Building Solutions

The renovation of abandoned farm buildings can provide crucial extra revenue

2008-03-27T03:41:00.000-07:00

The recent success of the BBC's Restoration Village has seen a dramatic number of people turning their attention towards the renovation of abandoned countryside buildings. This has seen a particularly rapidly increasing trend within the agricultural sector; if you're a farmer and you own a redundant building, renovation may be an excellent way to diversify and raise your revenue.

Diversification, however, can be a particular problem for farmers and a seemingly daunting risk to take. Yet, many abandoned farm buildings may make excellent craft workshops, rural meeting places, stores or office facilities, particularly if they are located near a main road. This type of renovation can however be costly; Local Authorities often require that owners obtain planning permission before changing the designated usage of a building; these costs may differ widely depending on the area and the extent of the conversion work required. Yet some owners may be able to obtain grants for certain renovation work, and some banks may even be prepared to provide support for business plans that seem professional, well prepared and potentially lucrative. Often, if the conversion is successful, the costs of refurbishing abandoned farm buildings will be far outweighed by the benefits it will reap.

If the renovation project aims towards renting, rental income can vary greatly from �2 to well over �5 per square foot, depending on location, size of building, quality and a variety of other factors. If rural workshop units or office facilities are being set up, then adequate car parking facilities will also need to be provided for staff, customers and trade service providers.

Novice landlords may come up against some general problems, such as how to decide prospective tenants, and how to draw up a watertight lease. Generally, most landlords should obtain references before deciding on tenants, as well as credit references, bank references and, in some cases, references from the prospective tenant's accountant or financial adviser. The taking of an initial deposit is often wise, as is collecting rent quarterly in advance, and leases should be drawn up to diminish the possibility of further expenditure by the landlord during the term of the lease.

As well as refurbishing abandoned farm buildings to create workshop or office space, farmers in tourist regions may convert redundant buildings into holiday accommodation, in order to generate a high amount of letting income. However conversions to residential homes or rooms generally cost much more than comparatively simple workshop conversions, and this kind of decision requires much more thought and a hefty business plan behind it.

If you are the owner of redundant farm buildings and are thinking of diversifying, there are many estate agents and property market organisations, such as Prime Location, who offer advice and information on making better use of country properties, as well as offering a wide variety of ads for farms, estates and land up for sale or rent.

Submitted by:

Michael Hanna

About Michael

Michael is a keen writer, and internet marketer living in Scotland:

Contact details:

E-mail: samqam@googlemail.com

Phone: 0131 561 2251

Michael's Website: Belfast Taxi

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Thinking About A Kitchen Renovation?

2008-03-27T03:35:00.000-07:00

Nothing can help freshen up an older home, or help in the sale of a property or inspire your kitchen workspace like a new or remodeled kitchen. Kitchen design is becoming increasingly more important as space is rapidly growing smaller. Designing or remodeling your kitchen can be an incredibly exciting adventure but with it can come a lot of stress, and complication! Although there will always be some element of stress felt through a kitchen renovation it is possible to eliminate much of it with a solid plan. If a kitchen make-over is in your near future you should consider the following and make the best of this otherwise stressful period.

Build a Foundation

During the design process the most important question you can ask yourself is "Why do I want a new kitchen?" Is it because you are looking for more storage space? Is your space not being maximized? Does your cabinetry need to be replaced? Are your appliances in need of change as well? Is your kitchen too dark? Is your space too small or too big? Too Boring? Or simply, too much??!

By asking yourself these important questions you will have a much better idea of what you need to get out of your kitchen space. This information will become the foundation for your kitchen design plan.

Make a wish list

Once you have your "foundation" in place it is important to ask yourself a few more questions. Now that I know what I need, what is it I want? What you would like to have in your kitchen? Give this a lot of thought because design today can incorporate special storage and space savers into the cabinetry design today! Write a list of everything you couldn't live without. This list will also become a very important guideline for you, your contractor, or designer to follow. Here are a few questions to paint an example for you:

Do you want stainless steel appliances? Granite counter tops? Tiled flooring? Is it heated? Gas or electric? What will your color palette be? What kind of cabinetry will you use? What can I not live without?

