Building Solutions (Midlands) Blog » Derby

How to buy houses below market value

Richard — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 15:38:45 +0000

There are several ways to obtain houses below market value, but most methods require a high amount of time and commitment. They range from courting your local estate agent through to attending all the local property auctions. There are some companies that can provide portfolio building and source below market value properties. Some of these companies have suffered in recent times as their operations have become hampered by the recent drought in the buy to let mortgage lending’s markets. If you do chose to invest in below market property in the Midlands, Derby, Stoke-on-Trent, Belper, Ripley, Heanor, of Alfreton and the surrounding areas. There is one company with over 12years trading history and an enviable network of contacts within this area. ambervalleyhomes

Buy below market property

Richard — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:45:18 +0000

If you are looking for great property investments one of your main concerns will be getting your new investment property below market value. This way you have a head start compared with many other landlords and property investors in your area. There are several companies that can assist you in building property portfolios and help you find property below market value. It is always a sensible idea to go for a company with a well proven track record and a good trading history. If you are looking for a company to help you with your property investment strategies in the Midlands, we recommend Amber Valley Homes, with 12years of property trading experience they are always please to help new investors with sound advice. ambervalleyhomes

The number of houses for sale increases by 60% year on year

Richard — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:43:46 +0000

The abolition of the Home information packs has undoubtedly given many home owners the motivation to market their properties. Last year was obviously a slow time for property sales and that has been part of the reason why the increase in sales stock has been so dramatic.
The increase in available property has also lead to an increase in the number of viewings which is very positive news for vendors. It must be said that the increase in property viewings is only around a third of the number of new instructions hitting the property market.
Interestingly only two regions in the UK have seen sufficient increase in property sales in June one of which was the east midlands with sale increasing by over 6%.

How to replace my slate or tile roof

Richard — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:03:40 +0000

First things first, spend a little time finding the correct materials and a good contractor a good roofing contractor will take care of the little details on the verves and valleys that give the overall finish a high standard. Remember all slate and tiles are not created equally Welsh slates are expensive for good reason and cheap tiles may not last as long as a better quality alterative.
Lead flashings and finishing’s can really give your roof a beautiful look but can also give problems if these works are not carried out correctly. There are various grades of lead and lead substitutes so make sure your contractor uses the best. If you are in any doubt ask a Royal Institute Chartered Surveyor to act as project manager or contract administrator.

Getting harder to find a good builder?

Richard — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:51:59 +0000

With another announcement of a local building contractor going into administration within weeks it is getting harder to find a good builder. Many of these firms have years and good trading history but are often pushed into administration as a result of money they are owed by cash strapped developers and members of the public.
The latest casualty is a well know contractor from the Mansfield area and is thought to be leaving up to thirty local builders out of work. They will also leave sub contractors like electricians, plumbers, joiners, painters and decorators, looking hard for their next building contract.

Should I build an extension?

Richard — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:26:00 +0000

Building an extension to your home is well worth considering for at least three reasons :-
(1) it will provide you with the additional space that you require,
(2) it will increase the value of your property, and,
(3) it will avoid you having to sell your property to acquire the space you need, and buy a new home when the locality you are in at present is the one that you like, is close to work and family, and maybe the children are settled in at a nearby school etc.
I have seen a good example of house extension work carried out recently in the North of England which I am aware involved someone who employed a local reputable builder who did a very good job. The semi-detached house had a small kitchen facing the back garden alongside a dining area, the latter forming part of an L shaped lounge.
Although the kitchen and dining area was only extended by a relatively small amount (about 2 meters or so), the new kitchen, and extended dining area, has now an impressive appearance, and a surprisingly large area which the owners are now using, enjoying, and are proud to own.
The example mentioned above had/has further scope for extension as another approach could have been not only to extend the ground floor but also the bathroom above the kitchen could also have been extended, and the bedroom above the dining area could have been extended as well to provide an en suite in this back bedroom. It shows that there can be more than one way to pursue an idea you have in mind.
Whatever your requirements, it is well worth considering and pursuing your ideas to seek a solution to meet your need for more space in your home by building the extension that is right for you.

Letting agencies and private landlords no longer face registration.

Richard — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 19:10:56 +0000

The new government is continuing with the cull of red tape, as it scraps the introduction of registration for landlords and regulation of letting agents. The plans described as well meaning but ill conceived have now been abandoned.
The scheme would have proved costly and ultimately any costs to landlords will eventually filter through to tenants. The government is also thought to be reviewing labors recent legislation aimed at stopping “studentification”, or the spread of “student ghettos”. The new laws made it necessary for property developers or landlords to apply for planning permission to turn their properties into H.M.O’s (houses in multiple occupation.

Surge in new instructions to estate agents good news for builders?

Richard — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:18:57 +0000

It is a well know fact that there is a lot of home improvements made when home owners buy or sell a house so builders should welcome the massive 35% leap in home owners and property investors looking to off load their homes or investments. The sudden increase in new instructions in estate agents windows and rightmove listings has in part been driven by those waiting to see what the election would bring. The other more obvious and recent market driver has been the scrapping of that most unpopular of all recent legislation the Home information pack.
With sellers no longer facing a £500 bill just to try their property on the market many are far more tempted to “have a go”. The recent announcements regarding capital gains tax has also seen some buy to let investors looking to crystalise their property gains before they are affected by the proposed changes to capital gains tax.

