Choosing new flooring

To set the scene, this house is a 4 year old new build with new build carpets (in case you haven't ever experienced this delight.....it is cheap carpet thrown on top of whatever surface was left - in this case, it was cracked, plaster splashed dusty and dirty concrete).  4 years of prams, dogs, visitors and the joys of dirt from the building site outside on poor quality carpet wasn't great.  

It's a shame I can't show how it started out, even if I had a photo, it would never be a fair side by side comparison so just imagine showhouse cream carpet - after 4 years and countless attempts at cleaning, this was the very sad result.  

Stained, bubbled, awful.  It had to go, it was unsafe and unhygienic.

The final decision after months of samples and discussion was vinyl tiles.  

I know the price is high, and ridiculously high depending where you go (but more of that later) but it also comes with a 15 year guarantee for commercial use and I believe a lifetime guarantee for domestic use so it's clearly robust.  I know from experience that any freak damage can be rectified by removing and replacing tiles - not easy, but possible.  When you compare the initial cost with the cost of probably replacing the other types of flooring over 15 or more years, the figures are easier to handle.

In the end, the decision between Amtico and Karndean came down to colour, I wanted something a bit darker in a wood effect and the one that suited the best was Karndean Rubra (WP316 if you are interested).

The cost....this was an adventure!  I went to several suppliers and the costs varied by £2000.  In the end, I was lucky enough to have worked with a flooring contractor in the past who was able to do it for a sensible price.  Although I had a previous connection, this wasn't 'mates rates', it just wasn't the ridiculous mark up that the shops added.

The result -  It's a bit controversial in that the direction is technically wrong, the main living room should run away from the door and not across it and unlike most vinyl tile floors it doesn't have a border.  This is purely because I wanted the flooring to flow through the whole ground floor, which it does.  Plus, with such wide planks (36"x6") the border would either have to be cut down (extra labour costs) or make the hall really narrow.

Some more photos to show the flow between rooms and the detail.  It's been down for a few weeks now and so far so good.  I'll come back with an update if I fall anymore in love or if any problems crop up.

Tiling DIY - Tiling around a pipe

In a bid to save some money on my latest project, I am tackling the tiling myself, I have learnt a lot over the last few days and I thought I would share some of what I have learnt incase you are going to give tiling a go.

I have 3 rooms to tile, bathroom (onto existing walls), shower room (onto new plasterboard) and kitchen splash backs (onto fresh plaster).

You notice I included the surfaces that the tiles are going on to......I previously didn't really think this was important. After 2 days of trying to level tiles around lumps and bumps, I can say it is important.

Tip 1:  Preparation is key - trying to make tiles look level and straight while negotiating bumps that turn tiles into seesaws is not fun....and ultimately doesn't look good.  Sand or scrape away any imperfections or previous tile adhesive.  Check the walls are level - mine weren't.  You might have to compensate for walls that aren't square and this is easier to do if you can anticipate it.

Tip 2:  Mark out the tile positions before you start.  There are hundreds of tutorials about different ways to set out tiles around windows, showers, etc so I'm not going into that here.  What I found helpful (although a little time consuming) was a pencil in on the walls the first row or section of tiles to check that there weren't any odd shaped end tiles, it also gave me a good grasp on how many full tiles I could do in a run before stopping to cut a tile.  As a non-professional, I am not quick enough to cut a tile while there is adhesive on the wall without it drying out.  Also I was able to make some complicated cuts easier by where in the tile they landed - see below!

Tip 3:  Use fresh adhesive.  This one sounds a bit funny, but I chose to use ready mixed adhesive (because life is complicated enough already) and I had a tub left over from a previous job.  My money saving instinct kicked in and used that up first.  It wasn't until I finished that and opened a fresh tub that I realised how much easier to use the new one was.  Yes it's obvious now but I thought I could save some £££'s.

Tip 4:  Find a friend.  Unless you are a pro, I really don't think this is a one man/woman job,  we got into a rhythm of one putting on the adhesive while the other cuts and sticks on tiles.  It worked really well, although typically areas to be tiled are quite small, so make sure its a good friend!!

Tip 5:  Electric (wet) cutter AND manual cutter:  In the DIY store the assistant tried to talk me into just buying the electric cutter and saving money by not using a manual one.  I ignored the advice and I'm so glad I did.  I find the electric one terrifying (I value all of my fingers) and maybe its just me but I also find it quite slow.  The manual cutter is a cut and crack (probably not the technical terms) and ready to go.  The electric one also has it's place.  There are cuts you just can't make manually, unless you have some super skills I'm not aware of.

