PORTFOLIO

My business is finally all set up and its now time to get stuck into work and I have a great first project to start with. I have some experience with minor renovations and building work but this is a full house renovation with extension and bathroom remodel. Luckily my first job is for my parents company so there’s sightly less pressure but I’m determined to make this a success and I will document the journey here on my blog and on my work instagram (https://www.instagram.com).

Whilst trying to find our perfect first property to renovate we knew we had to find somewhere that could make a profit even if we didn’t do too much to it but also had lots of potential so we could make even more profit on it if everything went well. We decided to make the commitment to a semi-detached, three bedroomed house that has an overgrown back garden and currently no drive. It’s a perfect family home that needs a bit of modernising and a little TLC.

So, starting from the front door and the hallway, there is the original stained-glass front door that is most definitely staying in the house as it would be a shame to lose something that looks so good and lets in so much light. That is however, the only thing staying from this area as even though the bannister is in good shape it blocks a lot of light out of the area.

The hallway leads to a living room at the front of the house, which gets bathed in sunlight during the morning, so I can’t wait to see this room finished to make the most of the light that could fill the room. Currently, it has a very dark carpet and discoloured wallpaper that do make the space look old and tired along with a fireplace that takes up a lot of room, so once these are all removed and replaced it will make the room more inviting and homely.

The dining room is next and it is very similar to the living room but this is where some of  the biggest changes will be made. We are planning on extending the ground floor of the house to have an open plan kitchen-diner which will add a considerable amount of money to the house price as its a very popular feature in homes at the moment. This extension means there is no need for the kitchen that is next to the dining room so this will be changed into a utility room and/or downstairs toilet.

Upstairs the bathroom is the first room you come to and there are amazing tiles, which we would personally keep, but we also want to save them, so we have decided we should remove them and put in a modern bathroom suite to help sell the house. We are definitely adding a shower but are considering switching the toilet and sink to make the space easier to use.

The master bedroom is at the front of the house and has a huge window like the living room below it but this needs replacing with new windows to meet safety regulations and help with heating the house. The area around this window needs to be rebuilt before the new window can go in though and this will be one of the bigger jobs that needs doing to the house. Along with work on the window area, we are blocking up the fireplace and we will need to replanted the ceiling as the current plaster is very loose.

Also at the front of the house is the third bedroom which could fit a single bed or be an office. Although this is a small room there is still quite a bit of work that needs doing including replacing the window, re-plastering the ceiling and adding a plug socket.

The last room is the second bedroom that overlooks the garden. This room can fit a double bed and once the fireplace is removed there will be plenty of space in here as well as light as the window in this room is large and the sun goes round to back of the house in the afternoon.

Overall, the house doesn’t need too much major work and from what we have seen so far the floors and walls are in good condition. I will hopefully have regular updates and progress reports as well as possible designs I plan on putting into the house.