Archive for the ‘Loft Conversions’ Category

Looking For A Good Builder

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

I Need A Good Builder in Bridgend

Sound familiar?

Are You Looking for a Good builder? I need a good reputable builder in Cardiff

Have you ever been in the situation before where you have struggled to find a good reputable builder or has anyone ever asked if  ‘ you know a good builder?’

Finding a good reputable builder is not always easy because people are very often skeptical due to the bad press and TV Programmes that illustrate some builders as being rouge builders, but don’t let that put you off.. It’s not as bad is it all sounds.

If you are looking for a good reputable builder, then word of mouth is always a good starting point. Another way is by looking on the Internet to search for a recommended and reputable builder.   

Simply go online and type in ‘I am looking for a builder in Bridgend ‘ or Cardiff,  Porthcawl , Caerphilly, Barry or South Wales for example. Naming the town where you live will help narrow down the search so that you can find a good reputable builder near you.   

Internet Search engines such as Google will then highlight a few options for you to consider. I would highly recommend that you arrange a free no obligation meeting with a few of tGood Builder in Bridgend and Cardiffhe builders that look reputable to you. This will give you the opportunity to meet the builder of your choice in person so that you can get to know them in person.

Building a rapport with a good reputable builder before committing to any type of contract is definitely a good idea. Believe it or not there are lots of people that have deliberately deceived builders in the same way some builders have deceived their customers, which is why both parties may be nervous about one another other to begin with.  Communication and ensuring that every aspect of a project is discussed is extremely important before is starts.

Most good reputable builders offer a good open and honest service and are very trust worthy when it comes to customers paying for the work that is being carried out.

By offering a service whether it is as a builder or any other type of service it means cash flow and being able to pay wages is just as important to a reputable builder as is the work being done to a high standard to a customer.

We at Derwood Homes and Developments for example understand how important this is and that construction terminology and schedules may not be the same as a customer’s way of thinking.

This is why it is so important for both parties to communicate openly as possible to ensure that the working relationship that develops is a good one… just like in any marriage!Reputable buuilder in Cardiff and Caerphilly

If you are looking for a builder, what very often stands out is a builder that turns up every day to carry out a good hard days work, is clean, efficient, professional and very helpful in talking through each stage with their customer. Regardless how good and reputable a builder may be, having construction works done in your home can be stressful. Again, don’t let this put you off, discuss with your builder any concerns you have with regards to any disruption to your day to day activities and what can be done to minimize the effects.

Most builders are keen to help and please their customers, so don’t be afraid to sit down and have a cup of coffee with your builder to discuss each day or stage as things progress.

Developing a good working relationship with a builder is the key and will keep everyone happy and of course make your project worthwhile. Whether you’re looking to have a loft or attic conversion, a new house extension, garage conversion or any type of building work we at Derwood Homes and Developments would be glad to help.

If you would like more advice please feel free to contact us HERE at any time

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Posted in Builders, Federation Of Master Builders, Home Improvements, House Extensions, Loft Conversions, Reputable Builders | No Comments »

How To Choose A Reputable Builder In South Wales

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Finding A Reliable And Reputable Builder in Bridgend, Cardiff And South Wales

We all hear stories like the plumber that charged an elderly man £2,880 an hour and the family that scammed pensioners out of £1million – it can be nightmare to find a trustworthy and reputable builder when you need building work done at your home.

In fact, Brits fork out over a staggering £737 million to rectify botched jobs by cowboy builders each year, so it is crucial to choose your builder with care. Around 6.2 million (13%) of people in the UK have fallen foul of cowboy builders in the past five years, according to research from Sainsbury’s home insurance, and have had to fork out nearly £3.7bn to rectify botched buildng jobs during this time. Analysis shows plumbers have caused the most damage, with 1.4m homeowners suffering from their poor quality work since 2006. Most homes are now having new extensions built as well as loft conversions, landscaping work and garage conversions constructed rather than move home.

