Gone are the days when buying an ex-council house was a step down in the social ladder. With the shortage of affordable properties, buyers, especially first time owners are eyeing ex-council houses. All you need is an eye for beauty and an interior decorator to give vision to your dreams. Before you set to renovate an ex-council property, here are a few do’s and don’ts to remember:
Extensions, renovations, can be expensive and disruptive. Before you buy the property, look for planning permission rules in the locality. Some ex-council houses a covenant that makes it almost impossible to make any renovation or extension.
You can prevent as much as 25% of heat from escaping from the roof of your house with proper insulation. This is undoubtedly the cheapest and the most effective renovation. Call an installer to do the job for you – he can do it in less than 5 hours and typically costs around £400.
Most council houses are well built and have a clean and simplistic design. They’re more preferred for modern living than the period houses that you wish you could afford. Council houses are adaptable to contemporary architecture.
Do you plan to sell the property in a few years from now? Or, do you intend to stay for a very long time? If your plans are in favour of moving, it does not make sense to invest when people may not be prepared to pay for what is ultimately an ‘ex-council house’. But if you plan to live here for long, go for a rear or side extension and a facelift.
Nothing makes an ex-council flat look more cool than beautiful trimmed hedges and plants, wooden fences, a modern front door, etc. You don’t have to spend a lot but give it a dramatic effect.
