When you’re planning a London house refurbishment there is a lot to consider and many of your decisions will have an impact on the finished product, the price that you pay for the refurbishment work and what effect it has on the resale value of your London house.
Here are 5 tips for a London house refurbishments;
Aim to add some extra space
In any London house space is valuable and adding more during the refurbishment will almost always make your house a nicer place to live and will increase its value. Ways to increase space are to build a side extension, convert the loft area in your house or to enlarge or use existing space in the basement. In unmodernised period houses and there are many of these in London, the use of space is often not as efficient as it might be, using a good architect may help to find and reclaim unused or dead space. In some houses it’s possible to create an extra room by moving the kitchen into an open plan living area, better using existing space.
Plan, plan and plan
Plan everything very carefully and make sure that you are happy with your plans for each part of your refurbishment before you start work on it. This is important for all aspects of a project from any structural changes you might be considering to the colours of the paint you choose, as any changes, once you have started on a project, may be expensive. If you employ an architect, they can plan virtually every aspect of your build with you.
Focus on kitchens and bathrooms
Kitchen’s are debate-ably one of the more important features of a house refurbishment, they have moved out of their own hidden away space and into an open plan living area, so they need to look good. Fortunately there are a huge range of kitchens to choose from and even more possibilities when it comes to work tops. Details such as the taps, flooring, back-splash and lighting give you the opportunity to make your kitchen exactly how you want it.
A beautiful and stylish bathroom, wether it’s modern or classical is another essential part of a good refurbishment. A bathroom can be a very luxurious room, but can still retain much of the elegance of the original space it occupies. Modern baths and showers sit very comfortably alongside fireplaces, cornicing and sash windows, so do not be afraid to put modern bathroom fittings in a beautiful period room. If you prefer something more classical a roll top bath with wood panelled walls and ceiling height cistern can give a bathroom a period feel.
Look for opportunities to create new features and highlight existing features
Many London period properties have stunning features that can be highlighted during a refurbishment, such as fireplaces, cornicing, wooden floors and stairs. These features can be highlighted in a refurbishment by removing old carpet, fireplace coverings and by painting them in bolder colours than their surroundings, for example fireplaces in black against a white or off white background. Many of these features can also be refurbished to their frormer glory or to give them a modern twist.
In a house refurbishment new features such as exposed original brickwork, glass walls, new windows or doors, balconies and libraries are a few of the possibilities that can be installed as new features. A good architect will be able to advise on structural changes that could be considered to add a new feature or improve a property.
Consider the house as a whole
Rather than a series of separate rooms. For example you may want to consider using the same flooring through several of your rooms, this creates a sense of continuity throughout the property and makes it feel larger. Similarly with wall and wood/joinery paints, using the same or similar colours in some rooms creates a feeling of continuity in those rooms.
Other features can be used to help maintain this feeling of continuity, these include highlighting period features throughout the property, such as fireplaces, cornicing, stairs, bookshelves or cupboards and can also include installing new features such as glass walls, exposed brick work, windows or other modern features.
See our gallery of a London house refurbishment.
If you’re planning a refurbishment project give us a call.
