May 13

EDGE2 CEO Julian Prieto talks to the Daily Mail about making small homes appear larger

EDGE2 CEO Julian Prieto talks to the Daily Mail about making small homes appear larger

In a recent article in the Daily Mail, our head designer and CEO Julian Prieto shared some of his top hacks for boosting storage space and making small homes appear larger.

Julian said “An option open to most homeowners is making the most out of the space under stairs and roofs. The Japanese are great for inspiration as masters of improving tiny spaces with clean lines. Their minimalist approach works well in anything from period properties to studios and 1-bed apartments.”

He added “Before starting any project, invest the time in considering how the space will be used and what storage you will need. Where are your hoover, ironing board and mop going to go? What about shoes, coats, sports equipment and suitcases? The better the space planning, the nicer your home will be to live in.”

“You can also use big, bold artworks as statement pieces to create a sense of place, demonstrate your sense of style and also distract the eye from the room’s small proportions.”

Here are some of Julian’s top tips by room:

Bedroom

Choose a slightly narrower and taller wardrobe to eliminate wasted space above your wardrobe
A divan bed with internal storage or boxes as bedside tables are ideal for adding flexible storage
Using cabinets will increase storage without compromising design

Bathroom

A vanity unit with concealed storage works well in combination with an exposed shelf at tap height
Avoid wall-mounted cabinets above sinks as they bring the walls closer and can make a space feel claustrophobic
Build recessed storage in the shower/bath area where possible. This will limit clutter and maintain clean lines
Consider a toilets are available with smaller cisterns and a small footprint
Pocket doors are perfect for creating a seamless, spacious feeling

Kitchen

The gap between kitchen units and the ceiling is wasted space. Build your units up to the ceiling to eliminate this
Consider shelving above worktops rather than cabinets
Floor-to-ceiling storage results in clean lines and you can hide less attractive kitchen appliances and clutter
Colour is a great way to give the illusion of space in the kitchen

If you have a project your are considering and would like to speak to Julian, give us a call on 0207 112 9081 or email info@edge2tr.wpengine.com.

Read the full article here

Dec 17

Admin

Luxury Property Renovations

Luxury Property Renovations

We deliver truly exceptional and bespoke luxury property renovations in London.

At Edge2 our reputation has been built through the recommendations of previous clients. We offer a truly professional service where our personable team build in depth working relationships with our clients. We strive to ensure we fully understand their wishes for their project.

Our handling of the project goes from design through to completion.

Process

With London’s many unique and often truly standout properties, in creating a conversion design we listen carefully to our client before applying the requirements to the design. Our designs will meet your exacting needs.

Our approach will be sensitive to the original property and those in the surrounding area. We are careful to ensure that your unique design not only perfectly reflects your requirements but also is sympathetic to the location, the size and the context of project.

Throughout the project you will have a lead designer and project manager on hand to help make your vision a reality. We have a highly skilled and experienced in house design team to provide a detailed design service.

Brief

Our most important step before putting pen to paper on the design is to spend time with you, our client. We spend this time to obtain your unique view on the project. We will only succeed in the project development, and ultimate delivery if we deliver a living space that encompasses your style, and the way in which you will live in and use the finished property.

Once we understand all of this we can build a tailored brief. Understanding your needs, your lead designer will then work with you and our other internal teams to produce a brief. This brief must meet timescales, style, and budget. From there a proposal will be developed. This includes the completed brief, costings for fixtures, fittings and equipment as well as the associated design costs.

Concept

Once we have agreed the brief we will then move on to present the concept design. Using state of the art drawing and modelling we will demonstrate themes and styling through drawings, models and samples. We will illustrate any elevation or architectural changes and discuss the reasons and impact. In compiling the concept you will have been involved throughout. Thus ensuring that your personal feedback is received and actioned through our collaborative approach.

Details

Those details are what truly communicates your personal style. Once we’ve received approval of the concept our experienced in-house team will finalise all the details including any bespoke furnishings or joinery. Finally the package is completed with construction drawings, finishes and schedule.

Realisation

We then breathe life into your project. Commencing on site, our team of designers and project managers are on hand to attend site meetings.

