Top challenges faced by home renovators in 2023
Navigating budgets, material costs and updated regulations
In today's ever-evolving world of architectural design, architects, designers and planners alike are coming face to face with a bunch of new challenges that are really shaking up the industry. In this blog post, we'll take a deep dive into these key hurdles, from dealing with increasing costs to adapting to new regulations.
1. Rising Construction Costs and Material Expenses
As architectural designers, we've noticed a continuing increase in construction costs and material prices (something we’ve written about previously) based on the quotes our clients get from local builders. This makes it harder to stick to project budgets and means we have to carefully balance design ideas with money limits. The higher costs are impacting lots of things, from how big an extension can be to kitchen design and more, and they're affecting both architectural companies and homeowners in the UK. If you want to learn how to cut costs when planning a home extension, check out our article ‘How to save money on your home extension’ here.
2. Availability of Builders and Construction Firms
The need for experienced builders is really important for architecture firms and home renovators in today's competitive industry. Since there's such high demand at the moment, it's proving difficult to find skilled builders who are available to start new projects within the next 12 months (or even beyond that). To deal with this, careful planning and taking action ahead of time are crucial. For tips on finding a local builder who’s reliable and who respects how much money, time and passion you’re investing, click here.
3. Rising Planning Fees and Changes to Permitted Development
Navigating the process of planning permission has become more intricate with policy changes, workload pressures in planning offices, causing delays, and tighter regulations - not to mention rising planning fees.
In recent years, there have been big changes to rules on what you can build under permitted development, therefore avoiding the need for planning permission. While keeping a project within permitted development can save you the cost of a planning fee, it's still important to get advice from reputable architects or designers and we usually advise that getting a lawful development certificate from the council is a good reassurance to have in your back pocket - you never know when you might need it!
So, it's vital to keep up with these changes and get expert advice to deal with the complexities of renovating your home - with or without permission. For more information on planning permission, see here and if you need advice on whether your home renovations require planning, contact us here.
4. Updated Building Regulations
In 2023, significant changes to building regulations were introduced. These reforms have intensified the responsibility of all construction professionals, focusing on following strict standards and being transparent. The changes highlight the important role of architects/designers, engineers, contractors, and project managers in making sure buildings are safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly. Professionals now need to invest in continued learning and use the latest tech to meet these higher expectations. The rules also call for careful record-keeping to make sure everyone follows the rules.
While this will hopefully have a positive impact in terms of the safety of buildings and the relationship between homeowners and construction professionals, it will inevitably add cost and time, with the need for more paperwork and checks. Something to keep in mind when you’re looking at budget!
As the home renovation and construction landscape continues to evolve, our team here at The Practical Planning Company remains committed to navigating these complexities with transparency, expertise and creativity.
No matter what stage you’re at in your project, we are here to help. If you’re based in the East Midlands and you’d like to book in with our Derbyshire team for a free, no obligation design consultation, hit the button below - and stay tuned for some more practical tips!
Our fixed fee packages include all the necessary plans and guidance for a planning application. Plus, we handle the submission and all communications for you. For an idea of prices for designing and planning a home extension, please use our online calculator.
If you’re not quite ready to get started, or you’re based elsewhere in the UK, please feel free to check out the rest of our Advice Centre - and connect with us on Instagram and Facebook for tips and inspiration.