So you’re thinking of getting a loft conversion? Great idea – not only will that extra accommodation provide you and your family with more breathing space, but your home should also fetch a better price when you come to sell-up (around 20% more, in fact, according to the HomeOwners Association). In other words, adding a loft conversion is a win-win – provided, that is, you get the renovation right from the start.

For, as in most areas of life, cutting costs or rushing in without doing proper research always results in regret. So it’s important to take days – and even weeks – to get your head round subjects such as:

How much do electricians charge per hour in the UK? Every electrical contracting company has its own electrician prices list for the range of services they offer. Your electrician, once they’ve qualified and they’ve undergone a number of years of on-the-job training offers you and your family a wide range of services which not only make living in your property more comfortable but which also protects them against real risks of fire and electrocution.

But the problem for many of us is that we have no idea how much an electrician will charge us for an individual job – many of us don’t really know what a fair rate would actually be. In this article, HouseholdQuotes looks at:

Whether you’re a landlord or you’re simply interested in the electrical safety of your own home, having a regular electrical safety certificate inspection visit carried out provides you with the peace of mind that your tenants or your family are safe. Electricians also undertake a lot of other types of work around residential properties – we’ll be covering some of the more popular jobs later on in this article together with providing you with guideline quotes for each type of job.

In this article, we consider:

• why landlords should take note of the new law on electrical installation condition reports (previously called Periodic Inspection Reports)

Finding the cost of CCTV system for your home can be difficult – and even more challenging to find a comprehensive home CCTV price guide to help you make an informed decision.

If you’re currently looking into house CCTV prices and you want to know the options that are available to you, we’ve created this article to help you. We’ll not only provide realistic price ranges for different types of cameras and CCTV systems – we’ll also highlight important aspects you must consider before making that all-important purchase.

How much to fit a burglar alarm? House alarm systems (including wireless alarms) have been popular with British home owners since the 1970s. Even though home burglary numbers have been dropping in recent years, having your home broken into and your valuables stolen is a very real fear for many.

So what is the average burglar alarm installation cost? For the simplest types of alarms you can install yourself, you’ll be looking at spending £125-£300 depending on the number of sensors you choose for your home. Systems that call or message you start at around £175 and range up to £350. Monitored systems can start from £99 and cost between £15-45 a month thereafter.

One of the biggest joys of owning your own home is the ability to make whatever changes you wish. Where rented accommodation often comes with a raft of rules and regulations, leaving tenants unable to so much as hang a painting or paint a wall without the express permission of their landlord, owning a home comes with no such restrictions on the interior.

Of course, it’s a slightly different story if you are looking to make changes to the external components of your home. Many people wish to extend or expand existing spaces such as a garage or shed, or even build an extension or conservatory. If you plan to make these additions or amendments to your home, you must first determine whether you will require planning permission in accordance with UK law.

A water-based decorative covering, artex is usually used on ceilings or walls in order to apply a pattern. While was undoubtedly considered pleasing to the eye during the peak of its popularity, the downside of artex is that the product often contains traces of asbestos – something that is hugely dangerous for people to breathe in.

If you have recently moved into an older property and are unsure when the artex ceiling or walls were installed, or you simply wish to change the aesthetic design to something more to your personal taste, you may wish to consider remove any existing artex from your property.

Planning a house extension is a big job that can seem daunting, especially with so many things to think about.

There are so many decisions to make before you even start building your extension, and so many rules and regulations to follow. That’s why it’s a good idea to get a proper handle on extension costs before you dive in.

In this guide, we’ll discuss:

• How much an extension costs
• What affects the cost of building an extension
• How to save money on an extension
• What’s involved in fitting an extension

Buying a house is an exciting time and once your offer is accepted, do not let the excitement cloud your judgement as far as a house survey is concerned. This article explains why a house survey is a vital step of the house buying process, outlines the types of surveys available and the differences between them and under what circumstances one is preferable over another.

Want to really understand the condition of the house you are buying beyond the new coats of paint? Are there any problems lurking between the surface and can you use any issues to negotiate the asking price down. Sometimes the problems are severe enough for a potential buyer to walk away, in some cases a reduction in asking price smoothes the way and the transaction goes ahead.

Woodworm is a common problem affecting wooden aspects of many homes around the UK. Woodworm are the larvae of wood-boring beetles, and the most common species is the Common Furniture Beetle. Other common beetles include the following:

• Deathwatch beetle.
• House Longhorn Beetle.

The costs of a woodworm infestation can be immense, not only damaging your furniture, but may also affect the timber structure of your house.

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We’ve all experienced it at some point – loud noise coming from a road, neighbour or party when all you want is a few minutes of peace. If it’s becoming a constant problem, however, then you need to take action and this often means taking steps to soundproof your home.

