Snow is a particularly damaging form of winter weather, as it can cause untold damage to your home. Your home insurance policy should protect your buildings and contents against winter weather damage, so that you’re safe from the damage caused by snow.
Winter Weather, Did Your Home Suffer Snow Damage
May 21st, 2012 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements, Insurance Comments Off on Winter Weather, Did Your Home Suffer Snow Damage
How will installing solar panels affect my home insurance?
December 20th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Energy Saving, Home Improvements, Insurance 7 Comments »
You might think that installing something as large and life-changing as a solar panel on your home means big repercussions on your insurance premium, whether for the better or worse.
Well, there’s a balance at work: on the one hand, environmentally aware homeowners like yourself are usually less likely to claim and insurers can’t really penalise people for doing something that’s so eco-friendly and positive. On the other hand, the solar panels are both valuable in themselves and add value to your home, which means your payout might have to be larger if you were to claim.
Brits now prefer ‘making do’ over buying new
September 8th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements 3 Comments »
We’re now in an era of ‘making do’ where two thirds of Brits (66%) say they would fix broken items rather than buy brand new replacements. Saving for the future and paying off debts also take precedence over having the most up-to-date gadgets and keeping up with the latest fashions.
Who Can Certify That Works Comply With Building Regulations?
August 22nd, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements Comments Off on Who Can Certify That Works Comply With Building Regulations?
The Building Regulations 2000, and the many subsequent revisions, set out what work to a building does and does not need to comply with building regulations. Extensions, internal structural alterations or works to the foundations of a building need to be signed of by the local authority’s build control officer. The local authority can sign of any work for the purposes of building regulations however there are now a number of independent regulatory bodies whose members are able to certify their own work.
Five Fittings That Will Add Value to Your Property
July 25th, 2011 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements, Insurance Comments Off on Five Fittings That Will Add Value to Your Property
Whether you’re selling up or staying put, it is important to be aware of factors that will increase and decrease the value of your property. The renovation process involves careful financial planning to ensure that the return on investment will push up your property’s price, while avoiding the risk of half finished projects and poor workmanship.
Home owners can add thousands in value to their home
July 1st, 2010 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements, Press Releases, Top Tips 2 Comments »
A recent survey of over 200 of the UK’s leading estate agents across the UK, carried out by leading property specialists movewithus, has revealed the top 14 ways in which home owners can add value to their property ahead of a sale.
Upgrade your boiler and heating system for the winter?
October 20th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Energy Saving, Home Improvements 2 Comments »
If you have a boiler and heating system older than about 10 years you really should consider upgrading the boiler and hopefully the following will provide some food for thought.
As gas and electric prices continue to rise with recent reports that they could possibly be 60 % higher by 2020 if not sooner. Now is the time to look at both your consumption and the efficiency of your heating system.
Energy saving on a budget
January 19th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Energy Saving, Home Improvements, Property Portals 1 Comment »
The winter months are when ones attention is turned to keeping homes warm yet many homeowners will be turning on dormant heating systems that could be operating far more efficiently with the help of a few affordable maintenance tips.
Householder’s should keep a close eye on the efficiency of the insulation that is present in the property as a great proportion of heat is lost through poorly insulated walls, windows and heating systems.
In a typical British home, around one-third of the heat produced by a central heating system is rapidly lost through the roof, ceiling and walls. This means that for a poorly insulated property up to £1 out of every £3 spent on heating is being wasted.
So what can the average homeowner do without spending a fortune?
Extending your home? – points to consider
January 13th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements, Property Market Comments Off on Extending your home? – points to consider
At present the housing market is undergoing a period of stagnation and the result has been a marked increase in the number of homeowners considering extending their homes rather than moving.
Extensions require careful consideration; however the following are some of the more important aspects to be investigated when considering an extension.
Home improvements – which add the most value?
January 9th, 2009 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements, Property Market 3 Comments »
The prevailing climate in the housing world has led to falling prices and difficulty in selling. For those who need to sell, there are a number of improvements that can aid the chances of success as well as those that are simply a waste of time and money.
Keeping things to economical levels is paramount in these difficult times, and the following ideas are not ones that will cost tens of thousands of pounds.
Utilising dead space – the beauty of a loft conversion
November 10th, 2008 HIP-Consultant.co.uk Posted in Home Improvements, Property Market 8 Comments »
With the current financial crisis impacting on house sales, those looking for extra space may be well advised to extend rather than sell, adding value for when the market picks up following the fall.
Among the most proven of additions is the loft extension, a way of utilising space that tends to be disregarded and becomes a store of junk. There are a number of steps you should take if you want to think about converting your loft to living space, and the best way to start is to get up there and have a look.
Things to take into account are the pitch angle and the height of the roof. The general rule is that you must have 2.3 metres height for decent headroom, and remember that the use of ‘dormer’ style windows – those that project horizontally from the roof – can give extra headroom at the eaves.
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