HOME OFFICE

It is a good idea to set up a home office. You will need a space where you can do your paperwork, set up your computer, a facsimile and any other equipment you might need. The tax system requires you to keep precise records of your business activities and it is a good idea to have a dedicated room in which to do this. Your financial consultant will be able to advise whether or not there is a tax benefit here, it is likely there will be.

How and where you set this up is a personal choice. We suggest that you do not put this equipment in your bedroom. Your B&B will invade much of your personal space and you need one room in your house that is exempt from work.

BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS

Before authorities adopt a code or policy it usually goes through a process of community exposure and consultation. The trouble here is that most people show little interest in these things until their proposed plan is directly affected. It’s always better to obtain all the information and satisfy requirements to begin with.

Approval has traditionally been granted to operate a home occupation (yourself) or a home industry (where you might employ other people). In granting this approval authorities would again consider local amenity issues. For example, would it be noisy, have a lot of traffic coming and going, or incur other nuisance or environmental issues. Of course there are some informal, unapproved operations in existence, which authorities might not actively pursue unless they get a complaint about them.

APPROVAL AND CONSTRUCTION OF B&B ACCOMMODATION

The most daunting part of starting a B&B might be dealing with your local authority. It sounds pretty simple to set aside a couple of bedrooms, advertise in the local paper and in roll the customers. But don’t forget that you will probably need the approval of the local authorities before you start operations. Otherwise an officer may knock on your door and ask for an explanation.

Dealing with your local authority can either be like talking with a close friend, or your worst nightmare realised. A combination of official zeal and ignorance can make the whole process confusing and frustrating. Suddenly the seemingly simple can become very complicated.

Usually, you will need to obtain planning approval for the use of the premises as a B&B plus building approval if any structural alterations or other modifications to the building are necessary. The good news is that usually you can make a combined application for both planning and building approval, which should speed up the process. In some instances the approvals, and certainly the building component, can be obtained through a private certifier.

A lot of the codes and policies are now written in a performance format, which means that authorities give you a series of objectives and some suggested ways of meeting those objectives. You have the flexibility to decide what you will do to achieve the requirements. However, you may still encounter some prescriptive requirements which simply state what you must do. While this format removes any doubts about getting it right, it also takes away some of the opportunity for flexibility and innovation.

Sometimes you will be hard pressed persuading authorities of the merits of your vision for your individual establishment, particularly if it deviates in some way from the rules that have been set down. Appeal rights against an authority’s decision may vary and become so costly and time consuming to make your proposal not viable. It would be much better to negotiate as much as possible in the initial stages.

Be aware that different parts of a building can have different classifications depending on the use of the individual parts. This can have important implications for the final classification of a building and the required type of construction.

FIRE SAFETY

A new Fire Safety Order to apply in England and Wales (Northern Ireland and Scotland to have their own laws) will come into being on or about October 2006. The new Order will cover general fire precautions and fire safety duties that are needed to protect guests in case of fire. A set of guidance notes (not available at the time of writing) will be available in advance of the changes coming into force. The guides will tell you what you have to do to comply with fire safety law, assistance in carrying out a fire risk assessment and identifing the general fire precautions you need to have in place.

If you have a query or require further information, then contact the Fire Safety Reform Team – email to fire.safetyreform@odpm.gov.uk For information on the Regulatory Review (Fire Safety) Order seminars, contact Cpd@abe.org.uk

At the very least, you would be required to install a system of hard-wired smoke alarms in every guest bedroom and in hallways associated with guest bedrooms. If there is no hallway, smoke alarms would need to be installed in areas between guest bedrooms and the remainder of the building, and between each storey. The smoke alarms in hallways and areas outside of guest bedrooms will also need to incorporate a light to be activated by the smoke alarm. Alternatively the smoke alarms can be wired to activate existing hallway lighting to assist evacuation of the occupants in the event of a fire.

In essence, the building must strictly adhere to all fire regulations with fire doors, fire extinguishers, smoke alarms and fire points. Bedroom windows must be all designed to act as emergency exits. It’s also a good idea to have the fire alarm connected directly to the local fire station.

