The EST will publish their report on what requirements must be applied to energy efficient and sustainable houses at Interbuild, a building show, which will take place in Birmingham, 23 – 27 April this year.

Philip Sellwood, chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, said “Our new report sets out the existing technical knowledge base, and identifies the issues that need to be resolved, to ensure we are in a position to make further significant improvements under the next review of the Building Regulations Part L and in other areas of new build policy and programme development. We look forward to hearing people’s views, and to engaging in discussion on these issues.”

“Achieving carbon reductions in housing is clearly a priority for Government, consumers and the construction industry and we need to work together to resolve any barriers in order to ensure zero carbon homes become the norm not the exception.”

Source: http://www.oilfiredup.com/news/

Related: http://www.est.org.uk/ , http://www.interbuild.com/ , http://www.odpm.gov.uk/

Tags: Building uk, new builds uk, building regulations uk, new house, new home,

Yorkshire & Humberside turned out to be the most careless – 91% of pregnant mothers didn’t check up on the tradespeople they used. The South West performed best with 26% checking for references.

Gail Werkmeister, President of the National Childbirth Trust said: “Many expectant parents do seem to refurbish their homes before the baby arrives, driven by the urge to create a safe and perfect home for them and their new baby. If building work falls behind schedule or is not completed to satisfaction, expectant parents may well experience unnecessary stress. Parents have many things to think about and cope with leading up to their baby’s birth; it would certainly be helpful for them to know the tradesmen they employ are reliable…”

Source: http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/

According to their research, adding a new bedroom or loft conversion will add from £18 000 to £20 000 to the value of a property. Conservatories add extra £10 000 to the house seller and a new kitchen adds £6 000 to house value.

At the same time, these figures should be compared to the costs of such improvements. 70% of agents interviewed by Spicerhaar said that a new kitchen is a much cheaper and easier way to increase house value than building a gym or a swimming pool.

“The results from this survey should be a useful guide for homeowners to cash in as much as possible from their renovations,” said Russell Jervis, the MD of haart estate agents. “

Source: http://news.assetz.co.uk/articles/2535.html

According to the research from Direct Line Home Insurance, unplanned building projects are becoming more common, with ten per cent more breaches in planning permission reported in 2005 than in 2004.

There are some compelling reasons why you shouldn’t start any house building or improvements without gaining planning permission. First of all, there is a big risk for your project to be ultimately torn down by council. Lack of planning permission results in delays and cancellations, which will cost you a lot (an average of £10 441 according to the Direct Line Home Insurance research). Even if the project not complying with building regulations is successfully finished, it makes your property unsaleable in future.

The Direct Line research finds that “3.5 million Britons have moved into a new home to discover unsound or unapproved work, with one in five discovering their loft conversions were not approved and five per cent finding unapproved garages or carports”.

Source: http://www.myfinances.co.uk/property/housing-market/

You do have options to solve the problem. First, you can extend your house. Second, you can turn existing space not meant for living into bedrooms and bathrooms.

Let’s take loft conversion as an example.

• A converted attic provides an opportunity of two families living in one house (elderly parents on the ground floor and a young family occupying the first floor and the loft space).
• There is no need to compromise the house in terms of daylight, and in terms of enjoyment of the garden for the existing rooms.
• With skylight windows in the attic you have a big advantage of very good daylight and avoid problems with your neighbours’ privacy.
• Moreover, a well planned loft conversion will add value to your house without extending its actual space.

If you are undertaking loft conversion (or some other house renewals, such as garage conversion, single or multi-storey extension, etc.) the first thing to do is to think over all physical, legal and financial aspects involved.

• Your plan should comply with local building regulations.
• Think about ventilation and lightning, insulation, wind infiltration, water supply, headroom standards and fire safety.
• Internal and external design of your loft should be very well thought through from the aesthetic point of view as well as comply with planning and building regulations.
• Consider all possible spendings.
• Of course this takes much effort and time. Another way to make your final decision is to get an expert advice of specialists before the work starts. Decent builders will provide you with all the necessary site surveys and quotations free of charge.

