Renovations Homes - How to retain original features

Keeping original features retains the character of older homes and listed properties, without them you are in danger of creating a theatre set. The reason most people take on a renovation project is a love of old buildings and the desire to create a comfortable and characterful home. Most people in these circumstances are determined to save as many of the original features as possible.

It’s often the little details that count and that will make the difference to your finished renovation. It’s important to be flexible and be prepared to make decisions about original features as your renovation progresses and the condition of those features is revealed.

At the same time it is important to plan ahead and to incorporate those original features in your renovation plan. Use a specialist builder and designer with experience of older properties. They will be able to advise you on what can be saved, used and restored as well as how to retain original features and how to best incorporate them to ensure you have a comfortable stylish home.

Original features such as inglenook and feature fireplaces, original timbers and beams, plaster work and roof tiles can make considerable difference to your finished renovation. Don’t discount specific features from buildings that were originally used for agricultural, industrial or religious use. This might include dove cots, cattle troughs, feature windows, high ceilings, brick work and original flooring.

What you need to consider

• Firstly can the original feature be retained 
• The condition of the feature might reveal itself at a later stage of your renovation 
• How will the feature affect your room layout and design?
• What will removing old paint reveal? Is it better to recreate from new using a specialist?
• Can you make better use of original features by using them elsewhere 
• Beams and ceilings in agricultural buildings might be too low so relocation will be the only option 

To see some of Kent Building Developments Renovations >>>>>

Garden Rooms

 

More people than ever are opting to extend their homes rather than move. Creating new spaces,  more room and improving the layout can make your home work more efficiently. Garden rooms can be designed to create an area where you can enjoy the warm breeze of a summer day, or in winter, shut out the cold and get cosy by the fire! Garden rooms are a fantastic way to let you enjoy your garden all year round. Good design will create a seamless transition between the house and the garden.

Whilst the majority of garden rooms are attached to properties, they can work just as well free standing as a part of your garden. Garden Rooms by Kent Building Developments can create that special area for different uses such as,
 

      Studios for art work and pottery

      Home cinema

     Children's playrooms

     Teenage hideaways

     Swimming pools

     Home offices

 

 A Garden Room may be a once in a life time opportunity, therefore,  good planning and design will make sure your Garden Room brings you more space, adds value to your home and complements the style and individuality of your home.

What you need to consider when planning your garden room

      Planning permission may be needed (link to other article)
     Will it be eco friendly and energy efficient
     Modern or traditional, glass or brick to blend in with your home and garden or something  more original, for example,  Green Oak
    Wide doors to connect you with your garden
    Type of heating

 

     A garden room for business and work

Around 30% of the working population now work from home. Garden rooms are the perfect solution, warm and spacious. Good design will create an office, or meeting room free from the distractions of a home environment.

Kent Building Developments Garden Rooms

Whether attached or a stand-alone construction. Garden Rooms by Kent Building Developments benefit from the highest standard of workmanship with comfort, energy efficiency and the use of environmentally friendly elements. Your garden room will be designed and built to your personal requirements and preferences.

Kent building Developments garden rooms are designed with style, longevity and quality in mind. Please visit our photo gallery. We are a Yorkshire based family run company and are committed to 100% customer satisfaction, with comprehensive guarantees. 

Kent Building Developments winter 2012 News

Prestigious English Country Cottages Gold Award marks continued success for North Yorkshire Holiday Cottage

Before Director Steve Kent, of Kent Building Developments Ltd, converted a derelict listed barn on

the edge of the North Yorkshire moors into two holiday cottages, he was advised to develop them

to a basic level of comfort and services for holiday lets.  

Feeling strongly that people on holiday deserve a comfortable stay and wanting to do justice to the beautiful 18^th century part stone built barn, he ignored the advice and renovated the cottages to a much higher standard.  Both holiday cottages, Rose & Granary, are heated with renewable energy and enjoy underfloor heating throughout.

Steve’s commitment and determination have resulted in a Gold Award for Rose Cottage from English Country Cottages.  Gold awards are based on customer feedback and 100% rankings for comfort, presentation of the property, customer service and degree of luxury for the accommodation overall.

The Gold Award follows a top English Country Cottage Five Star rating of ‘Exceptional with a degree of luxury’ for both Rose and Granary Cottages.  The converted barn in Rillington, near Malton includes both holiday cottages and Steve’s own property, so Steve and partner Pam are on close hand to help make visitors’ stay as comfortable and interesting as possible.  All three properties retain original features from the barn including beams and vaulted ceilings.

Steve said; “Despite the advice given to me, my instinct was to give people the comfort they deserve and, at the same time, do justice to the wonderful old barn. I’ve long had a commitment to renewable energy and energy efficiency and I’m sure this has been reflected in the high level of comfort reported by our visitors.”

He added; “We spent a lot of time researching the types of visitors we could attract and went out of our way to provide facilities for them. These include an en-suite disabled friendly bathroom in Rose, open plan lounges, kitchens and diners with contemporary furniture, French doors leading on to stone paved patio areas set within secluded walled gardens, secure cycle store, walking trail suggestions for hikers and details of bird watching sites for bird watchers.”

