Why Should You Hire A Professional Renovation Company?

by POWERPILLAR LTD

Mid adult carpenter cutting wood with handheld saw while coworker helping him in background at construction site

Renovating your home is an exciting time. If you’ve been unsatisfied with your space for a while, or your living environment is no longer serving you, changing your environment can drastically improve your life. Whilst this is undoubtedly exciting, home renovations also come with a lot of demand. From the design process to the finishing touches, renovating your home is a lot of hard work. Hiring a professional renovation company helps ease this burden, reducing your stress and ensuring you receive your ideal renovation. In this blog post, we’re sharing why you should hire a professional renovation company to take care of your next renovation project.

You’re Guaranteed A Professional Finish

When you hire a professional contractor, you’re guaranteed a professional finish. With a wealth of experience and an advanced understanding of the industry, a professional renovation company will ensure no part of the project is unaccounted for. Whether you’re looking for a building company in London or bathroom renovation ideas, a professional contractor will be able to provide you with expert information and faultless work.

Ensure All Safety Regulations Are Met

Construction can be extremely dangerous. There are rules and regulations all construction sites need to meet, no matter how big or small. Doing your kitchen renovation yourself might seem like a good idea, but you’re likely overlooking crucial safety procedures. Ignoring safety measures won’t only put you and your family at risk, but it will also impact the quality and outcome of your project. By hiring a professional contractor, you’re hiring someone who lives by these rules and regulations every day. Whilst following the correct procedures might feel like a task to you, following safety regulations are second nature to these individuals.

If you’re a Londoner hoping to do a home renovation, keep your family and neighbours safe by hiring a building company in London.

Experienced Creatives With An Eye For Detail

It’s not all about the building; designing is a huge part of the renovation process. If you’re looking for a building company near you, but you’re not one-hundred percent sure on the design of your much-needed bathroom renovation or loft extension, don’t worry! A professional contractor can advise you on how to design your space. Professional contractors will have worked on hundreds of houses in your local area, many of which probably have the same layout as yours. The local contractor you hire will know what works well in the space, both functionally and aesthetically. Working on so many projects, a professional renovation contractor will have developed an eye for detail. Every minor element of your new space will be well-thought through and structured for ultimate practical and aesthetic value. Having a home renovation can be a stressful time. Eliminate any unnecessary stress, find a local contractor and let an experienced professional guide you. They say two eyes is better than one, and that’s definitely the case when it comes to home renovations!

Tip: If you’re looking for a contractor in London or your local area, Google, ‘construction companies near me’, or if your project is more specific, look up ‘loft conversion builders near’. Alternatively, if you know someone who has recently had a bathroom or kitchen refitted, ask them who they recommend and what their experience working with a local contractor was like.

Advanced Knowledge Of Industry

The benefits of hiring a professional renovation company extend beyond the physical home transformation. By hiring a professional renovation company in London, or further afield, you’re the recipient of advanced industry knowledge. Your professional renovation company likely has connections across the industry, and they’ll be able to provide you with advice and recommendations for other projects you’re looking to have done. Hiring a professional renovation company is hiring a team of people you can trust. These trained professionals have a wealth of knowledge and a passion for sharing it. Develop a good working relationship with your local renovation company, and all future home projects will be a breeze.

A Fair Price

If you’re on the hunt for loft conversion builders near you because someone down the road had theirs converted for a great price, you’re going to want the same experience as they had! A professional contractor has a reputation to uphold. They want people to share and discuss their work, which means they need to maintain the same professionalism across all of their projects. By hiring a professional renovation company, you’re guaranteed a fair price. When searching for construction companies or loft conversion builders near you, make sure you ask for a quote for the project. Ask your contractor to break down this price, showing you exactly what you’re paying for and making sure you’re getting the same fair price as your neighbour down the road! Transparency is key when it comes to construction. Once you’ve discovered your ideal loft conversion builder, don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Ensure All Legal Measures Are Met

