Common Home Renovation Questions

Take a look at our photo galleries for a selection of projects that we have completed. If you're looking for further inspiration have a look at our Ideabooks on Houzz.

This depends on the work being undertaken; if you decide to consult a home designer or architect, they will suggest ways to create a space that will suit your existing home, meets your needs and your budget, and help you to visualise the end result. Detailed plans and sketches also help us to prepare a more accurate quote and eliminates confusion for all involved in the project.

No, to give you an accurate quote we would need to view the area that needs working on as each project is completely different. We think it's important for you to meet with us 'face to face' and feel comfortable about us working in your property, and we can also provide you with more ideas about what designs would work best if we can see the space concerned.

Our quotes are very detailed and the prices within them are firm, however there are occasional unexpected costs that occur once a project has started - for example, the discovery of hazardous materials that need to be removed (such as asbestos). This is an additional cost, but you would be informed of this as soon as the problem is identified. Likewise, any changes that you want to make while the project is in progress may be subject to additional costs, but again this would be discussed at the time.

Some projects do not require permits, but this will be assessed at the planning/design & quoting stages. We will apply for permits and co-ordinate any inspections as necessary as part of our contract.

Sub-Contractors (or Sub-Trades) are specialized in certain aspects of construction, for example: plumbers, electricians and drywallers. We have selected tradesmen who we work with on a regular basis, and they are able to provide customized work that may not otherwise be directly available to homeowners. We co-ordinate them to complete specific areas of your project as necessary and, as we are the main contractor, their work is included within our price so you would not need to pay them separately.

Depending on the size of the project, we normally request an initial payment (due at the signing of the contract), stage payments (if necessary) during the renovation process, a final payment due at completion, and a holdback once all deficiencies are completed to your satisfaction.

This depends on the size of the project, what other jobs are already scheduled in, availability of supplies, and can depend upon the time of the year (i.e. if weather is a factor for certain types of work).

This is determined by the scale of the project and will be discussed during your initial meeting (and throughout the renovation process); however we can give you a good estimate once your plans/designs have been finalized.

Weather conditions, the discovery of hazardous materials (asbestos, for example) in the existing property and any changes to the project that need further discussion before we can proceed.

You should clear the area of any furniture and personal items before we start (this keeps them safer and cleaner if they are out of the work area).

This depends on the scope of the project. We try not to disrupt your daily schedule and our team will help you to decide if it's feasible, but usually if you have at least one working bathroom and a kitchen/food preparation area then you should be able to remain in your home while work carries on. However, if you are a 'neat freak' you may want to move out!

Although we do our best to keep our work areas as tidy as possible, there will probably be a certain amount of dust generated by our work which may find its way to other areas of the house.