Buildburo. Local builder in London's Chelsea, Kensington & Westminster

Main Contractor, Local Builder for renovation & refurbishment of luxury residential property in West London's Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster

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Modernise interiors or keep period character

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If you own a period property in London, perhaps in a conservation area or even a Listed building,  you may consider doing some building work or interior renovation work so it is more comfortable and practical for you to enjoy. You will need to ask yourself a couple of questions regarding the nature of the refurbishment work that needs doing and what you want to end up with. The biggest decision to make on the interior of your property is whether to preserve the style of the property in your renovation or to bring it up to date and in line with modern tastes.

Period property renovation

Often when your house needs renovating, you don’t want to lose the specific character it oozes because of the architecture or its interior period style. Indeed, some of the Georgian, Regency, Victorian or Edwardian homes in London are considered the most beautiful in the world. When renovating period property in London, an experienced construction company with experience operating in London over several years will be able to preserve your property’s character or even enhance it with their construction work.

Modern overhauls for period property

You may prefer the idea of injecting a more modern style into your interiors and changing the layout. Happy with the character and period style of the exterior of the house, you may be more concerned with modernising your interiors so they work much better and have a more contemporary design. Again, this is perfectly possible, even in conservation areas and you must be clear and communicate your specification so that your interior designers incorporates them into your building plans and the builders can create the home in London you so desperately crave.

good interior design lets personality shine

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Interior design of your home is of huge importance and determines how comfortable you are. All interiors say a lot about who you are and what you are like. In short, the interior design of your home reflects your personality, and good interior design should let your personality shine through. Moreover, your guests and visitors are likely to give you the kudos and put a certain amount of stock into the way your home is presented, and the closer your property is to your personality and the way you like to live, the more effective your interior design is. This is why renovating a property that is not quite “you” makes a lot sense.

When you are happy with the interior design of your home, you feel more at home there. Finding a good interior designer, and a high quality renovation company who can design and build beautiful homes in London is not always straightforward. A company offering all the different disciplines involved in a renovation project means you can often achieve more with less, create a stunning interior more easily and faster, and everything is pulled together as it should be with a lot less effort on your part. You also have a much better chance of achieving the look you want with fewer headaches and problems.

Strong communication with a dedicated project manager and interior designer means your vision is articulated accurately to the residential architect, engineers, builders and decorators. Interior designers often create impressive blank canvases for you to fill with your own possessions and stamp your own personality on a property by applying those little finishing touches along with furniture, art and decorative pieces.

project management is more efficient done by a professional

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When renovating or refurbishing a property in London, project management can be an extremely challenging and time consuming because you are communicating with such a wide range of professional contractors as well as your local authority or managing agents. Residential building projects, especially in London’s conservation areas rely on excellent project management. The project manager schedules all the work that needs to be done, makes arrangements with all the contractors on your project and generally makes sure your refurbishment is going to plan and on schedule.

Some people take on the role of Project Manager themselves when they need renovation work on their home, but this can be a risky option and is often a mistake. Working with professional project managers helps ensure your renovation runs efficiently and as smoothly as possible, with minimal disruption to yourself.

Working with a competent project manager can save you a lot of time but if you chose the wrong one, it can also be quite costly and hinder the process. Working with an architectural design and local building company is a sensible option, because the professional project manager is part of the same team, assigned to your specific job. As well as improved communication and accountability, the project management is also included in the fees, with no additional project management fess incurred. You liaise with your project manager whenever you need to talk over your refurbishment, they will communicate with you and all the people involved in your renovation to find the right solutions.

A professional design and build company in London means the builders and designers are working for you and on the same team. This improves efficiency, speeds up decision making and ensures someone is responsible for your renovation. No one passes the buck, no one else to take the blame, nowhere to hide.

renovation experts create space in small homes

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Among the techniques your team of expert renovators are likely to look at using will be an increase in light. Natural light is very important in all modern homes, but it is even more crucial when there’s not a lot of space inside. Extra light pouring in through skylights and windows can help make your whole home feel much brighter and give the impression of being larger as a result.