 

Building Estimates and Quotations

As a professional builder I often come across house buyers and homeowners who have found their longed for building project has turned into a series of problems and delays. Typically these are:

•  Problems obtaining planning permission and expensive repeat submissions (link this to previous articles)
• The cost of the finished project exceeds original estimates and quotations
• The time taken exceeds the time agreed

I decided to pass on some advice based on my 30 years of experience in the building trade. To start with let’s get a few legal points out of the way. When you employ a builder or building company you can expect and are entitled to:

• Work being carried out with reasonable care and skill
• Finished in a reasonable and agreed time
• Provided at a reasonable cost  to an agreed specification

Sometimes, additional work is required to make sure your project is carried out safely and correctly. The very nature of building means unforeseen problems can occur which may affect the final price

The simple way to overcome this is to have a contingency budget and make sure you agree with the builder that any further work will only be completed by agreement. A truly professional building company would not think of carrying out extra work without explaining the necessity for it and how much extra it will cost.

Estimates

It is important you know about the difference between a quotation and an estimate. Usually an estimate is an approximation of how much your building project will cost. Estimates are useful in the early stages in order to establish an initial budget cost. An estimate is not an agreed price. If an actual price for your building project was not agreed you may legally have to pay the difference if the builder asks for more money at any stage of the contract.

A quotation should be a detailed assessment of the work to be carried out. This should include the time required and the material specification to complete the work. A quotation from a professional builder will include this information. This isa good way to tell if your building company is professional and reputable.

A Barn Conversion? What you need to consider

It’s everyone’s dream, to buy an old barn and convert it into a stunning and spacious home with private landscaped gardens in a peaceful location in the countryside. The dream to create a wonderful and original home with all the space you need for yourself and your family.

From derelict barn to a home that provides exactly the space and rooms you want needs careful thought and planning. The first crucial step is to find an expert, someone who has the experience and skills to guide you through the whole process. Doing this will ultimately save you time, money and a lot of stress.

Your expert will have been through the whole process before. Even better if you can find an expert who can take care of the whole process from initial idea, through design, planning and building.

What you need to consider?

ü  Is the barn listed?

ü  Do you need planning permission from change of use from agricultural to residential and how likely is this to be granted?

ü  Are you going for a traditional look or do you want to combine an old building with a modern design?

ü  How will your barn be connected to the mains? An agricultural barn might not have had mains services. What will this add to the cost?

ü  How sound is the structure will any timbers need replacing? How will this affect the overall design?

ü  Your expert should be able to provide you with quotes and costings for the whole process broken down into individual stages and processes. This is where you will save time and money by using one expert for the whole process.

ü  What rooms do you need? How many reception rooms? Do you need a home office? How many bedrooms and how will they all fit into the overall design. Do you plan for a games room or garden room? Will you need an extension to provide extra space and how will this impact on the overall design?

ü  Using an expert who will have the knowledge to know which designs will be accepted by planning and make the whole process simpler for you.

ü  How will your barn be heated? Ask your expert about running costs and energy saving elements

Remember barn conversions are not the cheapest option for your home in the country, but they do have the promise of light airy rooms, large living areas and a comfortable and truly original home.

To find an expert in barn conversions check on the Internet or ask friends and relatives for recommendations. Look for someone who has experience of barn conversions, someone who can show you completed barn conversions and who has testimonials from satisfied customers.

For a few Kent building Developments barn conversions please visitwww.kent-build.co.uk

Thinking of adding a conservatory to your home?

Conservatories offer versatile accommodation and they are one of the most cost effective ways of creating extra living space for your home. They can usually be constructed more quickly than an extension and often do not need planning permission.

Before jumping in, do your research to make sure you are buying the best quality structure within your budget. Choose a reputable builder. Visit the builder’s web site to see examples of their work and to read customer testimonials (link to how to choose a builder article).

A quotation for your conservatory

Ask your builder what is included in his quote.  Does it include flooring, electrics, heating and ventilation?  You would be advised to have heating and ventilation installed so that you can use your conservatory year round. A separate heating system will enable you to heat your conservatory without needing to use your main heating system.

The majority of conservatories do not need planning or building regulations approval, listed building are a notable exception,  but you would be well advised to check ahead. Get it wrong and you might have to take it down!

Think carefully about the position of your conservatory. South facing and it will take the full sun and so will need good ventilation and shade in the summer. North facing and you will need some heating in the winter. Take care that your conservatory does not take up too much space in your garden and choose a design which is keeping with your house.

The structure of your conservatory

Most conservatories have concrete foundations, cavity brickwork lower walls with glazed upper walls and roof panels set within frames.  A number of materials can be used for the frames, UPVC is the most economical and the most commonly used, but UPVC might not be allowed on listed buildings or in conservation areas.  Alternatives are aluminium, steel and timber.

What type of glass is used in conservatories?

 For safety, toughened or laminated glass must be used throughout. Laminated glass offers added security benefits against break-ins and cuts out around 90% of the sun’s UV rays, which fade furnishings.

To prevent overheating, particularly if your conservatory faces south, use solar control glass such as K2's Celsius Performance Glass or bronze polycarbonate panels for the roof. This can reduce the temperature by several degrees in the summer as well as reducing glare. You can also consider ridge ventilation and roof lights that open automatically above a given temperature to allow air to circulate.