Building a home is a rewarding and exciting project. Planning every step and making decisions about the project is a huge responsibility. Also, it can be a daunting experience, even for skilled people. Evaluating the project before starting can make the process go smoothly. So if you to build your
Given the way the government promotes it and how columnists fret about the plight of Generation Rent—the cohort of young people who may never be able to buy property—you’d think home ownership was a financial golden ticket, along with a path away from beige walls and landlords who object to
A Halifax-based building, built in the 1900’s, welcomed the mayor and mayoress of Calderdale to open its newly renovated roof-top garden on 12th March 2019. Business partners, Vicky and Brian Nolan began the £1m refurbishment of Croft Myl in 2015 and have since provided 40 local businesses with vibrant office
On the 27 March at the QEII in London, the UK Housing Minister Kit Malthouse will address an audience of construction professionals at the Explore Offsite Housing conference. In February 2018 the Ministry for Housing announced an extra £45 million of funding for community projects that would free up land
Tolent has announced its recent contract win at Kirkstall Forge, where the team will build the site’s first residential phase, with the contract initially delivering the construction of two prototype houses. Led by CEG, Kirkstall Forge is a £400 million project in Leeds that will see over 1,000 new homes
At some point, almost all surfaces will need to be deep cleaned, especially if they outside accumulating dirt and grime every day. Two of the best options for deep cleaning are sandblasting and the DOFF cleaning system – but which one is right for you. Here we will take a
Over three quarters of company’s UK sales of RAC and PAC technologies in February 2019 were for R32 systems, reflecting a market shift towards the lower GWP product Mitsubishi Electric has said that UK demand for RAC and PAC systems has dramatically shifted within the last two years away from
Building a home is a rewarding and exciting project. Planning every step and making decisions about the project is a huge responsibility. Also, it can be a daunting experience, even for skilled people. Evaluating the project before starting can make the process go smoothly. So if you to build your home follow these steps: Decide the location You need to choose or decide the location and position of the house. Next, you’ll drive stakes into the ground to mark this. But you can employ a surveyor for because surveyors know the restrictions and codes of the area you want to build in Clear and Excavate The process involves removing roots, trees, and rocks from the construction location. Further, you can also, rough grade the site. It involves moving the debris around to create your preferred driveway, yard, and drainage. Also, excavating involves digging a hole for your foundation. Get necessary utilities for building You’ll need water, power and a portable toilet while building the house. Also, you can get a well drilled so water will be available at all times during construction. Make and pour the footings Footing holds the foundation of your house. You can pour it into wooden trenches or forms. Create the foundation A good foundation holds the home’s structure. Make the completed foundation high enough to prevent water from entering the house. Also, the foundation must be waterproofed to prevent water from gathering in crawl space. Install plumbing materials It involves fixing any plumbing that needs to go beneath the concrete. Create Slabs Slabs are then formed and poured concrete in garages and the basement. Build septic systems You need a septic tank, especially there’s no town sewer. It’s a system that makes disposing of your household waste easy. Paint This is where you need to finish off any drywall repairs and carry out the last painting process. You may need to touch up some few things. Don’t worry, it’s normal. You can carry out the last finish on the floor and install the carpets too. Clean the house after painting Here, you’ll need to clean both the outside and inside of the house after painting. Driveway As soon as the builders have removed all the equipment after completing their job, you can create a driveway. Create a garden It’s time to grow trees, shrubs, and grass to create flower beds. Also, you can add any garden or mulch to the house. This will complete the appearance of your home so you can move in! Building your home can be stressful, but architects can show you your future house with Cedreo, the best home design software.
