need help? contact us
mobile
landline
When planning home improvements or property renovations, there are some early steps you can take to save time, money, stress and problems. As time-served carpenters and builders, the team at Complete Carpentry & Maintenance Ltd provides expert advice to help you get the most from your project. In this guide, we explain crucial steps to take before starting building work, such as loft conversions and home extensions. Covering Crawley, Haywards Heath and the surrounding areas, we can help enhance your property with honest and reliable services.
Here's what to do:
It is always important to check if the work you want to carry out will require planning permission and/or another type of approval, such as building regulations approval. Such applications can mean additional costs and may delay project start dates. If you choose a contractor registered with a competent person scheme, you will not have to apply for building regulations approval yourself.
You must also check if you are in a conservation area. In addition, you may need freeholder permission for building work if you own the leasehold, not the freehold, on your Haywards Heath home.
It is best to ask for recommendations from people you know. You should also ask contractors for references, recent examples of their work and contact details of references so you can verify them. Before hiring a company for loft conversions, home extensions or property renovations, we also recommend asking for proof of qualifications and interviewing contractors in person.
A quote is a promise to complete building work for a certain price. This can be a verbal or written agreement but having it in writing means you can prove your agreement if there is a dispute. Try to get at least three quotes from different carpenters/builders/contractors in the Haywards Heath area so you can compare.
Ideally, your quote should include a fixed total price rather than a daily rate. In the case of the latter, ask for further information in writing, such as how many days the work will take and how many hours count as a day.
As with the quote, it is important to have a contract in writing. This can help ensure you get what you paid for or some of your money back. When you receive the contract, check it over to make sure it covers everything agreed. Alternatively, you can write your own contract.
The contract should include various details about your individual Haywards Heath project. Whether relating to loft conversions, property renovations, home extensions or something else, contracts should cover exactly what you are paying for and everything agreed on, such as timings, materials and how/when you will pay.
