What needs updating in a 1960s to 80s Burbage home?
Usually the things fitted when the house was built and never touched since. Much of Burbage is family housing from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, alongside newer homes, and the older ones are now at the age where original fittings are tired, even though the house itself is solid.
The wiring itself is often in reasonable shape, as PVC-insulated cable was standard by then, so a full rewire is rarely the first answer. The usual weak points are the fuse board and the number of sockets, because 1970s kitchens weren't planned for today's appliances.
None of the jobs below means a big project. Most are single jobs, or a short list that fits one visit.
- Old fuse boards
- Rewireable fuses or no RCD protection; worth checking.
- Halogen and fluorescent lights
- Swapped for LED fittings that run cooler and cost less.
- Original bathroom fans
- Noisy, weak or missing, so condensation builds up.
- Tired electric showers
- Older units that have lost heat or flow.
- Seized stopcocks
- Worth freeing before the day you need them.
Can you do the electrics and plumbing for an extension or garage conversion?
Yes, the electrical and plumbing side; the building work itself is for your builder. Many homes of this age have been extended, and a kitchen extension, garage conversion or loft room is a common way to make a 1970s house fit a growing family.
The extension may need Building Regulations approval in its own right; your builder or Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council's building control can tell you what applies.
It helps to involve us early. Cables and pipes go in before plastering, so we agree timings with your builder, price from the plans or a survey visit, and come back after decorating to fit the sockets, lights and fittings. Anything involving the boiler or gas pipes needs a Gas Safe registered engineer; we don't do gas work.
Do gardens near Burbage Common need extra upkeep?
Often a little. Gardens that back onto fields, hedges or woodland, as some near Burbage Common and Woods do, get more wind and falling leaves than an enclosed town garden. It shows up in predictable ways: fence panels work loose, gates drop on their hinges, and gutters fill and overflow down the walls.
We repair and replace fence panels and gates, and clear and fix gutters and downpipes where safe ladder access allows; we don't do scaffolding work. A sensor light by the back door or along a dark side path is a simple addition on the same visit, and it makes the garden easier to use on winter evenings.
How does it work for a busy family house?
One request, one price and as few visits as possible. Most families have a list rather than a single job, so send the lot: a leaking tap, a new kitchen light, shelves for a bedroom and the gate that won't latch. We price it as one fixed price and fit it into one visit where we can.
We're open 8am to 8pm every day, which makes it easier to work around school runs. Travel is included in your fixed price; distance is one of the things that shapes it, along with the job itself. If you're in one of the newer houses, the same applies: tell us what you'd like added and we'll price it.