkable way to breathe new life into an old home.

RESEARCH PERIOD FEATURES AND SAFEGUARD THEM

Get to know your household better, the time it was constructed in, and the kind of individuals who would have lived there. The greatest tactic is to repair current structures, make the house dry and safe.

CHECK FOR RENOVATION RESTRICTIONS BEFORE YOU START

There are certain restrictions that don’t allow you to remodel your house after a certain extent, it should be made clear to you when you purchase the property but if you are unsure about the regulations you should check them up, as it is a criminal offence to carry out unauthorised work to a listed home. Restrictions in Conservation Areas generally affect only the exterior of the property as the intention is to ‘preserve or enhance the character or appearance’ of an area, but the right to develop your house will be affected. This means the kind of work that you could have easily completed in a different location may need certain planning and even permissions to complete in your area.

CREATE A DESIGN FOR YOUR HOUSE RENOVATION

It is very important that you take your time to perfect the design. This will help to ensure that the finished work is in tune with your needs. You will also need to figure it out how the changes might play with the original building.

FIND THE BEST CONTRACTORS FOR YOUR RENOVATION

If you are planning on managing the renovation project yourself, it is advisable to ask from friends or family who have renovated their house before and have undergone a similar experience. They can help you find the right architect and builder. Or else, you can always opt for a project manager.

So you’ve identified the type of garden room you’d like to construct in your property, chances are, you’ve already worked out where to put it and can’t wait wait to start spending valuable time on it. It’s very understandable to be a little impatient with the whole idea considering the numerous benefits provided by a garden, but just before you proceed with your plans there’s the need to first check whether or not you’re going to need a planning permission.

Factors determining whether you’ll need a planning permission includes where you intend to place it, the size of the room, how it’s going to be used as well as your location.

Generally, most garden rooms do not require a planning permission as they are categorized as outbuildings. In other words, you’re permitted to construct one so far you comply with some specific rules and have permitted development rights at your home or in your area.

If you want to build your garden room under permitted development, you have to comply with the following rules:

✓ The garden room shouldn’t be in front of your home or property.

✓ The total area of your extensions, sheds and outbuildings ( which includes your garden room), must not go beyond 50 percent of the total land area surrounding your property.

✓ It must be a single storey that’s less than 3 metres high ( 4 metres for a dual pitched roof). And it must not go beyond 2.5 metres in height if the structure is within 2 metres of your boundary.

✓ The eaves must not go beyond 2.5 metres above ground level.

✓ It must not feature a balcony, veranda or any raised platform

✓ It must not be a self contained living accommodation.

You should note that if your home is a listed building or you happen to live in a designated area, then you might not have permitted development rights.

A patio is an outdoor space which can be used for a variety of stuffs which includes fun time with family and friends, reading time or just relaxing as the fresh breeze blows. With all these benefits and more, it’s becomes more obvious that there’s a need to keep your patio in a tip top condition at all times. If otherwise, you may not be able to enjoy your patio to your satisfaction and probably, for as long as you would want. You simply have to provide it with a regular maintenance which involves inspecting and identifying the damages that needs to be repaired before it gets out of hand. Fortunately, the minor repairs can be done by yourself if you’re confident enough. However, for bigger damages it’s advisable to call in a professional for help. In this article, we’ll take you through the patio reparation process.

✓ Prepare the area. This involves removing the problem piece gently and carefully. If there’s a piece you think can still be useful, store it in the re-use pile or you can start a new one. Once you’re done removing the pieces, the next thing to do would be to start removing anything that’s unwanted from the damaged area like debris, unwanted soil etc, and start sand fitting with some fresh sand. This should be levelled out to ensure there’s no bumps.

✓ With the sand down, you can start by putting the pieces back in together. This should be done gently to avoid any further damage. Do this until your patio

✓

Many types of loft are suitable for a loft conversion. In general, you will need at least 2.3 metres of headroom in your existing loft. This is to make sure there is enough headroom after the conversion. Speak to a conversion specialist about the probability and possibility of doing this in your house.

With the prices of buying a house skyrocketing, many of us are tempted to building our own house. This is sometimes an excellent choice, but you will first need to understand the costs of building a house from scratch. As per a general estimate, the cost of self-build ranges between £300 per m2 to £3,000 per m2.

As you can see, this is quite a variation in price from lowest to highest. Location is a prime factor in determining the costs. Building a house in London and the South is more expensive compared to other regions. Aside from location, several other factors make up the price.

Self-manage with subcontractors

You hire professionals directly like builders and carpenters. You also buy all the materials yourself allowing you to get the best prices.

Hiring a main contractor with other subcontractors

You will first need a main contractor who will help to create the watertight structure for your house. For the rest of the work, try hiring out subcontractors. Make sure that you buy all the materials yourself to get the best price.

External cladding materials

If you are looking to install other external material other than brick, you will also need to factor in the cost for the same.

Here are some example prices:

• Render on blockwork costs around £25 per m²

• Timber cladding is around £25 per m²

• Hand¬made all-weather tiling costs around £54 per m²

• Rubble walling or flint is around £90 per m²

• Reconstituted stone costs about £48 per m²

• Natural stone is about £75 per m²

Make sure to include these costs when coming up with the estimate.

Roofing materials

Non-standard roofing materials tend to add more to the cost and therefore you will also need to account in for this factor.

Here are some examples:

Welsh slate – £60 per m²

Second-hand slates – £35 per m²

Handmade clay tiles – £65 per m²

Reed thatch – £80/m²

If you choose to add any unique material to your roofing, be sure that you remember to factor in its cost.