Just as there are essential safety measures, having a home renovation requires legal protection. Unfortunately, transforming your home isn’t as easy as just typing in ‘loft conversion builders near me’ or ‘construction companies near me’. Although this is a great idea to find a renovation company, you need to make sure all legal demands are met. Once you’ve found the local renovation company you want to work with, discuss all the legal proceedings with them. Working with a professional renovation company will require a contract, a valid contractors licence, and insurance. If you’ve discussed these with your contractor and all legal needs are met, you’re in safe standing to progress with your project. Not using a professional contractor increases the likelihood of scams, losing money through mistakes and infringing on local laws you might not be aware of as a resident.

Let yourself enjoy the renovation process and find excitement in your home alterations without the stress. Whether you’re searching for ‘construction companies near me’ or a well-experienced ‘building company in London’, this blog post has shared the benefits of hiring a professional renovation company. Give yourself the gift of a perfect home by hiring a professional renovation company to oversee your project.

Contact us today for a professional construction, building and renovation project you may have.

Phone: 020 3633 1605 or info@powerpillar.co.uk

Why You Should Hire a Property Manager for Your HMO

by POWERPILLAR LTD

Why You Should Hire a Property Manager for Your HMO

Investing in a house of multiple occupation (HMO) is a wise business move but not one that should be taken lightly. Property management is a big investment, not just financially but also with your time, resources, and more. Many people invest in an HMO not realizing the depth of responsibility involved in managing such a property. Luckily, there are property management services available to ease the burden an HMO may be placing on your time. More free time isn’t the only benefit of a property management company, though.

A property manager finds better tenants

First time HMO owners often try to find tenants through referrals or advertisements online. This method brings in applicants, but they’re not always a great fit. An experienced property manager will thoroughly screen tenants using background checks, credit reports, employment verification, and more. A property management company also knows how to reach a larger pool of renters, so you’ll always have a waitlist of tenets available, minimizing the amount of time your space sits empty.

A property manager collects payments on time

One of the hardest parts of managing your own rental property is collecting timely rent payments. The process is stressful and can be awkward when a tenant is drastically behind on payments. A property management company knows how to collect rent payments efficiently and effectively because they have years of experience dealing with tenants.

A property manager knows how to market your property

Referrals are great, but they’re not a reliable way to market your property. You need to know where to advertise your rental as well as how to craft compelling material that will attract people to your HMO. A professional property manager knows exactly where, when, and how to advertise your property to attract the best tenants possible.

A property manager makes you more money

A lot of people dismiss the idea of hiring a property management company because they think it’s too expensive. In the long run, however, hiring a property manager can actually increase your profits. Yes, you have to pay a property manager a certain fee each month, but you receive a huge return on investment for the services they provide. For example, better tenants mean you’ll have less damage to the house, and more responsible tenants tend to sign longer leases. The waitlist of tenants a property manager typically has on hand will also reduce the amount of time your property sits empty. An empty space means you’re not making any money, so this is a huge financial benefit. Ultimately, with a property management company, your HMO will receive more care and attention to ensure you get the best return on investment.

A property manager saves you time

Stop to consider how much time really goes into managing a property. You have to send invoices, collect rent payments, advertise your property, complete maintenance, handle complaints, and more. An HMO can be a full-time commitment and managing it all on your own is difficult. Hiring a property manager to assist with property logistics will free up your time to focus on other investments and reduce the stress of owning a rental property.

If you’re ready to decrease your stress levels and start actually enjoying your rental property then contact Powerpillar today to discuss property management services.

As a construction and renovation company, Powerpillar guarantees full maintenance of your property.

