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Over the years, more and more home and property owners are beginning to realize the huge benefits that can be derived from loft insulation being a worthwhile investment. It’s quite worrisome the way in which energy bills have soared over the past 10 years and loft insulation is a considerable affordable energy efficiency measure that can go a long way to help increase your home’s energy savings.

As far back as the 1980’s, the standard when it comes to insulation thickness was 25 mm to 50 mm which was, at the time, considered to be sufficient. However, building regulations have changed the norm that now states that a new build needs to possess 270 mm of insulation in the loft in order to achieve the required u-value of less than 0.16/m2k based on the standard rock wool or sheep wool insulation.

Generally with loft insulation, there’s a law of depreciating returns which implies that the first couple of insulation centimetres will save you many times the cost of the installation, however an extra layer or centimetre is going to add less value to the point where it’ll no longer be wise or worthwhile to add any further centimetre. Therefore, with cheaper energy prices 30 years back, that additional couple of centimetres was not just worthwhile, but with the recent alarming rises in costs of fuel, that additional £10 savings per year has all of sudden changed to £30 which makes it become a lot more attractive.

If you already have 270 mm of loft insulation, regardless of the material you’re looking to add you’re most likely not going to benefit from a top up. The cost of the materials and installation will definitely be too high for the couple of pounds it’ll save you per year.

It depends on the size and type of extension. Small porches or flat roof extensions are very reasonably priced. More substantial two storey extensions can be expensive. In general, the price is roughly proportional to the amount of space you add to your home.

Does A Single Storey Extension Add Value To Your House?

When you’re looking to construct a single storey extension or perhaps you’re just searching for means to increase the value of your property, this question always pops up. The short and simple answer to this question is a resounding yes, a single storey extension can go a long way to increase the value of your property. Just like any other home improvement, when done right, adding a little extra living space is one of the top things you can probably think of that’ll provide a cool increase in your property’s value. However, before you rush in you must also take note of some factors so you can be certain a single storey extension is the right option for you. These factors include the quality of the build, complexity of the build, cost of the build versus the value gain, ceiling price in the area, finance costs as well as the inconveniences and stress.

Generally, the average cost of a single storey extension can range from £34,000 to £37,000. For this price, you should get a standard sized rear or side extension which also includes the cost of a kitchen - it’s the most commonly use for a single story extension especially in the UK. So it’s important to know the value they’ll add to your house before deciding to make such an investment.

The value added to your property will depend largely on the quality and size of your single storey extension. The value is usually calculated by estate agents using the number of bedrooms, bathrooms as well as the floor area. Inside London, it’ll typically be priced at £5,000 to £10,000 per square metre, while outside London should be within the range of £900 to £2,000 per square metre.

If you’re planning to build a single story house extension, this is one of the first questions that usually comes to mind to help you set a budget and start to make plans. But as simple as it seems, a single accurate answer can not be provided due to the fact that there are several variables that can play a key role in influencing the price of a single story house extension. These variables includes the size, location, design or specification as well as the build route. In this guide, we’ll provide you with a rough estimate that you can work with to put you on the right path.

The main determinant of the cost of a single storey extension is the size of the build, while the next most relevant factor is the quality of the finish you opt for. For a small extension, you can expect to spend a sum within the range of £14,000 to £17,000. Meanwhile for a larger single storey extension, if you opt for a large wrap around the extension with a great amount of glass to be incorporated in both the walls and roof, you can expect to pay a sum within the range of £80,000 to £120,000.

Overall, the average cost of a single story house extension is usually within the range of £34,000 to £37,000. For this price, you should get a standard sized rear or side extension which also includes the cost of a kitchen - it’s the most commonly use for a single story extension especially in the UK.

There are some additional costs you may also need to factor in to your extension budget. These includes surveys, architect fees, planning application fee (if needed), insurance and Party Wall Agreement (if needed).

A barn conversion can be a great investment for lots of reasons. When done well, barn conversions can be great at holding their value, meaning you could sell yours for a great price. They can also look fantastic, often with period features coupled with large areas of glazing. This can make them a great place to live, especially if you enjoy being in the countryside.

However, barn conversions do have their disadvantages. They may require extensive renovation work to bring their energy efficiency levels up to standard, which can be very expensive. It’s also important to be aware of their location – they might be on a working farm or close to several other converted buildings.

It’s essential to get a survey conducted before you buy a barn you plan to convert. This can tell you about any structural problems it might have and give you an indication of whether you might be able to get permission to convert it. You can also buy barns with planning permission already in place.

Are you looking to pebble dash your house? This is a cool way to add a stunning new look to your home or property while also adding to its resale value should you wish to sell later on. The list of the benefits goes on, however one thing that most home and property owners would like to know before starting such a project is exactly how long it’ll take to complete it. If you’re also having similar thoughts, then you’ve come to the right place! In this post we’re going to give you an insight into the duration of pebble dashing a house. Let’s take a look!

First and foremost, just like any other home improvement project, the duration of a house pebble dashing project is affected by a number of variables. These variables include the size of your house, the company or contractor hired and lots more. In general, a house pebble dashing project should take within the range of 3 to 14 days depending on the size of your home. It should be noted that you’ll have to pay the workers on a daily basis. Most labourers will charge within the range of £140 to about £160 per labourer per day. And you should expect to have at least 2 labourers to work on your house’s pebble dashing project per day. On the other hand, the more labourer you have working on your project, the more you’re going to pay on a daily basis but this will also significantly reduce the time frame it’ll take to get the project over the line.

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.

A lot of an uninsulated property’s heat is lost through the roof and that’s even more alarming, when you realize this figure is up to a quarter of the total heat of the house. Hence, the tremendous importance of preventing this heat loss through loft insulation which will go a long way to help you against spending unnecessary thousands of pounds on heating bill as well as energy loss.

Loft insulation is an effective method to achieve the desired result, however the question is, how exactly does it work? Well, it’s time to find out!

Using either a fireplace or central heating to heat up your home, a large quantity of that heat would be lost through the roof of your home. Generally, heat rises and when it does, there’s simply no way to prevent it - it’s just science. Escaping by both the conduction and convection methods via your roof, the heat escaping through your ceiling, into the loft space and out into the open air outside can only be significantly reduced by laying loft insulation.

Generally, the added layer of insulation works by trapping the heat inside the room below the loft so as to enable the air within your house to stay warmer for longer. What’s more? The layer of insulation also keeps cold air from the outside from entering your home. As a result, you don’t have to heat your home as much in order to achieve the same temperature for each individual room. Over time, just by doing this you can potentially save hundreds pounds. Getting it installed in your home may actually seem a bit expensive at first, but it’s something that’ll eventually pay off.