First Bit
How much was it all going to cost?
Getting a builder in
This was a real dilemma as we had a limited budget and lots of plans and ideas for the house. I spoke to various friends and neighbours who had work done on their house and asked them to recommend builders I could contact. I got a couple of these guys to come round to give me a rough estimate on the work that needed doing. Of course, without detailed drawings they were never going to give me an accurate figure on this but to start with, it was good to get an idea and was very helpful.
Simply Extensions
PRS
Regal Builders
Getting an architect on board
The next stage was getting an architect on board who wasn't going to charge the earth to get us through the planning application stage. Our house is in a conservation area of Balham which made it a little tricky so, it was important to use an architect who has dealt with conservation issues, ideally in Wandsworth. After speaking with a couple of architectural firms who wanted to charge (in one case) more than 15% of our budget to simply do the drawings, I took the advise of a friend who suggested I use an architect recommended by the builder. Simply Extensions recommended an independent architect who they work closely with. David Anderson of Andooi Design Ltd was not only very reasonable with his fees but he understood exactly what we wanted to achieve and gave us some really good advice along the way.
Research on Energy Saving issues
As a starting point for my research I contacted the Energy Saving Trust for tips and advice. This was a good first point of call. They gave me helpful tips on buying a new boiler, low energy lighting and directed me to accredited suppliers and installers of solar panels and insulation companies.
I found it a struggle to get any of the insulation installers/suppliers to provide me with any help or advice on products or costs for internal wall insulation.
The Proctor Group were the most helpful out of over half a dozen insulation companies I contacted.I am keeping my fingers crossed that the builder I eventually end up using will have more information about these things than I have been able to find out for myself.
