Expert Advice George Clarke On Renovation Budgets

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1. I appreciate that you only had a promise of £5000 from the charity owning the home and that you clearly spent substantially more to produce the excellent transformation. How much more? Where did you get the money? I do not recall any explanation of this in the programme.

   Posted by BASIL GREENBY on 25/11/2009 11:49:43

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2. wow i love the design in pic 8 so simple yet so elegant can you give me some tips on design i hope to persue a career in design Ps. when is the show back on tv?

   Posted by eva price on 06/11/2009 23:05:10

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3. Hi. We are looking to create an office space and have 2 options, but are not sure which to go for. We could convert the loft which would mean moving the hot water tank (megaflo) up to fit the stairs in and adding a dormer window. We would want to put in an en suite too. The other option would be to convert all or part of the garage which is situated at the end of the garden. The garage is at the end of a block of four and has a side door access into our garden. I don't know what the rules are on garages attached to others that don't belong to you, i have looked but cant find any advise on this. Also, only half of the garage wall is in our garden, the other half makes up the end of our neighbours garden. I wondered about approaching the neighbour to see if we could buy the end of their garden to make a small corridor and then be able to have 2 access doors to the garage if we wanted part office/ part storage? I don't know how you would go about valuing that either? We are trying to weigh up which we could afford to do, which would be easier but also importantly which would bring more value to the house for the amount we spend on it? Any advise on my queries would be fantastic, thanks.

   Posted by laurastar on 03/11/2009 11:10:50

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4. I'm thinking about doing a low-cost bathroom remodeling, much like you suggest on picture 4. I'm concerned that most of my budget will be sucked up by contractor fees. Is it reasonable to assume that all things like plumbing and electric are required to be done by a professional contractor, or are these interior renovations something I can do legally by myself?

   Posted by Chris Builder on 27/10/2009 04:03:08

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5. I'm converting my house into two flats (the pension went kaput and I need the extra income stream!)and my architect has suggested getting a structural engineer to advise on a couple of specific points. I've got a couple of recommendations who I intend to contact - how do I assess things like which one to hire and whether the fee is reasonable. Is it acceptable to ask for a meeting to show them the work required before appointing? Please help!

   Posted by Ivor on 10/08/2009 16:00:45

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6. this is one of the slowest sites I have ever used. It spoils it when it takes so long to load pics and I shan't bother any more. Sorry George -was hoping for advice but can't wait for ever ........

   Posted by Judde on 13/07/2009 21:35:27

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7. We're rennovating a 5 bed, 3 story victorian town house at the moment...so far ?25,000 has got us a complete rewire, a new central heating boiler and tank, quite a few new radiators, a new 'designer' bathroom, walls knocked through, a lean-too extension removed, a new water main, 4 new windows, 2 patio doors, 2 rooms completley replastered, 4 floors sanded and 4 rooms redecorated! Stil a lot to go....but your money goes a lot further in Wales!

   Posted by Lou on 11/06/2009 12:49:19

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8. Dear Sarah Chawner, try approaching your local planning office and inquire about planning in your area. They will offer good free advice on planning a build and may provide suggestions of which style of scheme will be preferred. Communication is always key For Sandra Price Rex, it is typical to install the pipework first, then the suite, then the tile. But if you have a suite that is incorporated into the tiled units, then you may need to tile first and install the suite afterwords. A good builder or plumber would know best.

   Posted by Aaron Jessop on 27/05/2009 22:26:55

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9. Hi I have had doubleglazing and a new central heating system put in but since doing so I'm getting mold, anyone got any advice. Kind regards Elaine

   Posted by Elaine on 15/05/2009 14:52:08

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10. Hi We live in small pretty house but with a huge back garden and in need of a serious two storey extension. We have had 3 architect's around but all have just talked about boxes and making things fit ie no inspiration. One draw back we have is that we live in the bournville conservation area and therefore will need extra planning permissions. But coming up with an idea for what we can do seems to be the sticking point. Have you any suggestions of where to start?

    Posted by Sarah Chawner on 23/03/2009 21:37:34

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11. We are about to start renovating a small bathroom; we intend to remove all the tiles and the old shower, and install a small modern suite. My question is: do we tile the walls first, and then install the suite, or install the suite and then tile afterwards?

    Posted by Sandra Price Rex on 15/01/2009 10:44:18

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