As a result of the events surrounding corona, the home and its optimal design and utilisation have regained importance. Many a long-cherished dream is suddenly about to become reality. Many people are thinking about setting up a workshop in their home and how this can be realised. In this article you will learn about what you need to consider and what equipment and tools are worth acquiring. Let’s begin!

Ask yourself the following questions before setting up your workshop.

Such a project needs to be well thought out, because it is a decision that costs time, space and money. Once you have clarified the question of the budget, you can move on to the detailed planning.

Ask yourself the following questions before setting up your workshop.

Such a project needs to be well thought out, because it is a decision that costs time, space and money. Once you have clarified the question of the budget, you can move on to the detailed planning.

What is the best place for the future workshop in your home?

When choosing a room, you should bear in mind that in a workshop there are some things that could lead to the other occupants protesting:

• dirt, dust

• odours

• noise

Usually the basement or the garage is preferred. It is advisable to install insulation (noise, heat, cold) with optimum ventilation. In addition to artificial lighting, plenty of daylight should be available to optimise light conditions.

Which elements / components are needed in the workshop?

Before you start with the actual set-up, take the opportunity to optimise the “infrastructure” of the room:

• Sockets (220 / 380 volts): these should be installed above table height in sufficient number. Experts recommend at least four per wall.

• Lighting: Ensure good lighting (daylight) and seek advice from a professional. In addition to stationary lighting systems (ceiling, wall), we also recommend the use of portable luminaires.

• Sufficient shelves on the walls with adequate load capacity that are well secured.

• Sturdy tables / workbenches that can take a beating with a hammer.

• Water connections and drains to wash the dirt off your hands after work.

• Heating for the cold season.

Even if you are a skilled do-it-yourselfer, some work requires professional assistance. For safety reasons, you should leave everything to do with electricity and water, possibly gas, in the hands of professionals.

What tools and machines are needed

What tools to get depends above all on the DIY skills of the do-it-yourselfer. If you like working with wood, then a saw and plane will be part of the standard equipment. If you work with metal, you might consider getting a welding machine, a cut-off wheel or even a small lathe. If you mainly repair watches, then the requirements are quite different.

When it comes to tools, you should ask the advice of DIY pros in addition to the salesperson in the specialist store, namely people who have already set up a workshop and work in it.

Overview of the standard equipment needed for a workshop at home

• Drill and cordless screwdriver

• Various screw clamps

• Saws for wood and metal, possibly an electric jigsaw with different blades

• Metal and wood drills in various sizes

• Set of open-end or ring spanners

• Set of allen keys

• Set of screwdrivers (cross-head, slotted and spax), also suitable for the cordless screwdriver

• Several pliers (combination pliers, side cutters, pointed pliers)

• Hot glue gun

• Range of wood and metal screws (different lengths and thickness)

• Toolbox with miscellaneous items: insulation tape, possibly a current tester, screwdriver, 

torch, pencils, selection of different wood and metal screws

Should you buy or rent a workshop: what is recommendable?

If there is no space or capacity for a workshop in your home, think about whether it would be an option to buy or rent. Currently, the market is in flux and many people want to sell their property. Due to the effect that corona has had on property prices, buying real estate and sustainable living has again moved into the realm of possibility. Maybe this is the perfect time to fulfil your dream of having your own workshop.

Winter temperatures mean rising electricity and heating costs. That is an uncomfortable fact. Unfortunately, the solution is not as simple as simply heating less and putting on a thicker woollen jumper. After all: One of the decisive factors for whether or not we feel comfortable in our own four walls is the surrounding temperature.

The warmer the better does not always apply

There are guideline values for a healthy indoor climate, whereby what is “healthy” also depends on the physical characteristics of the property. If the indoor and outdoor temperatures vary too much and the humidity is too high, the walls and brickwork may become mouldy, especially in rooms with a high humidity such as bathrooms or utility rooms and cooler rooms.

The recommended temperature for living rooms is between 68 and 72 °F, and for bedrooms it is between 61 and 66 °F, which promotes a restful sleep. If the bathroom is also being used as a wellness oasis, the feel-good temperature here starts at 73.5 °F. In the kitchen, bear in mind that the cooktop and oven are additional heat sources whose energy can also be used to raise the room temperature in order to reach the recommended 60 – 64°F.

Using energy sensibly and smartly

You can often save on heating costs by simply heating more efficiently. Thermometers help you check the actual temperatures in your home. Often these are significantly higher than the guideline values. Reducing the temperature by 37.4° can already achieve a total energy saving of 18 %.

During the day, when the occupants are out, the temperature in all rooms can be lowered to between 61 and  63°F. The temperature should not drop below this, otherwise there is again a risk of mould and heating up the house in the evening takes too long, which would also be an inefficient use of energy.

A possible alternative for bridging the uncomfortable half-hour warm-up period is infrared heating. It provides instant heat at close range, making it ideal for bathrooms or a home office during sedentary work. In principle, all heat sources should be free-standing and not prevented from radiating their heat into the room by curtains or sofas.

