Building and Construction

Modernise interiors or keep period character

August 18, 2018 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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

July 4, 2018 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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.

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.

Eco-friendly refurbishment for London households

March 11, 2018 By buildburo Leave a Comment

Homeowners in London take a good deal of interest in eco-friendly design. The environment is high up on everyone’s list of priorities for a range of different reasons. Perhaps the most pressing are those relating to the conscience – cutting carbon footprints, responsibility and so on – another is finance – preserving energy to save money.

If you own a home in London and you are worried about the environment, modifying and remodelling your home is the perfect way to demonstrate your commitment to a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle. Modern property renovation teams in London are capable of installing a range of eco-friendly solutions to ensure your household has as small carbon footprint and a lower impact on the environment. A positive side-effect of this sort of refurbishment work is you are likely to save money in the long term by preserving energy and being more efficient.

For effective, eco-friendly renovation, London’s refurbishment companies are among the best in the world. Using the latest eco friendly technology and materials, if you want to take advantage of the considerable architectural and technological expertise of property renovation professionals in the capital, it makes sense to do a little research and seek the advice of a reputable local building company.

Period London property renovation goes green

February 15, 2018 By buildburo Leave a Comment

The environment is a “hot” topic of conversation and generates passionate debate, particularly when you consider a large part of the carbon footprint of someone living in London is produced at home. Sitting in a cosy warm house, watching a property renovation television programme, whilst drinking a nice cup of tea all contributes. Individuals, households and organisations are all trying their best to find ways of lowering their carbon footprint, lessen their impact on the environment whilst lowering their fuel bills. Of course, this is not such an easy task if you live in one of London’s more historic or a listed building.

The truth is, older buildings are just not as good at retaining heat as more modern ones. When you lose heat you waste energy and you waste money. However, this is something that you can address by modernising the interior of your London property with environmentally-friendly design and build solutions.

Saving money and reducing waste are two of the chief reasons property renovation in London is on the rise. Older properties have bags of character, but they aren’t necessarily up-to-date when it comes to being eco-friendly. This is where professional refurbishment can play a key role.

A renovation of your property could help you to preserve a good deal more energy, giving your property a much better score in terms of carbon footprint. At the same time, you could take the opportunity to redesign your interiors so that your home retains its character but is fit for the twenty-first century demands of your household.

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.

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.

Large scale renovation projects need project management

June 12, 2017 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

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.

Renovate Georgian property in London for comfort and energy-efficiency

November 20, 2016 By BuildBuro Leave a Comment

London’s architecture is widely recognised as being among the best in the world and a great many of the city’s properties are fine examples of London’s heritage. The vast majority of houses found in London’s Chelsea, Kensington and Westminster are Georgian in origin. Whilst these properties are stunning inside and out, they are not always the most efficient for modern living.

Significant steps forward have been made with construction materials and architectural design since these London properties were built. As such, many homes in London are out of step with contemporary practices to ensure energy efficiency and sound insulation. Even London houses that have been renovated at some point in the past are in need of modernisation, typically around 20 or 30 years ago, to make them more attractive for modern home owners, both from an aesthetic and environmental perspective.

For property renovation, London is one of the leading cities in the world. If you own or are looking to purchase a Georgian property in the capital, it is vital that you look into how you might be able to modernise or renovate the property before you buy. Sometimes, if it is a listed building or in a conservation area, modernisation or creating a new layout could be very challenging. We recommend you take advice on the structure and fabric of the building, including the windows and the floors, the layout, the stairs and fireplaces before buying your property in London. This ensures you are confident of what could be done to your property and what cannot . Taking this step could have a huge impact on your comfort in your London home as well as your carbon footprint.

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.