Everybody likes a new look, a fresh start and a bit of a spruce-up to give themselves a renewed spring in their step - and it would appear that there is a growing trend at the moment for people to do the same for their homes by breathing life back into them with retrofit projects.
The term 'retrofit' refers to the adding of new technology, equipment or features to an older product or system - therefore, in homes it is the act of adding something new that it did not have before or perhaps replacing outdated features with new, more modern ones.
At the beginning of the month, the Telegraph reported how Marianne Suhr - an English chartered building surveyor, writer and expert on historic properties - and her husband Richard had carried out an ambitious retrofit project on their 16th century, timber-framed home. Today (March 28th), Ms Suhr's book - co-written with Roger Hunt, a writer with a particular interest in sustainable and period architecture - entitled Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability has been published.
Speaking to the newspaper about the project on her own property, Ms Suhr implied that she has only relatively recently become aware of the benefits of retrofitting saying that when it got cold before, she just used to stick the heating on higher. However, she explained: "with rising bills and the prospect of small children running around barefoot, this time I wanted to make it eco."
Naturally, the older the home, the more difficult a project may be - not least because there may be certain rules, regulations and planning permission stipulations to which homeowners need to adhere. However, books such as this demonstrate that no matter how unfeasible or complicated a project may seem to be, retrofitting is always possible and can reap enormous benefits for the property-owner.
Not only could people slash their energy bills by installing more eco-friendly, energy-saving lighting solutions but the home's aesthetic appeal could be immeasurably improved. Replacing a few outdated wall lights with some more modern ceiling spotlights could not only be a visual improvement on the old fittings, but it may also enhance the quality of light in rooms making your home feel lighter and brighter.