Fire blankets should be of a size to meet the expected risk. Your local fire service, fire authority or specialist fire-fighting supply and installation companies should guide you in your selection and installation of both fire extinguishers and fire blankets. If you are required to provide fire safety measures and facilities, such as smoke alarms, evacuation lighting, portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets, there will be regular inspections to verify that these measures are in place, are being maintained and are capable of operation at an acceptable standard that will afford occupants of the building the required level of fire safety. It currently is, and will be for the future, a requirement of the fire authority, and certainly in your own interest to limit liability, to have fire safety measures inspected by an appropriately qualified person who can certify that the fire safety measures are capable of working properly.

Depending on the nature, extent and location of any additions or alterations that you might want to carry out on your building, the authority may also require you to upgrade the fire protection between your building, any associated structures on your land and adjoining properties. This will depend on the existing and proposed separation between the buildings and property boundaries.

Of necessity, this information is of a general nature only and may not be directly applicable to individual circumstances, in which case individuals should seek expert advice. Prospective Bed & Breakfasts will need to check the new legislation and its application at the time of any proposed development. Existing B&Bs will, by law, be expected to comply with the pending new legislation.

ENERGY AND THE BED & BREAKFAST

If you need to build extra accommodation for your B&B or guest house, the following points need to be carefully considered. There is usually little additional cost for energy efficient alterations, but the resulting improvements in running costs and comfort are well worth the effort.

The climate in the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man can vary quite considerably and often very swiftly.

In winter, with the sun predominantly in the southern sky, the longest wall of the house should face towards the south to receive the maximum exposure to the winter sunshine, providing free winter heat. Allowing natural light into your home instead of turning on lights cuts running costs considerably. In summer some shading may be required so that furniture is not damaged and curtains do not fade.

To make the most of the free heat, the rooms that require the most comfort should be located on the southern side of the home. These include the kitchen, play room, sitting room, dining room and any other room where comfort is needed during waking hours, for example, guest rooms without the use of a sitting room. Other rooms that do not require as much comfort during this time can be located on the north or east, for example, most bedrooms and spare rooms.

Consider the location of anything that could obstruct the winter sun from entering the home. This could include trees, neighbouring buildings or hills. Opportunities for winter sun entry to the new home or new additions need to be maximised.

Open plan designs might look good, but can create many problems. The house should be designed with zones that can be closed off from each other. This is mainly to reduce the extent of heating, but will give an added advantage of providing both visual and noise privacy. Staircases are notorious for causing difficulty with heating and need to have doors to separate them from heated areas. An airlock entry has two sets of doors in the foyer, the outer doors and a second inner set about 2 metres apart. This will allow entry to the home without allowing large amounts of heat to be lost in winter.

Triple-glazing and other improved forms of glazing can reduce conductive heat flow by more than 50%.

Internal building materials with high thermal mass can store large amounts of heat without causing a rapid temperature change throughout the day. These materials include a concrete slab on the ground, internal walls of brick, stone, concrete block, mud brick or rammed earth. By adding thermal mass into the south-facing living areas, the home can be kept warmer in winter, therefore reducing the amount of additional heating required.

Heat is lost or gained through five main areas in the house: the roof and ceilings, walls, windows and floors and also through draughts. To maintain comfort within the building, insulation should be used to control heat flows through each of these five areas. To insulate only one or two of these areas will not solve comfort problems. House design and construction are prescriptive to allow for maximum heat retention. The amount of insulation required for each locality is mentioned on the web site: www.est.org.uk.

Draughtproofing the house is one of the simplest and cheapest methods of improving comfort throughout the year. In older houses draughts are very common under and around doors, window frames, between floor boards, between floors and walls and skirting boards, wall and ceiling ventilators, recessed down lights, chimneys without dampers, and exhaust fans without dampers, etc. By filling the gaps, less hot air will flow out of the home.

There are many other topics of energy saving that need to be addressed. These include:

• the use of compact fluorescent lamps and fittings
• insulation of hot water pipes
• reduced lengths of hot water pipes
• efficient water heaters
• low water use appliances such as showerheads, washing machines, dishwashers, WC
• heat recovery on ventilation systems
• use of efficient white goods such as refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers
• energy-rated electronic equipment such as TV, video recorders, computers, printers and fax machines.

WHAT TO ASK YOUR ARCHITECT, BUILDER OR DESIGNER

If you are interested in having an energy efficient home, you should put the following questions to your architect, builder or designer.

