So, you’ve bought your property, it’s all going smoothly, financially you’ve done all the maths. But that financial brain doesn’t necessarily transfer to interior design.

You’ve got £5,000 of remaining budget to kit-out the rooms and decorate. Where do you go to find what you need and how do you avoid an overspend?

Perhaps traipse around individual furniture stores until you find what you want. Maybe carry out some research online before heading to the shops. Possibly even hire somebody else to do it all for you.

Whatever route you decide to take, be aware that discount deals websites like Groupon or Wowcher don’t only deal with restaurant vouchers and experience days anymore – they also offer cheap deals on furniture and all kinds of other household appliances and decorations.

On any given day you might find up to 70% off sofas, kitchen appliances or other furniture such as tables, mattresses, duvets, cushions and bedding.

Whereas before a company may have promoted deals solely via television, they’re now using sites like these to shift surplus stock for little to no profit.

The offers don’t always appear on the main page of these websites but if you click through various cities, like deals in Nottingham or Manchester for example, something is sure to be of interest and can be ordered online.

If you do decide to venture out and see the products first-hand, something else that will help to save some pounds is checking the in-store price of an item against the online price.

Make a note of the items that you like and their RRP as you walk around the store then check the store’s website when you get home – sometimes it’s different to the price listed in store.

Even if the online price turns out to be the same, type the name of the product into Google and you’re sure to find a cheaper version of the same product with a different supplier.

Basically, don’t settle for what you see in-store – there’s a whole world of cheaper items on the internet that will save you money. Usually offering free delivery too.

From a selling viewpoint, the more you save, the more you profit. From a rental viewpoint, the more you save, the better the yield.

So with this in mind, it’s well worth checking around the internet before committing to purchasing an item from the physical shop itself. You’ve got nothing to lose!

Property Rennovation: "Roofing"

I start with roofing because if the roof is unsound and letting in water, the rest of the house will soon become an expensive proposition to develop. One small leak in a roof, which is not dealt with promptly, can result in hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

There are many kinds of roofing in the British Isles and I will detail those that are commonplace (and therefore cheaper to put right) and those that are expensive.

Slates

Many houses have slate roofs, originally constructed of Welsh slates. A slate roof has a life expectancy of up to 100 years.

A good slate roof, see picture, will be complete, no missing slates, no slates hanging off, or cracked.

A roof that needs repair will vary from a few missing or damaged slates, to huge holes in the roof itself, which obviously let in rain. Minor repairs are inexpensive but roofs with extensive damage can be time and money consuming.At this stage watch for defects such as:

• Lamination where the slate separates rather like flaky pastry
• Slates where the nail holes elongate and the slate slips
• Broken slates
• Slipped slates

• Badly repaired slates

  

  An original slate roof in Dorset

Cement Asbestos Slates

This is a very popular roof covering in many parts of the country. The ‘slates’ are made from cement-asbestos, now correctly called fibre-cement. The slates have square edges and are very easy to lay. The life expectancy is less than genuine Welsh slates but nevertheless they are a good alternative. They also weigh less than genuine slates.

They look well and if the roof is covered with these, they are very satisfactory. They are also much cheaper than genuine slates if a large area is to be covered.

They cannot be mixed with genuine Welsh slates however – it’s all or nothing!

A roof covered with Fibre-cement slates

Thatch

Thatchers at work on a cottage

A thatched roof is picturesque, as well as warm in winter and cool in summer. However, unless the thatch has recently been replaced and there is a good guarantee, you would be well advised to avoid buying a thatched house.

The cost of re-thatching a property is prohibitive as there are very few professional thatchers in the country, most originating from Norfolk, where the best thatching reeds come from.

Clay Tiles

These are the most common type of tiles used on roofs in Britain.

There are many patterns, from the simple plain tile (or Rosemary as it is called in some parts of the country and is slightly different to a plain tile) to pan tiles and Double Roman. Visitors to Italy will have seen clay pan tiles on almost every roof in that country. The design dates back to Roman times.

