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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project management is more efficient done by a professional

June 25, 2018 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Project Management, Renovation

the best approach to renovation

April 17, 2018 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation Tagged With: build, construction, design, local builder, London, Project Management, property, refurbishment, Renovation, residential

Old London properties benefit from modern materials

December 14, 2017 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation

Renovate new home interiors before moving to London

November 6, 2017 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Project Management, Renovation Tagged With: London, relocate, Renovate, residential prop

Creating Your Dream Home? Call your local builder

July 20, 2017 By buildburo Leave a Comment

When it comes to property renovation, project management and interior design, using a local and professional builder enables you to achieve outstanding results.

For some, the DIY approach works well; after all, the UK is the DIY capital of the world. However, for that truly professional finish and to create an environment you will really be proud of, consider taking advantage of the experience and knowledge of professional local builders who have been renovating residential property for over 20 years in London.

[Read more…] about Creating Your Dream Home? Call your local builder

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Project Management, Renovation Tagged With: Home Design, Professional Design

Ensure your local builder and architect are on the same team

October 19, 2016 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

Independent residential architects and local builders are usually two very different types of people. As a result, sometimes your renovation could be more difficult for you to manage or take a lot more time than you anticipated.

If your London home needs serious attention to the interior design or layout, you will need the expertise of both a residential architect and local construction company to make a really impressive renovation a reality. It can be daunting when trying to appoint both these professionals, organise the operations in both companies whilst coordinating and scheduling activity and juggling your diary day to day. Common questions or concerns shared by many London property owners are:
Will they get on? What will happen when something goes wrong?
Are they prepared to be held to account and who will take responsibility?
How will they solve problems that arise? What will I do if they fall out?
Have they worked together before? Will they work well together on my project?
Will I be a priority to them?

It sounds exhausting just thinking about it and they are all legitimate questions to ask your local residential architect and your preferred local building and construction company.

These are all fair questions that home owners in London often ask before we start a renovation or refurbishment project. Some clients feel all this might be too much and decide to appoint a dedicated project manager to help them with this process. Good in theory, and sometimes a real asset. Generally, we find what works much better (more efficient, most cost effective and faster) is to appoint a design and build company comprising of both residential architects and local builders. Working on the same team and if possible, even sharing the same office. This means questions can be asked by nipping over to a desk and getting the answer immediately. This has considerable and tangible value, especially during large renovation projects where strong communication and excellent understanding is critical.

Sharing valuable construction expertise and inputting into building design decisions early on in the process means you avoid wasting time and resources with designs that simply will not work or be possible to construct in your home. It’s easy to underestimate the benefits of this approach. Ultimately, this sharing of expertise and responsibility saves you a great deal of trouble, eliminates a lot of stress, usually saves an enormous amount of time and may save you considerable amounts of money. It certainly offers you peace of mind that the project management is in good hands and being handled properly.

A firm made up of reputable builders and residential architects in London is likely to provide a much smoother service than a series of different providers, all offering their services independently and protecting their own interests. As well as peace of mind, there is also much less chance of little things being overlooked when one company takes full charge of a renovation project. On top of this, you have one point of contact who is in full control of the entire renovation – responsible and accountable. No one blaming someone else, no one falling out with each other, just having your best interests at heart.

In addition, your renovation will be free to run as smoothly as possible and you won’t be bothered by smaller details, problems can be dealt with (even before you know they existed) and project management is straightforward for all involved. Having shared a workable timetable for both teams with you from the beginning, you can manage your property renovation effectively with minimal effort on your part.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation

Design and build with all project management

August 26, 2016 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

It is important you select a competent and experienced, professional construction company and chose very carefully when you are looking to modernise your West London property. London properties can be extremely striking, but they can be even more impressive once they have been renovated by experts and fit for modern day living.

Your best choice when you are looking to make some changes to the interiors of your property is to contact a team of expert interior designers and residential architects – to “see and create” the new interior space you are hoping for – as well as some building and construction professionals who know all of the important steps to take when building your perfect renovation. Having the design and build together in one company means you benefit from having a single point of contact.

