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. 

"Only put rubbish in a rental"

Although typically I only do property renovations to sell on immediately or style other homes, a client asked me to manage a renovation on a rental property.  Now that I'm nearing the end of the project I Have been reflecting on the differences between buy to sell and buy to let.  

The biggest thing that has really shocked me is the attitude of suppliers, even suppliers who know me and know that I will not cut corners or in any way compromise quality on a project, tried to push me into buying really low end items when they heard it was for a rental.

Now don't get me wrong, when I say quality, I don't mean I'm gold plating everything, everything is still on a budget.   Using a supermarket as an example, on a buy to sell, I tend to buy more "finest" products, on a rental I am buying mostly "own brand" and only a few items are "value".  

Having been a landlord(lady) before and seen first hand the devastation that a tenant can cause (smashed toilets, beige carpets turned black, crayoned walls and the most shocking - a broken electric shower which had been "fixed" with a knife!) so I know that there is a chance things will get damaged and not looked after as you would hope.  But it seems to me that if you only put in the very low end items, not only will then not last as long anyway, but the tenant will be far less inclined to look after them.

Not only will good quality last longer (unless the tenant is really terrible) but also the property is likely to be snapped up much more quickly between tenancies.  Say the rental is £500 a month, I'd rather spend an extra £1000 on a quality kitchen than put in the same cheap kitchen as everyone else and have the property sit unoccupied for 2 or more months.

The most shocking supplier was the flooring supplier, who was happily pricing the "normal" range for me until it came up in conversation that it was for a rental, at which point he said, "only put rubbish in a rental, you don't even want underlay".  It's a solid concrete floor, so yes, I really do think underlay would be a good idea. When I decided that none of the cheap vinyls were in any way attractive or a match for the bathroom tiles, I started looking at the more expensive (but still well within budget) range at which point I was given a severe telling off that I was "being too personal". Well, if being personal is wanting a nice looking house for a tenant and be good quality, then I am proud be be too personal!

As it happens, the house is not yet completely finished but already has a tenant signed up on a 2 year contract.  Since there are 4 other vacant rentals on the same and adjoining streets, this isn't just because it is in a nice area.  Clearly tenants are just as bored of the same old cheap kitchens as I am!

Not quite finished but here is the kitchen I put in.

I always get excited about flooring day

So flooring day is a misleading title, it's flooring 3 weeks on this project.  With 3 types of flooring and 3 fitters, each with their own speciality.  We are doing carpet (too boring to talk about), Amtico and Flotex to suit the needs of the different rooms. 

The Amtico is now in progress and although I have often suggested it and lusted after it, I haven't used it on a project of mine before.  It is being used in the kitchen, utility and hallway.  

The kitchen was fairly simple, large tiles with a thin trim between (more about the thin trim later), which looks great and doesn't really show the fact that the room isn't completely square.

Kitchen (before plinths replaced)

The hall is proving much more difficult, it's a square(ish) hall with one small and one large corridor continuing from it. I have gone for an oak herringbone effect in here, as the impact in the wide hall will be great.  The problem is that, as with many older buildings (and some new builds to be honest) rooms aren't always square. It turns out in this one, no two walls are square.  Needless to say the fitter isn't delighted but doing a great job anyway with lots of maths and some slight adjustments to the alignment.

Hall in progress

So back to the kitchen and the thin trims, which are very fine slices of the same oak as the hall.  Its subtle but it does bring it all together.

The carpet fitter is also working some magic, no wastage here as all the excess pieces are sewn back together to carpet inside the  cupboards and one of the bathrooms.

Flotex is a product I hadn't come across before, if you've never heard of it before either I can only really describe it as furry vinyl, it actually reminds me of fuzzy felt (although that probably ages me). It's a really practical flooring, it is treated as carpet for cleaning so can be vacuumed as a regular carpet, or with a wet carpet cleaner (specific advice regarding detergents applies)as it's vinyl base make it waterproof.  I chose to use it because the room in question was cold, so the flotex was laid over a layer of insulated board.