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Coronavirus has led to the government urging people to stay at home where possible, and with many people now homebound, taking on a renovation or home improvement project is the perfect opportunity to keep busy.

Self-isolation isn’t an overly pleasant experience, but opting to renovate or improve your home during the coronavirus crisis could be more beneficial than you think.

Not only could these changes help to add value to your home, but they could focus your mind away from working from home and keep you occupied while the outbreak continues.

(MORE: Renovating a House: The Complete Guide) 

DIY Home Improvement Ideas

While tradespeople may not be able to attend your home to perform a job, there are several quick makeovers or larger-scale improvements you can take on, including:

Creating a Dedicated Home Office

Having a dedicated home office could be valuable when the schools shut on Friday. If you have a room that isn’t used very often, or is used for storage, such as a spare room or garden room, consider setting up your home office there. 

Make sure you have adequate natural light and consider adding some task lighting, which can be particularly useful if you are working later in the evening.

You’ll need adequate power points and a good wifi signal too, so consider these when setting up.

(MORE: 12 Home Office Design Ideas)

If you are moving your home office into a storage room, you’ll want to remove the stored items in advance, helping you to optimise the space. These storage ideas can be used to effectively maximise your room’s space.

Laying Laminate Flooring

If you have a busy household that is self-isolating, there could be more wear and tear on your floors, so laminate offers protection. Laminate is also easier to keep clean. 

You will need the right equipment in order to lay this flooring yourself. And depending on your design of choice, it can make your home feel more spacious, which could feel most welcome if you’re homebound for several weeks.

You can probably buy everything you need online, however, while 7-day delivery is available on tools sites such as Screwfix, the current problems facing some businesses could delay deliveries. 

This how-to video from builder Andy Stevens demonstrates how to lay a tongue and groove dry-fix flooring system.

Insulating a Loft

Insulating a loft can make your home more energy efficient by reducing heat loss and thus your heating bills. And this is a task you can do yourself. For materials such as boards, rolls or slabs, tools sites such as B&Q remain open for delivery. 

Decorating Your House

Have you been putting off a painting or decorating job? Now’s the time to get to it. Not only can the job be completed within a couple of days, but the whole family can get involved — keeping you all busy and doing activities together.

Furthermore, adding a lick of paint can add around 5-10% to the value of your home. These tips for decorating your own house will help you ensure a long-lasting, professional finish.

Planning Future Home Improvement Projects

You’ll likely be spending a sizeable amount of time with your family in the coming weeks, so why not use this time to assess future home improvements you could benefit from? This might be the perfect opportunity to begin planning an extension project.

Alternatively, if being in the same living room for large chunks of the day with your family members leaves you fighting over what to watch on the TV, you could consider converting your garage into a separate living room for your children. If you are longing for a larger plan space, you may also consider creating a new kitchen diner by remodelling or knocking down internal walls. 

These projects could also help to boost your kerb appeal, and do not need to be particularly expensive. They also shouldn’t be hugely disruptive. But make sure you do them once you’ve finished work for the day.

What does a bathroom renovation cost? The answer to this question will largely depend on the size of the room, the amount of renovation work required and the level of specification you are aiming for.

However, on average a new bathroom will cost upwards of around £3,000. The factors that will impact on this figure include:

• the quality of the fittings you choose
• whether you are starting from scratch and need an entirely new plumbing system
• the size of the space
• how much of the work you will be doing yourself.

If you are hoping to keep costs down, you should be pleased to hear that some suppliers sell complete suites for under £200. However, it is important to clarify exactly what is included in these impressively low prices and thoroughly check their quality — it is often a case of getting what you pay for.

How Much do Baths Cost?

• Low end: from £80
• Average cost: from around £200
• Top end: upwards of £500

Baths tubs tend not to be included in the price of a ‘complete bathroom suite’ (usually this only includes the WC and basin).

The cost of a bath will depends on the material it is made from and whether it is a standard (700 x 1700mm) or more unusual size.

The very cheapest baths are usually made from thin acrylic and come ready to be built in to a frame, which can then be tiled or finished with a purpose-made bath panel.

These cheap acrylic baths cost from around £80, but can be flimsy and easily crack, so do give them a thorough check before buying.

Not all acrylics baths are cheap though and those made from thicker, fibreglass-reinforced acrylic are of a much better quality. Acrylic also keeps the water warm for longer than steel.

Steel baths are perfect for those on a budget who want durability without the hefty price tag. They tend to be more hardwearing than very low-cost acrylic baths and often cost little, if any, more — starting from around £120.

Once you start looking at cast iron, timber, composite and stone, the prices rocket. However, if you want to make a statement in the bathroom this is the way to go.

(MORE: The complete guide to bathroom design)

The Cost of a New Shower

• Low end: £50
• Average cost: £60 – £500
• Top end: £500 – £2,000+

Electric showers are the cheapest option here and are ideal for those looking to carry out a quick, low cost bathroom update.