If your property is in Kensington & Chelsea or Westminster, your refurbishment or renovation could be completed by a single design and build company. By taking on all the architectural and design elements, building work and interior design (including all the snagging and post contract after care) you benefit from excellent communication and have someone accountable for your entire renovation project. Otherwise you might be left chasing a number of different tradesmen offering different services who are all trying to blame each other for things not running to plan or schedule.

The most tangible differences you see from a design and build company will be reduced disruption to you personally, time saved by all parties being on the same team and you talking with just one person who is responsible for your entire renovation project, much greater efficiency on your project including all project management, respected time scales and much better results.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation

Stages involved in an extensive property renovation

November 18, 2015 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

Professional building companies are a real asset to have on board when you want your home renovated. Lots of really impressive London properties have been given the benefit of a full-scale internal renovation in order to prepare them for the more modern lifestyles of their owners.

Firms dealing with property renovation in London usually offer a range of connected services. These are often as follows:

Architecture

Skilled architects are your first port of call. They are the team with the vision and expertise to create a workable design for the renovation of your home.

Interior design

Interior design is all about attention to detail. The team responsible for your interiors is likely to prioritise aesthetics and practicality in equal measure to deliver stunning décor that also promotes convenience.

Building

A dedicated team of builders must be on hand in order to effect all maintenance work to the highest of standards and with the professionalism and transparency you expect from a highly qualified outfit.

Project management

To top things off, you should be able to take advantage of excellent project management. This simply ensures your project stays on budget and meets expected deadlines. A good project management team will also offer a great aftercare package.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation

Teamwork is secret to great property renovation in London

September 24, 2015 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

A home renovation has to be a team effort in order for it to be a success. The holy trinity in construction terms is that of the Client, the Architect and the Builder. There isn’t any room for egos and bickering between different parties when trying to facilitate and move a project forward. The real concern is how to create a really impressive renovation and put everything in place to meet and exceed expectations, whilst respecting project goals set, including the budget and times scheduled. After all, it is the homeowner that loses out when interior designers, builders and architects do not sing from the same hymn sheet and don’t act like they are on the same team.

The best way to avoid this any fractured relationships is to choose a company that incorporates all these elements to effect your renovation – the design and build as well as your project management. If your architects, builders, project managers and interior designers are all part of the same team, then you know your team are all working towards the same goal with each other firmly in mind.

Design and build projects are easier, cheaper, often faster and more effective if all the interested parties are working together – ideally in the same office. For house renovation in London, make a point of looking for a design and build company that has the right kind of structure, good communication and who work closely together to deliver the best results in the right time frame, with the minimum level of disruption. Buildburo work alongside our sister company, Buroarchitects – and both companies combine to form TylerMandic to offer complete design and build as well as peace of mind for property owners.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation

Appoint one contractor for all property renovation stages

May 2, 2015 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

Design and build companies in London should be your first port of call when you need refurbishment or renovation work doing to the interior of your property in London. Modernising your home’s interiors, changing the design or layout, bringing it into the twenty-first century or addressing any legacy issues related to energy-efficiency of your home in London.

It makes sense to contact a design and build company that can manage all the stages of renovation work that needs to be completed. These include the architectural design work, planning applications and approvals, building and construction work and interior design. You will also most probably need an expert project manager to oversee the whole project.

Whilst you can try and appoint separate firms to carry out each stage for you, this usually carries an element of risk, as it raises the chances of your project running into problems due to miscommunication, misunderstanding, poor scheduling and so on. In real terms, these issues translate into your project taking longer, costing more, absorbing more of your time and your refurbishment may not turn out the way that you had hoped.

Instead, look for property renovation experts in London who offer all of these different disciplines within the same company. You can be certain your project will run smoothly and the result will be stunning whilst being a lot less stressful and time consuming for you.

Filed Under: Building and Construction, Interior and Finishes, Project Management, Renovation Tagged With: design and build, London, Project Management

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