Landlords: do you want to make more out of your property? Perhaps you wish to install en-suites to entice new tenants or increase your property’s value? Or maybe you intend to erect new partition walls to maximise the earning potential of your space? Either way, you will need to start weighing up your building options and materials, such as utilising envirowall, before you begin constructing your new walls.

Building regulations stipulate that all bedrooms must have at least one window that opens out to the property’s exterior, so if a second window is not already present you need to make sure that you can fit one. You should probably seek advice from your local building control office before you undertake any work.

Something else you might want to consider, before beginning an extensive remodel, is how you  might reduce your property’s carbon footprint. Going green is not only a good way to market your property to the modern environmentally-conscious consumer, but will also appeal to the growing number of people who are anxious to save money on ever-increasing utility bills.

Basic things might include making sure that windows are in good condition and that the house is properly insulated, but if you are planning to plumb-in new en suite facilities it may be worth going further. Something as simple as fitting a programmable thermostat might make all the difference to a potential tenant at the higher end of the market.

If you really want to go all the way though, perhaps because you are considerate of the environment yourself or maybe because you really want to push the environmentally-friendly sales angle, you have to source green and ethical materials to decorate and refit with. When building your partition walls, you should consider using something like envirowall, which is a completely recycled alternative to plasterboard or mdf.

When repainting, you should choose to use paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs). If refurnishing, you should look to buy second-hand (which is just good business sense really, but can be seen as “recycling”), or look for new items that are made from FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certificated or reclaimed wood. FSC standards should also be sought for the timber you use while constructing internal walls, as well as for any wood-flooring you might decide to install.

A great deal of the renting public in the UK is being kept in fuel poverty, which essentially means that they are spending more than 10% of their income on energy costs. Landlords have the opportunity to reduce the staggering estimated number of 1.2 million fuel-poor households, just by making a few basic modifications to their properties. Doing so would both dramatically increase the value and desirability of your property, as well as delivering a positive environmental impact, with products such as envirowall.

---

Posted by admin on February 24th, 2011 :: Filed under Home
Tags :: Building Regulations

---