Author: Guest

How to maximise the market value of your home

Owning your own home, whether outright or with a mortgage, gives you lots of opportunities to grow its value, enabling you to profit at the time of any future sale. If you’re wondering about the best ways to maximise the current market value of your home in order to cash in big time in future years, read on.

Before starting to knock any property around, check out local planning laws

Before even beginning to discuss all the different ways you can increase the market value of your home, it’s vital you take a look around your home and think strategically about any future marketing attempt. If you have lots of unnecessary furniture and ornaments cluttering rooms, you may want to think about the benefits of decluttering. You’ll be amazed by just how much more empowered and energised you feel living in a clutter-free home, and may also uncover some of your most valued, long lost treasures during the process!

No matter where you happen to live in the world, it’s quite certain that local planning or building regulations will impact on any decision made to extend your home. Some homeowners apply for planning permissions retrospectively, but this can be a risky tactic. For example, Churchill’s research shows that 40,000 retrospective planning applications were made between 2017 and 2019 in the UK, and that a total of 12% of these applications were declined outright. The most sensible way forward is definitely getting in contact with local planners before any structural works or alterations take place. You could actually be pleasantly surprised, as some works won’t actually require formal planning applications or ongoing inspections.

Top ways to increase the value of any existing home

1. Potential property buyers always rate kerb/garden appeal highly

There are lots of ways that the market value of homes with gardens can be increased, without any need for building works. Maximising the kerb or garden appeal of your home shouldn’t be underestimated, and it may only require keeping on top of all regular maintenance and lawn care. Adding a patio or deck is one way to create entertaining space outdoors, and this is often top of the list for many homebuyers. Of course, if you’re an apartment dweller, you may only have access to an outdoor balcony or patio, but these small spaces can still be transformed into charming outside spaces with good planning.

The kerb appeal of your home relates to first impressions, so a lick of fresh paint on woodwork, a tidy front garden, and sparkling windows are all essentials that help to maximise the market value of your home.

2. Converting your loft or attic space

You could add even more value to your home by creating an extra bedroom or office, and lofts are often the ideal space to consider. Check with local planners before starting any building works, as regulations are likely to be in force. Some of the planning issues that will need consideration include staircase access, windows, and requirements for any en-suite bathroom or shower room. It’s often a good idea to involve an architect from the outset, and unless you’re a DIY expert it’s probably best to hire some professional help.

3. Extending your home to the side or rear to create larger living spaces downstairs

Many city and rural dwellers in terraced or semi-detached homes find that extending the downstairs space to the side and back can provide even more room, which is particularly valuable for growing families. In the UK, extensions like this are often considered permitted developments and may not even require formal planning permissions. However, check all this out beforehand, as any works to party walls which are shared with neighbours may well need planning investigation.

Some of the other valuable ways to maximise the capital locked in your existing home include:

– Turning an integral garage into a room, which can be a valuable way to free up unused space

– Adding a conservatory

– Converting a cellar into a basement room

Your existing home could be the key to gaining your dream home in the future, so staying on top of clutter and adding extensions or upgrades can be an excellent way to truly make the most of your property investment.

Author: Hubert Day

Design Project of an Apartment – Where to Begin

Once there is a design project, it has stages of its development.

1. Making an apartment plan.

2. Development of a sketch of the project.

3. The choice of a common design concept, taking into account the characteristics of each room.

4. Preparation of drawings.

5. The choice of accessories and decor items.

The implementation of the first paragraph is impossible without taking measurements. Accuracy is important here since any error can lead to problems at further stages of the project.

Apartment plan

You can draw a plan either manually or using graphic programs. It indicates all sizes, the location of windows and doors, new walls and partitions (if necessary), niches and various changes that will improve the appearance and functionality of the room.

When creating a plan, it is important to consider the purpose of each room, the number of residents who will live in the apartment, and their lifestyle. If there is only one room, it is important to correctly separate the zone of sleep and leisure, work. Next, you need to duplicate the project and draw a sketch of the arrangement of furniture and equipment on a new sheet.

Sketch of premises

The sketch allows you to decide on the interior concept, choose the style and design features of the apartment. To achieve a balance in the palette and details, it is important to familiarize yourself with the features and rules of using the selected direction in advance. To create a detailed sketch, computer programs such as Homestyler, HomeByMe, SmartDraw, IKEA Home Planner, Sweet Home 3D, Planner 5D and others are used.

Interior Design

After the concept is selected, and the desired style is fully understood, you can proceed to detail the design of each room. In addition to the texture and color of finishing materials, furniture upholstery, textiles, and the location of fixtures are selected to achieve the desired level of illumination in each zone.

Decor elements are selected at the last moment when the sketch will have a full arrangement of furniture, a detailed color palette, the location of lighting fixtures. It is not necessary to indicate all the decorative elements, but only those for which you need to prepare (leave) a place.

Creating design project drawings

The drawing is an amended plan, which indicates not only the dimensions but also the location of the heating equipment. As well as communications, plumbing, electrical wiring, sockets, and switches. The drawings also indicate the features of the room that need special attention (extension of the windowsill, the need to install drywall constructions, underfloor heating, etc.).

The choice of accessories and decor items

To come with accessories and décor items is the most creative part of developing a design project. At this stage, the texture of the furniture and its color, the design of lighting fixtures, paintings and various objects of the decor of the room, accessories are selected. All details should correspond to the chosen style and harmonize in the palette. You can sketch in advance or simply trust your taste and intuition. This is the advantage of a do-it-yourself design project. No one will dictate the rules – each element will be matched with the soul.

If you cannot choose exactly the furniture that is necessary to implement the general concept. You can always draw a few more sketches and make it by hand, or order it from professionals.

About the author: Melisa Marzett is a freelance writer who writes articles for www.findwritingservice.com and also a traveler who is not afraid of anything, who welcomes any challenges and believes firmly that whatever doesn`t kill us, makes us stronger.