Complete Refurbishment

When we purchased our Victorian end terrace property, we knew that the property required a complete renovation as well as re-configuring for modern-day living. Downstairs, the rooms were a good size but too small to accommodate multiple functions and so cooking, eating and living would not be possible in the same space, something we knew from the beginning we wanted to achieve. After speaking to Paul and our Architect we decided to build a small extension at the rear of the property and make some structural alterations to create one large open space. The flat roof extension, although small, made a big impact both in terms of increasing the overall footprint and enabling us to add on a flat roof light to bring in more light.

Throughout the entire build Paul advised us on changes we should make to improve the final outcome such as the removal of our central chimney to allow a more practical entrance from the hall to our kitchen as well as increasing the square footage in our family bathroom and guest bedroom which was a very successful alteration. Paul was also very influential on material selection advising us on the most suitable and most cost-effective material throughout the build. His knowledge of building materials made sourcing things like the handmade bricks for the extension very easy, ensuring that alterations to our home looked in keeping with the original building.

Paul's keen and sometimes obsessive eye for detail meant that he was catching issues before they became a problem, for example, Paul had noticed that our new flat roof light was not aligned centrally with the new French doors on the extension, something he felt would not look correct when viewed externally and advised we alter the position of the doors as opposed to the position of the roof lights, little details like this make a big impact on the finished result and it is something that both us and the architect overlooked.

Throughout the build, Paul managed a wide range of trades for us, ensuring we had the right workmen on site at the right time. This meant that the build was constantly kept on schedule and we didn’t have to worry about the quality of workmen as they all came thoroughly recommended. The house is on a tight street with very little space at both the front and rear of the property, which needed to be considered throughout the project. Paul ordered all materials for us as they were needed to ensure that unnecessary space wasn’t taken up on site, which helped the project run smoothly. Paul also worked with our neighbours within the road to ensure that minimal disruption would be caused by the build, making sure that their bin collections and on-road parking would be catered for.

One of the main issues we ran into with the build was the footings for the extension, living extremely coast the ground had running sand which is a known issue in the area. Paul worked with our building control officer to ensure a solution was found quickly preventing any delay in the project.

Overall the finished result has gone above and beyond our expectations. The house has been transformed from a tired and worn-down building to a modern, warm, cosy living space that is perfect for modern-day living. The new open plan area is exactly what we had envisaged and allows us to host and live in a more inclusive engaging way. If we decide to do any further projects in the future, we know for certain that we will be working with Paul and the team at OPB.