Reputable Builders South Wales

Reputable Builders South Wales

Of those of us that have fallen victim to a cowboy bulder, an average £2,077 was paid for the work they carried out. On top of this amount homeowners had to pay nearly £600 to either repair the damage or complete the unfinished job. While over 150,000 people are estimated to have paid over £5000 to rectify a botched job. Ben Tyte, Head of Sainsbury’s Home Insurance comments: “We’re concerned that so many homeowners have to rectify poor workmanship carried out by builders they’ve employed in good faith to work in their homes“.

It’s completely unacceptable that building remedial costs are exceeding £700 million. Of course the burden isn’t just financial; there can be a great deal of personal stress attached to these difficult situations including the clean up and often confrontation. On the other side of the coin, there are people who deliberately appoint builders with the intention of never paying for the excellent work they carry out, which then causes huge problems, very often leading towards the builders reputation being tarnished.

Cost over quality
Coming from a family of reputable building and construction porfessionals, I’m aware that the dodgy guys often undercut reasonable quotes in order to secure the work. Yet accepting suspiciously low quotes can be the start of costly mistakes, that sees quality sacrificed in favour of saving money and homeowners being faced with footing an even higher bill to put botched building works right. Ok, we may well blow our own trumpet and claim that Derwood Homes and Developments are excellent repuatable builders, but like everyone else we can make mistakes, but the main thing to look out for is a builder who is keen to please their customers and even admit and rectify any silly mistakes they may make without trying to charge you for doing so.

Tyte addes: “In these challenging economic times, it’s understandable that people want to cut back on costs but where work to the home is concerned it’s just not worth the risk. It’s simply false economy, especially if you’ve invalidated your home insurance by not taking due care. It’s imperative you hire a quality builder, and make sure that the work is done properly.”

Sainsbury’s home insurance warns that in extreme cases, if a homeowner is proven not to have taken reasonable care of their property, they could also risk invalidating their home insurance.

Professional Builders

Professional Builders

So how should you choose a reputable builder?

  • Spend time researching – ask for friends, family or neighbours for recommendations.
  • Follow up references – contact the names the builder gives you and ask to view the work. Happy customers should always be happy to talk and show you the building work they have had done
  • Always check for relevant qualifications and accreditations, from associations such as FMB and the NHBC
  • Always seek at least three quotes and don’t automatically opt for the cheapest. You may well regret it !
  • Get everything in writing, including a breakdown of costs and a completion date for the project.
  • Check your home insurance to ensure you are covered for the work and if a 24-hour home emergency advice service is available should things go wrong.

It is advisable to appoint a builder who has all of the skills and tradesmen within his own team of men. This will ensure that the complete project is carried out efficiently and to the same standards everyone expects. It even means that the builder is in complete control of the project and responsible for everyone working in your home.

Yes, there are nightmare builders out there, but there are also some excellent ones as well.

Looking to find a reliable and reputable builder ?  www.derwoodhomes.co.uk

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Posted in Builders, Home Improvements, House Extensions, landscaping, Loft Conversions, Reputable Builders | No Comments »

Planning Permission – The Basic Requirements

Friday, October 14th, 2011

How To Get Planning Permission

There Are Some Very Basic Things To Consider Prior To Applying For Planning Permission For A New House, A Loft Conversion, or a House Extension.

Over the last 12 months planning rules have changed and in particular so have Building Regulations. The process towards obtaining Planning Permission, in our opinion hasn’t become easier as the government promised. In fact, if truth be known, we could seriously question what if anything the government have done to help the building industry, in particular the so call small builder and developer, let alone people who simply no longer can afford to move house and instead want to carry out refurbishment works.  3d_architecture_concept

Before I get carried away with myself let’s consider what you can do to ensure that whatever planning application you are considering, you can at least help make your application process flow smoothly hence avoiding any long delays.

Here are 10 hots tips for you to consider towards putting together a planning application that in turn will definately help you to save time and money and prevent you from tearing your hair out.

