Additions

The Implications of Selling a House Without Approved Plans If you are selling your house, and don’t have approved plans, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. And if you are buying a house, and don’t ask whether the seller has approved plans, you might end up inheriting …

How To Do A Good Kitchen Layout – The Basics A good kitchen design is one that fulfils all the functions you require of it, and at the same time is aesthetically pleasing. Once you have gathered ideas and established your priorities, you will need to decide on the layout …

How To Design Your Own Kitchen Using Templates Fitting the various individual components of the kitchen into your outline is an exact, and exacting, process in which guesswork shouldn’t feature. Prepare card or plastic cut-outs, or templates, of every major item. These should be carefully drawn to scale. Among your …

How to Design a Small Bathroom Every centimetre counts in a small bathroom, whether it s a guest cloakroom, a shower room or a tiny cubby-hole in an apartment. Small design errors which may go unnoticed in a large bathroom can easily become a major source of frustration in a …

How to Solve Kitchen Traffic Flow Problems The patterns of traffic through the kitchen should be taken into account when planning the new layout. Ideally, the traffic flow should not interfere with the work triangle. If this is unavoidable, however, try and ensure that the triangle intersects the path to …

The Open-plan Kitchen Option There was a time, not too long ago, when South African home owners were not overly concerned about the dimensions of their rooms. Nowadays, with construction costs – indeed all costs – spiralling, the emphasis is on the compact, and on an internal arrangement that makes …

Bathroom Planning – What You Need to Know You and Your Plumber The location and layout of a bathroom is invariably dictated by plumbing considerations and it is well worth cultivating a good relationship with your plumber. A reputable plumber will be willing to suggest ways of minimising expenses, and …

Tips for Bathroom Storage Systems Bathroom storage and work surfaces are two aspects of bathroom planning that are often neglected. Consider your needs at the outset, and you will be rewarded with a bathroom that not only looks neat and streamlined but which also functions more efficiently. A miniature medicine cabinet or …

How to Design Your New Bathroom Designing a successful new bathroom involves far more than simply plumbing in the basic fixtures. The position of the room and its internal layout should be carefully considered at the planning stage, taking into account factors such as access, privacy, space, plumbing and traffic …

Plan Your Kitchen in Stages The Four Stages of Planning Your Kitchen Minimum Modules and Enticing Extras These floor plans show the same kitchen treated in two different ways. The first has been planned on a limited budget and contains the basics only, while the other is a truly luxurious …

Renovate Your Kitchen – Old to New The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any house. But when you buy a house, you don’t always get the kitchen that meets your needs – never mind your dreams. It is at this point that you may decide it’s …

How to Plan Your Bathroom the Right Way Whether it is a guest cloakroom, a luxurious en suite arrangement or a streamlined family bathroom, the design of any bathroom should evolve out of the specific needs of the people who use the room. The bathroom has come a long way …

A Fashionable Black Minimalist House In fashion, black is the colour that will always get a load of attention and recognition because of its depth of colour can simply make people and the place they live look fashionable. In home designing, black is the colour that can be said to …

Tips on How to Remodel Your Bathroom A comprehensive survey of the functions and fittings of an existing or future bathroom will help you to organise your thoughts and will also give you a good idea of the size and cost of the project that lies ahead. Before you rush …

City of Cape Town Planning Departments Now Accept Plans On a Memory Stick After at least two years of development the City of Cape Town has implemented and introduced its new DAMS  (Development Application Management System). This new Development Application Management System allows all new development applications to be made and processed …

City of Johannesburg Relaxes Swimming Pool Plan Submissions The City of Johannesburg’s Planning Department has confirmed that they have relaxed the by-laws relating to swimming pools and plan submissions. These regulations concern the submission of plans – namely when plans are required and when are they not required. Following up …

How to Build Your Own Pergola This carefully designed, beautifully constructed wooden pergola looks rather grand and imposing. However, while it is certainly a relatively large-scale project, involving a fair amount of timber, there are no complicated joints, and you won’t need any specialised tools. You can simplify the project …

Ensure Your Balustrade System is Installed Correctly As it currently stands, the individual or professional company commissioning a balustrade sub-contractor has far more responsibility regarding their project than they realise. The Building Owner is responsible for ensuring that their project is SANS compliant and signed off by a qualified Engineer. …

The PAJA: A Law to Protect Your Rights We get questions daily about buildings blocking views, balconies overlooking neighbours’ bedrooms, building approval without neighbours’ consent, developers not putting in correct storm-water drains; complaints that the neighbours wall is on “my” property; the list goes on and on. > People also …

Great Bathroom Layout and Design Ideas Over the years, the bathroom has earned a reputation as an area  unworthy of attention, probably because it has always been regarded as no more than a room in which to wash. Nobody can deny that this is still its most important function but, …

Engineers Design Buildings for a Purpose Engineers around the world will design a structure based on the brief given to them by a developer. The basis for any good design is to have a structure that is “fit for the purpose” for which it is intended. Most international building codes, …

Nkandla is Probably the Most Costly Owner Building Project in the History of South Africa Traditions come and go, and it seems once again to be a growing trend to have extended family living together in one home. But the numbers have grown out of hand at Zumaville, with the …

How To Be SANS 10400XA Compliant – A Guide New Energy Regulations We get quite a few queries about the new SANS 10400-X and SANS 10400-XA on our website. Here are a few: Q: Hi, I have read through the regulations, but need clarification on whether an application is required …

Alterations and Additions to Your Home There are so many changes that have been made to the National Building Regulations in recent years that home owners may be forgiven for wondering what is and what is not allowed in terms of altering and making home additions. Some of the greatest …

Great Kitchen Layout and Design Ideas The kitchen, say the experts, will sell the house: an axiom that can’t be proved but which nevertheless rings very true. It is part of today’s house that, more than any other, will yield handsome dividends on your investment – providing you plan sensibly, …