With the rising cost of labour and materials, many of us are looking for ways to make our home renovations cheaper. While it’s a good idea to cut costs by doing some of the easier tasks ourselves or to shop around for deals on fixtures and fittings, there are some things you should never try to skimp on. If you’re unsure of where to target your money and what to get done professionally when you’re renovating, read on.
Structural integrity
Let’s start with one of the most important parts of your home: the structure. Many of us decide to renovate our homes by opening out the floorspace or by adding an extension. Although this affects the structure of our homes, it’s important to make sure we don’t affect the building’s structural integrity. Otherwise, it could come crashing down.
So, whenever we remove walls or add bi-fold doors, we need to make sure it’s done properly. That can mean using the expertise of a structural engineer as well as a builder. Although it’s an added cost, it’s the only safe way to ensure walls and ceilings don’t fall down, and that building regulations are met. Supporting walls can be taken out, of course, but not without the help of a support beam called an RSJ. The cost of installing an RSJ is likely to be £1,500 to £2,500. But along with your skilled building team, this isn’t something you want to cut corners on.
A solid foundation
It’s not just the structure of your home above ground that’s important. No house or extension is ever going to be safe and sound without proper foundations. So, before you start your renovation journey, it’s a good idea to have a ground survey carried out. This will inform you of any issues that could prevent you from building. And it can help determine the type of foundations you need for your project.
Once this is done, you’ll need to carry out the groundworks, which involves digging trenches and potentially laying supports if the soil is weak. This sort of work typically costs upwards of £5,000. If this isn’t done properly, then any money you spend on building is going to be wasted as it won’t have a safe and supportive base. So, trying to cut costs here is never a good idea.
Insulation isn’t a luxury
There’s no doubt you’ll have noticed the rising cost of energy unless you’re very lucky. But keeping your bills low isn’t ever going to be possible without good, well-fitted insulation. So, this is another renovation cost you really shouldn’t skimp on. And if you do, it’s likely this will affect not just your bank balance and comfort but the saleability of your home. Therefore, you’re likely to end up needing to fit some insulation anyway. And retrofitting insulation can create extra mess and could cost you more money, especially if you need to redecorate afterwards.
Some insulation can be DIY fitted, so you can save some money there. But to ensure your home is properly insulated and has sufficient ventilation to avoid damp, it’s always a good idea to call in specialists to help.
Power your home safely
Whenever significant work needs to be done on your home’s gas and electric, it needs to be done by qualified engineers and electricians. To meet building regulations and keep you safe, this isn’t something you can skimp on by hiring unskilled workers or by doing it yourself.
What does this include? Well, first of all, your electricity and gas meters are the responsibility of your supplier. If a meter needs moving during renovations, you need to contact them directly to arrange for the work to be done. Unless you qualify for a free move, this can be costly to do. In fact, in some cases, it can cost over £1,000. But it’s a legal requirement.
To meet building regulations, partial and full house rewires need to be carried out by appropriately certified electricians. And any work to your domestic gas supply, such as boiler installations, is legally required to be completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer. Not doing this could be incredibly dangerous, so it’s definitely not something you can skimp on.