It may be cold and dark right now, but as we brave the rest of winter, we can start to dream of what's to come in Spring and Summer. Now is the time to start thinking about any home improvements that you may want to achieve in spring ready to enjoy in summer....
Home improvements can transform and add value to your home but it is easy for costs to escalate and projects to go wrong. The Homeowners Alliance step-by-step guide can help you do home improvements and repairs the right way....
Before work starts
Don’t forget to contact your Local Authority Planning and Building Control Departments if you are doing significant works. Read more about whether or not you need planning permission or take a quick glance at our virtual planning permission tool
If you are doing a project which impacts adjoining or shared walls with your neighbours you may need to issue a Party Wall Notice. See our advice guide Do I need a Party Wall Agreement?
If you are doing a project which makes significant structural changes you may need the help of a structural engineer to enable you to obtain Building Control Approval. See our guide Do I need a Structural Engineer?
If your home is listed or you live in a Conservation Area, check with your Local Authority for any restrictions on what changes you can make
Budgeting, quotes and specifications
Make a detailed list of everything you would like to have included, this will help when you ask for quotations
Compare quotes item by item and not just by the overall cost of the job
Check that VAT is included in the costs you are quoted
Set aside some money for unexpected problems – rule of thumb is 10% of total cost
If you are thinking about taking out a loan or using another form of credit to pay for the work, consider the full cost of the credit including the interest. Read our guide on how to finance your home improvement project. It may also be a good time to consider remortgaging as a way of freeing up funds.
Include costs for labour and parts in your overall budget
When purchasing items shop around and check online
Agree who will purchase items and be responsible for making sure they arrive on time
Clarify at the start what marks the end of the project and make a note of this
Finding a trader
Carry out checks to find a good trader – this will stop most problems straight away. Take a look at how to find the best tradesman for the job
Find your tradesman by using our Find a Tradesman search tool. Or ask friends and family for recommendations
Check online for websites with a feedback option to rate traders, but be wary of relying completely on the reports. Our guide outlines how the online tradesman review sites work and what to watch for
If you are doing major structural works and your builder requires technical drawings, you can get quotes from Structural Engineers here
Be clear about whether you need building regulations certificates for any of the work you are doing, for example electrical, windows and water
Be prepared, look for a trader well in advance of when you would like the project to start
Be careful about using anyone who comes to your door cold calling
Contractual information
Produce a list or specification of what work you would like to have done
Obtain written quotations and ask for them to be broken down so that you can see the price of work and materials for each item
Discuss delays, who is responsible if there are delays and who pays
Discuss and clarify house rules for example no smoking in the house, or no muddy boots
Check if you will be given a timetable for the work
Agree how payments will be made
Check if there any health and safety aspects you need to be aware of
Agree a single point of contact for the project
If you are contracting a builder, take a look at RIBAs domestic building contracts
During work
Have regular on site meetings
Raise any issues as they arise, don’t wait for the end of the project
Check that you are actually paying for the work that has been completed
Check that your local authority Building Control Department has signed off key stages of the work, if they are required to
Finishing work
Clarify what you would consider to be the end of the project. Make this clear at the very start and put this in writing so everyone knows
Be clear about when you will be required to make the final payment and what it covers
Remember that you are entitled to withhold a reasonable amount of money to ensure problems are put right
Tidying up and snagging
Have a clear idea of when the final payment is due
You have a right to withhold a reasonable amount of money if work has not been done to satisfactory quality
Keep a running list of items that are outstanding to form your snag list
You can get advice about your rights and how to deal with the trader if they appear reluctant to talk to you from Citizens Advice
Post completion
Have the correct forwarding details for your trader
Make sure that you have paperwork for items purchased by the trader and certificates for work, instructions and warranties