Rainbow experienced builders carry out all forms of general building work from house extension, conversion, renovation and refurbishment to roofing, brickwork and ground work. All work undertaken with full public liability insurance. All site visits and quotations are free of charge.

Sources: http://www.boarshurst.co.uk/Html/Lofts.html , http://www.northtyneside.gov.uk/building/lofts.htm

Tags: loft conversion, loft conversion Brighton, loft conversion Hove, house conversions, attic conversion

Officials discovered that in some cases roofing companies were paid more than £50 000 to loose a contract.

According to one roofing industry specialist, OFT officials “have uncovered a string of cartels that link across the country. These companies collude with their competitors to win contracts and drive the prices up.”

More information is available at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/

Tags: roofing, roofing uk, roofing services uk, roofing services

1. Strength and security. It passes the test of time in any climate. Brick is resistant to moisture, pests, fire and other damage.
2. Durability. This material brings more lasting value to your home investment. Statistics show that brick buildings have higher resale values than non-brick constructions.
3. Insulation. Brick is soundproof, and prevents extreme temperature from affecting the comfort of your home. It is both suitable for hot summers and cold winters.
4. No care required. Brick is practically maintenance-free. Even its colour is permanent. Thus years don�t influence the beauty of your home.
5. Design variety. Having simple shape and structure, brick offers endless ways to create a unique construction or decoration design. Whether you prefer classic or modern style, in walls, windows, entryways and landscaping at very first glance, nothing leaves a more memorable impression than a brick home.
6. Psychological value. Brick home inspires feelings of comfort and well-being. Its warm colours � from earthy brown to crispy white � make us feel connected to our environment.

Being recognised in the Sussex and Surrey area for the quality and efficiency of Building Services, Rainbow is your one-stop company for any kind of Brickwork. Please contact us to enquire about our services.

Tags: brick work, brickwork, brickwork services, brickwork brighton, brickwork sussex

Another good reason for having your house extended is that the value of a home is often based on its floor area, so if you can add more space you have the potential of adding a lot more value to your property.

The options for house extension are endless. The most popular are ground floor extensions on the back of your house and loft conversions in the roof.

Extending your home and having builders on site can be stressful and disruptive, but there are more benefits in staying put and improving than moving house. Moving to a larger house can be emotionally difficult and lot more expensive.

But before considering any extension or improvements you must do some very important things:

• Speak to your local planning officer to find out what additions can be made to your house. In many cases you will need planning approval for your extensions.
• Speak to your local estate agent to make sure that the work you are doing will add value to your home. It makes no financial sense to spend �30 000 on a ground floor extension if it only adds �10 000 value to your home.
• Find a good builder. Make sure you visit their previous projects and speak to the people who employed them. If you work with a bad builder it will cost you more money for a poor product and the stress is unbearable.

Rainbow will be happy to help you with your problems and realise your ideas on house extension.

Sources: http://www.house-extension.co.uk/, http://news.scotsman.com/ , http://www.five.tv/fivepdf/georgeclarketips.pdf

A detailed review of House Plus by Jessica Kiddle is available at http://news.scotsman.com

House Plus is published by Thames & Hudson (RRP �24.95) and is available at the special price of �22.50, including postage and packaging in the UK (overseas rates on request). Tel: 08450 585878 quoting “Scotsman Offer” with credit card details. Offer ends 31 January. Allow 14 days for delivery.

Rainbow will be happy to help you with your problems and realise your ideas on house extension.

Variations of landscaping driveways are endless. You can decorate your driveway with walls and fences, flowerbeds, different ground covers, trees and shrubs, and even with little fountains and waterfalls.

When you are planning to improve the appearance of your driveway, you should clearly understand why you are using this or that option. Think about where you want the viewer�s gaze to be drawn, and what features of your property you wish to emphasise. For example, you might want to accent the entrance of the driveway, run the length of the driveway or do both.

We have selected a set of good online tips to help you decide on the landscape of your driveway: http://www.homestore.com , http://landscaping.about.com

When you have decided about the final looks of your driveway, it�s time to call professional specialists, who�ll bring your dream to reality.