What’s the deal with building extensions? choosing your contractors

In this current economic climate (and with the state of property markets as they are at current) people are deciding to not to sell-up and instead stay-put. However, staying-put doesn’t mean being put-down. People have decided to invest into where they are living now. Two of the most common and popular ways of doing this is through loft conversions and building extensions.

In the last two blogs we looked at the planning permissions and building regulations stages of this process (please bear in mind that they are not the same thing – for further clarification read our previous blogs to help you or contact us).

Now we finally get to the selection process…

Choosing your workforce

Choosing your workforce is a very important part of this as we have expressed time and time again. We’re not saying it’s only worth using Modern Attics however! Do the research yourself. Ask for recommendations from friends, look for online testimonials, get free quotes and check the prices. Be prepared!

By placing emphasis on this extensive selection process you weed out the cowboy builders. Cowboy builders come in all forms and even when they appear to charge you less, you can be sure they will cut corners and end up costing you far more in the long-term. Remember, this is an investment not a quick job to give the appearance that your home is better put together than it really is. When it comes to buying property people do their research too.

Building an extension requires a lot of work, and it would be prudent, for those who can afford it, to invest in a professional project manager to oversee the entire process. If you can afford a project manager, they will take care of organising any labour and supplies that will be needed. This saves you the massive headache of being in charge of doing everything yourself. Find a good project manager or a reliable workforce and your job is pretty much done.

There are reputable tradesmen, architects and builders who can help you and impartially advise you. If you can, talk to several different contractors and ask for quotes on your proposed extension. Collate the quotes together and make an informed decision. Ensure that when you get your quotes that the building extensions firm has included all of the building supplies in the quote itself. Find out if any specialised materials are required and how much they add on. Detailed breakdowns of all of these costs should be made available to you. if you know anyone in the business take the quotes to them for more advice on making a decision.

Remember, there’s nothing wrong with asking to see the contractors or builders previous work. In fact, they should display it proudly on their website.

We’re not quite done talking you through the building extensions process yet as there is still some other major pieces of this particular puzzle missing. If you can’t wait for more information please contact us for a free quote or advice.


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