General Renovations in Basildon

Houses built to be practical tend to age well, and Basildon has a great deal of that kind of housing. Solid estate homes from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, many of them once owned by the council and now privately owned, are steadily being brought up to modern standards by people who like the room sizes, the storage and the gardens, and simply want everything behind the plaster to match.

What a full upgrade usually involves

On a whole house project the list is fairly consistent. A rewire with a new consumer unit, replumbing and a new boiler, replacement windows and doors, insulation improvements, replastering, then a new kitchen and bathroom to finish. Older single storey rear additions and flat roofed canopies are often replaced at the same time, because a warm deck roof detailed to current standards behaves nothing like the felt roofs of the period. We sequence it so the messy trades are finished and out before anything decorative begins. Not every home needs the whole list, and part of the first visit is working out what is already sound and can simply be left alone.

Layouts built for a different way of living

Estate house plans put a hall, a front room and a back room where an open living space would go today. Taking down the wall between the two reception rooms is the most common change, and adding a cloakroom under the stairs is close behind. Integral garages, common on the later semis, convert into utility rooms, home offices or annexe space once the door opening is filled, the floor insulated and a damp proof membrane laid. Where the ground floor cannot give any more, the roof often can, and a loft conversion adds a bedroom without losing garden.

Fabric, damp and warmth

Before the design is fixed we identify the construction, because some new town housing was built with non traditional systems and those call for a specific approach to insulation and fixings. Shallow pitched roofs limit how much insulation can be laid at the eaves without blocking ventilation, so that detail earns proper attention. Cold bridging at older lintels and window reveals, tired flat roofs, and rainwater goods that have quietly failed all show up as damp on the inside. Ground levels that have crept up over the years against an original damp proof course are worth checking too, particularly where paths, patios and driveways have been relaid more than once. Finding the cause first and decorating second is the only order that holds up.

Living with a renovation

Some owners move out for a full refurbishment, others stay put and take it in phases, room by room. Both approaches work, they simply need different planning, and we build the programme around whichever suits your household. With building, plumbing, electrics and finishing under one roof, there is no gap between trades where a project stalls, and notifiable work is certified through Basildon Borough Council building control or an approved inspector. Our renovation service page covers this in more depth, there is more about the work we do in Basildon, and you can arrange a free quote whenever you are ready. Fully insured, workmanship guaranteed, 25 years and counting.