Building Solutions (Midlands) Blog » Domestic

How to find a good builder for your home extension.

Richard — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:43:16 +0000

There are an increasing number of home owners using project managers, commercial surveyors and P.Q.S. for their home extensions (P.Q.S. is a private/professional quantity surveyor). These property professional have the experience and network of building contractors that can tender for your building project or home extension.
This does cost more in professional fees but give the home owner a greater peace of mind as they know that the contractors have a track record of delivering quality work. Your surveyor can help you with the schedule or specification of works producing and managing the tender process and if you wish then go on to project manage the build stage. Fees vary but they really do mitigate your risk as they will produce a watertight contract that protects you the client from poor performance from your building contractor.

How to replace my slate or tile roof

Richard — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:03:40 +0000

First things first, spend a little time finding the correct materials and a good contractor a good roofing contractor will take care of the little details on the verves and valleys that give the overall finish a high standard. Remember all slate and tiles are not created equally Welsh slates are expensive for good reason and cheap tiles may not last as long as a better quality alterative.
Lead flashings and finishing’s can really give your roof a beautiful look but can also give problems if these works are not carried out correctly. There are various grades of lead and lead substitutes so make sure your contractor uses the best. If you are in any doubt ask a Royal Institute Chartered Surveyor to act as project manager or contract administrator.

Getting harder to find a good builder?

Richard — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:51:59 +0000

With another announcement of a local building contractor going into administration within weeks it is getting harder to find a good builder. Many of these firms have years and good trading history but are often pushed into administration as a result of money they are owed by cash strapped developers and members of the public.
The latest casualty is a well know contractor from the Mansfield area and is thought to be leaving up to thirty local builders out of work. They will also leave sub contractors like electricians, plumbers, joiners, painters and decorators, looking hard for their next building contract.

Should I build an extension?

Richard — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:26:00 +0000

Building an extension to your home is well worth considering for at least three reasons :-
(1) it will provide you with the additional space that you require,
(2) it will increase the value of your property, and,
(3) it will avoid you having to sell your property to acquire the space you need, and buy a new home when the locality you are in at present is the one that you like, is close to work and family, and maybe the children are settled in at a nearby school etc.
I have seen a good example of house extension work carried out recently in the North of England which I am aware involved someone who employed a local reputable builder who did a very good job. The semi-detached house had a small kitchen facing the back garden alongside a dining area, the latter forming part of an L shaped lounge.
Although the kitchen and dining area was only extended by a relatively small amount (about 2 meters or so), the new kitchen, and extended dining area, has now an impressive appearance, and a surprisingly large area which the owners are now using, enjoying, and are proud to own.
The example mentioned above had/has further scope for extension as another approach could have been not only to extend the ground floor but also the bathroom above the kitchen could also have been extended, and the bedroom above the dining area could have been extended as well to provide an en suite in this back bedroom. It shows that there can be more than one way to pursue an idea you have in mind.
Whatever your requirements, it is well worth considering and pursuing your ideas to seek a solution to meet your need for more space in your home by building the extension that is right for you.

Surge in new instructions to estate agents good news for builders?

Richard — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 19:18:57 +0000

It is a well know fact that there is a lot of home improvements made when home owners buy or sell a house so builders should welcome the massive 35% leap in home owners and property investors looking to off load their homes or investments. The sudden increase in new instructions in estate agents windows and rightmove listings has in part been driven by those waiting to see what the election would bring. The other more obvious and recent market driver has been the scrapping of that most unpopular of all recent legislation the Home information pack.
With sellers no longer facing a £500 bill just to try their property on the market many are far more tempted to “have a go”. The recent announcements regarding capital gains tax has also seen some buy to let investors looking to crystalise their property gains before they are affected by the proposed changes to capital gains tax.

Should I be worried about the cracks in my brickwork?

Richard — Mon, 31 May 2010 12:08:05 +0000

It is always advisable to have cracks in masonry (brickwork) check out by a professional and that professional is not a builder. The first port of call should be a structural engineer or for a more general condition report a competent surveyor a member of the “Royal Institute of chartered Surveyors”. If you have cracking or signs of movement in the brick work you need to contact a structural engineer. These helpful chaps will give you the benefit of their years of experience and specialist training. Some cracks can be simply repaired with products like “Heli tie fixings”, using specialist resins. Some cracks do show evidence of much more serious problems, like poor foundations or sub-soil erosion often caused by damaged drainage. One of the other issues effecting foundations is heave sometimes caused when large trees are removed and the area of the roots dry and the ground moves or heaves.
Some repairs are made simple with products like stitch cracking bars or wall straps that are used to tie gables to timber roof structures or the use of timber ties or noggins to tackle issues like roof spread. So rather than lay awake at night worrying about them call in a structural engineer and they will often put your mind at rest or suggest some minor works to stop further movement or cracking. This could save you thousands of pounds in the long run.

