Fady’s Affordable Renovation

  FadyReno’s expertise spans across a wide array of renovations and remodels, each tailored to the unique demands of individual projects. The company's expansive reach is not just limited to the diversity of services but also the geography it covers. Serving cities across Ontario, FadyReno has become a household name, trusted and revered by many for its impeccable service, timely deliveries, and a transparent approach.

 Over the years, many period homes have been stripped of the things that make them charming. Beams are covered up, beautiful original windows replaced, and original fireplaces swapped for electric alternatives. It is sad to see homes that have lost all of their character, but before you go about ‘restoring’ period features, remember it can be equally damaging to a home’s heritage to install what would not have been there in the first place – so do some research.

 ‘Some local authorities apply special control in conservation areas, specifically on building features such as windows and doors, and any unauthorised work is a criminal offence, so you need to be really careful,’ cautions Rachael Munby from Anglian Home Improvements. ‘If your home is a listed building or it’s in a conservation area, you will need planning permission to repair or replace your windows and doors.’

 Get to know your home and the age it was built in. ‘Don't add a Victorian fireplace to a 1930s house,’ says Jonathan Rolande. Think, too, about the kind of people who would have lived there – the average workers’ terraces would not have had the regalia of a Georgian townhouse, so don’t shoehorn in ornate plaster mouldings and intricately carved fireplaces.

 The best approach is to repair existing features, make the house dry and safe, and undo any well intentioned mistakes that could affect the condition of the building (such as breathable stone walls covered in impermeable waterproof coatings that cause damp).

 Before taking on the property, you should thoroughly research costs and budget to check that the project is financially viable. But once you have taken possession, have a good look around and properly assess the extent of the works, so you can get a detailed financial schedule in place.

 Some mortgage lenders will help you fund your renovation project and offer the money in staged payments. If you are going down this route, find out what those stages are and work out by when you will have each step of the renovation finished.

 In other cases, you need to be realistic about what work you can afford to do and when. If the property is not in a habitable state, your first priority should be to make it safe and dry, with hot water and heating, so that you can move in – especially if you are spending money to live elsewhere while the work goes on. Avoid moving in until major works are out of the way, but you can live among cosmetic alterations as long as you have finished rooms in which to cook, wash and sleep.

 And if your property is in good shape but not quite as you'd like it, know that it is possible to do a no-demolition renovation.

 Property developer and TV presenter Sarah Beeny says it’s crucial to decide exactly how much you have to spend. ‘Rule number one is make a budget and stick to it,’ she says. Work out costs for each room, factoring in everything from structural work, such as underpinning, to finishing touches, then add it all up to see if you can afford it.

 If a contractor is helping you with your project they have to give you a clear quote, which will help you with your budget. It is advisable, however, to have a contingency of 10–20 per cent to allow for the unexpected expenses that can arise when renovating older homes.

 ‘We often work with clients embarking on large renovation projects and one crucial piece of advice when it comes to drawing up a budget is to make sure that you have a good contingency available,’ says Katy Esdon, a director at Esdon Architecture. ‘There are unknowns when opening up old buildings which are not always apparent during the tender process and can end up requiring attention.

 ‘Several years ago we worked on a renovation where a well was discovered beneath a kitchen floor. The clients were not aware of its existence before works started and so any repairs to it did not feature in the original tender/budget. The well needed some remedial work and ended up being glassed over and becoming a feature in the floor of the new kitchen.’

 You will also need to create a separate budget for decorating and furnishing the home once structural work is completed.

 If you are deciding just how to transform your home within your budget, check out the Real Homes Show for endless inspiration.

 It should have been made apparent to you at the point of sale if your home is listed, but if you are unsure, you must check, as it is a criminal offence to carry out unauthorised work to a listed home. Many buildings built around 1840 or earlier are likely to be listed – and over half a million in the UK are. You can check if your home is listed at British Listed Buildings and if it is, you will need to gain Listed Building Consent for alterations. Often, adjusting the house's exterior design can be complicated with a listed property. Even painting a listed home with plastic paint or using gypsum plasters is unauthorised, so always check before you start any kind of work.

 A home located in a conservation area has another protective status that can affect work to it. Restrictions in conservation areas generally affect only the exterior of the property as the intention is to ‘preserve or enhance the character or appearance’ of an area, but your permitted development rights (works that you can usually do without planning permission) will be affected, meaning you may require planning consent for works that are authorised elsewhere.

 Be aware of the rules on thermal efficiency, too. ‘The new Part L changes to building regulations, which aim to improve the thermal efficiency of homes in the UK, affect the products that can be used in new builds and renovations, including doors and windows,’ explains Victoria Brocklesby, COO at Origin. ‘This means that homeowners need to be eagle-eyed when choosing replacement glazing for their homes.