Which brings me to cutting tiles to fit round a pipe.

In the bathroom I was tackling today I had 2 pipes to contend with, toilet and sink.

The sink luckily fell into place on a join and as it will be forever hidden behind the sink, I just cut a square which I will seal with silicone.  The toilet, well the toilet tested every last ounce of patience I had - fortunately I had planned it to land in the centre of 2 tiles so it was 2 semi circles and not 1 circle. (see tip 2!)

Not only is it a super awkward place to get to (assuming the toilet pan is connected) but it's a circle, in tiles that like to break in straight lines. 

This is my step by step of how I did it - which may not be 'textbook' but it worked.

Step 1: Mark the circle.  This involved some close contact with the toilet pan so you might want to make sure its very clean.  I put tile tile up against the pipe and marked the top and bottom positions, then using a pipe of the same diameter (or you can use a compass - the one with a pencil for drawing circles - not the direction one) scribed the edge to weaken the tile.  I then used a pencil to draw in the line for my own benefit.

Step 2: Cutting it out:  Use the wet cutter to make lots of small straight cuts to the edge of the curve.  Not going to lie, this is quite difficult, as the water makes it difficult to see exactly where the curve is and where to stop.  Slow and steady is key.

Step 3: Break away the unwanted pieces.  Once you have all the little lines, use nippers or nibblers (depending where you are from) to literally snap out the sections.  As long as you are gentle they come away without breaking any further and leave you with a round curve which can be filed to a more precise shape. 

Once I had done one, I was able to use it as a template for the second, which made it much easier.

And ready to attach, 2 semi circles to fit around the pipe.  I can't get a photo of it in situ because of the angle, but I'm pleased with it anyway!!

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Property Development - first things first

So, you have bought a house in need of renovation. Great!  But put that hammer down, there are lots of things to be done first that people often forget.

Taking over a property is similar to moving house, and I'll share my "to do" list below.  Some of these probably only apply in the UK, but many are universal.

1. Check the house and contents.  Is everything as you expected, (usually in renovation, if the vendors have taken anything you were expecting to be left its a bonus) look back to the legal documents to check if anything should or shouldn't have been left.

I have just taken over a property and have inherited several items I wasn't expecting, including a large wardrobe on the 2nd floor - I personally wouldn't fuss if it was just a couple of small things that had clearly been overlooked but a big wardrobe is a nightmare and will cost me to dispose of (I couldn't even give it away).

2.  Read the meters.  Yes you are excited and want to get on, but first you need to read the meters or you could end up paying someone else's bill.  I use my phone to take a photo of the meters just in case there are any disputes, depending on your specific phone, it can also be a good idea to email the photos to yourself so they are date and time stamped by the email.  Let the utility company know as soon as possible.  

Don't forget about the water too.  My water provider allows free use of water for renovation (with certain exceptions like sandblasting or major plastering) but you have to let them know to qualify.

3.  Tell the council.  Every council is different for how they manage council tax, some are free if it's empty, some have a discount, and some are full price no matter what.  Let them know as soon as possible so that you get any relevant discount applied from the very beginning. 

4.  Turn off the power and water.  This is more of a choice, I like to know that I'm not wasting energy (or money) while I'm not using any. 

5.  Make friends.  Going into a new property for the first time invariably is met with twitching curtains at the neighbours houses.  Take advantage, no one is better placed to keep an eye on the property while you aren't there.  I try to introduce myself to neighbours as soon as possible, give them my number in case of problems and I check they don't work shifts, so I cause minimal annoyance.

6.  Security.  Make sure the property is secure as you most likely won't be there all the time and an empty property is sadly a target for crime.  Also, your insurance will probably specify locks types on doors and windows and there is no point in insurance if it isn't valid for any reason.  I try to keep curtains up for as long as possible too.  Some people choose to change the locks, this is up to you and what the existing locks are like.

I'm assuming you already have insurance here, if you don't have insurance, stop reading this and go get it.  It's important and make sure you get the right type, there are several policies out there for empty properties and renovations, whereas most common policies have small print that means you wouldn't be covered in the event of a claim if it is unoccupied or undergoing renovation.