Samples of Rosemary Plain Tiles (Courtesy Redland tiles Ltd)

A property with Rosemary tiles and ornamental bullnose tiles on the upper walls; All of these are easily available from Builders Merchants. See the full range at: http://www.lafarge-roofing.co.uk

An example of Pan tiles (Courtesy Jim Woods Roofing Contractor)

Rosemary plain tiles are also often used vertically on walls and look most attractive. Individual ones are fairly easy to replace, as well as being easy to purchase.

These tiles are modestly priced and even if you have to replace the whole roof, which is unlikely, you will not find the cost astronomical.

Concrete Tiles

Nowadays, modern tiles are made from concrete and coloured in a variety of shades. In many cases they imitate the shape of the earlier clay tiles, such as pan tiles, double-roman and so on. It is important to remember that although they look similar they are not a replacement for the clay versions. The profile is slightly different so they are not interchangeable.

The above examples of concrete tiles are just two from a large range made by Redland Tiles for the UK market. You can see the full range at:

http://www.lafarge-roofing.co.uk

A roof over a horse's stable completed with Clay double Roman tiles: very attractive and reasonable in price.

Types of Roofing to Avoid

Here are a few examples of roofs to be avoided.

Surveyors are knowledgeable about difficult roof coverings and the mortgage valuation will probably be reduced by a substantial margin.

These bright blue tiles are, in my own opinion, ugly and would not be allowed on a modern roof. It would be very expensive to buy any new ones.

This is another slate that is virtually impossible to purchase, at least in my part of the country (if anyone knows better, please let me know!) These are called Red Diamonds and were popular in the thirties. Avoid them like the plague! They are made of asbestos and painted with red oxide.

You will almost certainly need to replace these slates with something more popular, such as the black cement asbestos ones.

Do remember, the old phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Ignore roof leaks at your peril.

Best wishes,

Dennis

Please do let me know what you think about this article and any experiences you have had with roofing. Also share this with your friends so that they are aware of what to watch out for.

If you would like to ask Dennis a question click here

Good question! I was an Estate Agent for some time and I know some of the tricks they get up to which do not benefit you or the purchaser.

A favourite one that Estate Agents use is to take your house on to their books at a higher price than you were expecting.

Suppose you were expecting to get £200,000 for your property. The typical Agent will visit the property and after a cursory examination will ask you how much you are expecting for it. (Note, he has no idea how much it’s worth!),

When you say £200,000, he will say ‘No problem, I think it’s worth more than that. We could try for £225,000’. Naturally you will be overjoyed and you will agree to let him take it on his books.

The next thing that happens is that you probably will get no viewers and within a couple of weeks he will contact you and say that the price is a little too high and a reduction should be considered.

This is a typical ploy to get your house on his books and then reduce the price until he can easily sell it.

The problem with this con is that you are wasting valuable time with your house being offered at the wrong price.

It also looks bad if your house is advertised and you see that it says ‘price reduced’. The automatic assumption is that there is something wrong with the property.

REMEMBER There is no proper professional training for Estate Agents in the UK Anyone can set up shop to be one, with no regulation at all. There are various organisations that they can belong to if they wish but no proper regulatory powers exist at present unlike solicitors for example.

YOU MUST HAVE A PLAN OF ACTION

COMPARABLES

You should look around your neighbourhood to inspect other houses of a similar type to your own. Look at the prices that they are being offered at, and try to relate that to your own property.

For prices actually obtained for houses in your district try:

http://www.mouseprice.com or alternatively http://www.ourproperty.co.uk

Don’t forget that the price being asked is not the price they will actually get. As well as Estate Agent’s scams, it depends on how the lender values it for a mortgage, and whether essential work needs to be done.

With this in mind, take a tour around your house, start at the front gate (if you have one!)

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does it look cared for?
• Is the front garden tidy?
• Are there any obvious repairs needed, (roof tiles missing, gutters leaking, re-painting needed?
• Remember when you bought it – why did it appeal to you then?
• Go inside:
• Does it smell nice? Very important this, or does it smell of dogs, smoking, bad cooking smells. (I am sure yours does not, but it is important to be objective) Nice smells like coffee percolating, or bread baking will help!
• If you have a dog, does it bound out and greet you? Lots of people either don’t like, or are scared of dogs
• Does the house look cluttered?
• Are the bedrooms tidy?
• Has the house been dusted recently, and the carpets vacuumed?
• Then proceed to the back garden.
• Is there any pile of rubbish? Are the gardens neat and tidy?
• Is the garage reasonably tidy or is it cluttered up with junk, such as ornaments. ‘Present from Southsea’ etc.