When completing a Luxury property renovation attention to detail is key. You need to be sure that the contractor managing the project will deliver a flawless execution through meticulous planning, exceptional project management, using craftsmen to implement the physical build.

An eye for the finest detail, an unswerving approach to achieving the highest possible standard of finish, demanding that all the appointed tradesmen show respect to the often rare or exquisite materials in use.

Finally an immovable stance on what the final result should look like, appointing only the very best contractors, and then still being willing to demand that the jobs are repeatedly done again and again if necessary so that the required standard is achieved.

Once we are happy that the project is complete, we will then invite you to see the curtain rise on your new home. We will be there to demonstrate each element. After completion we provide professional support as needed.

Dec 17

Admin

Bathroom Renovation / Brexit / dilapidated property improvements / flat remodelling / flipping a property / Full property renovation / kitchen renovation / living room renovation / London Property Extension / renovation / selling property on / Top renovation tips

Upgrading distressed properties to sell or rent out

Upgrading distressed properties to sell or rent out

Thinking about investing with a view to upgrading distressed properties to sell or rent out? Taking on a derelict or distressed property to upgrade either as a future home or investment opportunity, if not done right, can be a real money pit.

Determine the Scale

Once it was almost impossible to pick up a dilapidated property. It seemed as if the professional developers had some kind of clairvoyant ability to snap them up before they came on the open market. While currently the market has fairly buoyant numbers of renovation properties available, you need to be absolutely clear on the scale of the works you intend, to undertake.

Small works like a bit of plastering and decorating can be achieved whilst still living in the property. More involved works like reshaping rooms, moving internal walls, or even larger works like changing the roof, might lead to wanting a retreat away from the building site. This is a significant additional cost which must be factored in to the budget of the building/renovation works.

Professional Help

Carefully select your project property. You would be wise to enlist the services of an architect in the early stages. Even before preparing drawings for your project they should view and identify potential risks/flaws in the current fabric. They should identify the limitations in the existing building should they exist. These could prevent you from progressing the works later as you wished.

It should go without saying that the property should have a full survey. This can uncover a plethora of hidden tasks that may have been hidden under a cosmetic mask by the previous owner/occupier.

The surrounding area is of major consideration too. If buying in a conservation area the local authority will have final say on many of the external features of the property. This could be from matching window and door styles, down to paint colours for exterior surfaces. These limitations can often add unexpected cost to a job.

The Right Builder

Once you’ve secured your property and have a set of drawings suitable for submitting for planning consent (if needed), make sure you do a thorough search for the right builder. Walk the property in minute detail with each builder you have shortlisted. Get each to quote on the work. Getting into the detail here can prevent a headache due to “extras” or “variations” later. Better to have a higher initial cost that is expected and planned for than spiralling costs once work is underway .

Whatever the pitfalls might be there can be little more satisfying than stamping your personality and style on a property.

If you are considering upgrading distressed properties to sell or rent out then get in touch. Edge2 are London based experts at complete house renovation. Call now to have a preliminary discussion about the work you would like to undertake.

Dec 17

Admin

Bathroom Renovation / converting a house into apartments / converting a house into flats / flat conversions / flat remodelling / Full property renovation / London Property Extension / London Property Renovation

Converting a House into Apartments

Converting a House into Apartments

Edge2 have observed a real increase of late in the popularity of projects undertaken converting a house into apartments.

image:propertunities.co.uk

More clients want us to undertake this type of renovation project on their behalf. This trend doesn’t appear to be showing signs of slowing in the near future.

Converting a house into apartments can yield a comparatively higher income in the short term from individual rents plus a greater capital return in the longer term once the property is sold, either as a whole or individually.

Target Markets

Converting a house into apartments has a number of advantages.

For example, in a typically high value area it introduces property at lower individual prices in a sought after postcode. This significantly widens your customer base. Aspiring, affluent young professionals are snapping up apartments, finished to exceptionally high standards, they become the chic home they wish for without the freehold price tag.

image: kfh.co.uk

Another advantage of a luxury apartment conversion is the appeal to the business commuter, who with a family in a rural or more suburban setting has their eye on an inner city crash pad. Again a high standard of finish and convenience adding appliances and techie accessories make these an easy sell to those wanting a bit more of a home from home than just another hotel room.