 ‘The updated regulations include new standards for U-values, which measure how easily heat is transferred through a material or product. One shortcut that some manufacturers are taking to meet these new lower U-value thresholds is to only offer triple glazing. However, this method makes glazing more expensive and much heavier, so products like bifold doors or sliders can become more difficult to operate.

 ‘Instead, I’d recommend looking for manufacturers that have achieved these lower U-values in other ways. For example, by improving the thermal breaks which are used in doors and windows to limit the transfer of energy from inside to outside. Internal changes like this will make products more thermally efficient, without impacting the functionality or aesthetics.‘

Bathroom Renovation Services

 Whether you’re extending a Victorian house, or renovating an older or newer property, once you have your plans, you must identify which aspects of your proposed work require statutory consent.

 ‘Make sure that you understand the different consents that you will need to address,’ advises architect Hugo Tugman. ‘Do you have permission to use the building as a dwelling, or will you need consent for a material change of use? Is it a listed building, is it in a conservation area, do you even need planning permission? Even if you don’t, you will almost certainly have to comply with building regulations and you might need a party wall agreement with neighbours. An architect can guide you through this minefield.’

 If you want to start work immediately, check with your local authority and take on projects that are classed as permitted development (PD), such as converting an existing garage or roof space. If you do need statutory consents for all or part of your proposed works, factor in the amount of time required to determine the application. Planning decisions are supposed to take eight weeks and a full building regulations application five to six weeks.

 Bats love the dark, quiet nooks and crannies in old homes – even more so if those homes have been left uninhabited for some time. It is a criminal offence to harm bats or disturb them when roosting, so conduct a bat survey and find out if you need to take special measures with your project.

 Bat surveys can be expensive, but the fines imposed for not taking the precautions and disturbing bats are higher, so do your research well in advance as conducting a survey too late could hold up works.

 It’s worth taking your time to perfect the design and ensure the finished property will meet your needs. Think about how the changes will work with the original building – do you want any extensions to blend in with the existing property? Do you want to restore its original appearance, or dramatically transform your house exterior design? Ask yourself what you are hoping to achieve, then consult with an architectural designer to look at all of the possibilities.

 Think carefully about room placement, too. ‘Focus on introducing natural light, which has the power to transform and uplift any space,’ says Sarah Beeny. ‘Wherever possible, arrange rooms so you spend the majority of your time where the light is. It’s also worth considering the view – a good one can go a long way.’

 Think carefully about room placement, too. ‘Focus on introducing natural light, which has the power to transform and uplift any space,’ says Sarah Beeny. ‘Wherever possible, arrange rooms so you spend the majority of your time where the light is. It’s also worth considering the view – a good one can go a long way.’

 It's crucial to define your home renovation process before you start the work. Be clear on the steps you will need to take to renovate the property before you make a start, and prioritise works that stop further decay, or stabilise the structure. You might find that works in one room impact on those in another (especially where plumbing and wiring are involved), so have a clear vision for the whole house and prepare a schedule of works listing the order of jobs – so for instance, re-wiring is completed before walls are replastered.

 If you are carrying out major structural work, or extending a house, consult the appropriate professionals first, as there may be implications you are unaware of.

 For example, a loft conversion might seem like a job isolated from the ground floor of the house, but adding an additional habitable floor carries building regulations demands and might require fire doors, a sprinkler system and mains powered alarms, influencing the loft conversion costs. You need to be aware of these issues early on as they will affect the budget, and also the aesthetics of your property.

 Use recommendations from family and friends that are familiar with a house renovation, as they can offer help in finding an architect, builder and, if needed, a project manager – unless you are planning to project manage the renovation yourself.

 When it comes to finding a builder, ‘unless you have word of mouth that someone is brilliant, the easiest way to do this is to go to your local merchant and ask the manager to give you three names of their best customers,’ recommends Clive Holland, broadcaster on Fix Radio, a station for tradespeople and builders.

 ‘Don’t be afraid amongst tradespeople and ask them for help. It’s also important that for each trade always print a joint contract tribunal (JCT) contract between you and the tradesperson so you are safe in the knowledge that if anything goes wrong you have a contract. All good tradespeople are happy to sign those.’

 Few would forget to insure their property and its contents, but many are unaware that home contents or buildings insurance may not cover for extensive building work. ‘Home insurance is generally based on the homeowner residing at the property in question,’ explains Brooke Crisp, manager, Renovation Plan.

 ‘If your project requires the property to be vacated, which may well be the case for larger scale conversions and renovations, then it is likely that the policy would become invalid. Most standard home insurance policies have an unoccupancy clause on them which restricts the cover if the property is empty for more than 30 days. If you choose to move out of the property for the duration of the works, this clause is often implemented.’

 Note, too, that cost counts. ‘Most home insurance policies will not cover you if the cost of the work being carried out exceeds £25,000,’ says Brooke. ‘Your average extension or loft conversion is likely to go over this limit.