House tours offer you with an opportunity to see a finished product. There is no doubt about it, home renovation projects and extensions are big projects. They are very likely one of the most expensive things you will purchase (other than your home). For this reason, it’s important that you do your research before committing to a supplier, which is in this case, a builder. So, what is a house tour? what can you expect from a house tour? and why are they so beneficial? Well those are all very valid questions. We are going to talk you through the answers and help you understand more about the house tours that we offer here at Home Tales. 

What is a house tour? 

We open up the doors of a property we have recently completed to enable you to see the extension. We will book you in for a specific time slot, so it doesn’t get too crowded. Typically, we have about three to four team members at the house, who are on hand to show you around and talk you through the project. We also have the head builder with us as he knows all of the ins and outs of the build. Once we’ve explained what we did to the property, we leave you to have a look around at your own leisure. We have tea and coffee, and generally some bite size cakes for you to enjoy to. There is no rush at all. You can take your time and enjoy the space. Some of our guests like to take some measurements, pictures, or even a video or two. If you have questions, we would be delighted to help. 

 
There are many reasons why house tours are beneficial. We thought we would talk you through the top six reasons. 

One: Get some perspective 

Home extensions are difficult to visualise, especially if you aren’t familiar with the process. It’s really hard to stand in your kitchen and try to imagine how it will look when the walls come down the space is extended. It’s easy to read a floorplan and see the room will be 5m wide and 6m long, but how does that space actually feel to stand in? One of the most common things our house tour guests like to do is compare the measurements of the house tour with their own. Generally, they are fairly similar. Even if they aren’t similar, it’s useful for them to know what a 4.5m wide room feels like. Standing in a finished room enables you to put measurements into perspective and get a feel for how your extension will compare. 

Two: Quality of work 

It’s very important you feel comfortable with your builder. You are committing to a hefty contract and you want to feel confident you will be happy with the quality of the finished product. We have our head builder at the house tour, so you can meet him and discuss the project in more detail. You can also see the quality of the build first-hand. 

Three: Ideas and inspiration 

House tours are particularly useful if you are in the early stages of the design phase. This is the stage where you have some initial designs, including existing and proposed floorplans, and you are considering your options for design and layout ideas. Having the ability to see someone’s finished extension is sure to give you some ideas for your own. Even if you don’t particularly like the design and layout of extension you are viewing, ruling something out is still progress on your own design. 

Four: Use the products 

Almost all of our projects have large glass doors and Velux windows (or architectural skylights). Most homeowners haven’t necessary used these products before, so they don’t know how they feel to use. How robust for the doors feel? How easy is it to open a Velux window? These questions can all be answered at a house tour. 

Five: Learn more about us 

We have team members at the house tour to show you around and make sure you are comfortable. We are on hand to answer any questions you might have; whether that is in regard to the house tour project or your own project. This extra time with you enables us to tell you more about Home Tales and get to know more about your project and ideas too. 

Six: Convenience 

We hold house tours every two to three months, at locations all over London. We aim to include a variety of projects, be that ground floor extensions, first floor extensions and loft conversions. All of our tours are held on a Saturday and have a variety of slots available for your convenience. If you ever want to see something specific, or in a specific area, we do what we can to accommodate your preferences. 

Keep an eye on our next house tour booking via our house tour page. If you would like to come to a house tour, simply let us know and we will send you the details of our next booking. We look forward to seeing you at a tour in the near future. Call us on 0207 043 2378 or email us via hello@hometales.co.uk.