In my experience people don’t see things they have grown accustomed to such as an untidy living room, or a messy kitchen. Or of course tired decorations!

The usual reply is ‘Oh yes, I was going to deal with that.’

In my experience most people decide to buy or not to buy with the first five minutes of a visit, usually after having seen the kitchen and bathroom.

SOLICITOR

If you already have a solicitor, have word with him and tell him you are planning to sell your house. Ask him if he can give you an idea of his charges. If he is unhelpful, and many of them are, them ring around and choose a solicitor that seems switched on. A solicitor must be employed by law to carry out the conveyancing of your property to the next person, but in point of fact it is actually very simple and often the office junior does most of the work involved.

SETTING THE ASKING PRICE

We must now settle the asking price based on our research in the locality. Add ten per cent to this price and that is your asking price. You now have a ten per cent buffer if needed.

Make up your mind and stick to it.

SUMMING UP THE FIRST STEP

• We have looked at similar properties in the neighbourhood to start to get an idea of price.
• We have looked at our property objectively and decided if anything needs to be done to improve the kerb appeal.
• We have had a jolly good tidy up and redecorated any rooms that are tatty.
• We have engaged a solicitor.
• We have settled on the selling price.

We will continue this article next month and talk about how to market your property to get the very best price and (also to save that dreaded estate agents commission!)

Best wishes, Dennis

If you would like to ask Dennis a question click here

Look out for infestations before you buy! Dr Dennis Coote

One problem which can sometime cost a great deal of cash to put right is Infestation, that is other creatures wanting to share your home with you uninvited.

Infestation covers a number of problems that can seriously affect the property and at the same time SERIOUSLY affect the profit you will make.

Recognising Infestation

It is most important is to be able to identify any of the problems that infestation cause, BEFORE YOU BUY A PROPERTY.

Wood Worm

Wet Rot

Black Mould Stachybotrys chartarum

This is a most unpleasant condition and makes a property look much worse than it is.

Black Mould

It is quite easy to remove but do not breathe in the spores as they are quite poisonous.. A scrubbing brush, hot water and some bleach are all that is required. You will also need to find the cause of the dampness.

Dry Rot

Definition	Dry Rot, Serpula lacrymans, is a fungus which lives on the cellulose in softwood timber, destroying the timber as it spreads. It is probably the most serious and pernicious fungus to attack a building.
Symptoms	Dry Rot has a very distinctive smell of fungi (mushrooms) and is unmistakeable. This is initially a very good guide to identifying if a property has dry rot. In the part of the house where the smell is most prevalent, look for tell-tale signs of ‘creasing’ and ‘cuboiding’ (see photo) on the skirting boards or architraves around doors.
Causes	Usually the infection starts from airborne spores taking hold on softwood timbers in poorly ventilated spaces, such as under floors.
Treatment	Dry Rot is unfortunately not something that can be treated inexpensively. Dry Rot is a very expensive problem and I will explain here why you should avoid buying a property with dry rot. Dry Rot affected timber showing 'cuboiding' This Dry Rot is well advanced Dry rot is a fungus living on timber and consists of a fruiting body, which can look rather like a fried egg. The dry rot 'fruiting body' This is usually found under floorboards or somewhere where there is little or no ventilation. From this fruiting body, strands or strings of the fungus travel to distant parts of the property (and in a row of terraced houses to the adjoining properties as well), travelling through spaces in brickwork and eventually spreading to the whole house, feeding on the timber. Treatment is very expensive since every particle of timber that has been in contact with the spores of the fruiting body and the strands must be taken out and burned. I remember on several occasions when we destroyed a fruiting body with a blow-lamp (there are better ways now) that it screamed and withered slowly to nothing, reminiscent of something from Quatermass!! Dry Rot is however no joke and if it is not properly eradicated will return very soon afterwards. If you have already bought a property and subsequently discovered Dry Rot, it will probably be best to get a specialist Contractor in to deal with it and to provide a guarantee. It will cost you a lot of money, so avoid it!!
Prevention	Make sure that all under floor vents are unobstructed. There should be a free passage of air between air bricks on opposite sides of the building. Make sure roof voids are ventilated. Dry rot does not occur in well-ventilated areas. Often garden soil can get banked up against an air vent, stopping the flow of air.

