When is the best time of year to renovate in the UK?

Traditionally, the spring is the time of year when most homeowners start to think about renovating their property. Simple cosmetic changes such as a new lick of paint or a change of carpet can be achieved with relative ease, but more significant enhancements such as redesigning your kitchen or even extending your property will inevitably entail some disruption to day-to-day life. And when it comes to planning and scheduling the work, natural instinct would say that the summer is the ideal time for renovation work to take place, but as Newton Fraser of Nottingham builders, Refresh Renovations, explains, there are pros and cons to undertaking renovation work at different times of the year.
‘Given the vagaries of the British weather, it can be difficult to create the perfect schedule for any building project, and in reality there is probably never a perfect time to carry out the work,’ comments Newton ‘It’s fair to say, however, that renovations and extensions that entail a large amount of external work are in general best planned for the summer months. The downside of that, of course, is that if you’re a family with young children then they will be enjoying their summer holidays when your contractors are on site, and that can cause complications.
‘If your project includes groundwork, then this can actually be best scheduled for the winter months as most of the vegetation will have died down and the soil can be softer and easier to excavate. If your project requires foundation trenches, then frosty conditions can help to prevent them collapsing. Any timber frames will need to be kept as dry as possible in order to avoid excessive expansion, and if they have already absorbed moisture they will need to dry out to prevent shrinkage which can cause superficial cracks along wall joints. Most extensions will require some bricklaying, and this is best carried out in dry conditions – not only are bricks more difficult to lay in the wet, but any significant rainfall can also wash away the mortar and weaken the structure.
‘At Refresh we’re used to working around the British weather. As we all know, even planning certain aspects of a renovation project to coincide with periods of dry weather is no guarantee that those weather conditions will actually transpire. Overall, our climate is mild enough to prevent any significant impact on scheduling so when we meet with a prospective client we usually recommend that they focus on what they are hoping to achieve and the budget that they have available rather than becoming obsessed with the optimum time for the work to be undertaken. As experienced home renovation specialists we can react to all weather conditions and ensure that the project proceeds without delays due to the British climate.’

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Refresh Renovations UK are builders in Bristol, Nottingham, Surrey and Cambridge offering end-to-end design and build services for extensions and home renovations. To discuss how Refresh can help with your project, get in touch today using the enquiry form listed alongside, or if you would like to submit a more comprehensive enquiry, you can do so on the Get In Touch page.