  • Think carefully what it is you would like to achieve and why. In other words, a bigger kitchen, extra loft space for a play room, a bigger lounge or even a garage.
  • It is worth while doing a Google street view search of your property to try and visualize the impact it might have on the street view and your neightbours. This will give you an insight as to whether your expections will over effect your neighbours.
  • Have a chat with your neighbours to see what their thoughts would be and to establish if they would have any objections. It is always best ot have them on your side rather than the other way around.
  • Local planners always consider the impact a house extension, loft conversion, or a garage conversion would have on the street scene and how it would look in comparasion to adjourning properties, so bear this in mind when considering the size and style of what you are considering . It is no good asking for planning permission to build a black house in the middle of a white house, because it would stick out like a sore thumb !
  • The fees that local authorities charge for applying for planning or building regulations have all increased. Some authorities now even charge to consult them for advice. So long gone are the days of being able to pop in to see the planning officer for Free Advice.. Typcial!
    However, their advice could still be worth paying for . That said, just because a local planning officer may not agree with an application whether it be a loft conversion or large extension, it doesn’t mean that you won’t get permission granted. More and more planning appeals are being won than ever before because of the way some local authorities previously ran their departments.Planning Application, Loft Conversion, Garage Conversion, House Extension
  • It is worth while appointing a good builder, architect or engineer who can help you. Someone who is experienced in planning rules and if at all possible can offer who a complete design and build package.
  • Sadly for some reason the local authorities create a lot of unnecessary stress, delays and costs for ordinary people because of the way they operate their services. This can also be very demoralising and extremely stressful for people which has led them to give up trying, Having someone who can offer you a complete package and take away all of the stresses and strains is worth it’s weight in gold.
  • Set yourself a budget and have your project designed around such a budget rather than the other way around.
  • Alway, always, always take into consideration that you may spend more than you anticipated on design and engineering costs towards applying for planning permission and building regulations.
  • It is well worth asking what the design costs, application fees and engineering and building regulation fees will be, prior to kick starting your application.

With new Planning and Building legislation now in place it is a sad fact that costs are rising all the time. So be prepared for how quickly the design and planning fees can all add up to before you even start to dig a hole !

Yours Truly

ROY DERRICK

www.derwoodhomes.co.uk

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Posted in Attic Conversion Companies, Builders, Construction, Home Improvements, House Extensions, Loft Conversions, Reputable Builders, Self Build, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Why People Love Our Loft Conversions

Friday, March 18th, 2011

Quality, Service, Professionlism And A Loft Conversion To be Proud of.

As well as providing some much needed extra space and increasing the value of your property, having a loft conversion can be a relatively pain-free process, but only if you get the right people on board.  At Derwood Homes, we’re passionate about the loft conversions we do, but don’t take our word for it; here are 12 reasons why our customers say they love our loft conversions:

  1. We get you the result you want, the result you deserve, on time and on budget.  It’s that simple.  We’re close to and 100% committed to our customers.  Everything we do, we do with our customers in mind.
  2. We know what we’re doing.  We have more than 10 years experience realising top quality loft conversion projects for our happy clients in Cardiff, Bridgend, Barry and throughout South Wales, so we know what’s what and who’s who when it comes to realising your loft conversion project.
  3. We’re a one-stop-shop, which means you won’t be spending your time trying to manage your project, trying to take it from one stage to the next.  Our job is to take your project from start to finish.
  4. Everyone who works with us and for us is hard working, committed, considerate and tidy with a good sense of humour!  This matters.  This matters because it makes for a happy team as well as happy customers. iStock_000010856590XSmall
  5. We get your loft conversion completed with minimal disruption.  Of course any major home improvement project contains a hassle factor, but we do our utmost to minimise disruption to your day to day life while your loft is being converted.
  6. We have our finger on the pulse when it comes to planning and rules and regulations which means you can rest assured that your project is being done properly and will benefit from all the necessary documentation and certification.
  7. We work all hours.  In the unlikely event that your loft conversion is running behind schedule, we’ll pull out all the stops to get it back on track.  We’ve been known to work weekends in snow and rain to get our customers projects finished on time.
  8. We listen to our clients and make it our job to really understand what they’re hoping to achieve.  This is important, because it’s your project, not ours: we’re only there to realise your dreams.
  9. We have ideas.  Because we’ve been converting lofts “man and boy”, we have seen most ideas put into action.  We can bring ideas, big and small to the table to help make your project even more successful.
  10. The “Boss” is available, visible, accessible and involved.  Our customers appreciate that they have direct access at all times to me, Roy Derrick, who heads up Derwood Homes.  I mightn’t always have an immediate answer to your question, but I’ll certainly know where to find it!
  11. We are recommended by our clients.  The fact that our clients recommend us makes us very proud of what we do.  It makes it all worthwhile.
  12. We offer FREE quotes which means you can find out if your loft conversion project is feasible and affordable at no cost to you and without obligation.