Death Watch Beetle

Death Watch Beetle

Vermin

Common Rat (rattus norvegicus)

BUYING A CAT MAY ALSO BE ONE ANSWER!

Bats

In country areas and even in some suburbs you may come across bats. Although they are classified as rodents, they are NOT vermin, and are a protected species. The fines for damaging bats or their habitat are extremely severe. Bats generally do not cause any problems.

Bats and their habitats are protected by law

Birds

Likewise, birds will often build their nests in the springtime in the eaves of a property. If you really must remove the nests, wait until the young have fled the nest in summer. Most (but not all) wild birds are also protected under various acts of Parliament and the penalties for destroying the nesting birds are severe.

Squirrels

Squirrels can also create quite a lot of damage and should be discouraged . Grey squirrels are not protected animals, although red squirrels are.

Damage done to outside swing seat upholstery by grey squirrels.

So in conclusion it pays to be extremely vigilant when first inspecting a house, some infestations can be cured fairly easily others are very difficult.

If you would like to ask Dennis a question click here

Causes of Dampness

Dampness in a property is one of the main causes of rapid deterioration and all efforts must be made to find the cause or causes of the dampness and eliminating it. For the residents of a damp house, all kinds of health problems will arise, as well as the massive expense if left for too long.

One broken roof tile costing a pound or two, if left unattended over several seasons will cause hundred of pounds worth of damage to walls and ceilings.

There are five main ways in which a property may become damp. The following are the main causes.

• Leaking roof or gutters
• Rising Dampness from the ground
• Porous Brickwork or Stonework
• Internal leaks in the plumbing system
• Local flooding

Leaking Roof or Gutters

Tell tale signs within the building will be damp patches or areas of mould on upstairs ceilings or walls. If a gutter is blocked with leaves or moss, for example, the water will overflow down the external walls. If the walls are porous, the water will penetrate the wall.

An external visual inspection will show if any slates or roof tiles are broken or missing. In some cases the ridge tiles may have broken or blown off in a gale leaving it wide open for rain to enter.

An internal inspection of the roof is necessary, if it can be arranged. There is usually a trap door leading to the roof space, and a detailed inspection should be carried out. Check if there are any places where the daylight is showing through. If daylight can get through, so can rain. A careful diagram should be made so the holes can be related to the exterior and to identify broken slates or tiles.

Flashing (the sealing around a chimney stack or roof light) can be defective. Originally it would have been lead sheet, or for cheaper constructions, possibly zinc sheets.

Often a fillet of cement is used to make the joint between the roof slates or tiles and the chimney brickwork. This cracks within a short time and allows damp penetration.

If there are any doubts about the soundness of the gutters and down pipes, I strongly suggest that they are all replaced. The cost is inexpensive and trying to repair old gutters and down pipes is a pointless and futile exercise.

Rising Dampness

There are several causes of dampness rising from the ground.

One of the commonest is where the property has a wooden floor suspended on joists. There should be good air circulation under the floor by means of airbricks or gratings. These allow a flow of air through the under floor space. Upon inspection, one finds that the airbricks have become blocked with dirt. Even worse in some cases, garden soil is heaped up against them.

Without this air circulation, condensation and moisture from the ground will quickly affect the property. In older properties particularly, there may be no over-site concrete, i.e. concrete covering the bare earth under the floors.

This rising damp causes patches of discolouration to appear at low level on the ground floor walls and if untreated will cause the plaster to decay, and the ends of the floor joists to rot. The skirting boards will show signs of wet rot and start to decay if the dampness is not controlled.

In addition, the damp proof course (usually shortened to DPC) may be ineffective. In older buildings those of cheaper construction often relied on the density of the bricks at ground level to act as a moisture resistant barrier or damp proof course. In better building construction a slate course was built in at ground floor joist level.

