Case Study. Edgbaston, Birmingham

Transcription

1 Case Study Edgbaston, Birmingham The conversion of a property into a six ensuite bedroom HMO (Home of Multiple Occupation), with future proofing for a flat conversion.

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3 Project Brief Our client s initial project brief was to convert an existing rental property into six high end HMO rooms, all with ensuite facilities. In order to be able to demand high end rent from the prospective tenants, we needed to be able to offer accommodation that was better than the existing accommodation in the immediate surrounding area. Further to this initial brief we were asked to partially prepare the project for future conversion to flats, either for the rental or resale market. As specialist contractors working for professional landlords and their agents, PPN provide for our clients, fully project managed turnkey packages. This enables our clients to outsource projects to a contract team they know and trust to undertake a quality job to a high specification, on time and on budget. PPN maintain an in-house network of professional landlords building and managing HMO properties around the UK.

4 Layouts are critical! In order to fully understand our client s requirements we must first understand the existing building layout, and how that layout can be adapted to the client s needs. PPN generate floor plan layouts at every stage of the project. Clients cannot always be in attendance on site, and having floor plans to discuss with clients means both parties fully understand the impacts of the changes we are discussing. PPN use Leica laser tape measures and floor planning software that enable the production of accurate floor plans on demand. In this first illustration the initial floor plan layout details where the existing services are located.

5 Revisions! PPN provide the ability for all clients to see their thoughts on paper and/or screen. In this instance PPN Building Services presented four schemes before settling on a final layout. This approach delivers consistency and accuracy throughout all departments and project stages.

6 Every Site has it problems! From hidden areas of damp, woodworm and dry rot, to a lot of fractured floor joists, this project revealed a host of problems as we opened the building up. Although these problems were unforeseen, unbudgeted for and not disclosed by the previous owner, addressing properly at this stage ensured the client could rest assured this project was one that will last for years to come.

7 Electrical works All of our electricians work to the very latest NICEIC 17th Edition standards. And all work we undertake is certified on completion. This particular project required a full rewire, separating the individual rooms all the way down to the services cupboard on the ground floor. Heating Heating was supplied by means of night storage heaters, and these were originally wired into the landlords supply. However, these were separated out and added onto the rooms individual circuits, making each room truly independent of the rest of the house. Intercom Each room is now pre-wired to accept an intercom door entry system. Whilst there has been no installation of the door entry system, there will be minimum disruptive works necessary to complete this project when the client instructs a flat conversion. Lighting All lighting in the common areas are operated by 360 degree passive infrared sensors with a timed overrun. This installation ensures the landlord s running costs are at an absolute minimum, with no possibility of tenants leaving lights on unnecessarily. In addition to this all lighting is low energy fluorescent or LED.

8 Fire Alarm/ Emergency lighting This property has been fully wired with an up-to-date fire alarm system, including sensors and alarms throughout the individual rooms and common areas. Emergency lighting has been provided in all common areas providing great peace of mind that in the event of a fire the tenants will be able to find their way to the emergency exits. Electric Water Heating One of the major causes of on-going problems on site is leaks from water pipes. Typically, due to chemical reaction, hot water pipes will corrode faster than cold water pipes. To combat this PPN have removed all gas heated water from the house. Hot water for the basin in the bathroom is provided by an on location electric heater that produces a minimal amount of hot water only in the location of the basin. In this way we have removed excessive hot water pipes from around the house.

9 Elfin Kitchens Part of the clients brief on this project was to prepare each individual room for conversion into a flat. In order to do this PPN have pre-wired and preplumbed an area in which an Elfin kitchen can stand. Elfin kitchens are designed to incorporate a sink, microwave, fridge and hob. Once the flat conversion project starts all that is required to do is to lift a few floor- boards and connect the waste and power in the predefined locations. Elfin kitchens lend themselves ideally to this kind of installation. They are delivered preassembled in one large box and once maneuvered into rooms take as little as half an hour to connect into the pre-plumbed waste and plugged into the designated power socket.

10 Case Study - Edgbaston, Birmingham Construction Each of the bedrooms required an ensuite. In order to achieve this there were certain structural alterations made to the fabric of the building. In addition, PPN erected certain walls in key locations to form the ensuite themselves. All of the shower cubicles contain a thermostatically controlled Triton electric shower unit and 12 volt extraction. All sanitary ware is from a reputable manufacturer and is readily available around the country meaning that PPN will not have any problems in the future if we need to locate replacement and/or spares. Plastering Once PPN Building Service teams started to strip the paper from the walls it was found that the plaster behind was in really poor condition. Large swathes of plaster fell from the walls as the paper was removed and sections removed for electrical housing. At some point in the past there was a damp problem within this building on the ground floor and it was discovered that the previous owner had painted the walls in a bituminous paint to stop the damp from passing through into the property. This process was unsuccessful in achieving this task. Combining all of these problems it was concluded easier to strip and reskim all of the walls throughout the property in order to achieve an optimum finish.

11 Paint finishes In order to provide the best finishes within a full refurbishment project PPN consider multiple options for painting. On this project it was concluded that spraying paint onto the walls and ceilings provides the best finish possible in the shortest time. A significant amount of time is spent in painting ceilings a different colour from the walls. This can be up to one third of the time it takes to paint a room. PPN often recommend a method of painting the ceiling and the walls in the same neutral colour. This same ruling applies when painting woodwork within refurbished properties. More often than not PPN will paint the woodwork in the same colour as the paint on walls and ceilings. This makes cutting in much simpler and significant savings can be achieved on labour costs as a result. Using these methods receive premium finishes and the best response from clients.

12 The kitchen is the centre of any home! The kitchen is the heart of any home and this is just as true if not more so in a Home of Multiple Occupation (HMO). Typically the kitchen and lounge area is the only time that tenants will interact with one another and ensuring that this is a comfortable place for them to do so is essential. Ensuring that there is adequate workspace, cooking facilities and washing facilities is essential in order to meet the requirements of an HMO license. In addition one continual bone of contention is fridge and freezer space. By ensuring each room has its own individual cubic fridge on this project PPN eradicate a lot of arguments in the kitchen area. From a landlord s perspective, having good quality accommodation goes a long way towards reducing any tenant problems within the property and having good kitchen and social areas builds good feeling.

13 Case Study - Edgbaston, Birmingham Photographs The following photographs illustrate the quality of the finish that was achieved on this site. This project took a total of eleven weeks from start to completion on a turnkey basis.

14 Case Study - Edgbaston, Birmingham The Garden Even the garden on this project got a makeover. When Building Services started on site this garden from front to back was six-foot tall in weeds and bushes, and it was impossible to walk from the patio to the bottom of the garden. All of the weeds were cut back, a commercial grade weed killer was applied, a geotextile membrane laid down and bark chippings placed on top of this. This makes the garden very easy to maintain in the long-term as all the landlord needs to do is to attend site periodically and reapply a commercial grade weed killer.

15 PPN Building Services was specifically set up to address the needs of professional landlords and their agents. Many landlords and agents struggle to find reliable contractors that they know, like and trust to undertake a project, finishing to a high quality both on budget and on time. PPN have eight UK regions within which all contractors deliver market leading service at competitive prices. PPN undertake large HMO conversions, full refurbishment projects, partial refurbishment projects, extensions and new build projects. PPN welcome the opportunity to discuss any joint venture interests clients may have within the property and construction industry. Please feel free to contact PPN to discuss any requirements that you may have at any time.

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