Key Role of Measured Building Surveys in Renovations
If you’re renovating, it’s probably the first set of sketches of new layouts that come to mind, coupled with your selection of fixtures and fittings and what the whole dream might look like when it’s done. Whatever project you have in mind, what will have set you up for a positive outcome long before the first carefully measured nail is hammered home, is the survey you undertook.
Accurate Data for Informed Decision Making
Measured Building Surveys provides a detailed, accurate plan of a building’s current layout and dimensions. This information is vital for planning any work undertaken by architects, contractors, or designers. When you don’t know precisely how your property is laid out, making informed decisions about renovation is difficult. Your existing walls, doorways, windows, and floor levels will be measured precisely. It avoids the risk of ordering materials that won’t fit and finding out at the last minute that your space won’t accommodate your planned layout.
Identifying Structural Challenges
A building’s structural challenges can be hidden, so a measured survey, particularly if detailed, can identify issues such as unequal floor levels, nonstandard wall thicknesses, and possible structural weaknesses. It will enable you to overcome any challenges before you start your renovation, avoiding issues and additional costs. Additionally, a measured building survey will identify the position of services such as power, waste, water, and heating so that your renovation works can proceed smoothly around critical building services.
Efficient Space Planning
Every property renovation ensures all available space is utilised, and the measured building survey guarantees that architects and designers have an accurate grasp of available square footage. Knowing exactly what and where the spaces are leaves little room for wasted spaces in the redesign, so you end up with more functional spaces that better suit requirements specifically for your property. Whether you are looking to knock down walls, build extensions, or rearrange spaces in an existing format, there’s no need for guesswork; the survey profoundly helps to improve any plans based on the current situation of the property, its size, and shape.
Compliance with Building Regulations
Every renovation must comply with local building codes and regulations, and a measured building survey helps to align the layout of your property with these regulations – so that the plans you submit to the local building authorities are as accurate and up-to-date as possible. Whether your budget is small, medium, or practically unlimited, a measured survey will prove its worth – and could even save you money by streamlining the planning and approval process. While compliance or regulated properties, such as conservation areas, often result in stringent regulations, even a relatively simple renovation needs to consider specifics, such as the dimensions of a room, the exact length of an entranceway, or the position of a window that the authorities would require for their building records.
Minimising Renovation Costs and Delays
Unforeseen delays and budget overruns are the most significant risks of a renovation, and without accurate data, serious problems can sometimes arise late in the process. For example, suppose it turns out that a fundamental part of the building’s structure is in the wrong place. In that case, it can lead to expensive modifications in the project long after the original work is underway. Insisting on a thorough, measured building survey at the start of the project can anticipate many of these problems and sort them out before you waste any time and money.
Conclusion
Measured building surveys are the all-important bedrock of a successful residential renovation. They provide the detail and precision that support decisions, preventing costly mistakes and ensuring everything is being renovated accurately and up-to-date. Whether modernising your modern home or renovating an older property, the nominal cost of commissioning a professionally measured building survey is insignificant compared with the potential cost savings it may provide.
Whenever you next contemplate a renovation, invest in a measured building survey from us at Blackacre Surveyors and be assured of the most accurate, efficient, and trouble-free outcome.
Contact us today at info@blackacresurveyors.com or 0203 476 9561 to book your measured building survey and ensure your redevelopment project starts on the right foot.