Improvements to Consider

Replacing Windows

Ill-chosen replacement windows can seriously devalue a property. Since 2002, new windows must comply with building regulations - and if you live in a Conservation Area, you will need to get planning permission to replace them. Generally, however, a house with double glazing is attractive when it comes to selling, as double glazing reduces draughts and cuts out some noise.

• If your windows are of architectural interest, consider secondary glazing instead of double glazing.
• If your windows are beyond repair and must be replaced, try to replace like with like. A local joiner will be able to make exact replicas - or even sympathetically designed double-glazed windows.
• Even if the new windows are the same size as the old, internal plaster will need to be made good round the frames.

Fitting Insulation

Insulation is one of the most cost-effective home improvements and, with planning, can be installed as you carry out other work.

• Draughtproof gaps round doors and windows with foam or rubber strip, but don't seal the room completely - ventilation is essential.
• Lag hot water pipes and tank to prevent heat loss.
• Lag cold water pipes and insulate cold water tank to prevent condensation and freezing.
• Loft insulation can be bought as rigid sheets, fibre rolls, or loose granules (which are useful for awkward spaces). Install it after all other work requiring access to the attic - plumbing, wiring, roof repairs - has been completed. Make sure the insulation material does not impede ventilation round the eaves.
• Underfloor insulation is now a requirement for new buildings. In an existing property it is easiest to install it while the floorboards are up. Tack plastic netting between the joists to support the insulation material.
• Double glazing is most effective at preventing heat loss if the gap between the panes is between 8 mm (1/3 in) and 20 mm (3/4 in).
• Cavity wall insulation should be carried out by a professional. Consult your local Building Controls office before having the work done.

Increasing the Power Points

If you're having electrical work done it's worth thinking about how you may be using different rooms in the years ahead, and have extra power points installed now. Bear in mind that adding extra ones later will be far more expensive and disruptive.

Having eight or ten power points in a room is not excessive. Even a modest home office area is likely to need a computer, printer, scanner, and fax machine. Then allow for a desk lamp, perhaps a music system - and you still need somewhere to plug in the vacuum cleaner.

Roof Repairs

A well-built roof will last for decades - if not centuries. Unless the roof structure has been seriously weakened by rot or woodworm, or the tiles and slates have started to disintegrate, most roofs can be repaired. If problems warrant a complete re-roofing job:

• re-use as much of the existing material as possible
• even if you are not in a Conservation Area, try to choose materials that are sympathetic to the original style of your house and the neighbouring properties
• try to do the work during dry weather
• don't undertake any interior work until the roof is sound.