Restoring A Country Manor - Why You Need A Qualified Company

If you’re interested in property and a country manor is up for sale, it’s hard to resist. The urge to purchase becomes impossible when you hear the price of the property which is well within your budget. The fact that the manor needs to be completely restored doesn’t bother you because with the help of professional contractors, you will restore the country home to its former magnificence. If you don’t ask for professional assistance, you’re leaving yourself open to a world of trouble. Here are some quick reasons why you must use the experience of professionals when restoring a country manor.

In the event that you decide to take out a loan in order to restore the country house, you need to prove that professional contractors will be carrying out the work. This is because the lending institution needs assurances that the work being carried out will not decrease the value and marketability of the house. They are aware that DIY projects could prove disastrous and will not finance restoration projects where the homeowner intends on doing most of the work himself. The lending institution includes the labour costs incurred by the use of a professional contractor. Usually, a minimum of a 12 month warranty from contractors is required by a lender. They also want a guarantee that the work will be finished near the set deadline.

You may think that you can start renovating immediately because the country manor is in the middle of nowhere and is not obstructing neighbours or nearby roads. Not so. It is still likely that you will need planning permission and a building permit if the restoration project involves exterior work. A professional contractor will know the building codes and regulations and keep within the law. They will also be aware of occasions when planning permission is required.

Even small projects need the help of an architect. Most homeowners will have ideas of their dream country home but will lack the knowledge to bring these ideas to fruition. It’s an architect’s job to turn dreams into reality as well as setting you straight if some of your plans are unrealistic. Simply put, a qualified architect will be able to see problems and prevent them from ever occurring.

If you use professional contractors, the return on investment can be significant. You see hundreds of sites explaining how much you will save by performing DIY projects. For something as wide scale as a country home restoration project, DIY is likely to be disastrous. The larger the project, the greater the capacity for mistakes with DIY jobs. Professional contractors may charge tens of thousands of pounds but at least the restoration will be complete. Try doing it yourself and a restoration that should have taken a few months will start taking years. This will be a huge drain on your finances and there is the possibility that the project will never be completed.

In the long run, a qualified company will make a huge difference to your country home restoration project. You get a specified budget and deadline, none of which are applicable to DIY projects. 

Keeping Your Country Look When Buying New Windows

If you have just moved into an old home in the country, one of the first issues you will need to look at is the state of your home’s windows. If it is an exceedingly old home, the windows are likely to be old-fashioned and extremely out of touch with modern society. They will not be energy efficient and will also fail to offer the level of security you need. Consequently, you will have to invest in double glazing windows. However, how do you install modern windows without compromising the country look of your home? Read on and you will see that is it possible to keep the old-fashioned look with new windows.

One of the most stylish and elegant form of windows are picture windows. They are huge fixed windows and are usually found in houses that have vaulted or high ceilings which certainly describes a large number of country homes. As the windows are fixed, there are no separate parts that can be broken. These windows are also cheaper than installations that have several different mechanical pieces. You can even make these windows energy efficient. However, as they offer no ventilation, make the room stuffy because you can’t open a window and are a possible safety hazard, you may want to think twice about installing them even though they emphasise the country feel of the home.

You can purchase double glazed windows with wooden or aluminium frames. Both materials can be decorated to ensure that your home continues to feel like a rural retreat. Wooden frames are more energy efficient and can be painted and varnished to make them look spectacular. However, they can rot and shrink which causes the frame to become loose. Aluminium frames conduct heat too well to be energy efficient but they are cheaper than wooden frames. If you’re living in the country, avoid UPVC frames because they offer an urban look which is exactly what you need to avoid.

Nothing says country home more than windows with neat shutters. You should purchase full sized shutters that open and close the rails in unison. There are also special shutter rails that allow you to keep one half open and the other shut for extra privacy. The best shutters will have a simple cord to open and close them with a twisted handle to decide how open you want the shutters to be. If you really want to add a touch of class and elegance to your country home, look for wooden shutters. These really are an old-fashioned accessory that look beautiful in any modern country home.

When you’re living in the countryside in isolation, you have to consider a number of factors. Your safety and that of your family are of paramount importance followed by the energy efficiency of your windows. It’s entirely possible to purchase windows and accessories that maintain the country feel while adding 21^st century security and efficiency. Be sure to shop around because there is often a huge disparity in price between the quotations of window companies. 

