ARK Property Investors Ltd

24/06/2022

With the UK Gov wanting all rentals to achieve at least EPC-C by 2025, local London council did a challenge to retrofit a solid-wall 1902 Victorian 3-Bed End-of-Terrace from EPC-E to EPC-A. They did it but spent £115K! Its almost got everything under the sun bolted or sprayed on to achieve that figure. It seems about £60K of that was a grant. The house is worth ~£900K but I can't see normal folk spending anywhere near that much for the same type of house up North which are only worth about £100K-£150K. I think Landlords will just sell.

Retrofitting a traditional Victorian terrace shows residents the changes they can make to their homes to save energy, money and reduce their carbon footprint

30/03/2021

The Green Homes Grant, which had only been going since Oct 2020, will be axed on 31 Mar 2021! It was too 'costly and complicated' for tradespeople to sign-up for meaning households found it tough to use.

The Green Homes Grant scheme is to be axed tomorrow, a year earlier than planned, a decision that is 'disappointing' to tradespeople.

16/02/2021

First new-build hydrogen-fuelled homes in the UK!
Two show homes are to be built in the UK in Gateshead. They are to be fully fuelled by hydrogen. The houses include appliances such as boilers, hobs, cookers and fires. The two semi-detached show homes have been funded with the help of the Government's Hy4Heat Innovation programme and will open in April 2021. It helps the UK Governments aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050. But note they are not intended to be habitable, but to showcase the use of hydrogen fuelled applications in a real-world domestic setting.

The houses include hydrogen appliances such as boilers, hobs, cookers and fires that release no carbon emissions - giving a glimpse into the potential home of the future.

21/10/2020

The new Green Homes Grant scheme is one of the Government's flagship Covid-recovery job-creation schemes, promising homeowners in England up to £5,000 free towards energy efficiency improvements. But the Green Homes Grant is a 'a flop' with as few as one in six homeowners who apply able to find installers.

A large proportion of homeowners trying to take advantage of the Government's new Green Homes Grant scheme are unable to find suppliers to carry out the work, according to a new snapshot poll from MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis which lays bare some of the problems with the new scheme

25/07/2020

It has been announced by Robert Jenrick, Housing Secretary that home owners will soon be able to add an extra two floors to their houses without needing full planning permission. The new rules, which will come into effect by September 2020, will be allowed under what’s known as ‘Permitted Development’. The idea behind the change of rules is to quickly revive High Streets and town centres and re-purpose redundant space.

Full planning applications will not be required to demolish and rebuild unused buildings as homes.

10/06/2020

Installing a infinity bathroom mirror. Remember you need 6A spur already in the wall to hide all the cabling. This can be taken off the bathroom pull switch if you want. The mirror has a separate on/off pull cord so you can switch the LED's off. It would have been ideal if they put a demister pad on the back so you can actually see yourself after a shower 😀

10/06/2020

Installing a spa bath, with heating and lights! The bath has been sprayed with extra insulation on the outside to keep the bath water warmer for longer. It has a simple on/off button for the bubble jets and the outer color can twist to control how strong you want it. In this mode the heater is on. The nozzles are adjustable too. But then only way to adjust the heater is to take the side panel off which is a pain.

10/06/2020

Installing electric under floor heating. This is a 'electric mat' version which can be cut, in between the wire loops, and then remain mat can be spun round. Ideal for those awkward areas around toilet or sink etc. Make sure the thermocouple is located in the center of the floor in between one of the electric heating loops. With the tiles down it works a treat. Nice and warm in those cold mornings. It does take an hour or so to heat up, so think of it like a storage heater.