London is known for being one of the most expensive cities to live in, meaning people are less likely to buy a new home when they’re ready for an upgrade. As a compromise, Londoners can improve their city-centre homes by following improvement trends and transitioning them to suit their location. Throughout this article, we’ve gathered together a series of fantastic ideas and information on how to implement them.
Kitchens Are Still Top
The kitchen has been the most-renovated room for years now, and it still dominates. The reason for this is that people are using their kitchens to host guests, thanks to spending more time at home during the pandemic, meaning they need to be more inviting. The type of improvement you choose will depend on the size of your London property. For example, if you have a small apartment, you may be limited to changing the splashback. Whereas, if you’ve got a dedicated kitchen, you can upgrade the countertops, resurface the floor, and much more.
More Homes Going Smart
When smart devices first hit the shelves, they were a luxury that only fancy homeowners could afford. However, now there’s a smart device to fit all budgets in 2022. Thanks to a greater availability, more people are choosing to upgrade their homes this way. Going smart in London may involve installing smart blinds, which can lift to reveal stunning panoramic views of the city – depending on the property. Alternatively, you can swap out your standard LED bulbs for smart bulbs, allowing you to communicate through smart assistants and control them through your smartphone.
Nature Entering the Home
Sunlight and the great outdoors have been proven to improve mental well-being and boost productivity. Therefore, people are opening their doors to nature by installing walled windows, choosing natural colours, and inviting plants and flowers into their homes.
Considering your central-London location, the chances are that you don’t have the luxury of a substantial garden. Therefore, you can get a taste of the outdoors by simply placing plants around the home. If you lead a busy life, there are plenty of plants that require little to zero care.
Increasing Light
Depending on the location of your home, increasing natural light may be a struggle – especially if your building is eclipsed by another property. If this is the case, there are still plenty of ways to make use of the light you do have. For example, you can upgrade fixtures to magnificent modern pieces that breathe light. Alternatively, you can put a mirror up across a wall and utilise the reflection to increase the light in your home. As well as this, you can repaint your dark walls in favour of a lighter colour, which will give the illusion of more light in the home.
How to Implement Home Improvements
After deciding on which home improvements you’re chasing, it’s time to start the implementation phase. If the work you’re undertaking is extensive, you can find qualified handymen London by heading to mybuilder.com. However, if you’re tackling the job yourself, keep the following in mind.
Set a Budget
Whether you’re spending thousands or hundreds, your home improvements will cost some money. Therefore, it’s important to set a budget and stick to it. If you get a quote for something and you can’t afford it, find a cheaper alternative or put the improvement off until you can afford it.
Correct Permits
The majority of home improvements won’t be viable without a building permit. Having a permit will allow you to upgrade the roofing, tear down wells, and upgrade the plumbing. If you’d rather not go through the process of applying for a building permit, hire a licensed professional to carry out any large-scale renovation work.
Safety First
When planning your renovation, you should prioritise improvement tasks based on urgency. If you have safety issues to address in your home, these should come first. For example, you may have exposed wiring or crumbling brickwork, which is common in old Victorian and Georgian houses.
Understand What Needs Fixing
Without understanding the issue, it’s difficult to come up with a solution. Therefore, you should get to know every corner of your home before planning the work, including the era. This is important because period homes are built differently and knowing which era it’s from will help you decide what needs fixing. For example, many Georgian homes had their windows bricked in, meaning you may wish to start by installing windows.
Home improvements in London are often much cheaper than buying a new property. Whether you’re opening up your living room, changing the layout of your kitchen, or upgrading light fixtures, you need to ensure everything is completed by the book. In most cases, that means having a building permit for large-scale tasks – hiring a contractor saves you the hassle of applying.