Adding To Your Country Home With A Quality Sunroom

If you’re peacefully secluded in the countryside, you have complete access to the sun. people living in the city often find that large skyscrapers block their view of the sun and they are unable to make the most of it. A sunroom is the ideal way to enjoy the warm glow provided by the Earth’s nearest star but planning permission and the aforementioned obstructions ensure that building a sunroom in the city is nigh on impossible.

In the countryside, there are no such problems. When the sun is out, nothing is blocking your view except one or two magnificent trees perhaps. And although you still need planning permission, there are no bothersome neighbours to object to your relaxing new sunroom. Here are a few quick tips relating to adding a sunroom to your home.

Location

So many sunrooms are a waste because they are built in the wrong place. In the countryside, you are not obstructed by anything so you can build the sunroom in the most convenient location. In most cases, you should build the sunroom facing south because this will bear the full brunt of the sun’s power. This will ensure that your sunroom is always warm and bright during those glorious months. Imagine spending thousands on a new sunroom only to find that it is spends half the day in the shade.

Materials

As you already know, the construction of a sunroom can be a costly business which is why you need to use the right materials. This will also add maximum value to your home. Aluminium frames are light, flexible and durable which makes them a good choice. Their lack of energy efficiency is a problem however. UPVC frames are less expensive than aluminium and are more energy efficient. One weakness they have is the fact that they cannot be decorated and will always look the same. Avoid wooden frames because they require too much maintenance and will rot and shrink if left untended.

Interior/Exterior

Take some time to landscape the exterior of your new sunroom to ensure that it looks like part of the home rather than some out of place extension. Add some shrubs and small trees to maintain the countryside feeling. You also need to spend time decorating the interior. It’s important to treat your new sunroom as another room in your home. Add comfortable and elegant furniture that brings the room to life and purchase some soft cushions and rugs to add a ‘homely’ feel. Potted plants are also an excellent addition because they bring yet more life and colour to the sunroom.

When you’re living in the countryside, you have the freedom to build any type of sunroom you choose. You face far less roadblocks than if you tried to build it in an urban area. Make the most of this freedom by creating a sunroom that adds value to the home. A well constructed sunroom will give you and your family years of comfort and pleasure. Make sure you select the best materials for the job and never cut corners. 

The Benefits Of Living In The Countryside

You wait to catch the Tube at 7am. You manage to squeeze yourself on to the train and are hurried along underneath the streets of London. Every carriage is packed and you feel like a sardine. The smell makes you feel physically ill because you’re not ready for it this early in the morning. Look around the Tube and you’ll nothing but sad, depressed, tired faces. The early hour explains some of these feelings but a closer look reveals dozens of people with the same, weary, almost defeated expression that suggests that they are happy merely to survive in life rather than thrive. Welcome to life in a city!

Compare this to living in the countryside where you may be awoken by the sounds of nature early in the morning. You look out the window and see a glorious sight: Blue sky with no puffs of cloud or smog. You are able to go outside and breathe deeply. Try doing that in a city and you’ll be coughing for weeks! You can either take a long walk to the store or bring your car, it’s not as if traffic jams will delay you. Planning for a journey from one rural area to another is easy. You may have to factor in the narrow country roads and being stuck behind the occasional tractor but in general, getting from A to B is easy.

We head back to the city and find that proponents of urban life point out that living in the countryside is unfulfilling and backward because rural dwellers are not exposed to the same level of technology. This is true but living in the countryside is not exactly living in the Dark Ages. There is electricity, running water and all the modern conveniences that are available in the city. The main difference is that everything is cleaner. The grass is greener, the air is sweeter and congestion is non-existent.

The same city dwellers who cannot understand how someone could live in the countryside are the same people who suffer terribly from a number of illnesses caused by the stress of city life. Research shows that people who lived in a city and stayed there for the first 15 years of their life were likely to show a greater level of activation in an area of the brain that regulates stress. The amygdala is the part of the brain that is most utilised during periods when we are stressed or anxious. It is also a medical fact that those who live in urban areas are more likely to develop mental illnesses such as schizophrenia than those who stay in rural areas.

Essentially, it seems as if you’re crazy if you live in the city! By extension, you’re crazy if you completely dismiss the thought of living in the countryside if you’ve never even tried it. Yes, it may not be for everyone but people who value their health, wish to avoid stress and can live without being in close proximity to shopping centres should choose life in the countryside. If nothing else, it will help you live longer!