Reader's home of the month
This month's £150 Habitat giftcard goes to lindsaydglasgow's 'terrace on a teeny budget'...
Make structural renovations to your home, and profit
Make the best of what you have with some well-chosen structural changes and see property buyers' interest soar.
With house prices increasing more quickly than building costs it makes sense, particularly in costly urban areas, to take advantage of your home's profit potential.
The key is to maximise what you already have, which can be achieved by physically extending the property.
However, sometimes adding space isn't always the better option. For example, if you extend the back of your home, you may lose some of the garden but leave the original front room redundant.
Re-evaluating the layout and reconfiguring the space can be more beneficial and cost effective. This doesn't necessarily mean erecting walls to create rooms, but taking down partitions to open up the space.
The key is to think of the house as a whole and try to maintain balance and proportion.
Most conversions require planning permission, so always check first, but if your property hasn't been extended before, you can add up to 70m3 or 15 per cent of the original space (50m3 or 10 per cent for terraced properties).
Alterations to terraces or semi-detached properties will need a party-wall agreement.
All work will need to comply with building regulations. Go to www.planningportal.gov.uk to find out more details.
Find out more about renovating:
Kitchens
Bathrooms
Decoration
Storage
The key is to maximise what you already have, which can be achieved by physically extending the property.
However, sometimes adding space isn't always the better option. For example, if you extend the back of your home, you may lose some of the garden but leave the original front room redundant.
Re-evaluating the layout and reconfiguring the space can be more beneficial and cost effective. This doesn't necessarily mean erecting walls to create rooms, but taking down partitions to open up the space.
The key is to think of the house as a whole and try to maintain balance and proportion.
Find out more about renovating: