The Hidden Benefits of Building

We love our end results, and so do our clients, so we often find ourselves talking about the wonderful product that you achieve at the end of a fantastic renovation. We even talk about the hidden costs to plan for, with tips and tricks for avoiding pain. But today, we wanted to talk about the actual building work itself and how a skilled building team and great communication make all the difference.

Location: Lewisham, south-east London

The value of a great builder

We are in the destruction phase of three separate projects, and on a recent site visit, it occurred to us that there is a huge hidden benefit that a knowledgeable builder brings that we don’t talk about as much as we love to talk about the final result.

During the building phase is when most of the “nasty surprises” come to light. Not fun at all, we know, but this is also the point at which a good builder can start to rebuild your house on a more solid foundation, fix wall structure problems, rewire safely and sensibly, or update pipework systems (you get the picture!). All things that when done incorrectly or go unnoticed can cause major headaches down the line. Builders should rip out what isn’t fit for purpose and make good. In this sense, it isn’t just making it look nice with a smooth finish, but correcting any flaws that could prove very painful in the longer term.

More than just a new look

This means that, of course, you not only get a fabulous new space when all the work is done but a fundamentally more solid, warmer, safer home that you can be confident in. This work saves our clients so much potential aggravation and costs in the years to come. A skilled builder will take it in their stride so that you almost don’t notice this work being done in the background, but we know how important and valuable it is, and how communicating this with our clients as a project goes along is key to our work.

Real life examples

Here are just a few of the issues we’ve uncovered (and resolved!) during recent projects with quotes from our building team:

Excessive wiring (potential fire hazard!)

“You could run a space launch with that much wiring.”

Big hole in foundations.

“Undermining the entire floor, creating a cold area”

Insecure back wall

“We need to fix this to stop the house from falling down!”

Hidden damp

“It's amazing what you find when you start pulling things down.”

Blocked up air bricks

“This should finally fix the damp issues that have plagued the house.”

Fan that vents into the roof cavity

“The roof insulation was rotten right through.”

We even find secret rooms!

A well executed renovation gives you more than just aesthetics and an increase in your homes value, it ensures a safer, more comfortable and more efficient home for many years to come.

And next time you embark on a renovation, remember that what’s happening behind the scenes is just as important as what you’ll see when it’s all finished! We keep our clients in the loop every step of the way so that nothing is left in the dark.

Mia and Lisa on a build