Lets take a look at the things you need to know when renovating land or property.
When you’re venturing on the journey of renovation, the process as a whole can be pretty overwhelming. In this post, we’ll attempt to break down some of the steps in your renovation journey to help make them easier to understand and more manageable. We’ll also feature some tips on how to make sure your renovation runs smoothly. Keep reading to find out more.
Creating A Budget Plan – Things You Need To Know When Renovating Land Or Property
When you’re renovating land or property it’s very important that you have a strict budget plan in place to help you stay on track. Your budget plan needs to include as much detail and foreplanning as possible, although of course there may be hiccups and unexpected costs along the way. You should attempt to find out as much as possible about the predicted costs of the work being carried out. From building materials to contractor fees, architect fees, and planning application costs. You should even plan for the expense involved for finishing touches when building work is complete.
Once you have all of this information together, you’ll be able to work out an estimate of the total costs and your budget for the project. It’s important to remember to include a contingency budget too for any unexpected costs or if you run over budget. This should be roughly 10% of the total budget, although some people may choose to put aside more. A contingency budget can be additional savings or a reliable plan to obtain more money somehow, such as through an approved loan or borrowing money from family or friends.
Finding The Right Land Or Property
If you are still on the hunt for the perfect place to renovate into your dream home or as a development project, then here are a few things to consider. The land or property you choose needs to have some criteria in order to make it the right choice for such a project. For example, is there planning permission already in place for work to be carried out or will you need to apply for it? Is planning permission likely to be granted or could there be reasons for it to be rejected? Make sure you always visit the land you plan to develop before you purchase it and seek a professional opinion too.
If you’re planning to live there long-term, make sure you get to know the local area and establish whether it’s right for you and your family if you have one. Is there access to the kind of amenities you’ll need? What are the local transport links like? Is it conveniently located for visiting family and friends or commuting to work? If you’re developing the land to sell on, think about the kind of buyer you’re aiming the final result to and if it’s located conveniently for that kind of buyer.
Carrying Out Surveys – Things You Need To Know When Renovating Land Or Property
When viewing land or property, it’s a good idea to hire a professional surveyor to inspect it as well. They can help to identify any issues with carrying out building work or things that could be potentially dangerous. Structural surveyors will inspect buildings and homes to find any issues with the integrity of the building, such as subsidence, asbestos, rising damp, or rotting in wooden structures. A land surveyor can help identify things such as historic mining activity that could make land dangerous to build on, as well as environmental health issues.
There also needs to be consideration made for the land being built on and any local wildlife. Some species of plants and animals are legally protected if they are threatened or endangered. Therefore, if there are some of these species present, it could put a stop to any work being carried out. Arbtech carries out bat surveys and surveys for other endangered species commonly found on land being used for building projects. Your surveyor will be able to guide you through the necessary action that needs to be taken before any work can be carried out responsibly and legally.
The Process Of Applying For Planning Permission
Applying for planning permission can be a long and arduous process, but it’s essential in order for you to go through with a renovation project in some cases. There are many reasons you could be required to apply for planning permission. For example, if you’re carrying out building work, or making changes to a period property that has listed status. You find out the criteria for applying for whether you need to apply for planning permission from your local council. Before you submit your application, it’s important to make sure you have all the necessary details listed in your plans. If you fail to include some necessary information, it could lead to your application being rejected.
Common things that need to be included tend to be things such as architectural plans, surveyor reports, site plan, and signed ownership certificate. If your plan gets rejected, it will be made clear why and what you could potentially do moving forward to gain approval. You need to submit your application to your local authority and bear in mind that the process could take months to reach a conclusion.
Choosing Builders
Choosing the right builders for your project is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. A lot of trust has to be put into your builders as they will be responsible for the quality and safety of your build. Make sure you conduct plenty of research before choosing your builders and be sure to vet them thoroughly. Ideally, try and choose builders that have been used for projects similar to yours by friends and family, so they can tell vouch first-hand for their work and conduct. Failing this, make sure you look through their reviews from previous customers and what feedback they have been given. You should also ask to see some examples of their previous work and whether the standard of quality is good enough. Never pay your builders upfront. A deposit should be paid before work commences, with the final payment being made once work has been completed and you’re happy with the end result.
Things You Need To Know When Renovating Land Or Property is a feature post
