Posted on

Is now a bad time?

Chances are you are spending more time at home than ever before and what with the ever changing situation you could be there for sometime. Perhaps now is actually a good time to start a project, at least in sowing the seeds. In fact with all that time at home you’ll be best placed to consider the needs of your family and if your house is meeting them. Whilst visiting your home to meet or measure up is a definite no go at the moment, technology gives us the chance to meet virtually and all the pre-design work can easily carry on – so, what does that entail?

For you, that’s thinking about how your home works (or rather doesn’t work) for you. It’s thinking about whether you are ready to extend? I’ve set out 5 questions you need to answer with “yes” before extending your house and you can find them here. You might be years off actually going for it, but it’s never too early to plan.

For me, there’s a lot of background research that goes into considering new projects. With tools such as Rightmove, Google maps and the local planning public access system, there’s a fair amount you can find out about a property without even setting foot in it. So whilst there are hurdles to overcome, this situation won’t last forever. Being adaptable and doing things a little differently still brings opportunity to progress.

Is now a bad time? That depends on your perspective.

Posted on

To move or improve? The great dilemma

I’m often approached by families who feel they have out grown their home. They love where they live, the schools are great, the “next house” is a bit of stretch – so they face the great dilemma, to move or improve? Sound familiar?

If you’re stuck in a limbo of indecision then getting clear on your options is a good first step. Is it even possible to achieve what you’re looking for at your existing home? Maybe you could build up, out the back or sideways to give you all some extra space. It might be that simply re-thinking the layout and making some alterations could get your house to work for your family.

Both options come with pros and cons – various costs, timescales and levels of upheaval. In coming to your decision you’ll have to do some research in order to weigh up these factors. Other than having moved house a few times ourselves, my experience on the “move” option definitely doesn’t count as expertise, but the “improve” part I can help you with. In fact I’ve created a free Project Planner to help you get a better understanding of the things you’ll need to consider if you decide to stick with your existing home and make some changes.

Taking you right back to basics, the Project Planner aims to get you thinking about your reasons for moving or improving, as well as setting out clear information on what to expect if you do decide to embark on an extension or alteration project at your home. If you find it useful, let me know!

Request my Project Planner here