Another technique used in London property is to actually open spaces up, physically. It’s not uncommon for contemporary renovations to involve a little work on the walls, either to move them or remove them, open them up or to create half walls where they used to be. This allows light to flow from room to room, creating a much more positive atmosphere.

Hallways, landings and staircases always benefit from a extra natural light because they are the parts of the house that welcome you home every day. It’s important to see what ideas your architect and builder can come up with together to see how you can open these areas up an make them feel more spacious. It is really useful for your residential architect and your local builder to work together from the very beginning of your renovation. This gives the most time for solutions to be created and opportunities explored. Often in this scenario, building expertise and design flair combine to make 1+1 add up to 3.

It’s even possible for your architect and builder to work along side an interior desiger to boost your options further in terms of storage space and so on. This is an important consideration, particularly if your property has a relatively small footprint or limited storage space currently.

the best approach to renovation

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Consistency and teamwork are absolutely crucial to the success of any renovation, refurbishment or building project as well as being prepared and planning it out. Great teamwork is not always easy to achieve or straightforward, especially if interests vary.

Difficulties often arise because of miscommunication, delays in relaying messages or decisions and a lack of togetherness when it comes to putting certain key elements or practices into action. This can cause a renovation project to stall, leading to logistical problems and putting pressure on your budget and timeline. The key is to avoid situations like this arising at each and every opportunity.

This can be difficult when you have appointed and are dealing with a collection of independent, unconnected contractors, even though you are their client. If your residential architects, local builders, interior designers and project managers are not all singing from the same hymn sheet, problems are likely to occur.

Fortunately, London is home to some very reputable design and build companies that specialise in bringing all of these different elements of a project under one roof. If your architects, interior designers and builders all work for the same construction company in London, everyone shares the same goals and your renovation project will benefit.

By reducing the risk of communication problems and eliminating misunderstandings between different contractors involved in your project, you will have more confidence in what is being proposed, scheduled and carried out and that the completed property will meet or even surpass your expectations.

Renovate a London house with a view to renting it out

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Buying a house in London represents a really good investment opportunity even if you don’t personally intend to live in the house. You may already have a property in London that you are happy living in or you may live elsewhere in the UK. Nevertheless, a property investment in London is good news because London properties are always in high demand with people looking to rent.

Securing additional property to build your property portfolio or to rent out is great because it can earn you extra money and additional capital return for your property portfolio. Property in the capital is not really subject to the same rules as in the rest of the country because people are so keen to live and work in London. As a result, investing in London property is less of a risk than investing in property anywhere else.

It makes sense to renovate the property you have invested in especially if you have bought something relatively cheap that needs work before it can become a suitable place to rent out. Buildburo routinely renovate London property, a sure way to attract more interest in your property whilst putting you in a stronger position to charge a good rent for it, achieve a strong capital investment return and income yield.

Old London properties benefit from modern materials

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One of the most appealing things about living in London is the array of wonderful period town houses and older properties on offer. These stunning properties often make fantastic, comfortable homes and they make a wonderful impression on your guests, friends and family.

However, it is important to remember that older properties in the capital city are sometimes in need of significant modernisation. If no previous owner has taken the steps to bring the property into the modern era, then it will be up to you to make the necessary changes. Sometimes, a refurbishment has been completed but it was over 20 or 30 years ago and is tired and needs completely renovating. The woodwork might be worn, the flooring tired and creaking, the doors might not be closing properly or the windows might be in need of attention.

It can seem like something of a challenge to update one of London’s older properties to make it suitable for today’s modern lifestyle, especially in a conservation area or if it is a listed building. You should use the expertise of one of the capital’s reputable construction and local building companies. They can often advise on what is possible and what is not, before you go and meet with an interior designer or an architect. If you are looking for qualified architects, expert craftsmen, specialist trades and interior designers, London is definitely the place to be. It is sensible for property owners to seek the opinion of a respected residential architect, discussing their ideas with a local building company at the initial design stage. Considerations such as what might work well, what could be a challenge to build, is there  a different way to build something or achieve almost the same effect without the expense, what’s possible, what elements need to be considered and how long the renovation of this old property might take.