TIPS FOR YOUR HOME THIS YEAR

by POWERPILLAR LTD

We’re going to take a peek into the Powerpillar’s crystal ball to discover some of the ways our homes will evolve in the coming year. It goes without saying that 2020 has thrown pretty much everything off course. That includes design from the use of more hygienic materials to demand for reconfigurable spaces and a growing interest in vintage and old furniture. 2021 will bring a generous dose of trends that have been impacted by our response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well of course as always as fashions prompted by other global influences and concerns.

In this blog, we’re going to dive deep into Powerpillar’s data to bring you these key trend predictions for the coming year with a community of millions of homeowners, home designs, building, renovation and refurbishment professionals from Powerpillar.

Powerpillar has a unique insight into how people are renovating their homes. We are able to share that knowledge, and shine a light on the latest home design ideas. We pulled out the Powerpillar data and browse hundreds of home design photos reported from international design events and took to the Powerpillar professionals to create this collection of materials, colours and other home design ideas that we expect to see a lot more in 2021.

WHITE KITCHEN

Some of you may remember white kitchens were massive news at the start of the century in the early 2000s. Everyone seemed to have one or want one. Usually with very glossy cabinet doors, but since then our love affair with this idea had waned somewhat until recently. Now it seems this mutual light enhancing choice the hardest working room in the house is back with a bang searches online for white kitchen raised significantly this year compared to 2019. What does it all mean? Perhaps this trend reflects the desire for clean looking cooking spaces have been filled at least in part by the pandemic. Interestingly, among 2020’s most save photos online.

We are also seeing the double whammy of white cabinets and white worktops and we’re expecting to see more of that in 2021. The addition of bare wood as a softening and natural material is popular too, whether in furniture as shown above or in cupboard or drawer handles or feature cabinetry.

OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT

No big surprise is that given the restrictions in place this year particularly over the summer there’s been huge interest in outdoor spaces online. Our survey shows that garden was the area most of us wanted to improve this summer and as restrictions reduced, Powerpillar’s landscape professionals, architects and contractors reported huge increases in enquiries. Specifically, the search terms summer house, fire pit, hot tub, outdoor bar and outdoor kitchens have all risen in popularity this year. Proving that we were investing long term in our gardens and not just for the summer months, which could be very useful for those homeowners who are intending to increase the value of their properties.

WELLNESS

Searches for home gym and garden gym have both risen dramatically this year on Powerpillar website. Look out for stylish or discreet ways to incorporate these features into our homes and outdoor spaces. What might some of these ways be? Well for example, homeowners might want exercise equipment to fit seamlessly into their interiors but also may need furniture to double up and become suitable for performing push ups, yoga or other exercises. These pieces might potentially have stain resistant, waterproof warming, anti-bacterial or anti odour properties.

COLOURFUL BATHROOMS

White kitchens growing popularity seem to be going in the opposite direction with our bathrooms among our top 20 bathroom designs and photos this year. There were only a couple of white schemes. Meanwhile grey bathroom, black bathroom, Navy bathroom, gold bathroom and brass in a brand-new search terms for 2020. I’m seeing a variety of ways to use colour in the bathroom from the grey cabinetry and grey walls seen here to white brick coloured tiles and coloured cemetery grout. It’s looking much more stylish than a 1980s at condo sleep this time around.

Anti-microbial tap materials are gaining traction as homeowners look to increase hygiene amid the pandemic. Powerpillar builders and plumbers report a rise in requests for copper based fixtures to which benefit from these properties. It’s not just about hygiene. Standard Chrome tapware was noticeable by its absence among the most searched bathroom photos online. Instead brass, matt black and white dominate. Our fitters feedback also suggests Matt white as a finish for fittings will gain popularity in the coming year perhaps indicating an interest in calmer or peaceful bathrooms

LUXURY VINTAGE

Climate change and the impact we have on our planet continued to be a big theme for next year. Powerpillar professionals are reporting a growing interest in high end second hand furniture which aligns with the interest in sustainability. We’ve seen on the platform generally there’s been a lot to tell about the chairs featuring a popular term of project. Reuse of materials and refurbishing existing furniture has been a sustainable way Powerpillar is using to keep our environment and planet clean. With that mind, we make sure that our clients are advised on focusing on products whose design and aesthetic are top quality and a recyclable or can even take on a new life second hand. These can as well save them money.