All in all a simple loft conversion can provide answers to numerous scenarios and can also add value as well as extra space to your existing property. However, if you ever consider having a loft conversion, remember to choose an established, reliable builder who can provide testimonials of their work. This will help to ensure that the project runs smoothly to help you realise your dreams in a relatively stress free way.

Feel Free to Contact Us At Any Time

WWW.DERWOODHOMES.CO.UK

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Posted in Attic Conversion Companies, Builders, Construction, Loft Conversions, Reputable Builders | 2 Comments »

Five TOP TIPS to make sure your loft conversion adds value to your home

Friday, March 18th, 2011


Add Value To Your Home With a Loft / Attic  Conversion

In the current climate, there are plenty of people looking for more living space who can’t afford to move and almost as many who can afford to move but are trapped because they can’t sell their home!  This is quite a dilemma and the solution is more often than not found just under the roof.

As well as providing extra space, a loft conversion, if done properly is pretty much guaranteed to add value to your property as well as giving you the opportunity to experiment with your interior design skills.  To help you make sure your loft conversion project adds value to your home, we’ve put together our five TOP TIPS:

Think medium to long term. If you’re thinking of a loft conversion to help sell your house in the short term, think again.  While a loft conversion iStock_000010600743XSmallmight be just what’s needed to get your house noticed in this competitive marketplace, investing purely to sell is a risky strategy.  The best way to think of a loft conversion, like any other investment, is to think in terms of a 3 to 5 year return.

Add living accommodation. Developing any property involves an element of risk, but generally speaking, if you’re making a 3 bed, 1 bathroom home into a 4 bed, 2 bathroom home, it’s pretty certain you’re going to add value.  By adding an extra bedroom and a bathroom, you’re effectively taking your property into a higher price bracket, simply by making it bigger and by increasing the sleeping accommodation.   A word of warning on this point though: don’t skimp on the finish.  Make sure the rooms you add are at least of the same quality finish as the rest of the house and have all the features you’d expect for their purpose.  Finally, it’s important to make sure that your loft conversion respects the style and architecture of your property.  This doesn’t mean that you can’t experiment: a clever blend of old and new works really well, particularly in period loft conversions.

Invest in a proper staircase. If you choose not to install a proper staircase, you risk your loft conversion not being considered part of the house.  It’s really important to plan the access to the loft conversion and as far as possible to make the new staircase seem like a natural continuation of the original one.  While this will add to the cost of the conversion, it’ll certainly make a difference when the time comes to sell.

Get an estate agent involved. Any property development project needs to make financial sense.  One good way of checking to see if your planned loft conversion will add value to your property is by asking the opinion of a trusted local estate agent.  The secret here is not to over-develop.

Work with a reputable company. Even for the most ardent DIY-er, a loft conversion is not generally something worth dabbling with.  Working with a reputable company on your loft conversion will help you, amongst other things: to make sure you respect all the rules and regulations; to make sure you have a good architect and structural engineer on board; to minimise the hassle and real cost of your project and of course to help you get a great end result.All in all a simple loft conversion can provide answers to numerous scenarios and can also add value as well as extra space to your existing property. However, if you ever consider having a loft conversion, remember to choose an established, reliable builder who can provide testimonials of their work. This will help to ensure that the project runs smoothly to help you realise your dreams in a relatively stress free way.

For a Free Quote or Advice Call Us At Any Time

WWW.DERWOODHOMES.CO.UK

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Posted in Builders, Construction, Federation Of Master Builders, Interior Design, Loft Conversions, Reputable Builders, Self Build | 59 Comments »