A study this year by This is Money has revealed that people in the UK are choosing to buy properties they need to renovate as it’s the only way they can get on the housing market.

35% of Britons are choosing to purchase a home that needs repairs, in order to get on the property ladder. According to this data, the:

• Average UK house price (as of Jan 2016) is £196,829.
• Average cost of property that needs work is £152,792.
• Average cost of renovation is £33,039.
• The cost of buying a home and renovating it themselves is £185,831, resulting in a saving of £10,998.

However, once the home is purchased, 10% live in the house in an unfinished state and nearly half (45%) spend more than their budget fixing the house up. Is it really worth it?

Bedroom furniture specialists Oldrids & Downtown has created this research to identify renovation trends and help you make the most informed decision when making your next purchase.

Locations for home improvement

Barbour ABI researched further in Home Improvers of Great Britain 2016 to find out if there were any trends in the home improvement market. They were able to identify the locations of some of the most – and least – likely areas of the UK to carry out home improvements.

Most likely districts for home improvement

1. Kensington and Chelsea
2. Westminster
3. Uttlesford
4. Hammersmith and Fulham
5. South Bucks

Least likely districts for home improvement

1. Blackpool
2. Stoke on Trent
3. West Dunbartonshire
4. Redditch
5. Glasgow

What will affect the costs of your project?

The cost of a renovation project can be affected by a number of factors. These can include:

The size and style of the home. The number of storeys in the house influences the price of renovation, as well as the floor space in general.

The postcode of your home. Like home insurance or house prices, the postcode can impact the renovation price.

Other features of the home. Other factors within the home can impact the cost, including the number of bathrooms the house has, the garage (or number of garages) and the number of bathrooms.

Homebuilding & Renovating has a calculator to give a guide to the cost.

Estimated costs per task

Many renovation projects can be broken down in to mini projects or tasks. As renovation isn’t a one-size-fits all task, it’s worth considering the below costings when trying to determine your own renovation project. Use this checklist for a quick calculation, but remember that the size, style and postcode may alter this.

*Estimate supplied by Homebuilding & Renovating

Key trends for home improvement.

In February this year, Bathrooms 365 published research on the home improvement market. The article stated that new build projects by the government had created opportunities for the home improvement market.

This followed a difficult time for home improvement, when 60 B&Q stores were forecasted for closure, and 25% of all B&Q stores. As the interest in home improvement increases, online sales are showing encouraging progression.

The study noted key trends in home improvement and renovation:

• The motive of renovation is still profit by increasing the home’s value
• Home improvement is still desirable, but homeowners have to save
• Desire for an increased number of bathrooms in the home
• Improvement to the design of the bathroom
• Improvement of layout and features to be more environmentally conscious

Sources

http://bcc.homebuilding.co.uk/#slide=naming

http://www.propertyandbuildingdirectory.co.uk/2016/02/05/the-changing-home-improvement-market-a-leading-online-retailer-shares-its-insight-on-all-the-key-trends/

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-3451252/Brits-pile-renovation-project-homes-s-afford-buy-live-building-site.html

http://www.barbour-abi.com/zones/HomeImproversReportMarch2016.pdf

We sometimes take technology for granted in our life, and this can lead us to believe we can’t live without it. Technologies such as smartphones, cars and food, water and energy supplies have all contributed towards an existence that is reliant upon these things every day; without them we could potentially struggle to live our lives in a way that felt comfortable.

We can still gain independence by living off grid; this doesn’t mean that we are required to reduce the quality of our lives. We can do this by replacing energy and supplies from the main grid with renewable alternatives. Doing this offers a sustainable alternative to a lifestyle where everything we need is available to use 24/7. Together with specialists in LPG canisters, Flogas, we take you through exactly how living off-grid can be easier than you think:

Changing over to alternative power systems
If you live of grid you will need to source your own power, whether this is using a gas cylinder or solar energy. Solar energy produces around 3,400kWh of free electricity every year.

People with small children could live off a solar panel system that produces 3.4kW of power as this is the required amount for a family home. A 2kW to 3kW solar panel would produce enough energy for smaller homes with less people living in them. A 3kW solar system will cost around £5,000 – £6,000 overall and will be a great investment based on the amount of free electricity you will procure during its lifetime.

It’s recommended to have a backup system in place, especially when you live off grid as solar panels can fail to work if the weather is cloudy. Alternatively, you could consider a domestic wind turbine which you can install and it produces 5kW to 6kW of energy; you can also be paid for any energy you don’t use which is sent back to the grid.

