MAC Maintenance & Construction

A recent study by sellhousefast.uk has revealed that a quality patio is the second most desired feature that home-buyers desire in order to make the most of their garden space.

Indeed a well-looked-after garden might add as much as 20% to the value of the home. According to the National Association of Estate Agents this is because people like to imagine themselves relaxing there during the warmer months of the year, and making the most of that extra space.

Extend your living space for children to play, or use it to entertain friends more.

Bi-fold doors have been increasing in popularity in the UK for the past 5-10 years.

Perhaps their most attractive feature – unlike French or patio doors – is their wide dimensions which allow for a really beautiful inside-outside sensation.

Bi-fold doors, despite being good sources of natural light, are great at blocking outside air, and often improve a house’s thermal efficiency rating.

This has lead to bi-fold doors become extremely desirable for house-buyers, and might also be a great way for you to prepare your home for sale.

Don’t move out, move up! Loft conversions are a practical and cost effective way to get more living space for your money.

More and more people are building upwards instead of looking for new homes in order to achieve that additional space that they need. Who wouldn’t want to design their own space and meet their own functional needs, instead of spending time and money on a move.

Some people like to create independent living spaces for their children or to rent out and increase their income. Others are keen to welcome all the family around at Christmas and during Summer holidays.

Alternatively, for those planning on selling, the return on your investment from a well-planned loft conversion may get you the extra cash you need to go out and buy your ideal home, if, in exchange, you’re happy to wait those extra months for the work to be completed.

Garage conversions are popular for several reasons. On one hand you can achieve an excellent return on your investment without paying as much as for a house extension.

On the other, you need not consume your all important garden space in exchange for home functionality; by converting your garage you are simply making the most of your pre-existing indoor space.

We’ve seen many great garage conversion designs at M.A.C., from kitchen-diner extensions, utility rooms and play areas, to extra bedrooms, home offices and even a granny annexe or two!

We encourage you to make the most of our experience, to really understand costing, design factors and planning and legal permissions, as well as structural, electrical and plumbing needs.

Kitchens are currently the second most popular room for renovation in the home, due to both their return on investment and the perceived difference to your standard of living.

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the home, being where we spend most of our time, which has lead to bigger kitchen work spaces, mixed kitchen-diners, kitchen islands and even spaces to relax with sofas and televisions.

You can update your old utensils while upgrading to sleek new designs which incorporate the latest materials.

According to Which, the average spend on a kitchen is around £8,000, which may increase the value by as much as 6%, or £18,000 on the average home.

In 2017 the bedroom figured in as many as 29% of interior room renovations across the UK.

Adding an entirely new double bedroom can add a little more than 10% to the value of your property, known as one of the best projects to undertake for value increase.

People are therefore taking the opportunity to update and modernise their most intimate space in the home with the latest fabrics, lighting technology and energy-saving programmes.

Plus, of all renovation projects in 2017 roughly 8% featured a walk-in wardrobe meaning that it is and will remain high on the agenda.

The bathroom has now become the nation’s renovation priority, with 54% of homeowners either currently working on one or planning one, second bathrooms being particularly popular.

Some common reasons are separate bathrooms throughout the home, en-suites and wetrooms.

People are also taking the opportunity to incorporate smart eco technology and achieve long-term savings on their bills through years to come.

Why not brighten your bathroom by incorporating LED lighting to your cabinets and mirrors, while matching its colours and materials to the rest of the property.

A bathroom makeover may improve your home value by some 2-3%, and by as much as 4-5% if you incorporate updates to your boiler and/or central heating. Adding a completely new bathroom may see a rise of almost 6% in market price.

Renovating living spaces, although falling in popularity to bathrooms and kitchens, are still one of our favourite projects, leading to high satisfaction amongst homeowners, notably for the added space, perceived decluttering and areas to spend quality time with the family.

Over the last few years we have seen a noticeable increase in open-plan living projects, bringing together many rooms of the home, along with inventive ways to increase lighting, be it from extra windows, skylights, or bi-fold doors.

Smart-home technology and energy-efficient eco features and fabrics are on the rise, being part of nearly 20% of all renovation projects.

In 2018 decorating and refurnishing a room was part of around 60% of home improvement projects.