A bad case of rising damp

Technical stuff: According to Building Regulations, the DPC should be installed at 150mm (6 inches) above the outside ground level. If the floor is a suspended wooden floor, the bottom of the joists should be laid on this. The DPC must cover the full width of the masonry leaf and project 5 mm beyond any external face.

More recently, bituminous felt was used as a damp proof course. The bituminous felt often deteriorated and allowed moisture to pass upwards into the upper wall.

This is known as ‘bridging’ of the damp course.

The remedy here is to install a new damp course along the area that is affected by rising damp and is fully discussed in detail later in the course.

The present method is to use heavy quality polythene strip.

Porous Brickwork or Stonework

Brick or stone walls can deteriorate over the years and brick particularly can become porous. Added to this, the cement between the bricks, the pointing, can decay and even fall out, allowing dampness from driving rain to enter the building. Creepers such as ivy may be present and the roots may open the brickwork sufficiently to allow water ingress.

An inspection should be made of the condition of the brickwork and of the pointing, particularly if there are otherwise unexplained wet patches on the walls. Defective chimneystacks are notorious for allowing damp to enter the building. Damp patches can appear on the wall above the fireplace. Because of the difficulty of accessing chimneystacks, the pointing is often neglected until the problem has become serious.

Leaks in the plumbing system

Upstairs bathrooms can become defective and a minor leak in a waste pipe for instance can, over time, develop a substantial amount of dampness. This is often not noticed until it becomes serious.

Careful investigation is the only answer for tracing these causes of dampness.

A bad case of mould caused by porous walls. It can be treated fairly easily, but is a danger to health if untreated

Local Flooding

The cause of the flooding is usually generally easy to discover, but it is important to make sure that everything has been dried out thoroughly after a flood. Both wet and dry rot can be started by saturation of a floor or wall.

An idyllic spot near to a brook, but this brook can become a raging torrent at certain times of the year and the cottages on the right are flooded.

Therefore dampness should be tackled as soon as it appears, the longer it is left the more expensive will be the remedies.

If you would like to ask Dennis a question click here

The course is great value at £67 as I got a 30% off discount voucher for Just Do Property members. With 148 pages in the E Course and several bonus books it’s a great deal. The bonus books include selling without an estate agent, negotiation, kitchens, bathrooms and legals.

Dennis also gives 3 months free consultancy when you purchase the E Course.

It’s an easy to read document as it’s interspersed with pictures so it brings life to the words.  He advises on what sort of houses to purchase initially when you are just starting out and gives details of lots of useful websites.  There are also exercises to do which helps to cement the learning.  Once you’re out and about checking out houses, Dennis has included an excellent checklist to review each property.

There’s a section that covers how to get the best deals from Estate Agents and how to find distressed sellers. It’s stressed that location, location, location is the number 1 priority and it’s important to remember that you make your profit when you buy the house not when you sell!

Dennis has obviously got a great knowledge of renovation and this is shown throughout the E-Course.  He gives full details of building materials used on properties and what to avoid at all costs.   He reminds us that we’re not looking for the perfect house, but one that can be brought up to standard for minimum cost.

Personally, I wasn’t keen on the type of suspended ceiling shown, which was suggested to be used to cover up Victorian features if it doesn’t fit the decorating plan.  I agree though that they shouldn’t be destroyed though as original features are beautiful and are in great demand now. 

The course also gives details of infestation as this covers a number of problems that can seriously affect the property and at the same time SERIOUSLY affect the profit you will make.

The next section discusses how to actually purchase the property and plan the refurbishment. It goes through these things in great detail and is an excellent resource.  An example of how to do a project plan is also included and he stresses that you must have a proper plan if you want to make lots of money out of your development.

All in all it’s a great E Course which covers many areas with regards to finding the right property to buy, spotting any defects with the property, negotiating the purchase, renovating then finally selling the property. 

I’d definitely recommend the course if you are planning to purchase and renovate property for profit.  Click here for more information.

Refurbishment of a property is something that many people feel that can do easily. But if you have seen some of the disasters which I have, then you would appreciate there is some skill involved.

