Fady’s Affordable Renovation

  FadyReno’s expertise spans across a wide array of renovations and remodels, each tailored to the unique demands of individual projects. The company's expansive reach is not just limited to the diversity of services but also the geography it covers. Serving cities across Ontario, FadyReno has become a household name, trusted and revered by many for its impeccable service, timely deliveries, and a transparent approach.

 Be aware of the rules on thermal efficiency, too. ‘The new Part L changes to building regulations, which aim to improve the thermal efficiency of homes in the UK, affect the products that can be used in new builds and renovations, including doors and windows,’ explains Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin. ‘This means that homeowners need to be eagle-eyed when choosing replacement glazing for their homes.

 ‘The updated regulations include new standards for U-values, which measure how easily heat is transferred through a material or product. One shortcut that some manufacturers are taking to meet these new lower U-value thresholds is to only offer triple glazing. However, this method makes glazing more expensive and much heavier, so products like bifold doors or sliders can become more difficult to operate.

 ‘Instead, I’d recommend looking for manufacturers that have achieved these lower U-values in other ways. For example, by improving the thermal breaks which are used in doors and windows to limit the transfer of energy from inside to outside. Internal changes like this will make products more thermally efficient, without impacting the functionality or aesthetics.‘

 Whether you’re extending a Victorian house, or renovating an older or newer property, once you have your plans, you must identify which aspects of your proposed work require statutory consent.

 ‘Make sure that you understand the different consents that you will need to address,’ advises architect Hugo Tugman. ‘Do you have permission to use the building as a dwelling, or will you need consent for a material change of use? Is it a listed building, is it in a conservation area, do you even need planning permission? Even if you don’t, you will almost certainly have to comply with building regulations and you might need a party wall agreement with neighbours. An architect can guide you through this minefield.’

 If you want to start work immediately, check with your local authority and take on projects that are classed as permitted development (PD), such as converting an existing garage or roof space. If you do need statutory consents for all or part of your proposed works, factor in the amount of time required to determine the application. Planning decisions are supposed to take eight weeks and a full building regulations application five to six weeks.

 Bats love the dark, quiet nooks and crannies in old homes – even more so if those homes have been left uninhabited for some time. It is a criminal offence to harm bats or disturb them when roosting, so conduct a bat survey and find out if you need to take special measures with your project.

 Bat surveys can be expensive, but the fines imposed for not taking the precautions and disturbing bats are higher, so do your research well in advance as conducting a survey too late could hold up works.

 It’s worth taking your time to perfect the design and ensure the finished property will meet your needs. Think about how the changes will work with the original building – do you want any extensions to blend in with the existing property? Do you want to restore its original appearance, or dramatically transform your house exterior design? Ask yourself what you are hoping to achieve, then consult with an architectural designer to look at all of the possibilities.

 Think carefully about room placement, too. ‘Focus on introducing natural light, which has the power to transform and uplift any space,’ says Sarah Beeny. ‘Wherever possible, arrange rooms so you spend the majority of your time where the light is. It’s also worth considering the view – a good one can go a long way.’

 It's crucial to define your home renovation process before you start the work. Be clear on the steps you will need to take to renovate the property before you make a start, and prioritise works that stop further decay, or stabilise the structure. You might find that works in one room impact on those in another (especially where plumbing and wiring are involved), so have a clear vision for the whole house and prepare a schedule of works listing the order of jobs – so for instance, re-wiring is completed before walls are replastered.

 If you are carrying out major structural work, or extending a house, consult the appropriate professionals first, as there may be implications you are unaware of.

 For example, a loft conversion might seem like a job isolated from the ground floor of the house, but adding an additional habitable floor carries building regulations demands and might require fire doors, a sprinkler system and mains powered alarms, influencing the loft conversion costs. You need to be aware of these issues early on as they will affect the budget, and also the aesthetics of your property.

 Use recommendations from family and friends that are familiar with a house renovation, as they can offer help in finding an architect, builder and, if needed, a project manager – unless you are planning to project manage the renovation yourself.

 When it comes to finding a builder, ‘unless you have word of mouth that someone is brilliant, the easiest way to do this is to go to your local merchant and ask the manager to give you three names of their best customers,’ recommends Clive Holland, broadcaster on Fix Radio, a station for tradespeople and builders.

 ‘Don’t be afraid amongst tradespeople and ask them for help. It’s also important that for each trade always print a joint contract tribunal (JCT) contract between you and the tradesperson so you are safe in the knowledge that if anything goes wrong you have a contract. All good tradespeople are happy to sign those.’

 Few would forget to insure their property and its contents, but many are unaware that home contents or buildings insurance may not cover for extensive building work. ‘Home insurance is generally based on the homeowner residing at the property in question,’ explains Brooke Crisp, manager, Renovation Plan.

