When you're considering a home improvement, there's so much to think about and so many points at which it can go horribly wrong. It's a big investment and you want to make sure it goes right. And so do we.
So we've put our years of experience in dealing with homeowners and home improvement companies alike, into 6 handy guides to help you make your home improvement a big success. Everything and every stage is covered - from understanding contracts to sales guides - useful before you even let a home improvement company into your home.
The guides are FREE and easy to access. Just login to any 'Quoter family website, get your instant online quote and, if after speaking with you, you decide you'd like us to match your requirements with our database of registered companies, we'll send you an email with the results of that search which includes all the guides to help you make a great choice and avoid any potential problems.
Our FREE online homeowner guides, which you can read online or download and save / print for future reference include:
Legal Guide - Our guide to reading and understanding the contract you make with the home improvement company you choose.
Sales Guide - Read this before seeing a home improvement company.
Buyers Guide - Comparing quotes and making your choice.
Payment Guide - Things to think about when leaving a deposit or negotiating payments.
Deposit Protection Guide - How to use the Home Improvement Quotes Deposit Protection Scheme.
Problem Solving Guide - What to do if things go wrong.
No other online home improvement quote service offers you so much for absolutely nothing. Choose a home improvement, get a quote and login to access our exclusive hand-written guides today.
Friday, 19 March 2010
Monday, 15 March 2010
Assembling Flat-Pack Furniture - 5 essential tips
I'll bet there's at least one piece of flat-pack furniture in your home. Perhaps a bookcase or the TV stand? What about wardrobes or drawers or even your kitchen table?
Flat-Pack furniture is so called because it comes with all the various pieces packed flat for you to assemble yourself at home. This saves on production costs (where the company would have to build the furniture themselves) and transportation costs from the factory to the shop.
The flat-pack 'experience' can also mean a few hours of cursing and hunting for elusive tools before finally presenting a piece of furniture that looks like it was caught in a hurricane. Should it really lean to one side like that?
No fear - help is at hand with our 5 essential tips to putting together your flat-pack furniture purchase.
As an aside, I think a lot of the shops that sell flat-pack don't so themselves or the product justice. On many occasions when I've looked, it's obvious that the display unit has been poorly put together. The whole unit very often 'rocks' or has movement in the joints - no glue used! And the hinges etc are often not adjusted for that perfect lining up. Don't be put off though. A little care using our tips below could probably get you a job on the spot. Anyway - on with the tips!
1) Choose a large flat area for the construction - with enough room to move around all sides of the finished piece. If it's large, making it in the room or at least on the floor of your house it's intended for will save a lot of heavy lifting. Please check it will fit through the doorway.
2) Unpack carefully and check you've got all the bits before you start - easily done when you're keen but a few minutes unpacking and checking you've got all the bits and they're in good condition will save hours if the worst happens. Getting to the final piece to discover it's missing or badly scratched - I've got the badge to prove I was there! It's worth mentioning that you should also identify the correct screws and fixings with the instructions. There's nothing worse than using the wrong screw for half the construction until you run out or finding out the screw you thought was J was actually K and has gone right through and out the other side of your piece of furniture.
Try counting the fittings and screws out as there is very often different amounts of two similar fittings so you'll have help in identifying the right one.
3) Familiarise yourself with the instructions - It's all very well going Gung-Ho and starting where you think best. It's only later when you discover a vital screw hole is covered by another piece you fitted out of order earlier (got the badge for that one too!). The manufacturer knows there's a certain order to completing the furniture - that's why you get instructions in the first place.
4) Make all joints tight - sounds silly but you'd be amazed how easy it is to forget to tighten one joint or another. Use the special fitting supplied - most work on a screw in spindle with a 'cam' lock on the other end you twist to tighten. Very easy. Top Tip - if the construction uses wooden dowels, use a dab of wood glue in each hole (sometimes it's supplied) for really solid joints. Be careful if you think you might need to dismantle the furniture in the future though and wipe any excess away with a damp cloth immediately (or see glue's instructions).
5) Check for squareness of corners - with bookcases, it's usually the back board, fixed using panel pins, that determines the final shape so be careful and work methodically - corner to corner, half way to half way etc.
Finally, keep any special tools that came with your furniture - you may need them to periodically re-tighten joints.
And a word on safety - if it's a tall item, many manufacturers will include a strap or bracket to fix your new furniture to the wall so it can't topple over. It's very important that you use these straps and fixings to secure such items so that they don't topple over and fall on someone or something.
Once when moving house, I'd left a perfectly stable bookcase standing against a wall (temporarily of course). There was a loud crash and we discovered one of the cats had tried to climb up the bookcase causing it to topple…. through a window so yes, (sigh) I have that badge too.