Designing the Layout

Pulling together the design of the layout of an apartment conversion can be a real headache. Ensuring that the individual finished properties each have their unique access whilst maximising the internal space can be a real conundrum. Fire regulations, building regulations, all influence that layout. It’s not always as simple as extending the current stair case.

Let us complete the design and we will ensure that these headaches are removed. We will work with you through the design process with detailed drawings & 3D models ensuring your vision for the project is executed exactly.

Cost

We will help you create an accurate and comprehensive budget for the project. We can compile all the associated costs with those vital works that must be completed including:

Planning approval from the local planning department
Building regulation approval
Installing new utility meters
Fitting a new kitchen and bathroom
Finance for development
Sound deadening & tests
Separate boilers
Separate heating systems
Creating additional entrances
Decorating costs

We will then work with managing the costs through our in-house teams. This ensures that we have full control of the costs of the project, meaning you have full control and visibility.

Planning Consent

We are always keeping a watchful eye on local projects and can often identify similar projects that can then be turned to your advantage when applying for planning consent for your own conversion project.

As we complete a review of these projects they often yield new ideas too which you may wish to incorporate in your design.

We will manage the planning and building regulations application for you.

Nov 19

Admin

Bathroom Renovation / Brexit / flat remodelling / Full property renovation / kitchen renovation / living room renovation / London Property Extension / London Property Prices / London Property Renovation / No-deal Brexit / Top renovation tips

How to Profit from a Falling Housing Market

How to Profit from a Falling Housing Market

Image: Byoot.co.uk

Is it possible to actually increase the value of your property whilst prices all around you are falling?

This article considers some of the ways how to profit from a falling housing market or economic down turn. The current atmosphere of caution and concern that pervades London due to unknowns surrounding the Brexit deal we may end up with, are certainly showing an impact on house prices, with prices stalling and even falling.

This fall in value is a double edged sword if you are interested in making money on housing property, whether it be your own or an investment property.

At Edge2 we specialise in full house & flat renovations, kitchen extensions and loft conversions, as well as smaller scale changes to a property such as single room renovations.

These property projects are an excellent way to add value to your current property, especially if you are worried that its value may start to slip. Likewise if you want to take advantage of the falling market and you pick up a property to renovate at a bargain price.

On-going investment in property

There has been a general feeling that investing in property is a sure thing as typically an average British home had doubled in value every 10 years since the end of the second world war.

BUT if the market is on its way down and you are watching your value slip that statistic is unlikely to make you feel better. However, now we’ll look at how to profit from a falling property market.

Looking at an additional property?

Image: rightmove.co.uk

Get a good bargain on a renovation property using the hysteria around the falling market to your advantage. You need to be quick off the mark though, there are plenty of other investors looking for the same thing. Therefore, if you feel that you are looking at is a fair price, don’t worry about offering the asking price straight away.

Understand though, that common practice in a normal market will be to have 3 offers, so start a little below the asking price working up to just a little more if needed by the 3^rd offer. Estate agents will then think you are at your limit. Once you’ve bought your property Edge2 can step in to design and manage its transformation. The renovation project what ever the scale can be handled by us from end-to-end.

Market/trend knowledge

If buying be organised. Have your information ready, solicitors, financial, and comparative property details in that area. Show that you know how fast properties are selling in that area. Show the agents you mean business.

If renovating your own home, research what’s been completed in similar properties in your locality. If possible determine what the final value add was of the change. Then Edge2 can work with you to tailor the renovation to your taste.

Edge2 have worked in and around London for years so have a great experience of what is currently popular & where for the investor. Having Edge2 managing the renovation project will also bolster an estate agents confidence in their ability to sell the property (if required), as they will have faith that the standard of finish will be exceptionally high.

Add immediate value to a tired property

Image: ProficiencyLtd

Think about what catches the eye – a kitchen extension, a bathroom upgrade. Keep it clean, white bathroom suite, a swish shower etc. Look carefully at the fixtures and fitting. A coat of paint goes a long way to add a fresh feel.

Its vital to remember that women are the main purchasers of property. Appeal to their likes and you’re more likely to sell.

A simple but highly effective change is to replace the light fittings with very modern, trendy light fittings. It’s a relatively cheap change but transforms the house.

