We believe home renovation companies should be able to provide an array of services to accommodate any homeowner’s needs. That is why, as an architectural firm, we are proud to offer an amazingly inclusive service producing beautiful ground floor extensions, loft conversions, and internal refurbishments. At Home Tales, we love making our clients’ vision of their dream home come to life.

There are plenty of home improvement projects that can be done in a London property without having to seek planning approval. These projects would fall under Permitted Development Rights, which are a set of pre-approved changes you can make to a property. Oftentimes we recommend our clients to notify the local planning authority of their intended works so that there are no problems down the road. However, if your property is a flat, maisonette, or located within a Conservation Area, permitted development rights will not apply, and you will need to seek planning permission.

Rewiring

If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge with any large home improvement projects, rewiring is a great option for you, and typically takes about a week. This seemingly unexciting venture is highly underrated and can make your home safer and more comfortable. Older properties tend to have aged wiring that can be a huge fire hazard, and rewiring can make your home future proof, further adding value to the property. All rewiring should be done before carrying out any other renovations to your home i.e. plastering or decorating. You can add more plug sockets and features such as spotlights. Furthermore, you can make your home more energy efficient by installing smart technology and moving towards the futuristic “smart home”.

Kitchen

Updating the kitchen is usually on the top of the renovation list for homeowners. This is arguably where people spend the most time, and where guests are sure to find themselves, so it makes sense to want to make it an attractive and functional environment. If you aren’t adding new windows or doors, you’re free to do what you like to the interior.

Before carrying out any works, you must consider some important features that you’d like to include in the new kitchen setup. For example, do you need a new cooker, fridge freezer, larger sink, underfloor heating, etc.? A big part of renovating a kitchen involves installing more storage, which we would advise to carefully consider when planning such a project. If you’re keen on entertaining, why not make an open plan kitchen and dining space so you can see to your guests while you’re working hard in the kitchen? An alternative would be to place a large kitchen island with a breakfast bar.

Bathroom

Bathroom renovations are worth investing in as they add substantial value, and like a kitchen renovation, your guests will likely end up using this room. We have seen many an outdated bathroom in our line of work, with rusty pipes, cracked tiles, and the notorious carpet flooring, so there any minor changes would make a big difference. When renovating your bathroom, there are some layouts we think you should consider. If your bathroom only has 1 bath or 1 shower, consider including both of these into your new setup to cater to the whole household’s needs and to use the entire space. Install that rainfall shower head you’ve been wanting, along with underfloor heating, a heated towel rail, and trendy new tiling.

Staircase

Wooden staircases bend over time, which you may be quite aware of if you live in a London period property. It’s as if you can tell how old the house is by how bowed the planks are, resulting in the creaks and clicks you hear when walking up and down the stairs. If you’re considering a loft conversion, you will need to install a new staircase anyway, so why not upgrade all your existing stairs to seamlessly match with your loft staircase. Old stairs can be dangerous in a particularly aged building, so we think it’s better to err on the side of caution and carry out these works. Some people choose to carry these works out themselves, but we’d recommend a professional to deal with such an important feature in your home.

Get in touch with us if you are considering a home renovation or extension, our team would definitely love to hear from you! You can contact us on 02070432378 or contact us via email at hello@hometales.co.uk. To book a telephone consultation for a time that best suits you, click here to visit our live diary on our website. We offer a Standard (free) consultation, and a Consultation+ provides more services.