Though you can hire professionals, soundproofing can be can a relatively easy DIY project, especially if you’re tackling a floor. Alternatively, if doing the work yourself seems a little daunting, you should head online to a website like Quotatis to find contractors in your local area who can help.

There’s no telling when a pest might invade your home. From miniscule insects to gnawing and destructive rodents, it’s essential to eradicate them as quickly as possible if you’re to safeguard your property.

Knowing there are pests in your home can be extremely stressful too, so it’s best to get the professionals in to deal with them quickly and humanely. Many councils offer advice on how to get rid of pests, and some may even provide free eradication services.

Pest control prices vary depending on the problem you’ve got, as well as the infestation severity, so it’s important to act quickly.

Are you looking to create a bespoke bedroom complete with fitted wardrobes? Fitted wardrobes offer the best way of maximising the space in your bedroom. While freestanding wardrobes give you the flexibility of changing your room around when it suits you, there is a lot of dead space on them.

Instead of having the tops of your wardrobes collect dust, why not invest a bit of money, time and effort and have fitted wardrobes installed.

Sometimes, there’s only so much your vacuum cleaner can handle. Unless you’re lucky enough to have a powerful machine that sucks deep into the pile of your carpet, dirt, grime and dust will build up over time. And if you’ve got kids and pets – well there are going to be spillages and accidents that stain the carpet

Eventually, all carpets look a little tired and old and are in desperate need of replacement. However, before you rush out and end up spending a lot of money on something brand new, money can be saved by calling in some professional cleaners. The resulting deep clean can be quite astonishing, giving your carpets an entirely new lease of life.

One of the simplest ways to add some curb appeal to your home is to build a porch. Pulling out the front door and making the most of an entrance is an immediate way to please the eye and create a great focal point.

A new porch might also offer you some much needed space for bags, coats and boots; notoriously bulky and hard to store items. And, with energy costs being so high, anything to help prevent heat escaping is an added bonus.

When they’re done right, porches can be an extremely elegant addition to your home. They’re also very affordable.

If your stairs have fallen deeply into despair, having a stair replacement will really kick-start a renovation. Especially since it’s a significant feature within our homes, both structurally and visually. The construction must be safe enough to hold our load and allow us comfortable access to the floors above. On top of this great responsibly it still needs to look inviting too!

Replacement staircases are seemingly limitless in shapes and sizes, materials and designs. When it comes to staircase cost, the material, craftsmanship and overall design are all hugely significant factors.

What is the fair price to pay for the services of an electrician? How often should the electrical installation in my house be tested and how do I know the electrician doing the work is qualified? Electrical inspections are critical because they are just like an m.o.t for your home.

The inspections ensure the electrics in your home are working correctly and above all, safe. In this article, we discuss the importance of electrical inspections, how often it should be carried out and how much they typically cost. We will also consider average costs of partial and full rewires for different types of home. Looking to upgrade the electrical wiring in your home? This is just the article for you.

If you’re thinking of having a new kitchen installed, you’re probably already reeling at the potential expense. Fitted kitchen prices can be staggeringly high, and even a budget project can cost thousands of pounds.

If you’ve got your eye on some designer brands and shiny appliances, then it’s likely to cost a lot more. The size and shape of your kitchen, combined with your dream layout, will have a major impact upon the expense.

So, how much does a new kitchen cost?

On average, around £8,000. This price includes VAT and fitting but excludes appliances and any preparation work that may be needed, such as ripping out the old kitchen, plastering walls, removing wallpaper etc.

Need a locksmith in a hurry? Although locksmiths are professionals who can actually do a lot more than just help people who need extra keys cutting and who are locked out of their home or business, it’s for these two emergencies that we call them out the most.

The price of a new door lock supply-only is likely to start at around £15-£25 for a basic cylinder lock for a uPVC door. For a mortice deadlock, prices start at between £25 and £35 and for a BS3621-approved night latch, expect to pay a price starting from around £45.

Mould is a serious nuisance that affects almost every home at one time or another. Spores in the air can affect your health so it is important to deal with mould properly as soon as you can. But this is sometimes easier said than done.

Black mould, or mildew, is the most common type of mould found in homes, and the easiest to deal with. It can be alarming to discover black mould in your home, lurking around bathroom tiles, on walls or ceilings or behind furniture. But it is not unusual and, thankfully, not very difficult to remove. Read on to discover how to get rid of mould in your home once and for all.

Our bathroom is usually the most humid room in the house. Hot showers, baths and running taps all contribute to building excessive moisture within the air. This circulating moisture soon condensates on any cold surfaces and leaves the room damp.

Without sufficient ventilation, the room cannot fully dry out and leads to a variety of damp related issues. Mould, mildew and rot begin to take a hold of the wood, plaster and flooring.

An extractor fan performs a fantastic job at quickly removing excess moisture in the air, along with bad smells. Moisture laden air is extracted and vented outside, balancing out humidity and mitigating damp related problems.