The main word which applies to any project, but very importantly to property renovation and refurbishment is Planning. This is without doubt the most vital first action – taking time at this stage is essential, and worthwhile to save time, energy and money later.

Once you have found a property to renovate, or if you are renovating/refurbishing an owned property, take some time to make a list of the work to be done. With your own property of course you will want to make a full list. With a property to be purchased for renting then the list needs to be divided into essential jobs, that must be done, and those that are not so urgent but will add value and make the house more rentable.

So list for essentials and list for non-essentials but that will add value.
I personally believe that the most worthwhile properties to renovate are the Victorian houses, built mainly between 1875 and 1900 of which there are thousands in most towns and cities in the country. The reasons are simple. They are built with solid brick walls, (no dreaded cavity walls), with seasoned timber and with rooms of good proportions. They are also very popular with buyers.

So back to Planning. It’s probably easier to mention some disasters I have seen to illustrate where planning has been non-existent.

• The house which was completely and delightfully decorated and then at the first hint of rain, the roof leaked!

• Or the house where dry rot was discovered at the point when the vendor was selling the house and the mortgage surveyor demanded major works, of the order of £5000.

• Or the house where some fool decided to remove a chimney breast without considering the weight of the stack poised above (see photo)

Planning is the art of foreseeing all the problems BEFORE YOU START TO DO ANYTHING, and preferably before you agree to buy the property. I will be covering the tips and tricks to buying the property that you want at the right price, later in these articles. That also is an art which you can learn.

For a property that you are thinking of purchasing either for yourself or for investment – just look at the property from the kerb and judge whether major work needs doing. Take a good overall look at the house from the front first. You can visually see quite a lot of the features of the property just from standing some distance and looking. Taking photographs here too is a good idea. Start from the top

• Roof and chimney breasts – type of roof, any tiles slipped, condition of roof (in comparison with others in the street)
• does the roof sag in the middle?
• gutters and down pipes – do these look decayed, broken, leading, is there wet or discolouration on the walls around or underneath?
• window frames – condition, good, rotted, flaked paint, type – wooden, plastic,
• brickwork – good condition, crumbling
• door – attractive, type, need repainting?
• front garden and gate if any – condition?

The plan here is to decide what items can be repaired or replaced cheaply and which will be expensive. Don’t forget, you are not looking to buy a perfect house, but one which needs refurbishing.

If you can, also look at the side and rear aspects of the property with this list in mind. Give yourself time on this inspection.

Obviously in order to complete your initial assessment, you will need to get into the house. If it’s empty, that will be much easier than if it is full of furniture.

However the essential points are much the same.

First thing to do on entering the house – is to SMELL. Take a deep breath and smell the house. Seems odd? No not at all, many disturbing conditions can be detected from scent.

• Is there a smell of mushrooms when you go into the house, this could indicate dry rot.

• Smell of damp or mustiness, indicates leaks, damaged damp course or no damp course at all (Some vendors will try to hide dampness by covering it with furniture, but the scent of damp can still be obvious.)

When inspecting the house further watch for:-

• wet patches on the ceiling (Leaky roof)

• or at floor level on the downstairs rooms (rising damp)

• check windows and window frames for dark mould – damp/condensation

• check for rotting wood, skirting boards, window sills

Next point to check is the fuse box, does it look an old pattern in which case the wiring will need replacing.

Now for the other rooms

• Does the bathroom look antique?
• Is the kitchen modern or due for replacing and a new one installed?

And finally what are the decorations like.

I once looked at a house where the ceilings were painted black and the walls deep purple. Not easy to sell a property like that (unless you know any friendly Goths!) So you will almost always need to re-decorate the property since the appearance is what sells houses.

So to sum up, before you agree to buy your dream renovation project, take a very careful look inside and outside and then do your costings. I will explain how to do this in detail in future articles and this will dictate if you make a healthy profit or a thumping loss.

In my ecourse Property Development for Profit, I thoroughly walk you through all of these points in great detail. There is a special offer for Just Do Property customers which still includes all the ecourse, the extra ebooks and the personal consultations with myself.

In future articles I am looking forward to explaining more details that the professional refurbisher needs to know.

If you would like to ask Dennis a question click here