 ‘If your project requires the property to be vacated, which may well be the case for larger scale conversions and renovations, then it is likely that the policy would become invalid. Most standard home insurance policies have an unoccupancy clause on them which restricts the cover if the property is empty for more than 30 days. If you choose to move out of the property for the duration of the works, this clause is often implemented.’

 Note, too, that cost counts. ‘Most home insurance policies will not cover you if the cost of the work being carried out exceeds £25,000,’ says Brooke. ‘Your average extension or loft conversion is likely to go over this limit.

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 ‘The risk is not always just to the insured property. Building work can also result in damage being caused to neighbouring properties and this should also be a consideration when discussing the nature of the works and the proximity to the adjoining properties, particularly where there is piling or basement works being undertaken or there are party wall agreements in place. Damage could be cracks appearing in the neighbouring walls or, in the most severe cases, the adjoining property could collapse.’

 The best thing to do is to take out specialist renovations insurance. The level required will depend on the works carried out.

 Be mindful, too, to keep your cover up to date. ‘Many people are unaware that your total “sums insured” value can change during your renovation project,’ says Brooke. ‘The total sums insured is the maximum amount your insurer will pay out in the event of a claim, like demolition in the event of total loss. Fitting a new kitchen, bathroom or building an extension will hopefully increase the value of your home. It’s also very common for the cost of a project to increase during the build, caused by increased costs of materials or unforeseen complications etc. If you forget to increase the total sum insured during or upon completion of the works, you could leave yourself vulnerable to being insured for a value lower than required if you need to make a claim in the future.’

 Check that your main contractor has site insurance. If you are hiring subcontractors (and thus taking the role of main contractor), you will need to sort site insurance yourself to be covered for public liability, employer’s liability, legal expenses and damages on site. If the unthinkable happens, not being insured will have a major impact on your project.

 ‘Making the site safe and secure is your next priority, followed by any clearance or demolition work,’ says Michael Holmes. ‘Health and safety is the responsibility of the building owner, so a risk assessment and method statement for demolition, which includes dealing with hazardous waste, is essential. A hazardous waste survey is also necessary to look for asbestos and other risks.'

 ‘It’s important not to rush into demolition,’ says Hugo Tugman. ‘I’ve seen people fall foul of listed building consent by stripping out internal fabric they thought was unimportant, only to find they have undertaken a criminal act. Take care that services such as gas and electricity are safely capped off before work starts.’

 When it comes to getting rid of rubbish, don’t put everything in the skip – not only is that environmentally unfriendly, but you might miss out on making money from unwanted fixtures and fittings. A salvage yard may agree to pay for old materials and include removal as part of the deal. Items usually fit into four categories: salvage, sell, charity, or tip.

 When it comes to getting rid of rubbish, don’t put everything in the skip – not only is that environmentally unfriendly, but you might miss out on making money from unwanted fixtures and fittings. A salvage yard may agree to pay for old materials and include removal as part of the deal. Items usually fit into four categories: salvage, sell, charity, or tip.

 Salvage anything that you can use such as old sanitaryware, which can be cleaned up and re-enamelled if need be.

 Sell things that are in good condition, but not needed or wanted anymore – salvage yards will take anything from old windows to spare roof tiles. eBay and Facebook Marketplace are also good places that make selling easy.

 Recycle items that can still be used, by giving them to someone else, to charity shops (when they re-open) or to organisations that help people furnish their homes.

 a stunning lake district home with glass box extension and stone walls, with mountains and greenery to the right

 Simply insuring a home while you are undergoing a house renovation is not enough – you must ensure the property is adequately protected against break-ins, too. If the property is empty, don’t be mistaken in thinking there is nothing worth taking: pipes, wiring and architectural salvage can all be stolen or vandalised.

 Windows and doors on period properties are prone to rot and may not offer the protection your home needs. Even if you plan to replace them eventually, take the time to add locks for the immediate term. It is not wasted money when you consider how much you could lose if the house were broken into. When you do come to replace windows, make sure they are adequately boarded up in between the old being removed and the new ones put in.

 The first stage of any renovation project is to get a detailed assessment of the current condition of the property. ‘It’s really important to know what problems you are up against,’ says Hugo Tugman, founder of Architect Your Home. ‘Invest in a measured survey of the building to give you accurate plans, and a condition survey that will report on issues such as damp, infestation or subsidence.’

 Any building left empty for more than a few months will inevitably start to deteriorate. While you finalise your plans, ensure the building is weather tight by covering up missing doors, windows and sections of roof. You may also need to put urgent temporary structural stabilisation in place; this might mean steel ties to stop lateral spread in walls or a roof, or scaffolding to prevent further collapse.

 exterior of a large London Victorian home with original conservatory, with a black gate surrounding, trees, and a dog at the front