Budget

How much can you afford to spend on your kitchen space? This is a big question that can affect the entire project. Kitchen design projects are rarely inexpensive so you must get out and do some pricing on items that are necessary for you to fulfill your foundation and wish list. Beware that if you plan on replacing your cabinetry it will account for more than half of your budget!!
When building your kitchen design budget you also want to include the cost of all labor (electricians, carpenters, gas technicians, plumbers, contractors etc.) and then consider the possibility of hiring a designer.
You must stay within your budget when planning a new kitchen. Account for as much as possible and add on another 20% or more just incase. Unexpected costs arise all the time in kitchen renovations and the best way to overcome it is to create a great budget. Dreaming big is one thing, but placing importance on price and affordability will ensure that you get what you are expecting and save some money for unexpected emergencies.

Time Frame

It is also very important to know when your project needs to be completed. Kitchen projects are notorious for being drawn out. Set realistic goals. The remodeling and new construction industry is booming and this can have a direct affect on your project. Many crew are working on several projects at a time so be sure to communicate your completion date with your contractor and demand a realistic response. Labor is not cheap so the shorter the time frame the higher the cost. It is also helpful to plan for you and your family to prepare meals at an alternate location or account for dining out into your budget. Remember that being inconvenienced at home can also cost you more money at the end of the day.

Designers

Hiring a designer can really help you get onto the right path sooner. These professional consultants can take care of every aspect of the design process like choosing the appropriate layout for you and your home. Coordinating color & lighting that is appropriate. Making sure all your trades and contractors are working in unison and of course ensuring that your dream kitchen becomes a reality. Designers will sit with you and go through a detailed interview process to get the best idea of what you are looking for. Their objective is to design a plan and develop a kitchen that works best for you. Your designer will combine your foundation and wish lists and weigh the pros and cons to balance them against your needs, space limitations and budget. Your designer will put together all the planning, logistical needs and contractors for your project. They can be expensive but many kitchen and bath showrooms will have in house designers working for them. You can set up an appointment or walk in and speak with someone almost immediately. This service helps the supplier get your business and they will do everything for you, from measuring your space to arranging packages for you that suit any budget.

Designers are usually well worth it, but do your research and find a design consultant with a portfolio that really connects with your own personal style.

You can also use your contractor to help you in planning out your workspace or even use a kitchen design software to personally plan out your kitchen space if you think you have what it takes!

Contractors

If you plan to do the design work yourself, make sure you use a professional contractor. There are lots of contractors out there who will undercut prices and offer you promises that are not realistic. Ask to see some portfolio work or for references. Make sure that your contractor is using accredited plumbers and electricians. Be wary of anyone willing to start immediately or who asks for cash upfront? Do not proceed with any payments unless you have an agreement with your contractor and make sure they detail all work on labor and materials. You do not want a poorly installed kitchen and any subsequent repairs will far outweigh the cost of using a professional.

A kitchen renovation can be a very stressful time, but it doesn't have to be. Stress is no good for anyone, besides getting a new kitchen should be an exciting journey not a nightmare! Enjoy your new kitchen and let the cooking begin!!

Michael Kyle has been an event coordinator and hospitality expert for 18 years. His passion for event planning and guest services helped lead to the successful launch of www.thesexykitchen.com; a web-site dedicated to kitchen design, renovation, party planning, hospitality, and more. Perhaps you have a passion or hobby you'd like to write about. Discover how to turn your passion into a successful website, visit www.succeed-from-your-passion.com to learn how.
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Property Renovation – a step in the right direction

2008-03-27T03:31:00.000-07:00

Property renovation has grown more and more popular in recent years with people buying property cheap, ‘doing it up’ and selling it off, making a nice profit in the process.

