Beginnng to look a lot like christmas

Its Christmas Eve! Possibly my favourite day of the year, so I thought I would share some of my Christmas decorations.

Our first attempt at a house, we went with chocolate (I don't like gingerbread!) and I think it's pretty cute.  The white chocolate took a very long time to set, but we got there in the end.

I'd love to take credit for being an artistic genius but this was just a mould from Lakeland.

The rest of the decorations, I have a traditional red and gold tree in the main living room, a little hint of a Disney mouse, a purple and silver theme in the dining room and a glittery wreath on the front door.

All artificial, because I'm so soppy, I get emotional about the poor trees growing for so long to decorate my house for a month.  Plus, pre-lit trees save so much time and stress!

Merry Chirstmas!

How important is quality?

I am always willing to listen to advice, but there is one piece of advice which I have been ignoring. 

Using cheap kitchen, bathroom, fire and flooring in a project would of course save a lot on the budget, but would it sell as quickly?

I believe that in this market, where buyers have so many properties to pick from, that quality fittings are the difference between a quick sale and a property staying on the market.

The market I target is an older market who have probably owned a few properties over the years, and know what they are looking for.  I'm not saying that first time buyers aren't interested in quality but they possibly don't know what to look for, I know I didn't as a first time buyer.

I hate the thought of my buyer tearing out something that I put so much thought and money into, not just from a profit point of view but also because it is so painfully wasteful.

But am I being overly cautious? For example, I put in high efficiency gas fires (low bills) with slide controls (easier use) which both come at a premium, but is it worth it?

It certainly doesn't add value, but does it help to sell the properties, I think so.  

At the end of the day, I won't ever please everyone, but I feel like quality fittings show that the whole project has been done to a high standard.  If the kitchen isn't good quality, then what else might not have been done to a high standard?

Buy to Let v Buy to Sell

This is a topic that has been cropping up a lot for me lately.  I currently only buy to sell, I have rented properties in the past and found the income (or lack of) really didn't make up for the time and stress.  I think I might just have been unlucky with bad tenants and bad letting agents, but thats a post for another time when my blood pressure is lower!

As with anything there are pros and cons.  

For me, the pros are that I buy, I get in and renovate in usually 6 to 10 weeks (I'm a mum first and do this part time so it could be quicker) and then get it on the market. So far, I have always received offers within the first week of it being on the market, the problem is converting the offer into completion, but it always gets there in the end.

I have come across a problem where buyers struggle to get a mortgage because I have owned the property for less than 6 months.  However, there are some lenders who don't have this rule. (Yet another example of rules to make developing more difficult than it needs to be)

Both selling and renting have their financial risks, a rental income is not guaranteed, the cost of damage is unpredictable, but it is likely over a long term that the overall value of the property will increase.  With selling, its a quick turnaround for (in my case) a moderate income, where all the value comes from the purchase price and the work carried out, rather than the market.

At the moment, where being a mum is my priority, buying to sell is the right choice for me.  I choose 'low risk' properties where I am confident of a quick turnaround and a swift sale.  When my daughter is in school and I can dedicate more time to it I will take on higher risk projects, for higher return.  Buy to let would be too slow as an income at the moment, but ask me again in a few years!!

Wet room vs Bath room

I design bungalow interiors aimed at what I call a "retirement" market.  My typical client is a couple or single person whose children have moved out.  They want to downsize but do not have any major mobility issues at present.

Obviously for people with disabilities or who struggle with mobility a wet room is idea with no step to negotiate to access the shower.  But many people worry about the drainage, and that wet tiles under-foot might be slippery.  But then I know many older people who continue to use a bath.

As the majority of bungalows don't have the space for a wet room and separate bath, a decision has to be made.  

Does not having a bath decrease the value? There is something strange still about reading property particulars and reading "shower room" rather than "bath room".  Are people thinking forwards to a time when they will need easier access or are they thinking to the present?  From viewings that I have hosted, I have often found that buyers who want or need a wet room are willing to accept that they will have to adapt the bathroom at a later date.  Other people who maybe don't require the adaptations find them a little intimidating, as if they don't want to think about getting older and less mobile.

The solution I have found so far is to try to squeeze a bath and separate shower into my bungalows.  A bath can be 1500mm long rather than the standard 1700mm to save a bit of space, and as I tell my clients, it saves water and heating!  An 800X800mm shower is large enough that you don't bang your elbows but slightly larger is always a bonus.

Its amazing how moving the water tanks or boiler into the loft can allow the space for a shower without too much disruption.  I find that drawing the whole property in plan can help to show where the space might be found.

I think that if there absolutely wasn't space for both, I would go for a bath with shower over but keep the decor simple so that it feels like it would be easy to convert.

A mysterious pink stain

I was recently called by a lady who had bought a property I had redeveloped to ask for my assistance.  

She had noticed a mysterious pink stain had appeared on the cream wallpaper, my first thought was some sort of brick dust stain which I have seen before.  When I went to see for myself, the stain was near to the top of the wall in a few blotches and bright pink. Highlighter pink!

I called in my decorator who was also confused, after lots of scratching of heads we decided the only answer was to peel off the wallpaper to see what was going on.  

Underneath the paper was a small isolated damp patch which had reacted with the paper turning it this bright pink colour.  I always keep spare wallpaper for such an event so we treated the area (which had now dried) and replaced the paper. Good as new.

I have noticed on some of the spare paper that where patches had been in contact with water they had also turned pink or purple.  Clearly some sort of reaction with the vinyl paper, but definitely a new one to see such a bright stain on cream paper.  I would expect damp to show as brown.

I might be giving that brand of wallpaper a miss from now on.  Imagine spilling a drink near the wall!!

Making the most of a small bathroom

This was definitely a challenge, the property had a very small bathroom 1900x1700 when I took over. 

It only had toilet, wash basin and bath with shower over, which I didn't like.  

       

 

I wanted to have a separate shower but didn't want to lose the bath.  The solution was to use the adjoining cupboard. I knocked down the walls of the cupboard and that space and a small square from the kitchen to make the bathroom 1900 x 2400.

The new larger bathroom allowed space for a separate shower and bath.  I finished the bathroom off with a white suite and neutral wall tiles and flooring.

For more ideas about bathroom space and clever storage - click here

Making the most of a small kitchen

This kitchen hadn’t been touched since the 1960′s.  When I took over, it looked like this…

It was in such poor condition that it went right back to the brick, HD took out the old boiler to be replaced in the loft and put in all new electrics before re-plastering the walls and ceiling.

      

Then the new kitchen was installed, using all available space with pull out storage to maximise the space.

HDHomes – My Diary of Design

I am a property developer from Lancashire, I have been involved in property and construction since the age of 18, first working for others while studying and learning the ropes and then setting up alone.

Although I love a challenge, sometimes the wisest thing is knowing when to walk away.  I have recently been specialising in both the redesign of bungalows for the ‘downsize market’ and property makeovers to help sell properties.

I am a stickler for quality, I won’t cut corners, but I will negotiate hard to get quality on a budget.  I love innovative designs to make life easier, but never at the expense of looking beautiful.

Please feel free to leave comments, and if you have any questions, email me at emma@holcombedevelopments.co.uk