If you're thinking of a flat-pack kitchen, then think very carefully indeed. Putting the cupboard carcasses together may be easy enough - it's only when it comes to getting the doors to all line up, including the appliances and of course, working around uneven walls, floors and those ever-present bits of beam or wall that would challenge even NASA boffins, that you begin to realise it would have been easier and cheaper to get a professional kitchen fitting company in the first place.
The best place to start is by getting a quote, which you can do online without any salesman ever calling, by using KitchenQuoter.
Flat-Pack furniture is so called because it comes with all the various pieces packed flat for you to assemble yourself at home. This saves on production costs (where the company would have to build the furniture themselves) and transportation costs from the factory to the shop.
The flat-pack 'experience' can also mean a few hours of cursing and hunting for elusive tools before finally presenting a piece of furniture that looks like it was caught in a hurricane. Should it really lean to one side like that?
No fear - help is at hand with our 5 essential tips to putting together your flat-pack furniture purchase.
As an aside, I think a lot of the shops that sell flat-pack don't so themselves or the product justice. On many occasions when I've looked, it's obvious that the display unit has been poorly put together. The whole unit very often 'rocks' or has movement in the joints - no glue used! And the hinges etc are often not adjusted for that perfect lining up. Don't be put off though. A little care using our tips below could probably get you a job on the spot. Anyway - on with the tips!
1) Choose a large flat area for the construction - with enough room to move around all sides of the finished piece. If it's large, making it in the room or at least on the floor of your house it's intended for will save a lot of heavy lifting. Please check it will fit through the doorway.
2) Unpack carefully and check you've got all the bits before you start - easily done when you're keen but a few minutes unpacking and checking you've got all the bits and they're in good condition will save hours if the worst happens. Getting to the final piece to discover it's missing or badly scratched - I've got the badge to prove I was there! It's worth mentioning that you should also identify the correct screws and fixings with the instructions. There's nothing worse than using the wrong screw for half the construction until you run out or finding out the screw you thought was J was actually K and has gone right through and out the other side of your piece of furniture.
Try counting the fittings and screws out as there is very often different amounts of two similar fittings so you'll have help in identifying the right one.
3) Familiarise yourself with the instructions - It's all very well going Gung-Ho and starting where you think best. It's only later when you discover a vital screw hole is covered by another piece you fitted out of order earlier (got the badge for that one too!). The manufacturer knows there's a certain order to completing the furniture - that's why you get instructions in the first place.
4) Make all joints tight - sounds silly but you'd be amazed how easy it is to forget to tighten one joint or another. Use the special fitting supplied - most work on a screw in spindle with a 'cam' lock on the other end you twist to tighten. Very easy. Top Tip - if the construction uses wooden dowels, use a dab of wood glue in each hole (sometimes it's supplied) for really solid joints. Be careful if you think you might need to dismantle the furniture in the future though and wipe any excess away with a damp cloth immediately (or see glue's instructions).
5) Check for squareness of corners - with bookcases, it's usually the back board, fixed using panel pins, that determines the final shape so be careful and work methodically - corner to corner, half way to half way etc.
Finally, keep any special tools that came with your furniture - you may need them to periodically re-tighten joints.
And a word on safety - if it's a tall item, many manufacturers will include a strap or bracket to fix your new furniture to the wall so it can't topple over. It's very important that you use these straps and fixings to secure such items so that they don't topple over and fall on someone or something.
Once when moving house, I'd left a perfectly stable bookcase standing against a wall (temporarily of course). There was a loud crash and we discovered one of the cats had tried to climb up the bookcase causing it to topple…. through a window so yes, (sigh) I have that badge too.
If you're thinking of a flat-pack kitchen, then think very carefully indeed. Putting the cupboard carcasses together may be easy enough - it's only when it comes to getting the doors to all line up, including the appliances and of course, working around uneven walls, floors and those ever-present bits of beam or wall that would challenge even NASA boffins, that you begin to realise it would have been easier and cheaper to get a professional kitchen fitting company in the first place.
The best place to start is by getting a quote, which you can do online without any salesman ever calling, by using KitchenQuoter.
Thursday, 11 March 2010
With a new focus on homeowner feedback...
If you've been visiting home improvement quotes .co.uk over the last few days, you'll have seen the big re-design take shape before your very eyes.
You'll have also noticed the slight change in the way we're now able to help you with your home improvement project - for the better.
You can still get an instant online quote for over 17 different home improvement projects, but now, once you've visited one of our 'Quoter websites and got a quote, you'll be able to access homeowner feedback - the good, the indifferent and the bad on local companies to you, to help you choose the right company for your project.
If you go onto use our local company matching service (which is still completely FREE), we'll also be asking you if you would like to add your own feedback and help other homeowners make the best decision for them.
Homeowner feedback - with tens of thousands of comments and star ratings left so - we're one of the most knowledgeable home improvement company database services in the UK and certainly one of the most open - you get to see all the comments, not just the good ones.