With the help of a professional, a painting and decorating job can be a fast and effective way to improve the visual appearance of a building by protecting it from damage by water, rust, corrosion or mould.

Professional painters use modern equipment and the latest techniques to ensure a high-quality finish. It is important to prepare the surface appropriately before painting, patching holes in drywall, and properly protecting any areas that are not to be painted.

Why redecorate aside from aesthetics and home care? Well, an all-over re-decoration on average adds 3.1% to the overall value of your property, making it a great way to prepare for a sale, drastically cutting time on market and getting an extra few thousand for an attractive looking property.

Traditionally a plasterer forms a layer of plaster or plasters decorative moldings on interior walls.

Plastering jobs around the home have seen a boom over the last 5 years, with an average of over 10% in growth year on year since 2014.

Perhaps in correlation with the increase in open-plan designs, you can redo jaded or wallpapered walls, or equally move them completely, normally with very little effort.

Stud walls also have many options these days. You can improve your existing walls to reduce on electricity bills by adding insulation, or equally add soundproofing to hide noise from budding musicians, noisy children or late night parties.

The modern home would be nowhere without electricity. An electrician’s job in the home may range from planning the power distribution for a homeowners’ appliances, to installation of lighting, and traditional maintenance tasks such as fixing faulty wiring.

Needs in 2018 extend to achieving maximum efficiency, with remote-controlled LED lighting or incorporating eco-friendly electrical sources like solar panels more and more popular.

Any conversion or extension will need an electrician as part of the project, and its important to rely on professionals to achieve an industry standard by following best practices, so that on one hand you’re not paying for mistakes down the line, and on the other you can feel safely protected from dangerous mishaps, like unexpected fires and shocks.

Importantly, the latest home electricity regulations in preparation for sale are stringent, and you can avoid reduced value to the tune of thousands by getting the work done yourself in advance.

Advances in modern plumbing and heating systems mean that you can save more money and expect less surprises than ever before as new boilers are more efficient, quicker to heat and need less maintenance.

Not only will a new boiler or central heating system increase your property value by as much as 2%, but it will also save you thousands of pounds over the years in reduced gas and electricity bills.

We are also available for maintenance and repair of traditional boilers and heating systems, covering all types of leaks, blockages and drainage issues.

M.A.C. Maintenance & Construction is a family-run business in the Lightwater area offering extensions, conversions, renovations and home improvement services to homeowners.

Lightwater was originally a holiday home location for people living in London and because of this many of the properties still have the period ‘chalet’ style of the time.

Our knowledge of local property in the Lightwater area allows us to respect the style, maintaining their uniqueness, while guiding homeowners through the local planning process without issue.

Since the 1960s Lightwater has experienced tremendous growth, particularly on the housing estates just north of Red Road and on the military ranges around Greyspot, too. Such growth has given rise to the need for local building services, like those of M.A.C.

Please feel free to reach out to any of our clients to get their feedback and assess the quality of our work before reaching out for your free quote.

M.A.C. Maintenance & Construction is a family-run business in the Twickenham area offering extensions, conversions, renovations and home improvement services to homeowners.

Having already worked on many residential building projects in and around Twickenham, M.A.C. is well-placed to guide local clients on all property development related issues, from planning to sourcing of materials in keeping with the local 18th-century style and rather unique large period-housing.

Please feel free to reach out to any of our clients to get their feedback and assess the quality of our work before requesting your own quote.

M.A.C. Maintenance & Construction is a family-run business in the Richmond area offering extensions, conversions, renovations and home improvement services to homeowners.

Richmond is well-known for its Georgian terraces, particularly in the Richmond Green area and on Richmond Hill, some of which hold heritage status or are listed to protect their integrity.

Our knowledge of housing in the Richmond area allows us to respect the properties, maintaining their unique values and style, while guiding homeowners through the local planning process without issue.

Richmond’s proximity to London and famous history make it a popular place to live, so much so that according to Zoopla, average house valuations now exceed one million pounds. As a consequence the real estate market is very active, with many homeowners and architects carrying out construction and maintenance work on newly purchased property, or equally in preparation for sale.

Please feel free to reach out to any of our clients to get their feedback and assess the quality of our work before requesting your own quote.