Local building companies bring all aspects of renovation under one roof to make the process of having your home refurbished or modernised much easier. Importantly, you need to have the whole project managed as well – and if your construction partner knows their stuff, they can often do this for you at no extra charge. When the builder and architect are working closely, they can incorporate modern building materials that more energy efficient, smaller, neater, stronger, lighter or more malleable. Working as a team with you as the captain, is the best way to transform your older property into a home that meets the contemporary needs of you and your family.

Renovate new home interiors before moving to London

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When you relocate to London, if you are lucky, you may have already seen some of the wonderful residential properties available to buy in London. Famous for it’s classic and period architecture, London’s beautiful architecture is not confined to public buildings, churches and palaces alone. The city is also famous  for the architecture of its residential properties including houses, apartments, mansion blocks and mews houses. Indeed, some of the styles can be found around the world in prestigious houses and residences, some of the world’s most iconic buildings. You could be living in one of these period residential properties, soaking up the atmosphere of the capital, enjoying London’s vibrant city lifestyle, marvelling at the architecture and your neighbouring streets. However, many of London’s architectural marvels are usually relatively old and need some attention on the inside as well as the outside.

You can buy a home in London and still find great value. If you decide to give your home in London some TLC (tender loving care) and take on a renovation, you can often unlock a lot more value and secure a better return on your investment in a London property quite quickly. Addressing ageing, dark or cramped interiors is an exciting and fun project – modernising the inside of your new home before you move in to become as impressive from within as it is from the outside.

London has a number of very high quality renovation experts who can help you tackle a refurbishment project with the skill, expertise and professionalism required to design & build a truly stunning interior space, worthy of the property you have invested in and its majestic surroundings.

impressive London properties benefit from interior renovation

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London is famous for stunning Georgian, Edwardian, Victorian and Regency period properties found in beautiful parts of the capital such as Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster and Mayfair. These houses are absolutely gorgeous on the outside, but often need a certain amount of modernisation to make them as impressive on the inside. This is purely down to the fact that the properties have been standing for a long time and need periodic attention to meet modern tastes and requirements.

Interior renovation does not have to be drastic to be effective. The key lies in finding a local construction firm who understand how to renovate period property, update listed buildings and their interiors so they are clean, safe, attractive and energy-efficient – something that can be achieved whilst introducing a simple but sophisticated new style.

It is important to choose a team of designers and builders in the capital whose skills allow you to renovate your property using modern techniques, whilst maintaining the historical appeal and aesthetic charm that makes these houses so impressive in the first place.

Fortunately, when it comes to property renovation, London has plenty of professionals with the expertise to deliver the right balance of continuity and modernisation for your home whether your home is a listed building or in a conservation area.

Large scale renovation projects need project management

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When embarking on a large scale renovation project for your home, seeking the advice of a team of experienced, professional project managers is not to be underestimated. Managing a substantial design and build project is daunting, even if you are confident in timetabling and completely confident that you understand building drawings, construction and interior design. Throw in conservation areas and planning permissions required, it can become a little overbearing and might be too much to take on.

The fact is, you may not have the time necessary to devote to the successful management of your project. Considering a full redesign of your interiors is likely to require the involvement of a number of different professionals, including interior designers, carpenters, cabinet makers, upholsterers, curtain makers, kitchen designers, structural engineers, plasterers, decorators, builders and architects. Fortunately, London is the right place to find incredibly talented design and build companies capable of managing the entire project for you, with project management fees included.

Indeed, sometimes you do not need to hire a separate building project manager to manage your renovation project effectively. When you are using a dedicated design and build firm, project management is included in your design and build costs. Nothing to add on top. No percentages to work out. You should rightly expect professionals from several different fields to work seamlessly together, to be efficient and considerate whilst working together to drive the progress and completion of your renovation project. Generally, this means your refurbishment runs smoother, is completed to a higher standard and within your stipulated time frame.

Another advantage not to be overlooked of having the entire project managed by a single local company is you only need one single point of contact. This saves a lot of time and means you have a dedicated project manager to deal with any issues on your behalf, communicate with you regularly and advise you with tricky decisions, weighing up both the pros and cons with you.

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