Click here to give our new look / new benefit home improvement quotes website a try and find out more about how we use your feedback to help over 3,500 other homeowners every week.
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Loft Conversions on the increase as homeowners see their home as a home rather than just an investment
With an estimated 15% of home owners facing negative equity following the recent recession period, it's not surprising that so many are re-evaluating their present homes.
What was once a secure investment (and for many, a home was seen as just that) is now seen as somewhere desirable that you want to spend many happy years in.
This shift in peoples attitudes has led to a boom in property extensions including loft and garage conversions as homeowners start styling their homes to suit their particular requirements, rather than just seeing an improvement as increasing their investments re-sale value.
And just because there's a drop in property equity, doesn't mean people don't need more space.
With property values such that moving to get the space you want might mean a considerable drop in the sale price, leaving little or nothing as the deposit on that new home, it's no wonder that for those homeowners simply wanting more space, a loft conversion is proving particularly popular.
Loft conversions have benefited in the last couple of year from changes in the planning laws which mean that many conversions come under Permitted Development laws. Add to this the fact that a typical loft conversion creates little mess or disruption to the homeowner until the stairway is built to access the new room/s.
Loft conversions are cheaper than extending outwards and if you value your outdoor space, then you won't loose any garden with a loft conversion. All in all, a loft conversion is a very cost effective way of adding more room to your home, using space that is already there.
Not every loft is immediately suitable for a conversions, however, there are ways around this. Particularly if height is the problem. For example, the shape of the roof can be changed to incorporate a box dormer.
If your home has more modern trussed rafters (those W shaped roof beams visible in the attic), then again, this doesn't rule out a loft conversion but will make it more expensive as the construction is different to allow for the removal of the old trusses without compromising the strength of the roof itself. Your loft conversion company will be able to advise you further on what's required.
Finally, it's all too easy to simply view the conversion as just another room, but consider really going to town and making it a space as unique as your home is. Look through any homes magazine and you'll see stunning attics and lofts transformed with multiple skylights and en-suite fittings etc.
There will never be a better time to get your loft conversions exactly how you want it than when you're actually sitting down with your planner, laying out the space.
Always a good starting point - make sure you get a range of quotes from reputable companies. LoftQuoter can help by giving you a free online quote based on your own approximate measurements and requirements. After you've got your online quote, we can offer you the opportunity to have that quote confirmed in writing from our UK wide database of approved loft conversion companies.
LoftQuoter can offer you instant online quotes based on your own approximate measurements and style of home without the need for a salesman to call round.
What was once a secure investment (and for many, a home was seen as just that) is now seen as somewhere desirable that you want to spend many happy years in.
This shift in peoples attitudes has led to a boom in property extensions including loft and garage conversions as homeowners start styling their homes to suit their particular requirements, rather than just seeing an improvement as increasing their investments re-sale value.
And just because there's a drop in property equity, doesn't mean people don't need more space.
With property values such that moving to get the space you want might mean a considerable drop in the sale price, leaving little or nothing as the deposit on that new home, it's no wonder that for those homeowners simply wanting more space, a loft conversion is proving particularly popular.
Loft conversions have benefited in the last couple of year from changes in the planning laws which mean that many conversions come under Permitted Development laws. Add to this the fact that a typical loft conversion creates little mess or disruption to the homeowner until the stairway is built to access the new room/s.
Loft conversions are cheaper than extending outwards and if you value your outdoor space, then you won't loose any garden with a loft conversion. All in all, a loft conversion is a very cost effective way of adding more room to your home, using space that is already there.
Not every loft is immediately suitable for a conversions, however, there are ways around this. Particularly if height is the problem. For example, the shape of the roof can be changed to incorporate a box dormer.
If your home has more modern trussed rafters (those W shaped roof beams visible in the attic), then again, this doesn't rule out a loft conversion but will make it more expensive as the construction is different to allow for the removal of the old trusses without compromising the strength of the roof itself. Your loft conversion company will be able to advise you further on what's required.
Finally, it's all too easy to simply view the conversion as just another room, but consider really going to town and making it a space as unique as your home is. Look through any homes magazine and you'll see stunning attics and lofts transformed with multiple skylights and en-suite fittings etc.
There will never be a better time to get your loft conversions exactly how you want it than when you're actually sitting down with your planner, laying out the space.
Always a good starting point - make sure you get a range of quotes from reputable companies. LoftQuoter can help by giving you a free online quote based on your own approximate measurements and requirements. After you've got your online quote, we can offer you the opportunity to have that quote confirmed in writing from our UK wide database of approved loft conversion companies.
LoftQuoter can offer you instant online quotes based on your own approximate measurements and style of home without the need for a salesman to call round.
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