7.  Measure.  If you didn't get chance prior to purchase, take the chance in an empty house to get a full set of accurate measurements.  These are useful for so many reasons, but I like to carry them with me incase I see any bargains on my travels that I can't wait for.  

The measurements I usually forget to take are height of the window from the floor - which sounds like a pretty random and insignificant measurement but you need it for lots of reasons like will a radiator fit (if there isn't one already), buying curtains (if applicable) and more importantly if you require toughened glass in the window. Check building regulations for the rules, any good supplier or fitter should also tell you.


8.  Photographs.  To say I once worked as a photographer, I am rubbish at this one.  I always get so excited with tearing wallpaper off and ripping out the kitchen that I never have 'before' photos.  In fact, I was hoping to share my latest renovation with you and even on this one I forgot the first photos - so its the 'nearly before' photos.

Taking photos are great, not only to show the transformation, but also while you are buying things you can refer to photos (especially if you have some on your phone or camera you keep with you).  I find that I forget things like where are the plug sockets and how low the window is in a certain room. Its amazing how many details are missed.


9.  Rubbish.  Take time to find out, or ask the neighbours about the bin collections. How often? Which day? If you live in an area with lots of bins, which ones on which days?  It may not seem to matter if you aren't going to be living there but its amazing how much rubbish and recyclables can be put in the regular bins (for free) and not have to go in a skip.  Also, if you make friends with your neighbour they might even put your bin out for you if you can't or forget.


10.  Address.  This one sounds really obvious, but applies more if you have several properties or aren't local.  Take time to learn the postcode of the property and the surrounding street names if you don't already.  You are likely to be getting lots of deliveries and I am always getting calls from lost drivers and its great if you can give local directions.

Also, under address but on a completely different theme, when you are setting up utilities and other bills, make sure they understand that you don't live there (if you don't) and set up a separate correspondence address for your home.  This is becoming much more common and simple, but it does go wrong sometimes and you can end up with statements and certificates going missing.




Let me know in the comments, or by email if you prefer, if you have any other 'first things' for the list.

Making the most of a small bathroom - storage

I have been given another small bathroom challenge. While I'm getting a design together to make the most of the space, I thought I would write some of my 'top tips' here.
If you want to see the previous post about making the most of a small bathroom, it's here.

1.  Floor space, for extra storage space, get an under-sink unit which is wall mounted. Not only is it extra space for bottles of lotions and potions, but also seeing more floor space will make your bathroom feel much bigger. 

2.  Storage. What do you NEED to store in the bathroom?  Could that laundry basket be stored somewhere else?  Do you really need all those bottles of shampoo at once? 

3.  Shelving.  Now that we have sorted out which items are needed and which can be stored elsewhere, the question is how to store it.  An under sink storage unit (above) is a great use of space to store toiletries and cleaning products.   Another brilliant way of storing smaller cosmetics and medicine is a mirrored cupboard above the sink.
Here are a few ideas around pinterest.

                            

4.  Built in storage. 

                              

These ideas are only really applicable in a total bathroom redesign but great uses of space for storage.

5.  Bath.  Do you need a bath? It goes without saying that the bath takes up the most space, and for some it is completely essential, others rarely have a bath so it isn't worth the space it takes.

Another previous client who was very tall said he enjoyed a bath but couldn't  lie down in a regular bath without some serious leg contortion around the taps needed a solution.  I had a pretty extreme solution for him, which was to  put in a large shower in the bathroom and a hot tub outside, for the relaxing soak.  Obviously the cost of this was more than triple the cost of the whole bathroom but as I always say, if it works for you then it's the right thing to do.

Another option, which I have done, but wouldn't work for everyone, is to add an  ensuite. If you have one member of the household who needs a bath and someone else who can't mans age to step into the bath for an over-bath shower. A separate shower cubicle in an ensuite could work.
                              

This is the floor plan and photos from an ensuite I added into a bedroom, the overall size was 2.5 x 1m - small but perfectly formed.  The key to this design working was a small basin, which was ok because there was a full size basin in the bathroom and the shower had an inward folding door to save space.

I hope some of these tips have helped you, let me know in the comments if you have used any or have any other ideas.

*photo credits unknown - except ensuite which are all ©HD. 

How to unify 3 different doors along one wall

While renovating a property, I was faced with a bedroom with 3 doors along one wall; a very narrow door to the ensuite, a floor to ceiling cupboard door and the entrance to the room.  All 3 were different sizes and looked very inconsistent.  