Given the way the government promotes it and how columnists fret about the plight of Generation Rent—the cohort of young people who may never be able to buy property—you’d think home ownership was a financial golden ticket, along with a path away from beige walls and landlords who object to cats and framed art. And indeed, in 2018 Santander Mortgage found that owning a home is cheaper than renting in every part of the country. Prospective buyers could save £2,268 a year if they got out of rented accommodation and into their first home. But that’s only part of the equation: first, new buyers also need to accumulate an average deposit of £51,9052 to get on the property ladder. But those who do manage to buy, benefit from average mortgage of £723 across the country, while monthly rents have recently reached an average of £912. In London the contrast is even higher: the average monthly rent is £289 more the average monthly mortgage payment, saving buyers nearly £3,500 a year. But to access those savings, you’ll need to be very patient, or lucky and independently wealthy: first time buyers in the capital need an average deposit of £135,000. Ideally, you’ll also someday recoup those monthly mortgage payments, when you sell up and use the accumulated equity as a deposit for a subsequent property, or as a nest egg for retirement. And with the general trend of property prices in the UK—up and up and up—you should also be able to turn a healthy profit, provided you hold out while the market shivers through Brexit. And indeed, one of the largest complaints of long-term renters is that they’re “paying someone else’s mortgage,” subsidising their landlord’s investment in the property market So mortgage payments are lower than comparable rent and homeownership can deliver a lucrative return, but that’s not the end of the story, or the maths. Buying a home is a significant financial investment, one that requires not just a hefty deposit but also a commitment to an area and to all those pesky repairs a landlord would otherwise handle. And it isn’t the right financial choice for everyone. Before you compare mortgages and start planning your kitchen renovation, let’s take a closer look at the reasons renting might be more cost-effective or simply more practical for you, at least in the short-term: Your life situations are in flux: If you’re young and not yet committed to an occupation, a city, or a partner, it might not make sense to put down roots and purchase property. A compelling job offer in another city, or a breakup, might dramatically alter your life. And if you own a property, picking up the stakes and relocating to another city for that postgraduate degree or new boyfriend isn’t as easy as if you rent. It can take months to find the right buyer for a property and even longer for the purchase to go through and keys and funds to be exchanged. You’re single: Home ownership is much more attainable if you have two incomes and can obtain a joint mortgage. Conversely, be cautious about getting a joint mortgage and purchasing a property with someone you aren’t fully committed to, whether they’re a partner or a friend, as exiting a joint mortgage is tricky and expensive, and often requires the sale of the property, or one owner buying out the other. You don’t have the money for the other expenses of purchasing a home: It’s not just the deposit you need when buying a home. You’ll also need to pay mortgage fees, stamp duty, solicitor’s charges, and valuation fees—costs that themselves well exceed the deposit required for a rented property. These peripheral costs of purchasing a home, and all the time and paperwork it requires, mean it isn’t sensible to buy a home unless you’re planning on living in it for a number of years. You’re not ready to take on the financial and practical commitments of home ownership: If you rent, your landlord is legally obligated to keep the property safe and inhabitable and will arrange and pay for any repairs, ideally promptly. If you’re the homeowner, the buck stops with you. Does your home need a new boiler? That’ll be at least £1,500. New roof? Another £5,000—and you have to find, vet, and wait in for the contractors. If you’re looking to buy a property, you can’t spend all your cash on the deposit: you’ll also need savings to tackle those unexpected expenses and repairs, especially those caused by simple wear and tear and age that won’t be covered by your buildings insurance (which, as property owner, you’ll need, so add that to your tab).
A Halifax-based building, built in the 1900’s, welcomed the mayor and mayoress of Calderdale to open its newly renovated roof-top garden on 12th March 2019. Business partners, Vicky and Brian Nolan began the £1m refurbishment of Croft Myl in 2015 and have since provided 40 local businesses with vibrant office space. The Mayor, Marcus Thompson and Mayoress, Nicky Chance-Thompson cut the red ribbon to officially mark the regeneration of what was once an unusable and derelict building. The roof-top garden and penthouse suite, which has taken 12-months to build, features glass pods and a unique slide, offering tenants an alternative way to reach the penthouses offices below. Vicky and Brian Nolan designed the award-winning office space with local SME’s in mind; having struggled to find a suitable headquarters for their electrical and fire safety business, Circuit Compliance. The first of its kind, Croft Myl provides ‘no-ties’ contracts for its residents Current tenants include Andys Man Club, Wright Angle Marketing, Kip Mcgrath, Zenith Wealth Management, Woodhall Mortgages, Snowflake Media and many others. Commenting on the opening of the roof-top garden, Vicky Nolan said: “What a fantastic way to start the year. We’re absolutely thrilled to have welcomed our valued tenants and other local professionals to the opening of our roof-top garden. We hope this fantastic space will be enjoyed many this summer. “Having the mayor and mayoress there to celebrate the opening was brilliant and we were very pleased to give them a little push down the roof-top slide! “It’s been a very busy start to the year for us but we will continue to put our occupants and local SMEs at the heart of what we do.”