Whatever your reason for property renovation there has never been a better time to invest in it and watching a derelict building turn into your dream home is an incredible experience. Whether you want to modernise, overhaul, refit, reform, renew, repair or restore your property; renovation will transform the appearance of your property making it more pleasing to live in and in the long run making you a profit.

For your first experience at renovating a property you could try installing a new kitchen or bathroom or having central heating fitted. Any change that you make to your home, even if it is as simple as merely re-painting your home is classed as property renovation but before you start pulling out all the fixtures that you can get your hands on you should make sure that you plan what you want from your renovation as planning is key to ensure that you get what you want. Although things can’t be guaranteed to run smoothly when it comes to property renovation you should still have a time frame set out so that you have goals to work towards, meaning that the jobs that are being undertaken will be done a lot quicker.

Knowing what you want from your renovation and having a time frame set out are just the beginning when it comes to property renovation; you also need a budget in mind. Even though there is a high chance that you will run over this budget, by having one in mind you will be able to select the best quotes from the ones you gather from various contractors such as electricians, roofers and builders. Selecting a cheaper quote is good for your budget but make sure it is good for your renovation. Getting the best work from your contactors is more important than choosing work that costs that little bit less as you could end up spending more in the long run.

It is also important that you are prepared to live in a building site for a length of time whilst your renovation is being undertaken. There is a lot of work that needs to be carried out if you are renovating the entire of your property such as, gutting the property before any work can be undertaken, electrical re-wiring of the entire property, installation of heating, storage and air conditioning systems, cavity walls and window installation as well as flooring, roofing, fixtures and fitting and all of the painting and decorating that will need to be undertaken.

Before starting work on your property you need to visit tradesmen so you know what you are letting yourself in for and if the property that you are renovating is old you need to be prepared for anything.

Property renovation is an extremely hard process but highly rewarding when all of the work is completed. The results that you will see from it will be unbelievable and you will be left with your dream property, whether this is your new home or your new business.

Helen is the web master for ARCH Building Solutions, home of all your Property Renovation needs.

Plumbing – How to fix a Burst Pipe

2008-03-27T03:29:00.000-07:00

Plumbing refers to a skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures for portable water systems and the term plumber refers to someone who installs and repairs piping systems.

The plumbing industry is a basic substantial part of every developed economy due to the need for clean water and the proper collection and transport of waste products. Plumbing systems are distinguished from water and sewage systems as a plumbing system serves one building while water and sewage systems serve a group of buildings or a city.

Plumbing fixtures are designed for end users i.e. through the use of toilets, showers and kitchen sinks. Basically through any appliance we use in the home for the distribution of water or the clearance of waste.

Plumbing can become a complex issue if you don’t know what you are looking for or the correct materials and measures you need to use to maintain your plumbing work. This is why it is highly important to keep in mind that if you experience any problems with your plumbing work you call in the help of a professional plumbing contractor. By enlisting the help of a professional you are guaranteed that the work you have carried out on the plumbing work within your property will be of the highest standard and your problem will be resolved in a timely manner, allowing you to get on with your day.

Emergency situations and your plumbing work sadly happen on a frequent occasion, especially within the winter months. In the cold weather the water within your pipes has a tendency to freeze if you do not insulate your plumbing system to protect against this. Frozen pipes can cause a multitude of problems; one of the most common being a burst pipe.

When water freezes and changes into ice it causes an expansion of about 10%. This creates pressure within the pipe and if this pressure can’t be relieved; if the ice can’t travel down the pipe, the resulting pressure can split the pipe or force a joint to come open. Within this situation it is important that you fix the problem straight away. If you can fix the pipe yourself and the split is fairly small you should cut out the damaged part and slide the slip end of the coupling onto a pipe end. Then push it onto the other end. Unscrew the compression nuts and slide them, together with the olives, at each end along the pipe. Apply pipe-jointing compound before refitting the nuts and olives by screwing them tight using your fingers. Then use a spanner to tighten further. Once the repair work has been carried out you should run the water through the pipes again and feel the area or wrap with a paper tissue and check whether there is any leakage before leaving the site.