How to avoid cowboy builders, our top ten tips

Richard — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:30:57 +0000

1. The first actual contact you will have with your potential builder is when you meet to discuss your project. These are only common sense guidelines but they really will help.
1.1 Did they turn up on time, because if they can’t make a sales visit on time it does make you wonder what their timekeeping will be like when they start?
1.2 Did they confirm the appointment a good builder is a busy in demand builder! They will want to make sure that their prospective customer has remembered the appointment.
1.3 Builders are renowned for being scruffy, it is after all difficult to lay bricks in a dinner jacket, but have they made some effort to be tidy before they traps through your home?
1.4 I think this is very important, do you get on if you are faced with seeing this guy every morning before you rush off to work, or he has to break it to you that there is some unforeseen issue. It is always better if you get on with your builder from day one.
2. The next contact you will have is when the dreaded quotation arrives and you find out just how much your project will cost.
2.1 DO NOT ALWAYS ASSUME THAT THE CHEAPEST QUOTATION IS THE BEST, cowboy builders will always price low because that is the easiest way for them to win the work. Once they have the job they will cut corners and rush through with little thought for quality in order to bodge it up in budget.
2.2 MAKE SURE YOU READ THE QUOTE PROPERLY, it is amazing how long people spend choosing food in a restaurant but faced with spending tens of thousands of pounds just flick through the quote.
2.3 MAKE SURE ALL QUOTES are like for like, many contractors use basic items when quoting because they are not sure at this stage on your choices. So tell your builder how much to budget for fittings, flooring etc.
2.4 Look at the quote is it one page? This is an important reference point for your costs, if your contractor has specified man made slates and you wanted new Whelsh slates the cost difference could run into thousands of pounds. So make sure the quote is comprehensive and well written. A good builder will be happy to issue two or three revisions of the quotation to make yours and his life easier once the construction phase of a project begins.
3. A good builder will be able to provide written testimonials from satisfied customers and will be happy for you to call those customers. Can they let you see jobs they have done? Are they recommended by other professionals within the industry? A good builder will have a number of close alliances with building professionals architects, surveyors, structural engineers etc, can they let you speak with some of their extended team?
4. Are they VAT registered, this may seem an odd point but give it a little thought? If a builder does two or three domestic extensions in a year they will be VAT registered. If they are not why not? They cannot be doing the volume of work to give them the buying power or experience needed to undertake a project much over ten thousand.
5. Quality this is important to everyone, then when they are faced with two quotes one for £25,000 and one for £28,000 they start thinking “wow I could save £3,000, that’s enough for that new car or holiday”. The car or holiday will soon be forgotten but that poor bit of finishing you could be looking at for 20years! So start with the end in mind, if a builder is rushed because he has cut the quotation price to the bone quality may slip.
6. Speed you can have a high quality job completed quickly but again only by the best and the best will cost your builder £20-30 per day extra. He will need the best plumbers, plasterers, electricians, etc and as with all experts you get what you pay for.
7. Behaviour people rarely think about this but this causes more issues between customers and builders than people would expect. If you do have a problem with a member of your builder’s team have a quite word with the site foreman. There are cowboys out there that take great delight in shouting, having radios too loud, swearing in front of your children and generally bringing anti-social behaviour into your home. So check your builder’s attitude before you sign him up.
8. Cowboy builders will always talk down the disruption to win the work but be prepared all building work brings disruptions, just the skip on the drive will start to drive you mad after the first few days. This is your home or dream project but to be fare it is also your builder’s place of work, so let them use your toilet and plug their kettle in. The little things like offering the team a cool drink on a hot day will help your job get done quickly and well.
9. Cheaper for cash? This is a sure sign of a dishonest builder, if they are prepared to knock a bit off for cash that shows they are quite happy to commit fraud. Ask your self do I really want to have a fraudster as my builder?
10. Stage payments, most good builders will require stage payments this is standard in the industry for most jobs but make sure that the stage payments are clearly agreed on clear deliverables e.g. footings complete, masonry complete, roof complete, etc. That way everyone knows where they stand through the project, I have heard of builders suddenly asking for £5,000 and expecting it in the next two hours. So make sure you discuss all these details before you start.

Do I need planning?

Richard — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:43:37 +0000

Seeking Planning Permission for alterations/extensions to your home or for a new build, if you have not been involved in such matters before, can be rather daunting for some people. It is important to bear in mind a few guidelines and I mention a couple of these which are important to note before any works start.
(1) Don’t progress any works on the project in mind before you have researched what Planning Permission, or other Authority you need. You can be made to remove/ or the Local Authority will take action to remove any/all building works in some cases, at your expense, and it is not advisable to rely on Retrospective Planning Permission being given for any building project deemed to need Planning Permission.
(2) You could need Building Regulations Approval, even if you don’t need full Planning Permission.
A reputable Builder, will of course know Building Regulations details, and you should note it covers such things as structural requirements, energy efficiency, fire safety, damp proofing etc.
An experienced /reputable builder will progress with you all the requirements of any building project concerning Planning Permission, Building Regulations and Public Utility (Electricity/ Gas/ Water) concerns from the planning stages to completion of the works.

As Safe as Houses?

Amanda — Sat, 15 May 2010 09:54:27 +0000

Some positive news from the Council of Mortgage Lenders suggests that this year so far, repossessions and mortgage arrears have both reduced. This time last year, repossessions stood at 13,200, compared to the 9,800 for the first quarter of 2010.

Although we are warned not to become complacent as we cannot be certain what lies ahead with our economy. People have lost their jobs but somehow managed to meet mortgage payments due to the continually low interest rates, while some have had help and support from the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. Let’s hope our newly formed Government recognise the importance of helping homeowners to keep a roof over their head.

Rising market delivers blow to First Time Buyers

Amanda — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:35:28 +0000

House prices have risen for the fifth consecutive month, bringing the annual UK rise to 9.7 per cent and the average house price to £205,598.

As the prices increase, it becomes virtually impossible for young people who haven’t had the opportunity to save a large deposit, unless they have had some help from relatives, to even get within sniffing distance of the property ladder. With wages not increasing either, potential first-timers are destined to remain in rental properties.

Perhaps the new Government will make a difference? Capital Gains Tax is due to be increased; meaning investors and the like may want to offload their properties to avoid the higher rate from next April. Also, the scrapping of Home Information Packs may encourage more properties onto the market, but these things take time.