Home truths about practice design – Stuart Clark Clark Dental

  Posted by: Dental Design      2nd October 2018

We are a nation that loves our homes so it comes as no surprise that many Britons obsess over home improvements. Unlike other countries, we in the UK tend to preserve houses rather than demolish them and as such, have retained one of the oldest stock of residences in the world. According to the latest English Housing Survey, approximately three quarters of homes are over 50 years old.[i]Zoopla has also revealed that Britons are moving house less frequently than they were several decades ago, which may be as a result of the current economic climate.[ii]

In areas where house prices are rising quickly, finding and buying the ideal home in the same local neighbourhood is proving difficult for many. If the rise in the value of a home is greater than the cost of improving it, then it makes sense that people are holding ownership of properties for longer periods of time, with the prospect of improving it being rather more appealing.

As you would expect, renovating your home can prove costly so there is an inevitable link between average earnings and the level of home improvements carried out in some areas across the UK. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the top 20% of households on the income scale have spent approximately 14 times the amount on home improvements over the last 5 years, in comparison to the bottom 20%.[iii]Equally, in places where planning permission to build a new home is more difficult to obtain, homeowners are choosing to improve their residences rather than invest in an expensive, new property. 

Britain’s love affair with renovating homes can be largely credited to the fact that we are heavily influenced by home repair, maintenance and improvement programmes on TV – as well as our easy access to supplies via online marketplaces.[iv]While some people would prefer to employ an expert to carry out any improvements in their home, others choose to adopt the do-it-yourself approach to cut costs on large-scale work. This ambitious attitude can prove beneficial to some, but to many DIY enthusiasts, there is a heavy price to pay if something goes wrong.

Close to £3,000 has been touted as the average amount spent on hiring an expert to fix mistakes, emphasising the importance of seeking out a professional who has the expertise and skillset to effectively carry out home improvement work that is right first time.[v]This not only applies to homeowners but also to dental practice owners who may be interested in upgrading their surgeries.

The stress of redeveloping a dental practice can be overbearing if it is not planned well and there are various elements that need to be considered if the project is to be completed successfully. Equipment and supplies need to be sourced, budgets must be outlined and reliable contract workers should be sought out to finish work within the proposed timeframe. Indeed, practice owners must also ensure that any renovations made adhere to stringent CQC and HTM 01-05 regulations. If these considerations are not well met, then the project could be compromised and additional costs may well be incurred as a result – which adds more stress to an already demanding endeavour.

It may be far wiser to employ the services of a professional design company who has experience with large-scale dental practice refurbishments. This will give you greater peace of mind that there is somebody else you can rely on to complete the project to the highest standards. You will likely want your practice to reflect the personality and quality of your business as a brand, so perhaps look to hire a company that can understand the vision you have of the practice. They will then be able to translate this through the overall design of the surgery, helping to effectively distinguish you from competitors.

Only the best companies will be committed to working closely with you in order to ensure that the final result resembles what you originally envisioned the practice to look like. This begins with creating a detailed plan using computer-aided design (CAD) technology with 2D and 3D capabilities. You would then be able to walk through a guided virtual reality (VR) ‘tour’ of the design, helping to provide a real sense of the finished renovation. At these initial stages of planning, you can make any alterations you wish so when contractors come to start work, they will have an accurate blueprint to follow. With over 40 years’ experience in the dental industry, Clark Dental is a prime example of a company that works tirelessly to provide a superior surgery design service.

Similarly to how a home reflects an individual’s style, your dental practice is an extension of your professional persona. By working with a dependable team of designers, practitioners can rest assured knowing they can attain a sophisticated surgery that is fit to meet the demands of modern dentistry.

For more information call Clark Dental on 01268 733 146, email info@clarkdental.co.ukor visit www.clarkdental.co.uk

[i]Gov.uk. (2018) English Housing Survey 2016 to 2017: headline report. Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/675942/2016-17_EHS_Headline_Report.pdf. [Last accessed: 22.03.18].

[ii]White, D. (2017) How often do we move house in Britain? Link: https://www.zoopla.co.uk/discover/property-news/how-often-do-we-move-house-in-britain/#vWKOkuWkP1v0SYAf.97. [Last accessed: 22.03.18].

[iii]Office for National Statistics. (2015) Chapter 2: Housing expenditure. Link: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/personalandhouseholdfinances/incomeandwealth/compendium/familyspending/2015/chapter2housingexpenditure#housing-expenditure-by-socio-demographic-characteristics. [Last accessed: 22.03.18].

[iv]GS1 UK. (2017) Home improvement businesses take advantage of positive trading conditions. Link: https://www.gs1uk.org/our-industries/news/2017/09/06/home-improvement-businesses-take-advantage-of-positive-trading-conditions. [Last accessed: 22.03.18].

[v]Towergate Insurance. (Unknown) Brits spend £3,000 hiring professionals to fix DIY mistakes. Link: https://www.towergateinsurance.co.uk/home-property/brits-spend-hiring-professionals-diy-disasters. [Last accessed: 22.03.18].

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