If you can’t fix the pipe yourself you should turn your water supply off and drain your pipes and the get a water hose and cut down the length of it then wrap it around the pipe until the damaged part of the pipe is covered. Once this is securely in place you should call a plumbing contractor to fix the problem on a long term basis.

Helen is the web master of ARCH Building Solutions; specialists in all of your Plumbing Solution needs.

They also offer Home Remodelling and Home Conversions.

Electricians and regulations

2008-03-27T03:26:00.000-07:00

An electrician is a tradesman who specialises in the electrical wiring of buildings and related equipment. An electrician may be employed for the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure.

When electrical work needs to be carried out within your home it is important that you hire a professional to do it as electrical work that is installed unprofessionally could end up being dangerous and you and your home could be what ends up suffering as a result of it. This is why you should use the help of an electrician to do any wiring or electrical work that needs to be carried out.

The UK standards and regulations no longer differ substantially from those seen in other European countries. However a number of traditions associated with domestic electrical wiring in the UK still differ significantly from other countries including ring circuits, fused plugs, switch sockets, absence of normal switches and sockets in bathrooms, historic wiring colours and asymmetric supply-voltage tolerances.

Within the UK all electrical work that needs to be carried out within a domestic setting must comply with the British Standard 7671. Although this regulation is classed as being older now it is a legal enforceability and a requirement of the Part P building regulations in England and Wales, which were introduced on January 1st 2005.

Some of the changes to restrictions that were set out in the new Part P aspect of the building regulations were seen as being controversial as under the new regulations, the undertaking of any work other than simple changes such as changing a light switch became notifiable to the local building control authority; so work such as any work in a kitchen or bathroom or work in other areas that are being re-wired will require a professional body, i.e. a trained electrician, to carry them out.

To coincide with the new regulations, the Government approved several professional bodies to award ‘competent persons’ status to individuals, which allows them to self-certify any work which they carry out. The building control authority must be informed of any notifiable work carried out by someone not qualified under this scheme before it is started (unless it is an emergency) and must subsequently be approved by them. Originally, it was widely understood that inspection by a qualified person (leading to authority approval) must be organised and paid for by the home-owner or person responsible for the site, which has caused some considerable criticism.

If you need any electrical work to be carried out on your home or property then get in touch with a registered trades person so that your work is carried out by an approved and trained electrician who can provide you with the needed certification stating that your electrical work, such as the re-wiring of a room or the re-wiring of your entire home or property was carried out in accordance to the specifications set out by the Part P regulations, leaving your home or property safe.

Helen is the web master of ARCH Building Solutions, home of all your Electrical Installation and Electrician needs.

What to Avoid When Remodeling Your Home

2008-03-07T04:14:00.000-08:00

When remodeling or improving your home, you should stop and look at the future before you make any decisions. Some day, your investment will have to be sold. And you will want to get as much out of it as you have put in it.

There are things that just hurt a home when you are trying to sell it. These are items that really seem important to you, but the majority of buyers don't want.

The number one example is a swimming pool. I would love to have an in-ground swimming pool at my house. But I know that it would not be a good investment.

It is expensive to clean, maintain and buyers aren't looking for swimming pools. Buyers don't want the troubles or the energy bills that come with swimming pools. Lenders don't include pools in the mortgage appraisal, so it really has no value to your home.

Another thing that can hurt you is overexpanding your home. Yes, buyers are looking for space, but you can have too much space. If you add on a family room, you are likely to see a 83% return on your investment. It costs you when you don't get back 100%. Adding a master suite to a home will grant you a recovery of only 80% of the cost of the addition.

It gets even worse if your additions make your home much larger than those in your area. This hurts your appraisal value, as there are no other homes of your size to compare to.

You shouldn't go too crazy with your changes either. Yes, there are a lot of people that would find a basement that looks like an old-time western saloon quite charming. But would they want to buy it? What if the basement was extra storage and a family room instead?