I decided that I needed to bring some uniformity to this row of doors, so I searched for doors which came in multiple widths (and also a glazed option for elsewhere in the property) which was a challenge on a tight budget but eventually found a range in B&Q which had the standard 762 width for the main door and 610 widths for the ensuite and the cupboard.  The current ensuite and cupboard doors weren't quite the right sizes so my joiner slightly widened the ensuite door and boarded the top of the cupboard door to create a standard door height and made the door slightly narrower.  As you can see below, the cupboard is actually only strange access to the rear of the ensuite shower with about 3 inches of storage space so losing a small amount of the access to this was no problem.

Once the new frames were in place and the surrounding wall plastered the new doors were hung, creating a much more unified feel to the room.  It would have been nicer to have extended the two narrower doors but it just wasn't possible, so I feel this was the next best option.

Would you sacrifice a bedroom for a utility room?

Controversial question isn't it?  Inside I am screaming, "don't do that!! Bedrooms add value" but this particular project isn't an investment property, so the rules of investment don't really apply.

A client of mine bought a large bungalow as their "downsize" home, they have recently retired and no longer have any children living at home.  The bungalow as they bought it had 3 bedrooms, lounge, dining room, small kitchen, pantry, plus large garage, attached utility room (about the size of a garage) and conservatory.

The kitchen had a tricky layout with 3 doors and a large window and was lacking storage, which was compensated for using the utility room and pantry.

My clients wanted to use the existing utility room as a home office, so it wasn't practical to have the washing machine, etc in there.  With the washer and dryer moved into the kitchen, there wasn't much room for anything else.  So to make the most of the kitchen, the first step was to take the room back to brick and assess the space, I decided to move one of the doors as it was only 25cm from the adjacent wall meaning that the space to one side was wasted.  

The new position of the door

Once the door was moved, it happened to be across the hall from the third bedroom, an average size single bedroom sandwiched between a bathroom and ensuite, which gave us the idea to change it from a bedroom to a utility room.

Normally I would do everything to save a bedroom but this wasn't a money making project, this is a home, and although the change from a 3 bed to a 2 bed will most likely decrease the value and saleability, my clients didn't buy to make money, they wanted a home that worked for them, and a small kitchen without utility simply wouldn't work.

Will the pressure taken off the kitchen with the pantry and the new utility room, the kitchen was designed to make the best use of the space without being overcrowded.  

(These photos will be updated once works are 100% complete)

The utility houses all the usual appliances, plus an additional freezer and cupboards for storage.

The most important thing is that the clients love it and it will work for them in their "forever" home.  It might be tricky to sell, but they hope that won't be for another 20 years, by which time it will more than likely need another renovation anyway so everything can change again.  

So I guess the moral to my story is that while there are rules for investment, if it is your home and you don't have to worry about short term return, then make your home work for you and your circumstances.  

Just a lick of paint

Well its been a busy couple of months, this bungalow renovation was finished last year but it's taken me until now to update the blog!

This has been a very frustrating project for a number of reasons, the main frustration is that it looks like its just had 'a lick of paint' not a lot of time, money and effort put in! A prime example of this 'lick of paint' is the lounge.

  

This is the lounge before and after, and I agree, on the surface it looks like not much has happened, but most of the walls have been back to brick, before being re-plastered, rewired, the radiator repositioned, decorated and a new fire and surround installed. Also, a new light fitting and new carpet (with underlay - no idea why people think its ok to lay a carpet without - but thats a rant for another time)

When this went on the market I had a couple come round to view it, pretending to be interested, who after about 5 minutes told me very bluntly that they knew how much I'd paid and were just looking for ideas so they could do the same "without the developer profit".  

Now I'm not a charity, but I'm also not, or likely to be, a millionaire!  I do a proper job, I don't cut corners and I will spend the money necessary to  do the job properly.  My properties won't start to fall apart in 6 months or a year, and I know that because I only buy quality materials and have professional tradesmen and that all comes at a price.  

I blame Homes Under the Hammer, now I love that show, but £5000 for a whole renovation?

 Buying a whole kitchen including appliances for £500? Really? Did it fall off the back of a lorry? Will it last longer than 10 minutes?

Thats before I start on legal fees, stamp duty, estate agent fees to sell it on, utilities, skips, insurance, the list goes on and on and amounts to thousands.

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!!

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