Keeping your costs reduced
If you don’t live near an energy supplier, it is expressed that you only use the power that you need. To keep costs efficient and to live within your own budget, you could use LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs, which will help reduce costs by 75%; you could look at getting rid of any electrical appliances that you don’t need and be sure to turn off all electrical appliances at the mains once they have been used.

Sewage system
It will become essential to source your own water, especially if you don’t live near a natural source. Wells can cost between £10,000 – 20,000, and this is dependent upon how deep the well is dug, and whether the well will be used as a source of drinking water or for other domestic purposes.

You will need a septic tank to dispose of any water waste. Along with this, you will need to install a greywater system. The water used in dishwashing, sinks, baths and showers can be re-used if treated. Doing this will also benefit the lifespan of your well, as you can reuse water that has already been cleaned and brought to the surface.

Reducing your waste
The energy, food and water that you use, should be regularly monitored for your own benefit to see how much you are using. If you slip, then your reliance on these things may reach unsustainable levels, which may impact your ability to live off-grid. There are various ways to keep on top of your waste – and these include.

• Short Showers
• Using artificial lighting
• Turn off lights when exiting a room
• Using food leftovers for compost to create rich soil for growing more fruit and vegetables
• Attend workshops that can learn you how to repair damages to the home or how to grow your own food.
• Adopt into hunting and fishing to catch fresh food, will help reduce your reliance upon supermarkets that you would usually have to drive to

Lifestyle changes
Deciding to live off grid can be a big change to your life, altering your actual lifestyle might be worth considering too. There are other ways to live off grid, and you will make many mistakes along the way, but becoming self-sufficient may just be the key to your unlocked potential and happiness.

Property & Development Magazine

Scottish Fitted Bedroom specialists DM Design will now save the equivalent of 50 large skiploads of landfill each year after the installation of a biomass boiler. The installation, fitted at their head office in Cumbernauld cost £250,000 and it’s an ultra-high-spec 150kW model which is cleverly fed with wood from old kitchen and bedroom units which have been removed from customers’ homes.

DMDesign has five dedicated showrooms in Scotland – Cumbernauld, Kirkcaldy, Aberdeen and most recently, Livingston and Glasgow and all of their showrooms display their most popular bathroom, kitchen and bedroom designs.

Interestingly, the boiler also assists in removing dust ensuring the 30-strong factory team have a clean working environment. Operations director Ben Taylor is delighted. He said, “Putting in a biomass boiler was a no brainer. It saves 50 large skips-worth of waste going to landfill, heats our entire factory and lowers our heating bill by up to £10,000 a year.”

DM is one of Scotland’s leading providers of kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms and they’ve  completed over 100,000 room transformations in over 30 years.They’ve worked with the Beatson Cancer Charity, Scotia Aid, The STV Appeal and Cash for Kids, as well as hosting fundraising dinners for Epilepsy Scotland and the Nepal Earthquake Appeal.

Boots Opticians, Thorntons, Smart Ideas and Loritas Bakery are all big names that are based at these properties, and this purchase will represent a net initial of 8.45%, further improving REI’s property portfolio which is constantly on the increase.

“This is an excellent addition to our portfolio, offering scope to add further value from lease extensions and re-letting of the upper parts and unused ancillary space, which will provide us with capital growth and a strong running yield” commented the chief executive officer at Real Estate Investors, Paul Bassi. “More generally, the property portfolio is performing well.”

REI will be expecting even more sales now within the properties that have been completed in accordance to the company’s asset management initiatives, after seeing an improvement in the regional investment market recently.

“We have several ongoing sales and acquisitions in our legal pipeline, with a healthy addition of new lettings and lease renewals from within the existing portfolio, which will enhance rental income and our average lease lengths” Bassi continued. “In addition, the company has significant additional capital from rental income, property sales and bank facilities to continue to grow the portfolio and generate additional rental income to support our dividend growth. while retaining a portfolio in the region of £200 million.”

This exchanging of contracts that has provided REI with the 6,000 sq ft. property is a big move that sets out the company’s ambitions, and you can probably expect to be hearing some more announcements in the near future which will further continue REI’s broad portfolio and increase their stature within the sector.

