www.ng-architects.co.uk
| Residential Extensions |
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We provide a full service for clients to extend their homes without difficulty in the most cost-effective way. Many prospective clients have not extended their home before and appreciate some help in finding the best way to proceed. Our initial meeting is without obligation or charge and gives us the opportunity to look at the prospective work and offer helpful advice. As a result of the initial visit a clear and detailed quotation describing all of the work and costs involved is produced. Our work usually falls into 5 main categories as follows, although these are flexible to meet our clients’ needs. 1. Briefing, Survey and Sketches This begins with the formulation of the client’s requirements by discussing the proposed project in detail. A dimensional survey of the existing house will then be carried out and drawn up and utilising this information we will usually prepare several sketch designs for discussion with the client. Depending on the circumstances, it may be necessary at this stage to discuss the proposal with the planners. 2. Design and Planning The selected design will then be worked up into drawings to accompany the planning application, which we undertake to place with the local authority on the client’s behalf as their agent. The drawings describe the use of the building or extension and show how it will look. 3. Building Regulations Once planning permission is obtained it is necessary to add technical information to the drawings. This is to describe how the extension will be constructed so that compliance with Building Regulations can be shown. Particular attention is given to the structure, insulation, drainage and ventilation. Once the drawings are complete we make a Building Regulations application again as the client’s agent. 4. Specification and Tender In order to obtain the best price possible for the construction of the extension we prepare a specification. This document describes the contract details (to ensure the smooth running of the work on site), the quality standards and most importantly lists all of the work required. This together with drawings and other tender documentation is sent to a list of builders who have performed well for us in the past. The benefit of this procedure is that all of the builders are pricing for exactly the same work and can be directly compared with each other. This substantially reduces the onset of "unexpected extras" at a later stage. Tender prices can vary enormously, and variations of £5,000 on a predicted £35,000 job are not unusual which shows that a substantial saving can be made by following this procedure. We help our clients choose the best builder once the tenders are returned. 5. Site/Contract Supervision Once a builder is selected we execute a simple standard contract which offers protection and security to both parties. The work then begins and we make regular checks on the quality of the work to ensure it meets the criteria agreed in the specification. At regular intervals (usually every 4 weeks) we value the work and authorise payment by certificate. This ensures that the client never pays more than the value of the work on site. A percentage of the certified amount is retained and this is held until the work is deemed to be satisfactory six months after completion. This ensures that there is a final amount of money available if defects do appear and the builder cannot or will not rectify them. Once the work is satisfactorily completed our work is over and we have often become friends with our clients who then recommend us to their friends. Key Benefits
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