• Does the house face south?
• Are the largest windows located on the southern side of the house?
• Is the appropriate level of insulation provided in the roof, the ceiling and all external walls?
• Can the living area be divided into separate zones, and have doors that can be closed to isolate those heated zones in the house?
• Is the hot water system located with the shortest pipe run to all facilities?
• What type of lighting will be provided in the house?

ADVICE FOR THE HOME RENOVATOR

The basic structure of your property will determine whether it is viable to renovate or not. If the house has deteriorated in the worst sense then you could be faced with rebuilding the house entirely and the cost of doing so is seldom reflected in the market value of the improved property.

If your house has already been renovated, unless your vision contains only minor changes, it can be very costly to undo someone else’s work. It is often easier and less costly to start with a blank canvas. Renovating requires almost a Zen-like philosophy – you require patience, adaptability and a good sense of humour to endure the ongoing chaos. Keep the dream alive, the inspiration flowing, and the lines of communication wide open. And practise the art of compromise!

WHEN YOU ARE THINKING OF RENOVATING

• 1.View your house as four walls and a roof, taking it back to the bare structure. Look at what you do and don’t have. Look at ways to enhance what you have to achieve what you want, before using demolition tactics. It may save you a fortune in the long run. Be flexible with your ideas.
• 2.Look around your area for houses similar to that which you would like, taking note of market value. Will it be cheaper to build elsewhere, or buy a cheaper property to renovate? Even if you are looking at a long-term investment, it is important to stay focused on market value.
• 3.Ask yourself what effect you are hoping to create: olde worlde, modern, rustic, oriental, practical or luxurious are just a few examples. Do your existing windows, ceiling height and any other things that cannot be changed lend themselves to this particular idea?
• 4.Will the furniture that you need to buy to create the finished effect fit into the room? You would be surprised how many people have ordered furniture that will not go through their doorways.
• 5.You must be able to see the potential of the property. Some people are better at this than others, but there are ways to learn. There is no point in listening to someone else convincing you of potential if you can’t see it yourself.
• 6.Consult a professional before you purchase, or before you make the decision to renovate. Speak to an architect or builder, or even someone you know as a seasoned renovator, to get an understanding of the achievable and possible, and what it will cost to arrive at your dream. Unless you have a sound understanding of housing structure, get a qualified building inspection done, and include this as a condition of purchase.
• 7.Balance your renovations between personal requirements and general market appeal. Over specialising your property will narrow your resale market considerably.
• 8.Consider the layout of the house. It is much easier and cheaper to embellish the original layout of the house than to completely re-invent the entire house.
• 9.Remember the most expensive part of any renovation is the labour content. The more work you can do yourself the cheaper your renovation will be.
• 10. Be realistic – set yourself a timeframe, and then double it. This applies to using contractors, and more so to the do-it-yourself (DIY) renovator. A ‘simple’ job seldom is, and untold catastrophes can occur. Furthermore the constraints of full-time work, raising a family and social commitments can see your time allocated for renovating ebb and flow – so too your enthusiasm.

Be careful what building company you use. Always get more than one tradesperson to advise and quote you for the work required.

If the work you are having carried out is on a large scale then you should consult a surveyor. Remember, you may need planning permission for some renovations. However, if you have just moved into your home you should already have had a structural survey done.

Take into consideration that some renovations may require planning permission and may have to satisfy building regulations, for example; a new roof covering. The planning department of your local council should be able to advise you.

PLANNING PERMISSION

How much you can extend the dwelling will depend on your local authority and their individual policy. It also depends on the property type you wish to alter. There can be different limits on bungalows, semi-detached, detached, end-of-terrace and terraced properties.

There is not always a need to gain planning permission as some extension work and loft conversions can be done under Permitted Development. This allows you to build a certain amount without submitting plans. Each government or local authority has a different, and definite, policy on what meterage is acceptable.

If you don’t need to get planning permission, then a certificate of lawful development can be issued to you. It will show that you have submitted plans and that you were legally allowed to carry out the works.

If you are building a garage then planning permission is not always needed. Once again each authority has its own policy on meterage and siting. The roof of the garage also needs to be taken into consideration, as there are different policies for pitched and flat roofs. Permitted Development is not available on all properties, such as a listed building, a building near a conservation area, or new housing developments. These will all have their own set of policies.