What plans????

Our renovations fall under permitted development, however our Architect A1 Associates recommended we seek confirmation from the council, which we agreed with, especially as we know how important it is to have all the correct paperwork in place when you sell. This permission cost about £90. 

Once this approval was received, our architect submitted building control plans, setting out the materials / positioning of joists and other complex calculations, this costs about £1,000, which includes the visits from the building inspector. It’s beneficial to get to know the building control team, so they can provide guidance during each stage, as an example, RSJ’s will need to be checked before they are covered.

Getting quotes

Finding trades people can be a daunting task but taking a step back to determine what you need is important:

• what do you need done?
• what is your budget?
• what is your timeline?
• what certifications are needed when the work is completed?
• Does this need to be coordinated with another job?
• Have they been reliable during initial interactions?

We have always used people we know or have been recommended, but we still aim to get a few quotes because it’s about finding someone that meets all the criteria, this goes for both sides. Gut instinct has served us well too, so trust your inner compass.

If you don’t have the luxury of knowing trades people I would recommend using sites like www.checkatrade.com

Creating a mood board

I know it’s early in the journey but it’s always good to start capturing your ideas of colour, furniture and layout, as these things will have a direct impact to the positioning of light switches, fittings, radiators etc…I use a combination of magazines, UK Pinterest, rightmove, shops, restaurants anywhere thst inspires my ideas. Make you file then under each room, so when the time comes to make decisions you are ready for action….

The old kitchen…

The kitchen is a nice size, with everything you’d need to cook a lovely family dinner but it is calling out for renovation and modernisation. The room faces out onto our south facing garden making us think that our summer BBQ’s will be an absolute delight, especially when we have bi-folding doors opening out to the outside space…

Who am I …

My name is Lisa, I’ve decided to dip my toe into the world of blogging….my topic is the renovation of my family home. Having been in this place before and vowing to never do it again….my husband & I ignored all the wise words of our friends and family and took the plunge again, but just to add to the mix of complexity we decide to move County too….and of course purchased a house that required full renovation. Whilst the idea feels us both with excitement & trepidation we are looking forward to the challenge…

The objective of my blog is to help me stay focussed (& hopefully sane) I’ll look to share tips, design ideas and how to manage such a big personal project whilst working full-time & being a mum to 4 children.

Hope you enjoy the trials and tribulations of our journey.