Tips - Kitchen Planning

Draw up a scale plan to try out different layouts. Cut out squares the size of the units and appliances and move them around the plan to get the best design. Alternatively, use the free 3D planning service offered by many kitchen showrooms.

Try to keep your sink, cooker and fridge close together to maximise efficiency. When you draw up your plan, place these first and draw three lines to connect them. This usually results in a triangular shape. The smaller the triangle, the easier it will be to make the most of your kitchen.

The sink, washing machine and dishwasher should ideally be placed against an outside wall so that waste pipes can be plumbed in easily.

Don’t put the fridge next to the cooker as the difference in the temperatures of the two appliances will make both work less efficiently.

Don’t put an appliance in a corner where it might block adjoining cabinets, and don’t position a cooker or hob (especially gas) under a window.

source: Which/ Home renovation

Kitchen planning Tips

Tips - Kitchen and Bathrooms

Kitchens and bathrooms require similar expertise for checking and installation of plumbing, hot-water systems and electrics. In both rooms, plan space for opening cupboards and appliances and, in kitchens, allow for comfortable movement when using sinks or preparing food.

We recommend you design your kitchen around a compact working triangle that links your fridge, cooker and sink (see ‘Planning a kitchen‘). Changing the position of taps, showers, power points and waste pipes can be complicated and increase cost, so it’s important to plan your space carefully.

You can’t afford to be without a kitchen or bathroom for long, so plan ahead and remember that the best tradespeople are often booked months in advance.

Regulations

Radiators, underfloor heating or hot-water systems should be installed by a Corgi-registered plumber, and a Part-P registered electrician should be used for all electrical work in these rooms.

You’ll also need building regulations approval for a new waste pipe as well as for ventilation, drainage, structural stability and fire safety.

However, you won’t need planning permission if you’re just taking out old kitchen units or bathroom suites and replacing them.

Cost and timings

Expect to pay between £11,000 and £120,000 for a built-in kitchen or, if you have experience and time, use a budget self-assembly kit within your remodelled space to keep costs down. These cost from around £600.

Bathrooms can cost between £4,000 and £40,000, including removal of old suites and installation of new units, fittings, flooring, tiling and decoration. Costs for both will vary greatly depending on materials and style.

A complete kitchen refurbishment can take two to three weeks and upwards, depending on size and complexity, while a bathroom should take two to eight weeks.

Insider tips

Mike Lawrence, author of the Which? Book of Home Improvements:

• Always get at least three quotes and insist on paying against specific jobs completed to your satisfaction.
• Always check past workmanship. Cheapest isn’t always best; enthusiasm and commitment to a project are important.
• Doing some of the finishing work yourself can save a lot of money, but make sure you can do it to a professional standard.
• Work on sloping sites can mean unexpectedly costly groundwork and extra work to match existing floor levels.

Home-improvement expert Alison Cork:

• Always get the detail in writing. It’s not enough to rely on the ‘goodwill’ that may exist between you and the contractor.
• Trusting a single-line quote is a recipe for disaster. Quotes should be detailed. Break the job into logical components.
• Anything to do with foundations has potential for complications. Allow a 20 per cent margin of error in your budget for this.

source: Which

Bathroom Kitchen Tips

Tips - Bathroom Planning

As with kitchen planning, keep in mind where the existing service points (water, electricity, etc) are. Also think about how you’ll use your new bathroom and whether it will be easy to keep clean.

Keep enough free space to dry yourself next to the bath and enough elbow and head room at the washbasin.

You can get help with planning a bathroom from many showrooms.

source: Which

Bathroom planning Tips

Tips - Loft Conversions

Converting a loft is a popular way of creating a study or guest bedroom out of what many see as either dead space or, at best, a storage room.

In many cases, loft conversions can be done without major structural work. If your roof is built traditionally sloping, conversion may be straightforward, but you’ll need professional advice to check that work won’t dangerously weaken the structure.

Costs and considerations

A conversion can cost around £13,000 to £22,000 for a 4×5m area with stairs, electrics, heating and two windows. Extra windows increase the cost. Conversions can take four to six months or more from planning to completion.

If your roof slope is very gradual, there may not be enough space to convert. Consider building above the roofline or using dormer windows (those which project from a sloping roof) to add more head space. Lowering the ceilings below is rarely a viable option and could be a much more costly way of adding space upstairs.

Planning permission and regulations

• Planning permission is compulsory in Scotland but may not be needed elsewhere unless you’re altering the shape or height of the roof.
• If your home is in a conservation area or listed, you will need permission, so always check with your local authority.
• You’ll need to consult the council about building regulations – particularly with regard to fire safety. If the loft is on the third floor or higher, it will need a fire-exit window and fire-resistant materials.
• Other building regulations that affect loft conversions include insulation, ventilation, staircase safety (including the gradient of the steps and inclusion of a handrail) and weather resistance.

Insider tips

Mike Lawrence, author of the Which? Book of Home Improvements:

• If you only get one quotation, you won’t know whether you’re paying too much.
• Attention to fire-safety regulations is very important with loft conversions. You must always comply with building regulations. Check with your local authority.

Home-improvement expert Alison Cork:

• A loft conversion is often a smart investment, as it makes good use of dead space and can dramatically improve the value and enjoyment of a property. Resisting the temptation to move could save you time and stress.
• If you have work done between September and November, the weather can be surprisingly good and builders are usually less busy.
• It’s difficult to evaluate a quote if you have nothing to compare it with, so always get three.
• If you trust your builders and can move out while work is on, you, and they, may find it less stressful.

source: Which

builders Tips

Tips - Extensions

Planning permission

• Planning permission in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is required if the total extra space exceeds 70 metres cubed or 15 per cent of the original volume of the house – whichever is greater.
• Planning permission is needed in Scotland if the total extra space is more than 50 metres cubed or one-fifth of the original house volume – whichever is greater.
• Previous extensions can count towards these limits, so always check with your local authority.
• Single- or two-storey extensions usually need building regulations approval.
• Conservatories may be exempt from planning permission if they are small but they require building regulations approval when the floor area exceeds 30 square metres.

How much will it cost?

Adding to your living or kitchen space with an extension is a great idea, but a garden room or conservatory could work out cheaper. A garden room is similar to a conservatory but usually has a solid rather than glass roof.

A single-storey extension (3×3m, one window) could cost between £14,750 and £17,750; a garden room between £10,500 and £12,500 (3×3m) and conservatory (3×3m) between £10,000 and £12,000. Floors are extra.

Extensions and garden rooms can take between eight and 12 months, from planning to completion, while a conservatory can take as little as six weeks.

Insider tips

Mike Lawrence, author of the Which? Book of Home Improvements:

• Structural elements such as the roof supports need to be approved by the local authority at planning stage to avoid late changes and delays.
• Local authorities now frown on flat roofs for single-storey extensions, so be prepared for the expense of a pitched roof.
• Using your own plumbers and plasterers can upset your builder, and needs to be handled diplomatically but firmly.
• Plumbers and electricians must be fully qualified – always ask your builder whether his sub-contractors are.
• On a complex project, using an architect is usually worth the cost.

Home-improvement expert Alison Cork:

• Only manage a project yourself if you have the time and can visit the site regularly. Otherwise, leave it to a professional.
• Keeping a spreadsheet of costs is wise, as paperwork is often a builder’s Achilles heel.
• Always allow at least three months to organise any official permission (if required).
• Having several things done at once, like the extension and bathroom, is a good idea and usually saves money overall.

source: Which

builders planning Tips

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