Whether you’re a devout enthusiast of interiors or something of a decor novice, there is little doubt you will have heard design’s latest buzzword – hygge. But do you know what it is? And, aside from that tiny detail, do you have the slightest clue how to implement the style in your home? Originating in the 18th-century, Hygge applies to an overall sense of wellness. A happier life, one might say, evoked through decor in the form of a cosy, sanctuary-style home. The best interior designers are already clued up on the ins and outs of the phenomenon and regularly take influence from the trend to create inviting homes. We’ve compiled this concise guide to share Hygge secrets with design beginners. Enjoy!

In the Bedroom

If Hygge is all about encouraging a restful mind and body, then there’s no better place to start than the bedroom. Hygge itself recommends spending more time in bed, whether on a sleepy Sunday morning or curling up with a book on a cold winter’s evening. It’s up to you, but just make sure you add plenty of layers: quilts, blankets and pillows in abundance are requirements for creating a relaxing ambience. And here’s an added tip too: If you truly want your bedroom to conjure up a state of bliss, you really need to set the tone. This means no iPads, no televisions, no laptops and no clutter. Embrace Hygge even further by investing in clever storage solutions. Your rejuvenated self will thank you for it!

Bathing Beauty 

Speaking of rejuvenation, the bathroom should radiate a spa-like experience. Say goodbye to the quick morning shower and hello to invigorating soaks in the tub. For that ‘spa at home’ feeling, all you need is a few simple accessories. After you’ve added the essential oils to your tub, simply dim the lights low, add flickering candles, play soothing music from the stereo, and sip on a healthy smoothie. The finishing touch? Make sure there are fluffy towels and robes waiting when you finally step out.

Feeling Good

Texture really is at the heart of hygge. To get the look, utilise a combination of materials and patterns, layering soft fabrics and shaggy, fluffed up rugs – simple but effective ways to add character to any home. Given the fact that this trend is all about the art of minimalism, be sure to inject a sense of warmth by embracing natural materials; wood, leather and wool all play their part beautifully. To fully feel the effects of Hygge, the foundations to your decor should be just right – and by this we mean the colour scheme. When selecting your palette, be sure to shy away from anything too loud. Creating a calm and serene aesthetic is the aim of the game. To this end, monochrome is a firm favourite of those ever-stylish Danes.

Let There Be Light

Above all else, light is key to perfecting this vibe. Think candles artfully lit around the home, lanterns on the patio, a roaring fire in the living, and a wood-burning stove in the kitchen. Light is the pièce de résistance; no artificial option can beat the flame of a candle. White, unscented, and pure wax candles are always the way to go.

And now, your home is ready to invite friends over for drinks around the flames. After all, the Danes are nothing if not highly sociable – another lifestyle tip we don’t mind taking from them too!

If you struggle to get around, there are solutions available to better enable you to live independently in your own home, and to access services when you’re out and about. Provisions to help disabled or immobile children, adults and the elderly include the installation of passenger lifts and stairlifts, level access, rails and ramps. But for listed properties, planning permissions and government legislation can often be barriers to accessibility.

As an owner of a listed building, you hold a special responsibility to care for and abide by the legislation put in place to protect and preserve heritage property. Advice from the Listed Property Owners’ Club on the topic of listed building consent makes it clear: listed status covers a whole building, inside and out. Failure to obtain consent before altering a listed building may result in a demand to have any installations removed, or else a fine or even a term of imprisonment.

Some adaptations may not involve making changes to the property itself, for example, removable ramps. These are known as ‘auxiliary aids’, and don’t damage the building works. Other adaptations, such as installing a stairlift or passenger lift, will involve making changes to the fabric of the building. So what are the solutions for improving accessibility in both private and commercial listed properties?

You have a responsibility to make commercial listed properties accessible 

In a blog post on the topic of disability and access, passenger lift suppliers Premier Platform Lifts report that 29% of adults with impairments have found certain buildings outside of the home completely inaccessible owing to their accessibility needs. That includes 54% of shops and 23% of restaurants and bars. More than four fifths of disabled adults experience barriers in leisure, social and cultural activities.

If you operate a business out of a listed property, you have a duty to make “reasonable adjustments for disabled people” under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and the Equality Act 2010. This requires business owners to make provision for those with accessibility issues to access everyday goods and services like shops, cafés, banks, cinemas and places of worship, regardless of whether or not that business operates out of a listed property. Listed property owners, though, might find it more difficult to make these provisions owing to the points outlined above.

Installing a lift in a listed property can be a challenge 

Stairlifts are installed in private properties to aid those who may struggle to climb or descend stairs, owing to arthritis and similar conditions. Typically, the installation of a stairlift requires support brackets, which are attached to individual stairs themselves and leave screw holes in the wooden stair treads. Stair lifts do not typically touch or lean against the wall, unless the staircase is curved, in which case additional fixings may be required for stability.