Talk to Julian. Book a free project consultation. Investigate your options. The Brexit factor does not need to hamper your property value growth.

Nov 15

Admin

Brexit Deal or No Deal & London Property Prices

Brexit Deal or No Deal & London Property Prices

How to mitigate the effects of Brexit on the value of your home

In this article we consider some of the potential reasons why an extension or full house renovation project your home now is advisable, before the implementation of a Brexit deal or no deal action plan by the Government after March 2019.

Brexit concerns

After the Referendum, concern for house price deflation was concentrated in the capital following the vote to leave the EU. This was due to the outlook for prices in 3 – 12 months time being the lowest since June 2016.

Brexit was highlighted by surveyors as a key concern for buyers in September especially given the uncertainty of a Brexit Deal or No Deal senario. Also, estate agents were saying that the unknowns surrounding Brexit are weighing on the property market as the March 2019 deadline approaches.

In September a warning was issued by the Bank of England Governor Mark Carney, that a disruptive no-deal Brexit could cut 35 per cent off house prices adding to the market jitters. This senario is an extreme and ultimately any effect of Brexit on house prices & mortgages will depend on the details of any deal and its repercussions.

What effect is Brexit having on markets now?

Here are some factors for households to consider when deciding whether Brexit should affect their decisions on house purchases and sales.

The London housing market has slowed with prices falling by approx. 0.7% according to the Office for National Statistics. Also, transaction levels in the capital are down 20 per cent year on year, said Neal Hudson of Residential Analysts.

Notably, property data company LonRes has stated that the number of homes being placed on the market for £2m or more was down 25 per cent in the third quarter of 2018 compared with a year before.

Image – Yahoo News

With London being one of the UK’s most expensive markets, the ability to buy is becoming much reduced as loan to income ratios are stretched just about as far as they can go. This worry for buyers actually being able to get funding for their desired purchase is being aggravated further by worries about Brexit. This has led to a dramatic slowing in house price growth.

In London Brexit is being felt as more of a direct issue that the rest of the country as uncertainty over jobs was also fuelling fears.

Not all bad news

The good news is that the weakened economy is making a London property purchase from foreign buyers look much more appealing.

If prices are falling in your area its worth hanging on to wait and see what the ultimate outcome of Brexit will be.

One current benefit of the Brexit process, is that low interests remain and are set to continue at low levels and many borrowers are opting for 5 year fixed deals.

Now is the time to invest in your house

If you are one of those with a fixed term mortgage, one way to maximise the return on a delayed sale is to complete a renovation or extension project adding substantial capital value to your home. At the end of the 5 year mortgage deal you may then have a property that is worth significantly more than the the value when the lending was taken out.

One possible measure that the Bank of England may have to take once the Brexit deal is completed is an increase in mortgage rates to curb inflation.

Taking out your additional borrowing now to complete the extension or refurbishment works at a lower rate may therefore be beneficial, as once the works are complete and you are ready to sell the impact of cost of the additional borrowing is minimised.

Long term slumps in the London market are rare, so, be ready for them to return to their previous rates of growth with a property that will appreciate faster due to a recent extension or refurbishment completed by Edge2.

Contact Julian at Edge2 to discuss how he can support creating a refurbishment or extension project that will truly add value in these turbulent times. Uncertainty? Brexit deal or no deal? You can at least take steps to bolster your own financial situation.

Phone: +44(0)207 112 9081

https://myedge2com.wpengine.com/contact-us/

Nov 12

Admin

Full property renovation / kitchen renovation / London Property Extension / London Property Renovation / Top renovation tips / wine cellar / wine room

Love Wine? A Wine Cellar is the way to go

Love Wine? A Wine Cellar is the way to go

Planning a Kitchen Renovation? Add a Wine Cellar!

Combine your passion for wine with your kitchen re-model or renovation by adding a Wine Cellar (like the one in the image – by Genuwine Cellars).

Indulge your passion for vintage, collectable wines with a bespoke wine cellar, wine room or wine wall. We at Edge2 can manage the design, build and installation in your property s part of you kitchen renovation project.

Your 1988 Haut Brion and Latour can reach its peak within your own home! A wine cellar or wine room is the ultimate indulgence for the larger collection.

