Building a home extension, converting a loft or refurbishing a property in Croydon, Bromley or South London raises a lot of questions before the first trade arrives. The articles below answer the questions Smiley gets asked most often by homeowners — written in plain English, with no upsell.
‘Planning’ is a term that covers a wide range of subjects. It is a set of rules and guidelines used by Local Authorities and Government to determine how our towns, cities and countryside are developed. It includes how land and buildings can be used, how buildings look, landscaping, roads and highways access and the effects of any development within the Lewisham, Croydon and South East London areas.
Read moreThe Party Wall etc Act 1996 provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls, boundary walls and excavations near neighbouring buildings.
Read moreThe Building Regulations are minimum standards for design, construction and alterations to buildings in the UK. Any project you undertake must adhere to them.
Read moreIf you’ve never had experience in the building trade and never developed a home. Even worse, you’ve watched too many programmes about cowboy builders or building disasters! ……Then…….where should you start when choosing a builder?
Read moreExtensions can be a tricky subject. It can be difficult to get a clear understanding of all the rules, regulations and costs. That’s why it’s a good idea to get a proper handle on extension costs before you dive in. It’ even worth using an extension cost calculator to give yourself a general price overview.
Read moreA chimney breast is the brickwork which encases the chimney as it rises through a property. Usually the chimney breast is inside the property and takes up space within rooms. With semi-detached and terrace properties, chimney breasts are often built ‘back to back’ between individual properties – where this is so, 4 fireplaces in property will appear as 2 rows of 4 chimney pots on the chimney stack which will be shared by adjoining properties.
Read moreWith a slow housing market that doesn’t show any signs of picking up soon, many people are opting to stay put and extend their existing home, rather than up sticks and move.
This may seem like a great idea and a good way to save both money and time, but before you jump in and start buying breeze blocks to get started on that house extension, there are a few things you need to consider.
If more articles are commissioned in future, the highest-traffic homeowner-search topics in this market are:
Smiley Building Services are endorsed by “Trustmark”, who are the only UK Government
Endorsed Quality building Scheme for work carried out around your home.
Several motivations fuel TrustMark's mission, chiefly to assist homeowners with
implementing energy-saving upgrades in their dwellings and to bolster the level of
confidence they possess while engaging in such undertakings. It is imperative to possess a
well-defined vision of your intended home improvements, acquaint yourself with the
potential expenses and expected duration of projects. Bear in mind that proficient
professionals are typically sought after, hence there could be a necessity to be patient in
order to secure the services of the ideal tradesperson for your task.
