Urban Design Build
In 2016 we asked Urban to build a hip-to-gable loft extension.
The build was very well managed from the start, with good attention to detail at every stage, from the structural engineering drawings right through to the final wall finish.
The building team were polite, discreet and hard working, turning up promptly, and working thoughtfully and methodically throughout the day.
Having building work done when you're living in can be pretty disruptive at times but the disturbance was always kept to a minimum and great care was taken to protect us and the existing walls, carpets and furniture from the inevitable dust and rubble created by the work.
Loft extensions in a terrace require a steel beam that is supported by the party wall.
There was no infringement on the other side of the party wall, which was important because we didn't want to fall out with the neighbours.
We were invited to look over the work every week and they were happy to incorporate our requests for wall and window positioning and interior detailing before each section was started.
The site manager is someone that you can have a laugh with, he's a good listener and was happy to explain the finer points of the building work. We had a strong sense that he and his team were bringing skills from their many previous projects and had already anticipated many of the concerns that we had along the way.
Once the main structure of the extension was finished, equally polite and efficient subcontractors were brought in, on time and each finished their work to a high standard.
Building regulations were explained and strictly adhered to, so there were no problems when each part of the regulations were signed off by the inspector.
The work took a few months longer than anticipated, but remained on budget, and the quality of work has in our view been excellent value for money, particularly as the value of the house has now increased substantially beyond the cost of the building work.
At the end of the job, we asked them to do a lot of extra work, this increased the budget slightly, but they were happy to fit the work in, and the extra cost was very reasonable.
A year and a half after the build and it's as good as when it was finished; rock solid, no movement or cracks inside or out, in spite of huge temperature changes and very heavy downpours. It's comforting to know that the GRP roof, which they fit as standard, has a 25 year guarantee.
If you want a smart, value-for-money builder that you can get on with, we would certainly recommend Urban Design Build.