Buyers urged to be careful when renovating homes

Anyone who might buy a house in Scotland with the idea of renovating parts of it has been issued a warning by a leading do-it-yourself firm. Retailer B&Q has highlighted a number of mistakes that DIY enthusiast could make when getting big ideas about how to adopt their home once they have decided to buy a house in Scotland. “Don’t rip out period features such as fireplaces, use textured plaster or woodchip to cover uneven walls, create windowless rooms, put [in] double glazing that doesn’t open or economise by living with dated wallpaper or furnishings,” a spokesperson for B&Q said. The retailer added that insulating lofts or wall cavities, increasing natural light or replacing an outdated bathroom suite are all ways to add value to a home, tips that could be useful for anyone who looks to sell a house in Scotland in the future. The annual Halifax Home Improvement Survey revealed in 2007 that some 58 per cent of the population had undertaken home improvement work in the previous 12 months.