On the 27 March at the QEII in London, the UK Housing Minister Kit Malthouse will address an audience of construction professionals at the Explore Offsite Housing conference. In February 2018 the Ministry for Housing announced an extra £45 million of funding for community projects that would free up land for local councils to build 7,280 homes. It has been 16 months since the government’s ‘offsite presumption’ announcement and key industry players are still unsure how this will play out and when clarity will arrive – many are optimistic that the Explore Offsite Housing event will provide at least some of the answers. Kit Malthouse’s short time in office has not been without controversy. He recently defended the Better Building Beautiful Commission and called on architects to work with him to resist bland, developer-led housing. He said the point of the government commission has been missed by British architects, who have criticised it for attempting to reignite the divide between proponents of traditional and modern architecture. The theme of traditional versus modern will continue at this one-day conference but this time the debate will move away from architecture to focus on contemporary delivery methods. Kit Malthouse was recently quoted as saying: “If I’m going to build 300,000 houses, I need local communities to accept them. And that means they need to like what’s being built. We’re putting 45 million quid into the house building industry across the piece. We’re not short of money to get this out of the door. But it’s perfectly possible to produce stuff that looks fantastic that satisfies the purists of the architectural profession and local communities at the same time.” Kit Malthouse then turned his attention to housing developers: “I need the architectural profession to join with me to cajole, propel, and push the developers to allow beauty into their work.” Through exemplary case studies, Explore Offsite Housing will provide evidence that offsite technology can rapidly deliver exceptional and aesthetically appealing residential projects at scale. The conference and exhibition will provide an opportunity for housing developers and architects to hear direct from the Housing Minister. All eyes will be on Kit Malthouse as he discusses the government’s plans for investment into offsite technologies and proposals for future potential collaboration and funding. Explore Offsite Housing will be attended by over 250 delegates from architects, engineers and housing developers to construction clients and building product manufacturers – all interested to be the first to hear new industry announcements. Offsite solutions provide the technological capabilities to allow the government to build the large levels of housing that are needed efficiently, with low costs and unbeatable quality consistency. As the construction world races to resolve the housing crisis, offsite professionals are keen to learn about new government-funded opportunities that are long overdue. To view the high-profile speaker line-up – which includes Mark Farmer – and to book your place go to: www.exploreoffsite.co.uk
Tolent has announced its recent contract win at Kirkstall Forge, where the team will build the site’s first residential phase, with the contract initially delivering the construction of two prototype houses. Led by CEG, Kirkstall Forge is a £400 million project in Leeds that will see over 1,000 new homes and 400,000 sq ft of offices, retail, leisure and community spaces being developed. The two prototype houses will be completed this summer and, once finished, members of CEG’s design team will move into the three and five-bed homes and test out the living experience. Following their feedback, improvements will be made to finesse the final product before continuing with the first phase of 112 contemporary homes, which were designed by Stirling Prize winner Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios. Open plan, light and airy, offering open plan living opening out onto gardens and terraces across different floors, the homes have been designed for modern life, making everyday living refreshingly enjoyable and effortlessly cool. Regional Director for Tolent, John Currie, said: “This is another great win for the team which really shows the depth of experience and expertise we have as a national construction firm. “With such a significant and visionary project that is already winning awards, we’re looking forward to being a part of this legacy for Leeds as well as the innovative prototype housing which is something new for us.” James Shimwell, head of residential development at Kirkstall Forge, said: “This innovative way of delivering prototype housing follows the attention to detail we have paid to everything we are delivering at Kirkstall Forge. “By testing every detail we can ensure we best complement Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios’ inspiring design, which maximises the acres of green space and waterfront opportunity.” CEG’s decision to ensure Kirkstall Forge is ‘Different by Design’ has paid off to date; with the opening of a new railway station connecting this development site to Leeds City Centre in just six minutes, followed swiftly by a 110,000 sq ft office development which was 90% let less than a year from completion, securing the prestigious British Council of Offices best UK ‘Commercial Workplace’ award. Tolent, a north-east based national contractor, has been working across the Leeds and wider Yorkshire area since 1990, delivering a variety of contracts from industrial, leisure and more recently student accommodation. To find out more about Tolent visit www.tolent.co.uk
