Undertaking a building project shouldn't be stressful or daunting providing you have to right team of consultants and builders giving helpful advice. We have been working on peoples houses for over 12 years and have built up a good level of experience in that time. We can give you some honest, straightforward advice on what is and isn’t possible.
The size of the projects we work on varies, but generally the projects we work on begin at around £100,000 and up.
The beginning
If you think you want an extension, refurbishment or even a new house, but aren't sure where to begin, we are more than happy to come and have an initial chat and discuss the options with you. This is free and there’s no obligation to carry on.
We can give you some initial advice on what is possible and what might prove a challenge, as well as wider advice on things upgrading energy efficiency, replacing boilers with heat pumps etc.
Sketch Ideas
We will provide a survey of your existing house and then provide you with some sketch ideas for you to consider. We will let you know if you need any permissions and let you know how to obtain them
The Design
Once we've agreed a sketch scheme, we will work with you to move forward with the final design and provide you with drawings of the home you've always wanted. If we need some help from someone else at this point (a structural engineer for example), we can get this arranged for you. We will make a submission to the local planning authority on your behalf at this point.
Building Regulations
All buildings need Building Control Approval and this shouldn't be confused with planning permission. We can provide all the information needed for a building regulations application, fill in the form and let you know how much they charge. The Building Control Officer will come and visit the site once the builder has started work, and throughout the construction.
At this stage there are other statutory approvals needed to progress your project (such as Thames Water Approval and Party Wall Agreements with your neighbours). We will let you know what’s required as the design progresses.
The Details
We will provide your chosen builder with enough drawings, schedules and specifications for them to give you an accurate final cost for the construction of your project. This is where you decide on the internal finishes, fixtures and fittings, and all of this is passed to the builder for pricing. If the price comes as a bit of a shock, we can sit down with the builder and decide how to bring it in under budget.
Construction
We can advise on the form of construction contract and will manage the construction on site. We will provide the builder with any additional information they need in order to complete the building. We will visit the site, inspect and certify the work has been done properly.
We will give you a fixed fee for each of these stages so you’re always in control of the costs. As long as your brief doesn't change, then the fee won’t change either. We can be appointed for as many stages as you want, and progress at a pace that suits you, putting you firmly in control