Spiral cellars can be installed in any ground floor room, without the need for an existing basement/cellar. A spiral cellar can be added to an already finished room or form part of an extension or renovation project. As they are not classified as a habitable room they most often do not require any planning consent to install. They are cut where you want them, They are constructed in such a way that the natural conditions of a traditional wine cellar are almost perfectly recreated.

If you’ve been warehousing your collection, this is the way to bring it home. Thus you have it on hand, whilst maintaining its ideal maturing conditions. Additionally the investment in the cost of the cellar is soon repaid from the savings made from warehousing costs.

Finishing details can ensure that not only your wine but its home within your home can become a fabulous conversation topic at any dinner party.

Planning a Full Flat Re-model?

If you are planning to remodel your flat or apartment limited space is not a barrier, neither is the fact you may be above another home.

A wine wall in the kitchen or dining room beautifully displays elements of your collection. This gives you the pleasure of seeing your prized bottles instead of just squirrelling them away out of sight. And, of course you get to show them off to your friends when entertaining.

A wine wall provides an on-hand location that is designed using the perfect choice of materials to suit your taste and home. Additionally, your wines are well cared for with optimum wine storage conditions being created through full atmospheric, temperature and humidity controls.

Contact Julian at Edge2 to discuss how we can bring these projects to life with a with a bespoke solution through a free design consultation.

Nov 12

Admin

Full property renovation / living room renovation / London Property Extension / London Property Renovation / Top renovation tips

Quirky Design Features that Add Value to Your Home

Quirky Design Features that Add Value to Your Home

In this article we look at a couple of the in which some of the more quirky design features can add significant value to your home. Some of these ideas are not for the faint hearted but deliver real individuality to your renovation project.

Bring the Outside In

The first of our quirky design features is to blend house and garden. London homes often suffer from a lack of garden space, leaving the conundrum of should I extend and lose the garden? More space inside will be best won’t it? Or, If I lose too much garden, could I alienate future buyers.

When planning your full house renovation why choose between one and the other when you can have both?

At Edge2 we can develop great design ideas which can bring garden spaces to life, yet adding additional indoor living space at the same time.

How about choosing the same stone for an internal wall as that used in the garden, running the two together joined by a single full height window.

Using glass not just as a barrier to the elements but an opening to the outside world.

Just a few of the ways in which gardens can be added to day to day living space, extending your room to live.

Just Add a Garage

But not just any garage!

You believe your classic car is a work of art, so why not display it in your home like one, with a glass wall garage.

Show off your vintage car collection in the ultimate style.

It’s a simple room, but it creates a statement piece within your home.

You can include carefully tuned lighting to enhance the painstakingly achieved deep deep shine, exhaust extracts to enable you listen to the symphonies produced by that legendary power plant. Though, don’t forget to include some sound proofing so you don’t wake the children or upset the neighbours.

Carefully selecting more “away from the norm”, quirky design features for a renovation project, really helps to make the most of those things close to your heart, brings them out of the dark and into your lives.

Contact Julian at Edge2 to discuss how he can bring these projects to life with a with a bespoke solution through a free design consultation.

Nov 10

Admin

Bathroom Renovation / Full property renovation / living room renovation / London Property Extension / London Property Renovation / Top renovation tips

Property Project Off the Rails? Let EDGE2 Take Care of Everything

Property Project Off the Rails? Let EDGE2 Take Care of Everything

Has your current project stalled due to a disappearing builder, or is the current project management just not up to the task?

Edge2 can pick up your project at whatever stage it may be at. We’ll soon get the job back on track & see it successfully through to completion.

We will do our utmost to ensure that the project finishes as close as possible to the original timetable and budget. (Subject to agreement when we pick up the work).

We will ensure the design is implemented fully and to the desired standard.

Above all we want you to love the end result, not to have to dwell on issues you’ve had to resolve during a testing first stage. When we pick up the project we aim completely eliminate the stresses and strains ultimately making life simple.

Making Life Simple

Edge2 are specialists in domestic property renovations with over 20 years experience. We will simplify the process of updating your home thus making life simple for you. Why trouble yourself with the burden of managing your property project?

