Location:
St.Hilary, Vale of Glamorgan

Brief:
Complete Renovation & Building work & Interior Design

“We purchased the house in November 2012 after meeting with several local builders from the FMB website. They provided estimates for the renovation work and materials required for the job. The exterior of the house was in generally good order which we would tackle at a later date but internally it needed a complete update.

The work entailed some internal and external walls knocking through, all walls and ceiling stripping of outdated wall covering and then re-plastering. This was a mammoth job in itself, as well as complete redecoration, surface electrics recessing, complete new central heating system installation & fuel oil tank repositioning n the garden. The kitchen area required structural changes, redesigning and refitting, bathroom knock through to allow space for a walk in shower and cloakroom refitting. All internal and external doors to be replaced including exterior bi-folding doors fitted in the kitchen to the rear garden and finally an old passageway converted into a utility room. other jobs included the old fireplace removed and converted to a media wall, staircase updating, ground floor parquet floors sanding and re-varnishing, floors tiling, and upstairs rooms re-carpeting. Basically a complete modernisation project.

Our first meeting at the house with Dorian (Director), Babette (Internal Architect) & Lyndon (Builder) from Project One went well. We found them all very friendly and keen to listen and discuss ideas for the house – importantly they were enthusiastic. We explained our circumstances were such that we would be relocating to Wales from Oxfordshire in 3 months time, with two small children in tow, so would need the property completed before we could move in.

We explained that our ability to come to site during the renovation work would be very limited, meaning we were looking to find a company capable of managing the entire project with minimal input from us. This approach as you can appreciate if you watched any of Sarah Beany’s house renovation shows does not come without potentially disastrous consequences if you get the wrong builder.

We felt that our budget was tight for the amount of work involved, but we made it clear from the outset how much we could afford to spend. Having received a number of estimates we were pleasantly surprised by Project Ones initial quotation, having seen their website and services they would provide we felt they were offering a great deal more than your average building company. So following a second meeting with Dorian & Babette who met us half way between our old and new homes (how many businesses would go that extra mile!) where they presented their design ideas and the format of the project to us, we came away satisfied that they were the right people for the job.

Finally after a third meeting at their home in Penarth we sat down and fine tuned the ideas and materials for the project. The contract was signed and work commenced immediately – in fact hours after the solicitors completed on the property – they even went and collected the keys for us! The old kitchen was ripped out and Project one’s team of craftsman cracked on at good pace. They liaised with building control and had a safety inspector on site to ensure compliance with building regulations. We were kept informed on progress by phone, email and supplied with pictures and time lapse videos of the work in progress. Also we CC’d in on meeting minutes at key stages of the project.

As with all projects, ideas for the design evolve as progress is made. With Project One’s help we felt very confident that Babette & Dorian both work tirelessly to source the best materials available at the best price. Their attention to detail was exceptional. They are very professional and experienced in what they do and are highly motivated to achieve the best possible results, which makes you feel as if its their house they are renovating not yours.

There were a few unexpected hitches along the way which were bought to our attention in good time. The interior walls and ceilings were in poor condition which required considerably more plastering than was initially expected. During January and the heavy snow the heating oil tank needed to be moved further away from the house to comply with OFTEC regulations, laying a new concrete plinth and digging a trench for the pipe not easy with frozen ground and a foot of snow. Despite these difficulties Project one still managed to compete all the work on time.

During the final week we moved in Dorian was so concerned that after all the hard work that if someone broke in to the house it would be disastrous. We couldnt believe it when Dorian & Babette decided to sleep at the property to keep it safe, thats real dedication for you!

Prior to our arrival Dorian had pulled out all the stops to get the house finished on time, there were up to 16 tradesman on site some days which really does take some organisational brilliance. When we arrived we were not disappointed by the results, the house was amazzzzzing, what a transformation. My wife will never forget being let to a strategic viewpoint with her eyes closed and opening them. Dorian and Babette clearly are professional, well organised and dedicated people to complete our house to our taste with their trained eyes, was a once in a lifetime moment. Everyone dreams of having this sort of project done for them and we can’t believe that we are “living the dream”.

The workmanship was to a very high standard throughout with all guarantees and certification in place. The co-ordinated colours and textures Babette had brought together on her mood boards had given the house a very contemporary look which was complimented by glamourus light fittings, curtains and travertine stone flooring in the kitchen, bathroom and cloak which gave us exactly the feel we were hoping for. The craftsmanship to get the Parquet flooring restored was brilliant, in fact our friends thought it was new!

The Project One team are in our view a very professional dedicated and organised bunch. All the people we met were very friendly, hard working and talented at what they do. They delivered our home to us on time on budget and to a high standard and we cannot recommend them highly enough. A very big thank you to Dorian & Babette and all the team for you help in what could have been a very different outcome in the hands of the wrong people, we feel very lucky to have found you both!

“Amazing, fabulous, inspiring, great, magnificent I cant believe your vision and workmanship on our new home.”