The consistent use of energy-saving lamps and the monitoring of appliances have a significant impact on the annual energy consumption. Switchable socket strips with save-energy switches are very useful here, because many electrical appliances in a household consume electricity even when they are not in use. This applies especially to older models. Timers can switch them off, as can modern smart home systems that can be controlled via an app while you are out and about.

Seal up gaps and draughts

Checking for possible leaks that allow built-up heat to escape unnoticed is another simple yet very effective way to save energy. In winter, warm air flows out of cracks in a home while cold air sneaks in. Therefore, check that windows and doors are properly sealed. You can easily carry out a candle test for this purpose. Professionals conduct a blower door test or use thermal imaging cameras to identify problem areas. If the windows are leak-tight, shutters, blinds or thick curtains can provide an additional layer of insulation at night.

All of the measures described are suitable for anyone who wants to save money, including tenants of apartment buildings, as they can be implemented easily and without altering the existing building structure.

New buildings and refurbishment – an opportunity to achieve energy efficiency

Whether you are planning a new building or renovating an old one, every building project geared towards the future should aim to achieve the highest possible standard of living and well-being with the lowest possible energy consumption to ensure a good ecological balance. Property owners or builders face different questions than tenants, which are more far-reaching in terms of the scope of the investment and always focus on the long term. It is advisable to seek professional energy advice and an expert opinion on the actual condition of your building. Then you can decide which changes make sense.

Is it enough to install new windows, or should the heating system be completely modernised or renewed? And what about insulation? If you want to sell a property, then at the latest you will also have to comply with the Energy Saving Ordinance. It stipulates that all the energy values of the building must be made transparent to the buyer in the form of an energy certificate.

If you are planning to build a new house or buy a property, you can opt for a low-energy house or passive house. In this case, you can expect the best possible energy values. Passive houses use heat exchangers and solar thermal systems. This is not only possible for new buildings, but also for old buildings that have been retrofitted with extensive insulation to achieve this standard.

A sensible addition for future-oriented heating systems such as heat exchangers and heat pumps is a photovoltaic system with energy storage and smart control, which takes over the entire energy management in the house.

CREATING A SPACE FOR DREAMS AND VISIONS TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY SALE

The decision to sell a property is far-reaching and needs to be well planned and executed. The concept of “home staging” originated in the USA, where it became established in the real estate market as early as the 1970s. It refers to the optimal “staging” of a property for sale for potential buyers. The knowledge that a purchase decision is often actually made in the first moments of viewing further clarifies the relevance of the proverbial “first glance”.

Buying a house means leaving the well-trodden paths of the known, realising wishes and increasing the quality of life. This involvement of our dreams and emotions is an opportunity for the seller. If he succeeds in presenting his property in such a way that the prospective buyer can let his imagination roam free when entering the premises and visualise his own dream home there … then the course is already set for a successful conclusion.

Sales statistics show that properties prepared in this way will find a buyer twice as quickly as comparable properties that are not staged.

Cornerstones of successful home staging

A promising home staging concept manages to create a convincing balance between an inviting atmosphere and a neutral aesthetic. Of great importance for this is a professional lighting concept that is tailored to viewings in daylight as well as at dusk and after dark.

If the property is still occupied, it is advisable to create a neutral atmosphere as far as possible, despite any furnishings. This includes removing all visible personal belongings and replacing them with neutral decoration.

A more than thorough cleaning is called for. “Clean as a whistle” sums it up best, because viewers unconsciously infer the overall condition of the property from the cleanliness and quality of the interior.

The aim of home staging is to make the most advantageous and impressive aspects of your property visible to the widest possible range of buyers. An experienced stager will decide whether it can be sales-promoting to focus on a specific target group of buyers. Young families, for example, can be addressed by giving the children’s rooms special prominence in the design.

Giving the individual rooms a function in the overall living ambience through home staging is also conducive to making the potential of the property more visible.

The garden and exterior of the house form part of the first impression. This includes the state of maintenance of all plantings as well as the facade and exterior lighting.

DIY or would you rather have the professionals do it?

Of course, it is possible to carry out home staging yourself with intensive preparation and planning. However, if you are very busy at work, or if you are not particularly interested in interior design, and you generally entrust garden maintenance to a gardening company, then hiring a professional agency is definitely recommended. You can find a selection of local providers on the Internet. Then comes the selection process of the agency you want to commission to present your property in the best possible light. During an initial consultation, ask to be shown a selection of previous projects with before-and-after photos and the corresponding figures.

Your real estate agency will also be happy to assist you in choosing an agency you can trust. It can recommend competent and reliable partners with whom it has already had good experience and who are a good match for you and your ideas.

What should be included in the staging package and what it costs

Before awarding the contract, have a complete catalogue of measures drawn up showing in detail which services are included in order to get from the current state to a presentation-ready property. A good agency will in turn work with partner companies that provide cleaning services and with handymen and gardeners, should their services be required. It will also coordinate the various activities.

Another important component of a successful sales process is the use of highly professional photographs in the exposé. Home staging agencies tend to work with photographers who specialise in this field. A complete package should include all these services.

The costs for home staging are negotiated individually depending on the scope of the assignment and are usually based on square metres. In our experience, they range between one and three percent of the targeted sales price. Since this can be up to 15 % higher with home staging than without, the investment is definitely worthwhile.