Product Description

the complete guide to renovating and improving your property helps readers make the right decision about every aspect of property improvement – what is worth the effort and what will be a good investment. informative and enjoyable, it provides expert advice on a wealth of topics, including arranging the finances, finding a good builder, project management and planning regulations.

whether you are planning to undertake major renovation work, home improvements, conversions, or even build a house yourself, this practical book is essential reading. full of eye-opening real-life stories and a resource section filled with useful addresses and websites, anyone facing the minefield of home improvement will find this book indispensable.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #40716 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 232 pages

Review

"a guiding light on the bewildering home improvements scene. a must-have book that you should read cover to cover and refer to again and again - but never lend to others! if liz hasn`t mentioned it, it`s not worth thinking about"

angus purden, presenter, room for improvement, channel 4

“practical, no-nonsense style… peppered with case histories… an honest and thorough guide.”

square foot

“full of useful advice.”

scotland on sunday

“this little gem of a book…is informative, enjoyable, and most importantly, clearly set out.”

uptown magazine

“information on a wealth of topics which will help make the process a whole lot less painful.”

holiday cottages magazine

“essential reading…everyone should read this book before they make the common mistake suffered by so many.”

northeast house hunter

“will prove indispensable to anyone facing the minefield of home improvement.”

oxford times

“with its commonsense approach and tips from a seasoned expert, it’s an all round good read.”

manchester living

“informative and enjoyable, it provides expert advice on a wealth of topics…essential reading for anyone facing the minefield of home improvement.”

news on the block

“essential reading for anyone facing the minefield of home improvement.”

news on the block

“her [liz hodgkinson’s] no-nonsense approach helps readers make the right decision about every aspect of property development, by covering a wealth of topics from arranging the finances to employing the right contractors; and from planning regulations and project management to add those all important finishing touches.”

scotland’s new home buyer

News on the Block
"Informative and enjoyable, it provides expert advice on a wealth of topics...Essential reading for anyone facing the minefield of home improvement."

Manchester Living
"With its commonsense approach and tips from a seasoned expert, it's an all round good read."

Customer Reviews

Excellent Advice
This book contains excellent advice on all sorts of renovation and refurbishment projects. Takes you through the process, from deciding whether you really want to do the refurb given the hassle and costs, to completing the works. Recommended

Utter waste of money
This is not aimed towards DIY renovators but property developers, and quite frankly if a property developer needs a book as basic as this one they are in the wrong game. The book contains gems such as "never take an estate agent's word that a place on the market you may be interested in buying needs 'cosmetic work only'" and more dangerously advice such as "If interested in a property that has seen better days you can either have a survey done or call in a builder friend to give it the once over. My own views of surveys is they are largely a waste of money" - two quotes taken at random from the same page when I flipped the book open. Every page reveals such trite comments. Apart from dismissing the need for a surveyor, the author urges the reader to employ the professionals for every task, my favourite being the interior designer - "some people imagine it is unecessary to retain a designer at an early stage, but I'm not so sure. The television image of interior designers is they ponce around matching up this and that and acting in an outrageously camp fashion..."

Perhaps it's a satire and I didn't get it? Certainly this book is beyond a joke and I'm fuming that I wasted my money on it.