Whether you are considering a Full House Renovation or some more minor scale refurbishments, Edge2 can help.

One Point of Contact

At Edge2 we offer a complete end-to-end management service. We can take care of your project from the development of the design, (using 3D modelling so that you can easily visualise the end result), using our in-house architects & design team, to the final sign off.

Furthermore you will have a dedicated designer and project manager assigned to you for the duration of your project. They will keep you updated throughout the project at regular intervals and be your one point of contact saving you the strain of remembering who does what and which company you need to speak to.

We have the capacity to manage full or partial house refurbishments from whole house to individual rooms. We also complete Flat/Apartment Conversions, and refurbishments from single units to whole blocks.

We will manage the planning consent requirements.

We are expert in dealing with the issues around renovation or altering a building in a conservation area or listed property.

To discuss how Edge2 can help in simplifying your property project please call Julian on +44(0)207 112 9081. If you prefer drop him an email at info@edge2tr.wpengine.com .

We are confident that we can make your property dream come to life or resolve any current renovation nightmares.

Oct 11

Admin

Full property renovation / London Property Renovation / Top renovation tips

How to Renovate Your Whole House

How to Renovate Your Whole House

Nothing is as perhaps as nerve wracking as taking a sledgehammer to what is likely to be your most valuable possession. Deciding to renovate your whole house is a brave but hugely rewarding project that can yield rewards in a multitude of ways.

The completed works can bring about significant changes that benefit you and your family, your interaction, the way you live together, adding quality to the time you spend together. And, lets not forget potentially adding a substantial increase in your property value!

Deciding to renovate rather than move is not without its pitfalls though so here are a few pointers as to what to consider when you approach your renovation project.

Planning

One of the first decisions to make is just how involved you wish to be? No doubt you will want to have your say over the look and feel, but will you also want to be involved in the hands on running of the project?

Will that even be possible if you are not in the same city or even the same country?

Scope of the Works

How far will you go? Is the project a cosmetic refurbishment freshening up with new colours etc. or are you going the whole hog and altering the very fabric and layout of the building?

Scheduling & Phasing

Do you intend to live in the house while the renovation goes on? If so it is vital to ensure that the scheduling and phasing of work is considered carefully to ensure that areas of the house remain habitable whilst others are being worked upon.

Expanding to accommodate a growing family? Does a certain room need to be ready by a “due date”.

Design Ideas

Do you need to be bang on trend? What’s going to be the next big thing?

You’ve seen a brilliant idea, but will it work in your home? Can you model it first?

Budget

How much do you want to spend?

How do you know your costings are correct?

How much do you need for a contingency should something unforeseen happen?

Contractors

Who do you trust? How do you avoid Messrs Bodgit & Scarper?

How do you know their quotes are accurate and fair?

Have you been able to view examples of their work?

Living with the work

How do you segregate working areas from “home living”. What to do when its just not possible?

Are you sure you are prepared for the disruption in your home?

Controlling the schedule & dealing with derailment

You live remotely to the project. How will you ensure that the works stay on track?

The works have been planned with minute detail, you’ve thought of everything.

Or so you think and then “Dave the Plumber” doesn’t turn up for a couple of days due to an emergency. The kitchen fit drops behind. How do you manage that? How do you ensure Dave gets back up to speed asap?

Tracking the cost

Whilst the works are on going, the world keeps on turning, prices change for products and services, spends increase.

Scope creeps, and “extra” costs escalate, can you keep tabs on spending by both the contractors and yourself to ensure the project doesn’t run out of cash before completion?

Signing Off – Finally the day comes!

The contractors believe they are ready to hand the job over. They’ve done everything that’s been asked of them. But what if something is missing or not completed to the expected standard. Are you experienced at this type of conflict resolution?

How will you achieve that state of mutual satisfaction with a job well done?

And relax!!! We’ve got you covered.

At Edge2, if you have, or are looking to buy a property in London to renovate, EDGE2 can help. We are boutique developers with over 30 years combined experience in renovating London properties. We provide a fully project managed service. We can help you get planning permission (even in conservation areas), produce 3D architect drawings and do all the work for you, using 100% in-house trades.

For more information, download our brochure here, or give Julian a call on +44(0)207 112 9081.