All In A Days Work

There is no doubt about it these days, one of our most valuable commodities is space. The biggest projects we take on to improve our home usually involve creating more space in some way. As our families grow in both number and size, the elbow room in the house reduces significantly. So what do we do about this problem. Well, for many the answer is simple; they just up sticks and move to a larger property. Sometimes, however, that is not possible or desirable.

What are the options if you love the village you are in, for example? Moving can be a wrench that will affect the lifestyle of you and your family. Often, if we want to find extra room for our family to expand into, it will come in the form of an extension. Now there are several choices that can be made here. Firstly there is a ground floor extension, if the land is available. Then there is a two story extension that will only take up as much land as the ground floor option, obviously. The third alternative to which many people are turning these days is a loft conversion. Land may be in short supply for an extension or maybe it is the lower cost of a loft conversion that people find attractive.

If a loft conversion has been entering your thoughts lately, but you are unsure whether to proceed with it yourself, read on. You will find here, a step by step guide to the process you can expect the project to follow in your home.

Access 
The first consideration is easy and safe access to the loft. If it is to be converted into a habitable space, a ladder will not do. There will need to be a staircase installed that meets with building regulations. Since the stairs need to be a minimum specified width, the staircase is likely to take up a fair bit of room. Hopefully, your home is blessed with a very large landing or a walk-in cupboard somewhere that can be utilized. Considering the size of the loft, it may be worthwhile reducing the size of a bedroom to accommodate the stairs as it is likely that two bedrooms could be created above.

Floor 
The beams in the loft may not be large enough to carry the weight of a floor above. There is no need to panic, however; this does not mean the ceilings will need to be replaced. Larger joists can often be installed alongside the existing ones, and it is these that will carry the weight. Before the floor surface is laid down, electricians and plumbers will be called in to fit the pipework and wiring for any lighting, power, or plumbing you intend to have installed.

Walls
When the floor is complete, the framework for internal walls is constructed. If the loft is huge, there may be room for two bedrooms and a bathroom. Wiring for light switches and power points will be fed through the frameworks to their final position.

Light
The provision of adequate natural light will be an integral part of the plans. If there is a wall at one end of the loft, a standard window will be an option. The window will be fitted in exactly the same way as any other window in the house. Alternatively, fakro roof windows can be fitted into the sloping roof. These windows are designed especially for this purpose as standard frames are unsuitable. They are relatively simple to fit with basic carpentry skills and confidence when working at heights. A row of windows on either side of the roof will give plenty of light and would be a dream for an amateur astronomer.

Insulation
The roof itself will have to be insulated. There are different forms of insulation that could be used. Standard loft insulation that comes on a roll can be inserted between the roof joists, insulation can be blown into place with a special technique, or insulation panels can be cut with a hand saw and wedged into place.

Internal Boarding
Boarding all of the walls is an exciting stage in the build as it seems to happen so quickly. Plasterers don’t mess about once they get started. Armed with a utility knife, saw and a straight edge, they craft the plasterboard into the right shapes and nail or screw them to the beams. The joints are taped before the plaster topcoat is mixed. Watching the plasterers apply the topcoat is fascinating so try to make time to watch. They make a difficult job look simple. Hats off to the plasterers of this world. When they have finished their part in the construction, the end is in sight, and you can now appreciate how the finished project is going to look. Yes, it looks huge now but when the furniture is in, it will shrink.

Second Fix
The plumbers and electricians will now return to do their bit. The bathroom suite can be installed and connected, as can all of the power points and light fittings. The carpenters will also put in another appearance, to fit the skirting boards, architraves and doors.

Decorating
Now the job is almost complete, and you will be very anxious to move into the new space. Whether you are decorating yourself or calling in a contractor, you will have to decide on a scheme. The new plaster can be painted after it is dry which may be only twenty four hours after it is applied. If you have fitted a bathroom, don’t forget that it will need tiling too. All these jobs add up and take time.

Flooring
It is probably best to avoid  laminate flooring upstairs and opt for a thick carpet to cut down on noise from walking around.

Well,  now the job is complete, and though your nerves are shredded, you have increased the value of your home and gained a large, useful space, all in one project. Now the hard part comes; who is going to be gifted with the new surroundings? Will  it be the children (probably) or your mother-in-law (no), or will you enjoy the loft yourself? I know what I would do.

No matter how much you might love your family home at the moment, there are very few people who choose to stay in this property for their entire lives, and so I thought today might be a good time to write and release an article highlighting some of the ideas you should consider when you’re eventually looking to sell. Obviously, you don’t want a dead weight around your neck, and so when the times comes, you’ll need to do everything within your power to sell quickly, which is precisely the reason why you’ll want to read through the rest of this post very carefully.