In some cases, installing a stairlift also requires modification to handrails or boarding up of balusters for safety reasons. Obstructions at the top and bottom of the stairs, like radiators or doors, may also need to be repositioned.

Vertical lifts transport users from one floor to another by moving vertically through a hole in the ceiling/floor. This type of stairlift may be recommended for private listed properties if a staircase isn’t suitable for an ordinary stairlift—if it’s too narrow, or if it’s a spiral staircase—and are common for wheelchair users who are not able to transfer to a stairlift seat. They usually require substantial building alterations, notably creating a hole in the ceiling/floor, and installing a rail track and lift shaft.

There are accessibility solutions for listed properties

Private and commercial listed property owners have both a need and duty to ensure there are adequate accessibility options. Ramps and rails are easy to install without causing any real damage to the property, if at all. But the installation of stairlifts and passenger lifts can be a far greater challenge to negotiate.

This booklet from Historic England covers the solutions for installing vertical lifts in more detail. “Passenger and platform lifts”, they write, “are best located in the less-sensitive parts of historic buildings”, like secondary staircases, or in areas that have already been disturbed or altered. Pits and openings for lift shafts should be carefully located to avoid loss or damage to significant or decorative surfaces: self-contained home lifts are available, which reduce the necessity of making structural changes. Nevertheless, requirements for ongoing maintenance and management should not be overlooked.

Before making any changes to a listed property, make sure you apply for planning permission in accordance with the policy set out by the relevant heritage authority where you live. Contact your local planning authority to apply for Listed Building Consent, and explore the options available to you by seeking the advice of specialist passenger lift and accessibility solutions providers for their assistance and advice.

Property & Development Magazine

Mick George Ltd set the Challenge Yourself task to all of the staff at their construction and waste management company. Included in this challenge were the management and directors across the business. Challenge Yourself has been launched in order to raise money for company’s two selected charities.

The Finance Director, Jon Stump, has taken the Challenge yourself campaign to another level and will be embarking on a tremendous journey across Costa Rica. Jon Stump is truly embracing the notion of challenge with his plan to trek across Costa Rica, from coast to coast.

Jon Stump won’t be setting out on this expedition by himself, he will be joined by the Former England Rugby Captain Lewis Moody MBE and a team of 18 others. The group will begin their epic journey from the Caribbean Sea side of Costa Rica and will finish at the Pacific Ocean. The Challenge will span 300 km which will be travelled over the course of 8 days. The innovative trial will include a number of different disciplines as the team will have to walk, kayak, mountain bike and raft their way across the country. The group will have to traverse a range of challenging terrain and have to cope with extreme conditions, such as extreme heat and humidity, cold fog and sudden rainfalls.

The Finance Director of Mike George Ltd will be raising money for a number of different causes during his trip across Costa Rica, including Macmillan Cancer Support, the British Foundations and the Lewis Moody Foundation. Jon has set himself an ambitious target of £12,000 to raise for his causes. Carrying out such an epic challenge, Jon will no doubt manage to meet this extraordinary fundraising target.

Mike George Ltd will be supporting a number of high profile charities this year and so far the staff in the company are completely invested in raising as much as possible for their companies.

Plans to to carry out a major student housing scheme in London has recently been approved. The City of London Corporation has approved the plans that have been put forward by Hopkins Architects.

Hopkins Architects was first founded by Sir Michael Hopkins in 1976. Since this time the practice has helped to lead some pioneering projects across Britain. Currently the practice is being led by six Senior Partners that are based in London. This new approval is great news for the project and could see them building as many as 640 student homes in the capital city. The practice focuses on being adaptable throughout the design and construction of a project in order to make sure that the finished building or development manages to reach its full potential.

Hopkins has worked on projects across residential, educational and commercial sectors and has already designed the King’s College School which is a new music school set to be located in London and completed at some point next year.

The major development of student accommodation is expected to take place in central London and will cater for King’s College London students. The central city university was first founded in 1829 by King George the IV and the Duke of Wellington, who was prime minister at the time. Since then the university has continued to expand and develop. Hopefully this new accommodation will be another successful expansion of this prestigious establishment.

The City of London Corporation, the local authority that has manages a range of different aspects within The City of London, mainly the financial district of the Capital, has approved the plans of the nearby university’s student accommodation. Because of the only recent release of the approval for the project, it is unsure when the project will be completed or who will be contracted to carry out work on the project.