You would think that a home office would be a good addition. So many people work from home. Yet, it probably isn't wise to totally outfit a room to be an office by installing a workstation and office storage. You will recoup an average of 73% of your investment, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Another thing to avoid is doing too much by yourself. Shoddy or handmade workmanship will not benefit you. I know a couple that painted their brand new home themselves. The job was not great, as you can see paint on the ceiling throughout the home. Plus, the colors are quite unusual. To sell their home, they may find that it would have been better to have a professional paint in a neutral color scheme.

Try to keep your decor in your personal belongings, not the home itself. Faux finishes are lovely, but if they are too unusual, they may be a sticking point. You may love unusual colors, but remember, hot pink walls are not for everyone.

When you know you will be selling your home, it helps to spend your time only on renovations that will pay you back. Do the most important projects first.

The projects that show the greatest return at resale are improvements to siding, windows, kitchens and bathrooms.

A midrange bathroom renovation can give you a 102% return on the investment. An upscale bathroom renovation can recoup 93% of the cost. A midrange kitchen improvement will recoup approximately 91% of the cost. Minor jobs return 99%.

Keep in mind that the most important improvements aren't those that add to your home, they are those that maintain the home. Make sure the paint is in good condition, the gutters are clean and the lawn is kept up. Keep track of annual checkups, such as the heating and air servicing, and make sure you include the info when you are trying to sell your home. A well-maintained home is always a good seller.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martin_Lukac
ARCH Building Contractors.

Midlands Building Contractors

2008-03-07T04:07:00.000-08:00

The name ‘Midlands’ is given to the central region of England. The Midlands is a well defined area and is home to Birmingham; the Midlands largest city and one that is recognisable across all of the UK.

The Midlands is made up of various towns and cities such as; Birmingham, Cannock, Derby, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford, West Bromwich, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

Some of the main visitor attractions across the Midlands include Warwick Castle, West Midlands Safari Park, Skydome Area and the Blists Hill Victorian Town. As well as attracting tourism to the Midlands, attractions such as these also benefit the residents of the Midlands.

If you are a resident of the Midlands then you have more than likely needed the use of a building contractor at some point to fix that leaking roof or to re-plaster a damaged wall. We all need a little help at some with our homes, which is why it is important to ensure that you pick the best building contractor for the job.

Luckily for residents of towns and cities across the Midlands help is at hand from ARCH Building Solutions. ARCH Building Solutions are a building contractor firm with a team of fully qualified and reliable tradesmen who are committed to providing the very best service. Some of the building contractor services that ARCH Building Solutions provides are:

Property Renovation
Electrical Installation
Roofing
Building Repairs
Conservatories
Carpentry
Plastering
Garden & Patios
Interior Painting
Extensions
Bathroom Renovation
Conversions

ARCH Building Solutions are a dedicated Building Contractor firm whose experience and expertise shines through every time. Whatever your property concern or plans ARCH Building has the solution we work on repairs or projects big and small.

For more information visit Midlands Building Contractors.

Birmingham Building Contractors
Solihull Property Renovation
Remodelling Your Home in Smethwich

Renovating the Property of your Dreams

2008-01-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Most people have that perfect family home, the dream property they want to live in and many of us never have the opportunity or drive to make our dream come true, but there are others who make their dream a reality and those people live the dream.

Living your dream must be an amazing feeling but it also may be a lot of hard work and money. When you decide to undertake any type of renovation you need to make sure you have the funds available, getting quotes on jobs is one thing but actually putting the money down to have the job is another thing altogether. If you get a quote for a job for example having the property gutted, make sure there’s a date which states when the quote is valid to. Sometimes quotes are for there and now and when you go back a few weeks or even months later the quote has risen. Making sure you have the funds available for any of these problems is a must, hidden costs and charges are always a problem in any type of renovation.