Of course, there is no real way of guaranteeing you achieve a quick sale, as there are many other factors to consider like location, price and the state of the housing market. Even so, by utilizing the suggestions I’m about to make, you’ll stand the best chance of achieving your goal without waiting around for twelve months.

1. Re-decorate In Neutral Colours
If you’ve lived in the property for a number of years, the chances are, you will have personalized it to suit your own tastes. While this is fine for your family, it won’t be for someone else’s, and so opting to re-decorate in neutral colours before placing your home on the market is a good idea.

2. Advertise The Property Using Social Media 
Gone are the days when estate agents could be trusted to advertise your property efficiently, and while you should still use them, you’d be better off promoting the house yourself via any social media accounts you may have. Facebook is particularly good for this.

 3. Take Appealing Photographs 
You should also try to make your property look as attractive as possible to anyone viewing your ads, and so taking photographs that achieve this is essential. However, if you’re not an amazing photographer, you might like to get in touch with a specialist like those currently providing Calgary show home photography. These companies use cutting edge techniques to create a digital walk through of the property.

4. Clean And Tidy Every Single Room Before Viewings 
We all know this shouldn’t make a blind bit of difference to the amount of offers you receive on the property, but in truth, it does. For whatever reason, people find it difficult to imagine themselves living in an untidy home, and so they’ll be less inclined to match your asking price, even if they do really like the building.

5. Appear Happy And Helpful, Not Desperate
I went to view a property myself only a couple of days ago. The people selling seemed far too concerned with me making an offer immediately, which created an atmosphere of desperation. This made me give up on the whole idea and head home; something you don’t want to repeat.

6. Make Sure Your Home’s Infrastructure Is Sound
Infrastructure can span a number of things, but namely you want to focus on your homes electrical systems, plumbing, and foundation. The foundation is a major component to your house and can easily become a deal-breaker should something be wrong with it. Electrical system problems will likely require the knowledge of an electrician unless you have a strong DIY background. As most plumbers in Los Angeles and other high-traffic cities can attest too, a fouled up plumbing system can hinder the overall appeal of your home. It would be wise to consult a professional before attempting to repair anything yourself.

Well folks, that’s all from me today, but I hope you now understand a little more about the kind of things you can do to make your property seem appealing to buyers. After that, all you’ll need to do is get some independent evaluations to determine your asking price.

Easy, eh?

It’s usually the men who enjoy spending their entire weekend hammering nails and cutting lengths of wood, but I feel us girls should become more involved with this kind of thing. After all, we’ve got equal rights now, we’ve got the vote, and so it’s about time we started sharing home DIY tasks too. It would be hypocritical for us to want fair rules across the board but then refuse to do the heavy lifting or get our hands dirty, don’t you think?

Anyway, here are some totally awesome bathroom design tips for female DIY enthusiasts. All of them are pretty simple, but they all provide excellent results, and so you should definitely attempt one or two at some point this year. Who knows, maybe there are a few men out there who could also learn from the ideas I’m about to present?

Consider Lighting Solutions
 The chances are; your bathroom will be one of the smallest areas in your home. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it means you’ll want to use the minimum amount of space possible for things like lighting. To achieve this, refrain from installing traditional hanging lights, and instead purchase and fit some spotlights. This will also make the room appear more luxurious to guests, especially if you don’t scrimp and opt for more expensive products.

Think About Flooring Materials
You have a lot of choice when it comes to selecting the perfect flooring material for your bathroom, and the only one you should definitely avoid is carpet. If you’re on a tight budget, try to find some stylish lino, but if money is no object, you can get some amazing slate tiles for this room. Slate is beneficial because it look really cool, but also absorbs heat pretty well. So, you shouldn’t get cold feet when walking around half naked.

Replace Your Bath With A Shower
This only applied to people with very small bathrooms, as it could give you lots more space. Of course, you should probably call in the professionals to deal with a job like this, but if you do decide to have a go without their help, make sure you have the Action Services Plumbing phone number ready. If you hit a pipe, it’s only 24 hour call out services like this that will stop your entire home from flooding.

Add Numerous Mirrors 
Finally, just to add that extra spacious aesthetic you’re probably looking for, it’s wise to install a couple of flat wall mirrors in your bathroom. This technique has been used to open spaces up since ancient Egyptian times, so you can pretty much guarantee it works well. Also, purchasing and installing some heated towel rails will mean you always keep the place looking clean and tidy.

At the end of the day, all other elements of your bathroom design will come down to your own personal tastes, and so there’s no point in me advising you any further. Just try to ensure the room is free of clutter, and you’re half way there.

Have fun!