Whether it’s upgrading a loft apartment or bringing a country cottage bedroom up to date, our nation’s interior designers have been busy in making sure that we sleep in style over the past twelve months.

With interesting new colour schemes and new approaches to implementing bedroom furniture like divan beds, it shows us that there are few areas of the room that are more open to imaginative design than the bedroom.

Whilst colour trends can come and go with alarming regularity, it’s always those neutral tones that offer the most failsafe option for our bedroom interiors.

But it’s been interesting to see how Elle Decor’s feature on grey bedrooms shows how this timelessly stylish colour can add grandeur to anything from a London townhouse to chic Parisian apartment.

There have been plenty of interesting designs introduced that take more of a laid back approach to welcome themes of freewheeling bohemianism through plenty of daring colour choices and interesting textures.

For example, the boho bedroom featured at the SfGirlByBay blog dresses up a simple divan bed with the cute accompaniments like Moroccan-styled woven baskets, kilim bedspreads and plenty of clean white walls to keep the overall effect from being too overpowering.

It’s a look that can be relatively easy to implement into just about any kind of living space. With UK brands like Bedstar offering a strong selection of divan beds, and many interiors shops seeking to embrace the trend for ‘ethnic’ fabrics and patterns, the bohemian style is one that’s endlessly adaptable.

Often it’s all about the detail that really makes the contemporary bedroom come to life. Having failsafe options like divan beds and plenty of natural light are must-have ingredients which leaves you free to try out a few idiosyncratic touches depending upon personal taste.

Take this pretty bedroom makeover on the Decor8 design blog that manages to include many fashionable trends without looking like it’s trying too hard.

With a stylish copper bedside lamp, a few hygge-inducing candles, a Moroccan-inspired rug, and plenty of texture, it’s an on-trend masterclass in how to deliver a contemporary bedroom without feeling too sanitised.

Above all, designing the interiors for bedrooms in 2017 is all about eclecticism, so that everything from an art print to a wall hanging has just enough individuality to make each room feel truly unique and magical.

Property & Development Magazine

In the age of the millennial, there is a heightened interest in employee satisfaction and the factors that create a good working environment. Ensuring staff are happy in their work space leads to an increase retention rate, maximized productivity levels, and a healthy company culture. As such, it is worth investing money to boost the happiness of your employees. But the pivotal question remains: how can companies ensure the happiness of their staff? Clever office space planning may be the answer.

The Formula for Happy Employees

While flexible working hours, a manageable workload, and various social perks contribute to a healthy office culture, there is one factor that can have a greater impact still. In a recent study by OfficeGenie, it was found that good workplace design can boost happiness in the workplace by as much as one third.

As the report states: “feeling comfortable with the design of your office boosts workplace happiness by 33%: design is the environmental factor that has the greatest impact on levels of contentment.”

As well as improving company-wide communication, enhancing the branding of your company, and leaving a good impression to clients, good office design has a beneficial impact on an individual’s disposition and team moral.

The Findings

The report surveyed a sample of 2,000 office workers, with the aim of discovering the key to employee satisfaction. It was found that staff feel more comfortable, more engaged, and more productive when they are in a well-designed office environment. As well as considering how a cleverly conceived office layout may improve working conditions, it is also important to plan décor and give employees the opportunity to have some level of control over their own personal working space.

12% of workers felt that good office design was an important factor in determining their happiness at work, which makes it more important than the following four factors:

• Temperature: when employees had control over the temperature of their personal office space, they were 5% happier.
• Light: Team-members were 6% happier when they were working in bright, well-lit areas. Natural light is essential in the wellbeing of staff in the workplace; it can have a profound effect on a person’s mood.
• Noise: working in a noisy environment is virtually impossible and reduces productivity and job satisfaction. Workers were 8% happier when noise was kept to a minimum.
• Social interaction: employees relish the opportunity to communicate easily with colleagues. Design that facilitates social interaction made employees 8% happier.

Office design pervades many aspects of job satisfaction. Each given aspect of an office should be considered when designing an office in order to optimise the space. Up to 12% of people claimed that they needed a better working environment, while 16% attributed their high stress levels to their office environment. Workplace consultancy companies are on hand to assist with space audits and can make your workforce happier and your productivity level higher.

The report is a marked indicator that companies need to take a more proactive role in caring for their employees’ wellbeing by enhancing office design.

• Download the happiness report here.