Why do you need us?

Often works can involve ten of thousands of pounds being spent with unknown companies to provide space for your family and  all carried out in your home!

Carrying out building works can be a complex and time consuming process, even for those with construction experience. We offer independent impartial advice in relation to any works however small or large. Our advice can also be given to assist with works which have already started or perhaps where issues have arisen between you and your builder.

We set out below the various stages and the areas which you may need assistance with.

MAKING A START

You've made the decision to have some building works carried out on your home. This will probably include some ideas on what you would like to achieve but maybe no more detailed than this. We can offer assistance with the design proce

ss from the early discussion stage as described above to full detailed drawings. This advise will be based on likely planning considerations and any buildability issues. Once a plan is drawn up this will be issued to you for approval.

Having agreed on a basic design, now is the time to start thinking about the details, what tiles, what wall colours, do I want hardwood floors etc? This information will then need to be collated and included in a specification so firstly a realistic budget can be drawn up and then later on a builder is able to provide you with a full quote with no ambiguity. A fully detailed specification allows for full clarity on what your requirements are this will be included in the contract for your builder.

Having finalised drawings and agreed a specification we will be able to provide you with a budget price so this can be discussed and either agreed or changes can be made if you are working within a tighter budget. 

Planning

Happy with your design its now time to make a submission to planning (if this is required). We would always advise that a plans submission be made either a full planning submission or one to gain a lawful development certificate when applying for permitted development. The certificate gives you and any future buyer the assurance that the extension you have built is covered under the permitted development rules.

Unfortunately there are costs associated with a planning submission and these can be found on your local authorities website. Once the plans have been submitted there is a period where the drawings/information is checked and confirmed as accepted by the planning office. Once this acceptance is issued there is normally a 6-8 week approval process before your application is approved/rejected, whether this is full plans submission or permitted development.

Building control

Assuming you receive permission to proceed with your works the next step would be to produce building control plans which provide detailed drawings on your proposed extension. We can again provide these along with the completed application form which requires further detailed information submitting. With building control there are a number of options that can be taken. You can choose to use your local authority or an approved inspector and you can then also decide whether you wish to proceed on a building notice or full plans submission. We can talk you through the different options here and make the right decision for all parties.

Health and Safety

As with all things in life H&S is obviously important for your construction works. There are requirements for you even as domestic client that may need to be fulfilled and we can discuss these with you.

YOU'VE GOT PLANNING NOW WHAT?

So after 6-8 weeks you've received your planning permission and are ready to start your building works. To ensure that this process goes well there are a number of vital things that need to be put in place.

Specification

A fully detailed specification which lists out all of the materials to be used in the works will ensure that you "get what you want" and "what you paid for". We can work with you to draw this document up detailing your requirements and adding standard construction requirements. This document can be used for pricing up a budget and then issuing to builders for costing.

Construction works review

If you've never had construction work carried out in your home before then it can sometimes come as quite a shock. We will talk you through the process and highlight areas of your home which will be affected and what can be done to minimise it. We can detail any partitions that maybe required or secondary kitchen area or living space. There will also be a need for water, electric and toilet facilities so we can detail these and if required have the builder provide separate toilet facilities for instance. 

Sometimes when drawings are carried out by Architects these are done remotely without a site visit. On some occasions this can lead to designs which are not buildable or are complicated and need additional design works. We can review your designs and ensure your design is fit for your home.

Budget

Once the drawings are completed and the specification is agreed a detailed budget can be drawn up. This will list fully broken down costs for the materials and labour as well as any other items such as contingency, building control inspections, structural engineers etc. Once the budget is compiled we can then go through this with you to ensure it is within your expectations or we can look to make savings if required.

Contractor appointment

As your choice of builder will be working in and extending your home, its critically important to make a fully informed decision on who you want to carry out your building works. There are two options in relation to how you can have the works completed, option 1 would be to appoint a builder to carry out the works as a package or individual contractors to be appointed to carry out the works. The merits of both options can be discussed with you and a decision to be made which best suit you. Whichever process is followed we can assist with shortlisting options checking references and credit ratings and in some cases visiting other works they have carried out.
Once a shortlist has been prepared we will compile the required documentation for pricing and issue this to the chosen contractors or builder.

When we have received the prices we will evaluate these to ensure a fair comparison is made and that all required items are priced. Following evaluation we will provide you with a breakdown so you can make an informed decision.

Following a decision on who will carry out your building works we will then contact the selected contractor and agree a final price and issue a contract for them to sign. The contract will include the agreed price, the programme, payment arrangements, the treatment of changes and pricing and completion of the works.

Dilapidations survey

Before works are due to start we will carry out a full survey of your home and where possible your neighbours.  This will be a record of the properties before the works start to have a record for checking when the works are complete or when any issues arise. 

CONSTRUCTION PHASE

Finally you are all ready to go, your builder is engaged and a start date is agreed. This stage is the most critical and we are able to help you at every step to ensure you get what you have paid for. We can carry out weekly inspections to ensure the works are being carried out as expected and report back to you. On most projects there will be questions raised by your builder and we can ensure that these are answered quickly so as to avoid any delay and possible cost arising.

On a regular basis your builder will need to be paid. This is usually either weekly or monthly and needs to be based on the actual properly completed works to ensure there is no overpayment. We will carry this out for you and list what is being paid for so both parties 

A usual area where conflict my arise is when you want to change something that was originally priced. On some occasions builders can use this as an opportunity to over charge for extra works and things can sometimes become strained between parties and this is where we can act as a third party and ensure pricing is fair for both parties.

If relationships become strained whilst the works are being carried out we can act as an independent party at any stage. We can talk to both parties and ensure any issue is resolved amicably

As the works near completion its important that a final inspection is carried out. This needs to be extremely thorough as once your builder has been paid having issues resolved at a later date can be difficult. We carry out full inspections of all works and provide a report for issuing to you and your builder. We will also then re-inspect when the works have been completed by your builder.

POST COMPLETION

Once the work is complete the final bill needs to be agreed. Hopefully if we have managed the process this should be relatively straight forward. However issues can often occur and its important that a settlement is agreed and we can do this on your behalf.

Once the works are complete we can manage the aftercare process for you dealing with any works which need to be rectified. If there are any issues with the works during the agreed defects period you can advise us and we can arrange fort he builder to return and attend to the works. The defects period is normally 6 months but this will be written into the contract with your builder. At the end of the defects period a final inspection needs to be completed before the final payment is made. The list will be issued to the builder and we will ensure these works are completed and make the final payment.