The first Service family has moved into their newly refurbished SFA just in time for the festive season. Please click here for more information and a YouTube link to a video explaining more about the refurbishment can be viewed here.
The Angus family are the first of around 3,500 military families who will be able to live in newly upgraded homes as part of the overall £200m of additional funding for military accommodation which was announced by the Chancellor and Secretary of State for Defence in July.
The house has been fully refitted, with a new kitchen, bathroom, downstairs toilet, heating pipework and radiators, boiler, electrical wiring and fittings and flooring. Artex ceilings were removed, walls were completely re-plastered and new carpets and curtains were added. In addition, the house got a new roof, windows and doors, external lights and some new fencing. New loft insulation and external wall insulation were also added, greatly increasing thermal efficiency to save energy, reduce the family’s heating bills and make sure it’s a warm family home through the winter.
Cpl Angus said:
“Moving house is always stressful, especially with three children, but it certainly helps to be moving to somewhere that I know is practically a new house in many ways. We’re really pleased to be moving to a property with all of these new and upgraded features, particularly just in time for Christmas!”
The Government’s funding totals £200m for accommodation improvements for Armed Forces personnel. Of this, £122m is being spent on upgrading 3,500 service homes throughout the UK. Some properties are receiving a full refurbishment, like Cpl Angus’ family home, while others will see smaller but still significant improvements with a minimum investment of £25,000 per property. Around 800 homes which have been empty for a long time for structural or severe damage reasons are being targeted also.