There should be 'more awareness' with property preservation

28/06/2009

There needs to be a greater level of awareness over property preservation, it has been suggested, perhaps hinting that more need to keep gates in good repair.

Too many thoughtless changes have been made to people's homes, according to assistant editor of Homebuilding & Renovating magazine Melanie Griffiths.

"Every homeowner should pay just as much due care and attention to their property's maintenance and overall appearance," she commented.

Ms Griffiths asserted that planning policy is supposed to limit bad development in conservation areas.

"However, I would not restrict this awareness to conservation areas," she explained.

Commenting on home improvements in general, such as gates enhancements, Ms Griffiths asserted that PVCu windows and doors can be detrimental to the look of a property and can prove to be "a false economy".

An English Heritage survey recently revealed that one in seven conservation areas are at risk of neglect, decay or damaging change, with 83 per cent of these areas affected because of plastic windows and doors.