Should I be worried about the cracks in my brickwork?

Richard — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:08:05 +0000

It is always advisable to have cracks in masonry (brickwork) check out by a professional and that professional is not a builder. The first port of call should be a structural engineer or for a more general condition report a competent surveyor a member of the “Royal Institute of chartered Surveyors”. If you have cracking or signs of movement in the brick work you need to contact a structural engineer. These helpful chaps will give you the benefit of their years of experience and specialist training. Some cracks can be simply repaired with products like “Heli tie fixings”, using specialist resins. Some cracks do show evidence of much more serious problems, like poor foundations or sub-soil erosion often caused by damaged drainage. One of the other issues effecting foundations is heave sometimes caused when large trees are removed and the area of the roots dry and the ground moves or heaves.
Some repairs are made simple with products like stitch cracking bars or wall straps that are used to tie gables to timber roof structures or the use of timber ties or noggins to tackle issues like roof spread. So rather than lay awake at night worrying about them call in a structural engineer and they will often put your mind at rest or suggest some minor works to stop further movement or cracking. This could save you thousands of pounds in the long run.

How to avoid cowboy builders, our top ten tips

Richard — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:30:57 +0000

1. The first actual contact you will have with your potential builder is when you meet to discuss your project. These are only common sense guidelines but they really will help.
1.1 Did they turn up on time, because if they can’t make a sales visit on time it does make you wonder what their timekeeping will be like when they start?
1.2 Did they confirm the appointment a good builder is a busy in demand builder! They will want to make sure that their prospective customer has remembered the appointment.
1.3 Builders are renowned for being scruffy, it is after all difficult to lay bricks in a dinner jacket, but have they made some effort to be tidy before they traps through your home?
1.4 I think this is very important, do you get on if you are faced with seeing this guy every morning before you rush off to work, or he has to break it to you that there is some unforeseen issue. It is always better if you get on with your builder from day one.
2. The next contact you will have is when the dreaded quotation arrives and you find out just how much your project will cost.
2.1 DO NOT ALWAYS ASSUME THAT THE CHEAPEST QUOTATION IS THE BEST, cowboy builders will always price low because that is the easiest way for them to win the work. Once they have the job they will cut corners and rush through with little thought for quality in order to bodge it up in budget.
2.2 MAKE SURE YOU READ THE QUOTE PROPERLY, it is amazing how long people spend choosing food in a restaurant but faced with spending tens of thousands of pounds just flick through the quote.
2.3 MAKE SURE ALL QUOTES are like for like, many contractors use basic items when quoting because they are not sure at this stage on your choices. So tell your builder how much to budget for fittings, flooring etc.
2.4 Look at the quote is it one page? This is an important reference point for your costs, if your contractor has specified man made slates and you wanted new Whelsh slates the cost difference could run into thousands of pounds. So make sure the quote is comprehensive and well written. A good builder will be happy to issue two or three revisions of the quotation to make yours and his life easier once the construction phase of a project begins.
3. A good builder will be able to provide written testimonials from satisfied customers and will be happy for you to call those customers. Can they let you see jobs they have done? Are they recommended by other professionals within the industry? A good builder will have a number of close alliances with building professionals architects, surveyors, structural engineers etc, can they let you speak with some of their extended team?
4. Are they VAT registered, this may seem an odd point but give it a little thought? If a builder does two or three domestic extensions in a year they will be VAT registered. If they are not why not? They cannot be doing the volume of work to give them the buying power or experience needed to undertake a project much over ten thousand.
5. Quality this is important to everyone, then when they are faced with two quotes one for £25,000 and one for £28,000 they start thinking “wow I could save £3,000, that’s enough for that new car or holiday”. The car or holiday will soon be forgotten but that poor bit of finishing you could be looking at for 20years! So start with the end in mind, if a builder is rushed because he has cut the quotation price to the bone quality may slip.
6. Speed you can have a high quality job completed quickly but again only by the best and the best will cost your builder £20-30 per day extra. He will need the best plumbers, plasterers, electricians, etc and as with all experts you get what you pay for.
7. Behaviour people rarely think about this but this causes more issues between customers and builders than people would expect. If you do have a problem with a member of your builder’s team have a quite word with the site foreman. There are cowboys out there that take great delight in shouting, having radios too loud, swearing in front of your children and generally bringing anti-social behaviour into your home. So check your builder’s attitude before you sign him up.
8. Cowboy builders will always talk down the disruption to win the work but be prepared all building work brings disruptions, just the skip on the drive will start to drive you mad after the first few days. This is your home or dream project but to be fare it is also your builder’s place of work, so let them use your toilet and plug their kettle in. The little things like offering the team a cool drink on a hot day will help your job get done quickly and well.
9. Cheaper for cash? This is a sure sign of a dishonest builder, if they are prepared to knock a bit off for cash that shows they are quite happy to commit fraud. Ask your self do I really want to have a fraudster as my builder?
10. Stage payments, most good builders will require stage payments this is standard in the industry for most jobs but make sure that the stage payments are clearly agreed on clear deliverables e.g. footings complete, masonry complete, roof complete, etc. That way everyone knows where they stand through the project, I have heard of builders suddenly asking for £5,000 and expecting it in the next two hours. So make sure you discuss all these details before you start.