Home improvements

The planning bill was introduced on May 11th 2021. The bill presents many key pieces of information such as detailed overviews of local areas to effectively provide more clarification on the design of specific developments permitted in different places.  The main purpose of the new home planning policies was to considerably reduce the time that is currently needed for housing developments to gain permission from the planning system. It was recognised that the existing systems were too expensive.  The new bill would follow a much more predictable and transparent nature, helping to replace existing procedures with new home planning policies and affordable infrastructure.  Not to mention that the overall framework was set to be rewritten, so that local cooperation’s could be more involved in ensuring that different areas had access to particular delivery vehicles in order to support the growth and renovation of the local area. Many of us have been awaiting the planning reform publication from the UK government. The details were supposed to be released during this spring, but research illustrates that this information has now been dropped due to circumstances which has not yet been confirmed.  Homeowners, tradespeople and renovation companies alike were awaiting the highly anticipated planning reforms. Now the government bill has been scrapped, arguably many pieces of key information have been left unclear. It is reported that the government will now deliver their proposal on new home planning policies as part of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill towards the end of spring while they level of the legislation of this year.  It was originally decided that the planning reforms announced two years ago would immediately change requirements of the applications for planning permissions. However, due to unexpected, controversial developments a new planning bill was announced. What’s The Latest With New Home Planning Reforms? It has been widely documented that some of the proposed new home planning reforms were criticized; this new planning bill was set to amend previous mistakes and fix those issues.  One of the controversial plans brought forward to ultimately disrupt the previous planning reform proposal, was a traffic light system of zone planning. This would have provided the communities involved with growth, a complete transformation or fixed protection.  This wasn’t followed through as MP’s feared this may stop communities from having any power over restricting the housing development within their area. This could have not only affected the living standards within the area, but most importantly the happiness of the residents within the area. Another proposal which was condemned was a new introduced target of building 300,000 homes a year. What’s Next? Now that the New Home Planning Bill was reportedly dropped, many are still awaiting a response to their concerns regarding the new home planning policies. However, the responses will most likely be addressed announced during a planning update in the spring.  Despite the planning bill being dropped, this update is set to provide detail on the new home planning policies and procedures to effectively create contemporary and purposeful planning systems which will really make a difference and provide support on helping the country to achieve beautiful, environmentally friendly developments. Which New Home Planning Policies Could Still Be Announced? It is unclear which new home planning re-forms will definitely be considered now that the planning bill is no longer going ahead. The next update could provide some clarification, potentially presented information on the following requests: A Digital Planning System: This is self-explanatory. Designed to efficiently speed up processes and result in residents being more involved and updated with their planning application. This solution has been suggested, due to the 3% of local people who do not currently engage with their applications. Abolishing Section 106: This is a simple change involving the agreement between an application for new home planning permission and the local planning authority. This will be set nationally rather than locally with the intention of allowing local residents to have more control over the local area. Brownfield Site Investments: The government is also set to invest in urban landscape transformations. This will mean that new homes are put on neglected brown field sites. It’s also important to remember that many of the government grants for home improvements have been abolished. However, there are many grants for windows and doors available from home renovation companies. Particular housing issues are set to be addressed in the substitute spring planning update in spring. However, the delays to the planning new home planning policies will expectedly create uproar and confusion among those who wish to start new developments to improve their homes and lifestyles.

Did you know that more than a third (36%) of homeowners aged over 40 say that making changes to their homes or home improvements would be a top priority in retirement? This is because of the ever rising cost to find a new property. There’s no surprise that many home owners are choosing to improve their homes rather than move to a new one! Providing a new lease of life to your interior, reviving your old kitchen or adding an extension onto your home can make it feel like brand new. Making home improvements will cost you time, money and a lot of effort, but it will all be worth it in the end. The funds that you need to finance your home improvements may not be immediately available, but there are options including all government grants and other grants for windows to discover. Let’s look at 5 handy ways how you can raise money to fund your home renovation project. Contents 1. Use Your Own Savings2. Using A Credit Card3. Get A Secured Loan4. Re-Mortgaging For Your Home Improvements5. Research All Government Grants5. Conclusion1. Use Your Own Savings This is of course the easiest way to fund your home improvements aside from applying for the windows and doors scheme available. Investing your savings into your home renovations will be more beneficial in the long term, rather than spending the money on a holiday or a new car! Using your own savings can sometimes feel deflating, knowing that you may not be left with much once complete. However home improvements can raise the property value by a huge 10%, if you wish to sell your home in the future. Using your own cash is the cleanest way to fund your property improvements, as this way you are not obliged to pay anyone back. If you are going to be using your own cash then be sure to plan a budget, otherwise you may over spend unnecessarily. The Benefits Of Using Your Own Savings The freedom to carry out home improvements at your own pace. Experience the benefits of an instantaneous funding speed. By using your own cash, you do not need to worry about interest fees or charges. Once all is done, you will have no loans to pay back. No eligibility checks to pass as you would with free government window replacement The Disadvantages Of Using Your Own Savings Borrowing money to fund your home projects means that you will still have savings to fall back on when required. Your savings may not be enough to find larger projects. The potential to use a large chunk of your saving with little money left over for yourself. May not receive the benefits (such as installation help) that come with all government grants. 2. Using A Credit Card If you only require a small amount for your project, then a credit card could be a great way to fund your home improvements. Usually with a credit card, you will be required to pay the money back at the end of each month. Luckily, some organisations will allow you to pay off the fund over a longer period of time, without being charged any interest. This type of loan isn’t just given out to anyone; the homeowner must have a perfect credit history and credit score to be accepted for a credit card.  If you are accepted for the loan, be sure to pay off your debt on time, to avoid any fees or extra charges. It’s also important to keep in mind that some credits cards are subject to a yearly cost. Funding your project via credit card is much cheaper than taking out a loan, as a credit cards will offer you countless benefits depending on how long you use it and how much money you borrow. 3. Get A Secured Loan If you choose a secured loan, you will be able as much as £100,000, will the flexibility of paying it back almost whenever you want to! However, it’s important to be aware that it could possibly be connected to your car and home. This type of loan is extremely accessible to even those who have a bad credit history, but it will put your assets at risk if you are unable to repay your debt. The Benefits Of A Secure Loan You can borrow a high amount of money at a low interest rate The repayment periods are longer If you pay this loan back on time, it will enhance your credit rating Disadvantages Of A Secure Loan The application process and receiving the could take some time As mentioned above, there is a chance that you could lose your home or car if you fail to pay your debt. 4. Re-Mortgaging For Your Home Improvements This option is particularly beneficial if you wish to borrow a large amount of money for an entire home renovation or wish to add a large extension to the end of your home. If your house has enough equity, this could provide you with plenty of cash to help you with these types of home improvements. Although incredibly beneficial, receiving a new mortgage could be difficult and time consuming, depending on the stage you are at with your current mortgage. If you need to make quicker repayments to your current lender, then this may be expensive. However, if you are accepted, you will definitely have enough money for your home improvements. Advantages Of Getting A Re-Mortgage Your homes equity could be used to receive more cash. You may receive a much higher rate of interest. The possibility of collating your debt into a single monthly payment. Disadvantages Of Getting A Re-Mortgage Your current mortgage will now run over a longer period of time. Re-mortgaging your home could be time-consuming. There may be additional costs to secure a re-mortgage. Your assets could be re-possessed if you don’t pay on time. 5. Research All Government Grants Being accepted for all government grants for