At some point, almost all surfaces will need to be deep cleaned, especially if they outside accumulating dirt and grime every day. Two of the best options for deep cleaning are sandblasting and the DOFF cleaning system – but which one is right for you. Here we will take a look at the benefits of each form of cleaning to give you an idea of which would be most beneficial to you. The benefits of DOFF cleaning The DOFF system uses steam cleaning technology. Water is heated to a temperature of up 150°C and the steam can be directed at a surface using the adjustable nozzle. The system is perfect for a wide range of deep cleaning needs, making it perfect whether you require some home maintenance or on your industrial premises. Some of the benefits of the DOFF cleaning system include: Non-abrasive – unlike many deep-cleaning methods, the DOFF cleaning system is non-abrasive, using only steam and water to clean. This means that the surfaces that you are interested in cleaning, such as brickwork or concrete, won’t be damaged, if the cleaning system is used correctly. Additionally, the DOFF system does not use any chemicals during the cleaning process, meaning that it can be used on softer materials or historic properties without fearing that the cleaning itself will cause damage. Use on a huge range of surfaces – one of the major advantages of working with the DOFF cleaning system is that it can be used on such a huge variety of surfaces. This ranges from stone, brick and concrete to softer materials such as wood, terracotta and faience. Best of all is that it can clean these more delicate materials without damage. And in spite of the fact that it can be gentle on such surfaces, it also boasts industrial cleaning power that is effective as many of its rivals. “The steam or super-heated water removes moss, algae, fungi and other biological matter and will also kill off spores. This means there is no need to use a chemical biocide during the removal process or as a protection against any further biological activity. While the temperature in the system is high, the pressure on the surface being cleaned is very gentle and the volume of water is low. The surface being cleaned does not suffer any damaging pressure, thermal shock or deep saturation and dries within minutes, making it ideal for more delicate materials.” Tony Guess, MC Property Maintenance Versatile – as you would imagine, DOFF cleaning can be used outside on all the surfaces mentioned above, however you might be surprised to learn that is have even broader cleaning potential. The steam cleaning makes it ideal for sterilising indoor environments and surfaces, including kitchens, medical facilities, toilets and swimming pools. The DOFF system can be used for cleaning in high pollution and high traffic areas with great success. The benefits of sandblasting Sandblasting is a form of deep cleaning that propels an abrasive agent (such as sand, but not always) under high pressure against a surface in order to either clean it, or smooth over a rough surface completely. One of the most powerful forms of wall cleaning systems available, sandblasting can be used at residential properties or in a variety of industrial settings. Some of the benefits of sandblasting include: Very quick and easy – sandblasting is extremely quick and easy for two reasons. Firstly, it gives surfaces a powerful and deep clean very fast. It can massively reduce the amount of time that it takes to get challenging cleaning tasks done. Additionally, it is very fast to clean up afterwards as you will need to have protected the surrounding areas against the sand. Non-toxic and environmentally friendly – despite the fact that sandblasting is an extremely powerful and intense way of cleaning surfaces, it does not use any toxic or environmentally damaging chemicals. Many cleaning products are extremely caustic and can be danger to work with. Prepares surfaces – along with cleaning surfaces extremely well, sandblasting is also useful for surface preparation. If you know that you are going to be carrying out full works on a surface – for example, repainting or decoration – sandblasting gets rid of the contaminants so that you can get to work immediately after the cleaning is done. Ultimately, DOFF cleaning and sandblasting both offer excellent cleaning, but it is important to know which is the right one for your needs. If you are still in any doubt then it is a good idea to speak to cleaning specialists about the project, what you are trying to achieve and when you need it to be completed. They will be able to provide you with the information you need.
Over three quarters of company’s UK sales of RAC and PAC technologies in February 2019 were for R32 systems, reflecting a market shift towards the lower GWP product Mitsubishi Electric has said that UK demand for RAC and PAC systems has dramatically shifted within the last two years away from use of R410A towards lower GWP R32 refrigerant. The manufacturer has said that 80 per cent of sales in these segments last month was for technology designed for R32, a product that has a lower level of flammability. During the same time last year, R32 represented 30 per cent of its RAC and PAC sales, according to Mark Grayston, product marketing manager with Mitsubishi Electric Living Environmental Systems UK. Ongoing quota restrictions on the amount of CO2 equivalent that manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Electric are able to import to the UK under EU F-Gas regulation has been a key driver in pushing the market towards lower GWP products. This has proven to be the case even with the low levels of flammability and the subsequent handling challenges that these newer refrigerant products pose that is not present in higher GWP gas. Mr Grayston said that Mitsubishi Electric’s main focus for R32 products at present was the company’s HVRF technology, where it was in the process of expanding the capacity of outdoor units to between 22kW and 56kW. He added, “We have already moved the majority of our split systems (between 1.5kW and 14kW) to R32, with further R32 releases to come in 2019.” Mr Graytson said that changes introduced in the 6th edition of IEC regulation 60335-2-40 would widening the usage envelope for low flammability refrigerant such as R32. However, he argued that the EN378 safety and environmental standard has not been amended to pick up these changes, meaning some of the challenges to expanding use of the lower flammability refrigerant remained in place. Mr Graytson said, “With good design and following the manufacturers and regulation guidelines high capacity R32 systems can be designed and installed in most commercial applications. Currently R32 HVRF allows for higher capacity systems to be installed because water is run to each fan coil and therefore we don’t need to deal with refrigerant into the occupied spaces.” “As consultants and air conditioning installers gain more experience of A2L refrigerants the wider the scope will be for bigger high capacity systems to be released into the UK and European markets.”