MULTI-FUNCTIONAL FEATURES

With many of us working from home in 2020 and children tend to spend more time in the house. As the options for childcare, after school activities and sleepovers or socialising dwindled, there’s been a massive shift in the ways in which our homes need to function. In short, they need to be more flexible than ever before. This shift is something that’s manifested in several ways which made it here at Powerpillar. Very interesting information is that the search term, Murphy bed which is a pull down design, multi-functional bed or room, bunk bed rose in popularity this year online. It suggests that needs for bedrooms or spare rooms to double its uses. While many of us work from home for the foreseeable future, the idea ¨open plans¨ phase two will potentially need to adapt to accommodate additional functions. Open plan is not for everybody as we found out in our research. Open plan is a design in which households often had to live, work and play together in one space during lockdown. We expect also to see a rise in requests for multi functioning bespoke joinery to cater for work life flexibility requirements. Whether that’s in physical zoning such as an internal door or storage solutions that can adapt to arrange different uses throughout the day and evening.

SMART HOMES

As technology continues to innovate and more households can be controlled remotely, we expect to see voice recognition tech used more commonly in our homes. The search term, smart home, has seen a dramatic rise in popularity online and enquiries from Powerpillar all the time and has been growing as priority for homeowners in recent years. According to Powerpillar research, the impact of the pandemic may well also be having an influence here. Voice recognition tech for example; of course avoids the need to touch switches, household appliances and remote controls which are all common germ hotspots. No touch technology is likely to become more sought after for the bathroom too. With Powerpillar professionals reporting sense controlled taps and lights rising popularity.

Powerpillar Ltd – Anti-Slavery Statement

by POWERPILLAR LTD

Powerpillar Ltd – Anti-Slavery Statement June 2020

Slavery is an abhorrent practice and Powerpillar is committed to ensuring that is it absent from Powerpillar’s businesses and suppliers.

Statement of Risk

Powerpillar has a zero tolerance of slavery in all its forms.  This means that Powerpillar has no interest nor intention for causing harm to persons, damaging its reputation, being subject of legal action or incurring financial loss or standing in the business community arising from a failure to comply with the Law set out in the Modern Slavery Act. Powerpillar policies, controls and procedures are designed to reduce risk to this level.

Application and Scope of this statement

This statement applies to all contracts or projects conducted by or within Powerpillar Ltd. Unless noted, all contractors and subcontractors working with Powerpillar ltd are required to abide by this policy.

TO STOP SLAVERY, POWERPILLAR

• Will adopt this policy and approve this statement
• Has performed a risk assessment to identify areas where the risk of slavery may be elevated.  This assessment will be performed annually and the outputs and actions will be reviewed by the decision maker at Powerpillar LTD.  Powerpillar LTD considers itself to be at “low” risk of slavery arising, but is not complacent and as a result of the risk assessment has identified sensible, risk based measures to reduce risk to within stated appetite. Slavery is specifically referenced in Powerpillar’s Whistleblowing policy.  Other actions have been identified to ensure that persons employed by Powerpillar have a formal contract of employment to reduce risk of forced labour occurring.  Businesses, contracts, labours in the Powerpillar LTD requires to attest to compliance annually; failure to act in accordance with this policy may result in disciplinary action being taken.
• Has implemented and identified further checks in it’s labour supply chain (principally agencies) to reduce the risk of slavery occurring. Further actions have been identified that will, when implemented, require participants in the supply chain to attest to an absence of non-compliant activity; to sign agreements that require compliant behaviours; and to submit to checks and report failures to Powerpillar.
• Will formally review performance against this policy annually

Signed and approved on behalf of the Powerpillar Ltd: