You have probably heard people talking about renovation projects and how they escalated once the work had begun. The new owners thought all they were going to have to do was something simple like replaster a wall, but when they got the old layer off, they discovered damage under there and suddenly it all turned complicated.
That is a common occurrence in renovation situations, and it often happens because not enough planning was done before the work started.
That is no criticism of the property owners though. Everyone has their talents and strengths, and renovating an old property is not something that most people have experience of. They want to get their project completed, and the sooner you start the sooner you can finish. That is the theory, anyway.
Who can Help you to Avoid Renovation Disasters?
The first step is to stop and think about this. If you have a property on your hands that has a bit of history, you can’t just steam in and slap a 21st century face on it. It might not be a heritage listed building, a kind of national treasure that is protected by law – but then again it might be, and if it is, you’re going to have to be careful about this because people will be watching. But if it’s just a nice old place in a certain style, it deserves respect too – and it can also catch you out if you’re not careful.
What you need is the services of a renovation architect like us at BY Projects Architecture, a specialised team who know about these things and can help you draw up a plan. And yes, a detailed plan is what you need, because there are ways of doing these things that can avoid that escalation we mentioned earlier. If you know what you are likely to find under the surface when you start peeling back layers you can draw up a strategy that helps keep your project running on time and stops your budget going over.
The idea is to make the renovation process a simple one, so you can move seamlessly from one stage to the next. As the building reveals its secrets there may be decisions to be made, and with the right architect team like us, you can have an ally to consult as the journey continues.
How Faithful do you Want to be to the Original?
If there is no law telling you what you have to do, you may decide for yourself that you will go back to how the building was when it was built, and if so a specialist heritage architect may be worth a call. In appearance, that is; no one wants to go back 100 years in terms of plumbing, and a renovated building can have all the advantages of current electrical wiring standards to make today’s appliances work as they should. What you can have, if you draw up a plan and stick to it, is a building with an attractive sense of period which operates smoothly as befits today’s levels of efficiency.
Bring it up to Date Environmentally
When renovating an old house, you have the chance to build in some of the measures we take for granted now, from insulation and double glazing to energy source. You can’t just fit uPVC windows, of course, because they would look woefully out of place, so you will need to consult someone about the options.
The result could be the most efficient house of its age in the whole area, a superb example of how the style of a previous era can be retained while respecting the environment.
You may need some advice on this aspect of the project too, and a renovation architect can provide that because they think about this kind of thing and have experience in applying today’s standards to yesterday’s buildings.
A renovation project is an opportunity, not just to revitalise crumbling features but to make real improvements. What you really need is a good plan, executed by good people so claim your free consultation with us here.
