New 21-Tip Home-Owner Guide Andrew McColl Reveals How to Add Value & Avoid Costly Pitfalls
Homeownership is a grand adventure, but it often comes with its fair share of head-scratching moments, especially when you're looking to improve your cherished abode. Fear not, fellow property enthusiasts! Andrew McColl, Chairman of the Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA) and founder of AMSurveys, has just released an all-new,
Free and downloadable guide designed to steer UK home-owners through the maze of extensions, upgrades, and everyday maintenance.
Dubbed "Andrew McColl’s Top Tips for Savvy Home-Owners: Mastering Your Property's Future!", this comprehensive guide is now live on the AMSurveys Tips & Advice page. It distils over
30 years of Andrew's on-site know-how into one friendly, invaluable checklist – covering everything from navigating tricky Party Wall diplomacy to scoring those valuable EPC-boosting wins.
Why Publish These Tips Now?
“With interest rates still punchy and repair costs rising, home-owners can’t afford expensive mis-steps – or missed opportunities,” Andrew explains. “A little foresight saves thousands and keeps lenders, buyers, and insurers smiling. My aim with these tips is to empower homeowners with the knowledge to make wise decisions, ensuring their home improvements are not only beautiful but also compliant, safe, and truly add value.”
Highlights from the Home-Owners' Playbook:
The "Top Tips for Savvy Home-Owners" is packed with actionable advice. Here's a sneak peek at some of the key areas covered:
Adds Value & Cuts Risk
- Party-Wall Peace-Keeping: Learn how a quick chat first, followed by serving formal notice, can help you avoid costly injunctions and keep relations sweet with your neighbours.
- Permitted Development Myth-Busters: Understand cubic caps (like 50% garden coverage limitations) and why you should always bag a Lawful Development Certificate – it's a legal document future solicitors love!
- Future-Proofing for Wilder Weather: Discover practical upgrades like upsized gutters (112mm to 125mm) and hurricane straps on garage roofs for better cloud-burst resilience.
- Power-Flush & Magnet-Filter: Andrew recommends a "clean & lean" heating system, suggesting a power-flush and magnet-filter every 5–7 years (costs around £400–£600) to keep valuers calm and heating bills down.
- Five Proven Value-Adders: The guide outlines top renovations that genuinely add value, such as an extra double bedroom (which Nationwide’s 2024 report suggests can raise value by up to 11% ), creating open-plan kitchen spaces, adding a downstairs loo, boosting your EPC rating, and giving your kerb appeal a serious blitz.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- DIY Electrics, Gas, or Asbestos Work: This is a big no-no. Undertaking these tasks yourself can lead to hefty fines (
£20k for asbestos!) , invalidate your insurance, and create buyer-scaring paperwork (not to mention serious safety risks!). - Loft Dormers Creeping Past the Ridge: Extensions that exceed permitted development limits, or front-facing windows in Conservation Areas, are an immediate planning breach and can lead to costly enforcement.
- Ignoring Gable-Wall Ties or Leaving Garage Roofs Un-braced: Andrew notes these are often overlooked but are quite simply a storm claim waiting to happen, particularly with increasing extreme weather.
- Sky-High Gas Bills and No Service Certs: Lenders will load the risk onto properties with poor energy efficiency and a lack of maintenance records for key appliances.
- Niche Décor Dens: While a space-themed gaming room or a gold-leaf bathroom might be your personal dream, they often translate to a "hmm" factor for buyers, adding little value and requiring significant work to de-personalise.
(Full explanations – complete with cartoon illustrations – sit in the main guide, available on the AMSurveys Tips & Advice page.)
Three Surprises for Home-Owners
The guide also uncovers some less obvious but equally vital considerations:
- Drainage Drama: Did you know that NADC-registered engineers and a WRC-coded CCTV report of your drains impress solicitors far more than just a new patio?
- Trees Bite Back: Felling a single Tree Preservation Order (TPO)-protected trunk without consent can cost you a £20,000 fine – plus compulsory re-planting.
- Insurance Fine-Print: Adding Legal Expenses & Alternative Accommodation cover to your policy costs pennies but could save you sleepless nights (and thousands!) if your neighbour’s extension cracks your wall, or a large claim forces you out.
Next Steps
To empower your homeowning journey, Andrew advises:
- Download the full "Top Tips for Savvy Home-Owners" guide – it's free from the AMSurveys Tips & Advice hub.
- Book a 10-minute “Ask a Surveyor” chat with AMSurveys – there's no charge, and absolutely no chase-up calls.
- Keep every certificate (Gas Safe, FENSA , power-flush records, CCTV drain reports) in a digital folder; buyers’ solicitors love evidence, and it makes future sales a breeze.
About AMSurveys
Based near Billericay, AMSurveys delivers independent Level 2 and Level 3 survey reports, new-build snagging inspections, and home-buyer coaching nationwide. The panel’s average surveyor age is 54 – seasoned heads who’ve seen every cracked lintel, bridging cold-bridge, and cowboy shortcut, ensuring you get sound, impartial advice.