Electric showers have a connection to just the mains cold water supply and heat water on demand. This means that they struggle to reach the level of power provided by power showers and those using stored hot water, although choosing one with a higher kilowatt rating will help.

On the plus side, they are economic to run, installation is straightforward and they start at around £50.

Bath/shower mixers are another good option for those looking to keep their bathroom renovation costs low, with prices from £50.

The shower hose and head are combined with the bath mixer tap and this is how the temperature is adjusted They are easy and cheap to fit, but the pressure can be lacking and getting the water temperature right can be fiddly. 

A manual shower mixer (from £60) has the hose and spray coming out from a wall unit, with a temperature control to adjust the temperature.

Thermostatic mixers are similar to manual mixers but have a built-in thermostat that automatically adjusts the water temperature (but not the pressure) if a tap elsewhere in the house is being used. They start at £125.

Power showers start at £150 and are connected to an integral pump to boost flow rate. However, they are not compatible with combi boilers as they need a supply from both a cold water cistern and a hot water cylinder.

These are just the basic shower types. Digital showers, shower towers, columns and cabins all offer a luxury showering experience, with a multitude of sprays and jets — at a cost of course, from £250 upwards.

(MORE: Designing the perfect family bathroom)

How Much do Shower Enclosures Cost?

• Low end: from £100
• Average cost: £120 – £300
• Top end: £550+

The cost of a shower enclosure depends on its configuration and materials.

Basic shower enclosures featuring one glass side panel and a door, or a quadrant enclosure with double doors, can cost as little as £100.

Don’t forget, however, that you still need to factor in the cost of a shower tray, which will cost from £60 at the lowest end.

A complete ‘wet room‘ style enclosure, complete with walk-in tray and frameless shower screen will cost from £550. A frameless fixed enclosure, with no door, will start at around £200.

Wet room kits can also be purchased. These come complete with  everything you need to form a platform, drainage and waterproofing equipment (but excluding tiles) — they cost around £500-£600.

New Basin Prices Explained

• Low end: from £50
• Average cost: £60 – £150
• Top end: £300+

From as little as £50 you can pick up a ceramic pedestal basins.These are also convenient in that all pipework can easily be concealed behind the pedestal.

If you are after a more contemporary basin, consider a semi-pedestal or wall-hung basin. These basis cost from around £60. Remember that a wall hung basin will require a stud wall to be constructed from which to hang it and conceal the pipework.

Basins designed to sit in or on top of a vanity unit (including freestanding basins and semi-recessed models) allow for useful storage beneath. These basins cost from £90, but remember to factor in the cost of the unit they sit on or in, too.

While most basins are ceramic, glass, metal and stone are all options but cost more. The most common basin size is 550mm x 400mm.

How Much Does a WC Cost?

• Low end: From £50
• Average cost: £200 – £400
• Top end: £500

Floor-mounted, low-level WCs cost from £50. Traditional-style high-level toilets are another option, as are more modern-looking wall-mounted WCs — here the cistern and pipework is typically concealed within a frame in a studwall.

How Much Will New Taps Cost?

Pillar taps (taps with a separate tap for hot and for cold) are the cheapest type of tap, costing from £30 per pair. Mixer taps that have separate controls for hot and cold flow tend to be next up the scale, from around £45, with monobloc mixers (where flow and temperature are both controlled from one lever) usually at the top, from £50 up to the low £100s.

Your choice of sanitaryware will affect which taps you can have. Counter-top, bowl-style basins, for example, will require wall-mounted taps or those set into a vanity unit, while freestanding baths will need wall- or floor-mounted taps. These can be more costly than simple mixer taps located on the bath or basin, both to buy and fit.

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A Welsh council has responded to criticism after a woman was told she was no longer eligible for planning permission to self build her home.

Gwynedd Council has been questioned about its affordable housing policy after Nia Ferris, 33, from Llanengan, Gwynedd in Wales, and her partner Dylan, were told they could not self build in the area, subject to stringent conditions.

Local councillors and a local MP had criticised the council’s barriers blocking the couple, claiming its affordable housing policy would drive self builders away from the area.

But Gwynedd Council has defended its affordable housing policy and believes it is still fit for purpose. 

A spokesperson for Gwynedd Council told Homebuilding & Renovating: “The aim of the local planning policy along with national policy is to provide affordable housing for those in genuine need and those who are eligible for affordable housing. The planning criteria include proving the need for an affordable house and that the size of the house is affordable.

“It is generally believed that the policy is fit for purpose and has contributed towards providing affordable housing for communities in Gwynedd.”

Applying for Planning Permission

Ms Ferris lives in close proximity to the village of Abersoch, which is an expensive area to live in on the Welsh coast. She said she had been priced out of buying a home in the area –  the average price is around £447,000 – and had applied to build a home on land gifted to her by her family. 

The couple, as well Dylan’s sister and her partner, filed for planning permission to build two affordable homes. As they planned to build on a rural village or rural exception site, the home was required to meet affordable housing guidelines. 

According to TaiTeg, a register which provides information on homebuilding schemes and criteria that must be met within Gwynedd, applications for affordable homes are considered if you can’t afford to rent on the open market and/or buy a property that suits your needs.

Initially, Gwynedd Council’s planners recommended rejecting the application, but council members ultimately voted in Ms Ferris’ favour.

The application was approved subject to an affordable housing section 106 agreement with a 60% discount on the market price, if the houses were sold at a later date. This is because the three-bedroom houses were both judged to have a value of around £370,000 if they were sold on the open market, a figure 60% higher than the £142,000 upper limit for selling an affordable home.

A significant factor behind Ms Ferris’ application receiving the 106 agreement is because her plot is in a rural area. 

Ms Ferris said this wasn’t overly concerning as the couple did not plan to move once the house was built. However, when Ms Ferris became a headteacher earlier this year, her salary increased, jeopardising the application. 

The financial threshold for self building an affordable home in Gwynedd states that applicants must have an annual gross household income of between £16,000-£45,000. 

Ms Ferris’ salary increase meant their household income rose above the £45,000 thresholdand she said that, following a review by Tai Teg into her application, the council told her this breached the criteria enabling her to build an affordable home. 

Gwynedd Council said: “The applicants have been assessed by Tai Teg and one couple did not qualify for an affordable home, and will not be eligible to live in the houses if the application is approved subject to an affordable housing 106 agreement (with 60% discount).

“Tai Teg assesses applicants for affordable housing on behalf of the council against recognised criteria. To date the applicant has not signed a relevant 106 agreement which means that the planning permission has not been issued.”

Criticism of the Council

Local councillor John Brynmor Hughes, who represents Llanengan on Gwynedd Council, was among the vocal critics of the policy. He believes the current policy will drive self builders, looking to build under the affordable housing scheme, away from the area.  

“Here, where we have local Welsh speaking couples who want to remain in the village and have the land and expertise to build a house of their own, all these barriers are being thrown in their path.”

Local MP Liz Saville Roberts urged Gwynedd Council to approve their bid, saying: “If these local people – who have the financial means and the skills to build two houses for themselves – are not worthy of affordable housing in accordance with Gwynedd’s policy, there is something wrong with the interpretation of the policy.”

But Gwynedd Council has defended the decision. “Securing affordable housing that offers local residents the opportunity to own their own homes is one of the Council’s top priorities.

“The site in question is in a rural area and is on the edge of Llanengan’s cluster of houses. The location of the application did not meet policy requirements, and the size of the houses did not reflect the size of affordable housing.”

Does the Definition of Affordable Housing Need to Change?

Ultimately, it is up to Gwynedd Council whether it deems a home to meet affordable housing criteria. But the house prices in the area, which restrict Ms Ferris and her partner from buying a home, raise a problematic question: should Gwynedd Council’s definition of affordable housing change?

Earlier this year the West Midlands Combined Authority became the first local government authority to redefine affordable housing based on salary, which it hopes will increase the number of affordable homes developed in the region.

Gwynedd Council’s Supplementary Planning Guidance for affordable housing states: “Planning applications for self build affordable housing under the Rural Villages or Rural Exception Sites policy basis must be based on genuine proven need for such housing and should not be submitted on a purely speculative basis.”

It appears unlikely that the criticism of Gwynedd Council will amount to policy change, but this standoff is emblematic of the problems facing affordable housing in the UK.

As Ms Ferris and her partner had a gross household income too high to meet this criteria, they have been deemed ineligible. Ms Ferris has not yet signed a relevant 106 agreement from Gwynedd Council to build her planned home on her plot.

Electric cars are here to stay. Many have already switched over when purchasing a new vehicle, and it seems that it is the government’s intention that we all switch in the near future. This means that equipping our homes so they are capable of charging an electric car is paramount.

The Road to Zero Strategy, which was published in July 2018, set out the road map to end the sale of new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2040, along with some measures to help us get there. Measures include a push for chargepoints to be installed in newly built homes, where appropriate.

The government has, however, subsequently stated that it will bring forward the ban on new petrol and diesel vehicle sales to 2035, which will also include hybrid vehicles. As such, we may need our homes to be set up for charging an electric car quicker than first anticipated.

This guide will explain all about charging an electric car at home, including how to make the most of the grants currently available.

Choosing an Electric Car

In many ways, electric cars are actually no different from any other car from an aesthetic perspective and in the way that they are operated. Some have even become aspirational and iconic, including luxury SUVs and sleek sports vehicles.

