We moved into our 1960s bungalow in 2020 with a view to modernising its interior and adding a wrap-around rear/side extension. Plans were drawn up and developed during 2021 and following planning permission, several building contractors were approached to explore how best to proceed with the project. SB Hewitt Construction was selected because we were familiar with some of their previous work in the area and they proposed a very reasonable and realistic estimate of labour costs.
They also have a policy of concentrating on one project at a time which gave us confidence in the estimated starting date and length of time to completion. We wanted to continue living in the property despite the disruption, and they had a good understanding of how this could be made to work in practice without slowing down progress. They also offered to introduce us to subsidiary contractors, i.e. electricians, plumbers, plasterers, kitchen companies, etc., or they could let us select our own. In practice we did both and were able to determine in advance the additional cost of employing these different trades whom we paid directly. Construction of the extension started a little earlier than expected in 2022 and was essentially completed on time, despite a delay with the delivery of steel, which was outside their control. During the building phase, we were reassured that the building inspectors were satisfied with the works they came to check at various key stages of construction.
With the extension essentially complete, other trades took over for a while, but there remained certain work to complete in the original structure, so we negotiated a second phase of works which took place early in 2023. Finally, we asked them to return later in 2023 to do some new paving to the rear. All told, this was a very successful, high-quality project, not least because these builders try hard to foster a good relationship with their customer, their communication was good, and they take the trouble to explain any problems and how they can be overcome. We would recommend anyone contemplating a significant home improvement project to consider SB Hewitt Construction for reliable high-quality work.
R&S Jones, Chesterfield
We would recommend anyone contemplating a significant home improvement project to consider SB Hewitt Construction for reliable high-quality work.