Loft convertion and house renovation in SW11: help please!

[Matl]

Hi everyone ,
We are looking into doing a significant house renovation including a loft conversation, in a conservation area.
Are there any names you would recommend? Our keys points on deciding which company to choose are: quality of work, good project management, small slippage of initial budget, keeping to deadlines, fair pricing and ability to propose original solutions design wise if required!
Thank you!!!

[GeorgieB89]

Try BTL property in Fulham. You'll get an incredibly detailed quote, down to the cost of a metre of skirting, so at least you know what you're in for. The company has mushroomed over the last couple of years (on account of good builders being hard to find) so there's now a team of project managers. They sub the work out but you deal with your project manager. It may come in more costly on the initial quote but there are no surprises or extras - plus they used to guarantee the work for five years - although this doesn't mean anything if a company goes under. R and M Lines are also considered good but I've no experience of them (and I have a feeling they're mega bucks). HTH

[Peppermill23]

After I saw some comments in this forum www.nappyvalleynet.com/mums/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=53748
I decided to hire a qualified architect and a builder ourselves rather than use a one-stop extension company. FYI.

[Apatite1]

I too have hired an architect to design, plan and project manage a major house renovation and double storey extension.

[Matl]

Thank you very much for all the replies! I will post an update about my renovation experience in due time!

[minipie]

We live nearby and are having some building work done at the moment. Would definitely recommend our builders (they were recommended to me through nappyvalleynet). They do not subcontract and use only their own tried and tested employees, which was very important to us. They have done a high quality and speedy job so far - and I am fussy! I will PM you with the details.

[minipie]

Argh, can't seem to get a PM to send. Anyway the company is called Pace and the main guy is Vas, his number is 07888 827464. PM me if you want any more details, hopefully I can receive PMs even if I can't send them...

[audrey01]

We have used the same team of builders as minipie, and I recommended them both here and on nappyvalleynet. So glad to hear that they get recommended again, they are very good, professional and willing to go the extra mile to make their clients happy.

[Phoenixfrights]

The design-and-build,, 'whistles and bells' companies are so, so expensive

We had a couple round to quote and the amount they wanted was utterly ludicrous. Architect with appropriate building contacts is a far better bet.

[Matl]

would anyone recommend an architect please?
Thanks!!!

[audrey01]

We have worked with David Burgess from Burgess Mean Architects on our house refurbishment. We were very pleased with him, able to understand our brief and complement our own ideas on use of glazing with practical use of space.

Tom Pike at Gilles & Pike is another architect that we talked to, but in the end we didn't go with them as they wanted full control of the project.

For our current renovation project, we are working with Tom Appleton from Avis & Appleton, he is also very good and I quite like his contemporary ideas. Unfortunately, we are dealing with Lambeth Council on this project, and whatever we proposed has been rejected as too modern :-(

[Thistledew]

We are at the stage of getting plans for a loft conversion and ground and first floor extension through planning. Based a little further out in KT3, but roughly the same neck of the woods.

I'm adding my bit to this thread in the hope of getting some good suggestions for builders, but am happy to recommend the architect that we have been using, Ian Stagg. He is quite 'old school' but he seems really happy to work with his clients to come up with practical solutions at a price that doesn't cost the earth. I'm happy to provide his contact details to anyone who wants them.