There is currently a grant of £3,500 available for new, eligible low-emission cars. The plug-in car grant is only funded until April 2020 and it is not clear what will happen after that. It would be prudent to check the latest information before assuming that you will benefit from this grant.

(Businesses can also benefit through the plug-in van grant, which funds 20% of the cost of the new vehicle up to a maximum of £8,000, but the vehicle must have emissions of less than 75g CO₂/km and can travel at least 10 miles with zero emissions.)

When buying an electric car, you have two main options:

• A pure electric car, which only has an electric motor. The biggest drawback on pure electric vehicles is currently the charge range — most electric cars can only cover around an average of 150 – 200 miles per charge. As batteries improve, so will the charge range.
• A hybrid has a battery motor and another motor; the latter is currently either a petrol or (less commonly) diesel motor. When we are out on the road the charging time can be a deal breaker on longer journeys, which has lead to the increased uptake of hybrid vehicles.

With hybrid cars it’s important to note that sometimes the petrol motor may be no more than a generator and serve as a battery charger rather than a direct drive motor. At the other end of the hybrid scale, the electric motor can be secondary to the petrol motor and has no plug-in charging facility.

Either way, it is important to establish at what stage the petrol engine will kick in, when purchasing, so that you can maximise the efficiency according to your use patterns.

We may also see the introduction of electric / hydrogen hybrid vehicles. Hydrogen vehicles are fully driven by a battery but a hydrogen fuel cell recharges the battery.

These vehicles are a little less efficient than pure electric cars, as it takes power to convert the hydrogen into energy, but the benefits are that refuelling is significantly faster so this could be attractive to long-distance travellers and commercial and freight vehicles.

What’s Involved When Charging an Electric Car at Home?

When we do make that switch, most of us will be charging an electric car at home — and that has implications for a self build or extension/remodelling project.

You may think that it is ok to simply plug the vehicle into a standard 13 Amp wall socket. This is possible, but you need to realise that even with current battery capacities, you would still need to charge the vehicle for over 12 to 15 hours. For vehicles with larger capacity batteries this could be even longer.

What’s the Best Solution for Charging an Electric Car?

The best solution for charging an electric car is a dedicated charging point that usually has a minimum capacity of 32 Amps and a resultant charging time of five to seven hours. The latest chargepoints are also ‘smart’.

Even though chargers have not yet been standardised, or you may not yet have an electric car, it is well worth planning at least the cable into the build rather than retrofitting this at a later date. As such, it is prudent to plan this into your building project and include it in the electrician’s brief.

Grants for Installing a Chargepoint at Home

The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme offsets 75% of the cost of installing a chargepoint at home, up to a maximum of £500.

You must, however, meet certain criteria, including:

• you must have purchased your electric vehicle after 1 October 2016.
• you must provide evidence of ownership, lease, be named as the primary user of an eligible electric vehicle or have a vehicle on order to qualify for the grant.
• your chargepoint must be ‘smart’ in order to receive funding under the scheme.
• you must use a company authorised by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme to install the chargepoint.

This ultimately means that self builders and renovators can not benefit unless they already own an eligible electric car or have one on order.

Workplace charging points are also funded through £300 vouchers for the first 20 chargepoints installed by an employer.

Using Solar Power When Charging an Electric Car

If you have, or are planning to install, solar photovoltaic (PV) panels it makes sense to use as much of the generation as you can. This means an electric vehicle can then potentially be charged for a large percentage of the year for almost free.

Now that would be fine if you happen to keep your car at home during the day. For most of us though, we need to use the car during the daylight hours. It is then only at night that we would like to recharge the vehicle when there is unfortunately no sunshine power to benefit from.

We also need to know how much energy we actually need for the car. A 4kWp PV array will generate around 30kWh per day on a bright summer day. Some of this will be used in the home and the rest will not recharge more than around 50 miles of energy. (During less bright days the available energy will be even less.)

One solution is a home battery. You can charge the battery during the day and potentially use that battery to recharge your car at night, benefitting from any free daytime generation.

Home batteries have got better in the past few years but the average capacity of a home battery is around 14kWh, whereas a car battery could be anywhere from 30kWh to 100kWh. Therefore, using home batteries for charging an electric car would require a lot more batteries and PV panels than you would normally install.

Home Battery Innovations

Nissan, who has invested over $4 billion on the development of their electric cars and batteries, have responded to the market for home battery systems and released the xStorage solution, which is a ‘second life battery solution’. This means that the system uses the batteries that have already been used in Nissan cars and recycles them for use in home battery systems.

Tesla has been pitching this in their Powerwall and Powerwall 2 systems.

Other electric vehicle manufacturers will also be offering these types of solutions as their electric car ranges develop.

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David Hilton is an expert in sustainable building and energy efficiency, and is a director of Heat and Energy Ltd. He is also a speaker at the Homebuilding & Renovating Shows – get two free tickets here.