Things often go wrong which means more money needs to be spent to rectify the problem but also if you gut a property you may find after this that structural or even wiring for the electricity needs to re-done or repaired, of course this costs money and time. In any property renovation if you have a dead line or a month you definitely want to be moved in by, you should keep a timetable and a timeline on what should be done when and how long each task should take. If you keep this timeline up tom date you will have more of chance of knowing what’s to be done next and how the long the project is extending by if problems do arise.

You will want to make the property to look exactly like your dream but yes sometimes this is impossible due to materials or even your budget. What you can do though is to put all your effort, time and love into the renovation and make it the dream home you’ve always wanted. If you have no trade experience in renovating a property it’s a good idea to bring in the professionals but of course if you want to do bits yourself but you can still bring in the professionals for things such as:

Gutting the property: taking it back to a shell if necessary and starting from scratch, sometimes the easiest thing to do

Electrical services: installation of new wiring, plug sockets or new ariel cables for inside and out

Installation of partition walls: making large rooms into smaller rooms or moving walls around using the space in a different way to how it’s set out now
Installation of heating: installing new radiators and connecting them to installing under floor heating and even air conditioning units

Installation of cavity walls: to keep you and your house warm the installation of cavity walls and insulation is a good idea especially in older properties

Plastering of walls: once you have stripped the walls of paint, wallpaper you may want to re-plaster the walls so you have a new surface to work with when you decorate

Painting and decorating: you may not be one for painting and decorating, so why not get someone to do it for you. Painting of doors, windows, flooring and also walls as well as wallpapering the walls

Window installation: may it be old stained glass windows to double glazing being installed and fitted

Whatever your dream may be, it is possible with the right property and the right amount of money, but don’t give up make your dream a reality today!

Jene Pedder is the Webmaster of ARCH Building Solutions who specialise in Renovating Properties.

Property Renovation – What May Need Doing

2008-01-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

Have you bought a property at auction in need of renovation or purchased a property for business purposes that needs renovation, if so you might need the assistance of professional property renovators.

Property Renovation covers a wide range of activities, from structural repairs and new building work to converting a property into a house or business premises or even a set of apartments to refurbishment of the property all with the intent of renovating the property to the very highest standard. Once the property renovation has been done properly by the professionals you are likely to add considerable value to the property, which is what property developers are after of course.

Many property developers nowadays are buying a large house or warehouse and converting it in apartments. Apartments are great for first time buyers they usually cost a little less than a house and gives first time buyers the opportunity to afford to buy or rent somewhere as well as without the stress of looking after a garden. Selling or renting apartments can make a property developer a lot of money if they put the property on the market at the right time and right price. Of course with apartments you get to sell or rent each one individually usually making more money than just selling or renting one whole property for one price.

You may have a property that needs gutting before any renovation work can start, this may seem like a simple job whacking walls down, stripping walls but it can take time and a lot of energy and if you don’t have the time yourself or want a quick turn around the best idea is to get some professional renovators who can come in and gut the property before any other works starts. It’s not only gutting of the property that may be necessary but the installation of new electricity, water or gas systems may be necessary.

After the property is gutted, the areas that may need renovating and the help of professionals are:

• Electrical services

• Installation of partition Walls

• Installation of heating storage, radiators and or air conditioning units

• Installation of cavity walls and insulation

• Plastering of all walls

• Painting and decorating

• Window installation (double glazing)

If you have a listed building property that needs renovation you need to get permission from the English Heritage. They will give you a set of guidelines that you must follow, and they will regularly come and check the progress of the renovation and that the renovation is in keeping with the age of the property and that any original features are restored carefully.

If you’re a property developer and have bought a property that’s in need of renovation before you rent or sell the property on and you require professional help with renovating any part of the building or the whole building, there are specialist renovation and building supply companies to help you. You may feel you can do parts of the renovation yourself and also save some money, but you may also want a quick turn around and know you can’t complete the properties renovation in the time you have. If so contact a property renovation company today.

Jene Pedder is the Webmaster of ARCH Building Solutions who specialise in Property Renovation.