Hiring an architect is a big decision that can significantly impact the outcome of your project. From design expertise to project management, the right architect will help turn your vision into reality while handling technical aspects and navigating regulations. Here are eight essential questions to...
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The rise of smart home technology has transformed the way we interact with our living spaces, making our homes more efficient, secure, and comfortable than ever. Integrating smart tech can enhance your home, help reduce energy consumption and increase property value—all at the touch of...
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Open plan extensions have revolutionised modern living, transforming how we interact with and enjoy our homes. By blending kitchen, dining, and living areas into a single, open space, these extensions maximise natural light, enhance sociability, and offer a highly versatile layout that suits many lifestyles....
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A successful renovation goes beyond immediate upgrades – it’s about ensuring that your home remains functional, comfortable, and valuable for years to come. Futureproofing involves making smart, forward-thinking design choices that blend lasting style with practicality. Whether you're building from scratch or updating an existing...
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Building a home extension can be a very exciting project with the potential to add significant value to your property. Some of the benefits include increasing living space, maximising natural light, improving energy efficiency and creating more storage, to name a few. However, extending is also...
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Did you know that the right glazing can boost your home value? Choosing the right glazing is crucial for your home extension. Because glazing goes beyond just windows and doors; it can dramatically change your home’s aesthetics and functionality, making it a worthwhile investment. The...
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When it comes to building an extension, there are a lot of moving parts to consider. With so many details to think about, it's easy to overlook necessary steps that can make a big difference to the end result. In this article, we'll cover some...
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When embarking on an extensive renovation or building project, it's essential to establish a timeline with your builder before the building work starts. With so many decisions to be made and materials to choose from, it’s easy to forget this aspect of the project. A...
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A home renovation can breathe new life into your living space, improve your quality of life, and increase your property value. However, with the number of decisions and choices that need to be made before you start, it can seem like a daunting task. If...
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When you're considering building an extension, it's an exciting time. You'll finally get the home you've always wanted - the perfect kitchen, a bigger living space, or maybe even a home office. But with this excitement comes the responsibility of finding a trustworthy builder who...
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Boxing Day is the start of the January planning rush, with homeowners who have put their extension project’s aside over Christmas, competing for design consultations and to get their planning applications submitted.Our data shows that planning applications dramatically increase in January, so if you want...
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When we look at the residential designs in UK, we often come across Victorian houses with similar aesthetics. But some of our clients often ask us, how do we make our house stand out from the rest? Well if you are one of them, I...
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good design are plenty; as proven by the positive impact of buildings such as Maggie Centres. With the potential to improve productivity, mood, social interaction, physical and mental health; designers must continue to work on behalf of the public to optimize our collective quality of...
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Further to providing an understanding of layout and the feel of a space, using BIM to create models can provide an understanding of what furniture, glazing and doors might suit your space....
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This blog discusses boundary walls and extension design. Did you know Local Authorities have guidelines in place which dictate the maximum height your boundary wall can be? This may be different to the height of the existing fence or brick divide, so it is worth...
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If you are planning a home extension or remodel, creating office and living space for home working is essential now, more than ever. Space to work and learn is most likely high on the agenda. Here are some of the ways you can add additional...
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A question we are often asked by prospective clients is: why design and build? What makes a design and build company a better option than the traditional model of using an architect and then contractor? There are a number of key reasons which make an...
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Will you choose radiators or underfloor heating? How you will heat your home is a key question to consider during the design of your new extension as it can effect the kitchen layout and placement of furniture. You will want to know what the best...
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The design benefits of a courtyard are plenty. Everyone dreams of having a rear garden in their home, as space to party, play or just relax. But have you ever considered creating an internal courtyard space to create a green haven within your home? Read...
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Many houses in London have conservatories or what is sometimes referred to as a ‘lean-to’, while some people can enjoy their conservatory, many do not. The poor construction and the way they are bolted on to the exterior of the house means they aren’t really...
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Chimney breasts are typically found in old homes, projecting from the wall to accommodate fireplace to keep the occupants warm during the winter season. At the bottom of the chimney is the fireplace where a fire would be lit. Heat produced by the fire spreads...
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You may be thinking about doing an extension or a loft conversion, but feel a bit lost – ‘How do I start?’ and ‘Who can help with these questions and what should I be asking in the first place?’ If these questions have been passing through your mind,...
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As your family grows, you may lean towards extending your home to provide more space. Children have curious minds and are full of energy which is fantastic, but is all the more reason for you to re-evaluate the safety of your home and new extension....
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Underfloor heating is increasingly popular within properties, with many homeowners recognising the benefits over conventional radiators. Although it can have a slightly higher initial cost of installation, there are many long term benefits. We have highlighted five benefits offered by underfloor heating to help you...
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There are numerous design elements you will consider whilst planning a house extension, many in relation to the interior layout. The roof design can make one of the strongest impressions upon the atmosphere of the extension so choosing between a pitched and flat roof is...
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Nothing completes a family like a furry friend. Whether you’re a dog or a cat person, there are always considerations to think about before starting on designing your home extension, especially in relation to how the family is going to adapt to the process and...
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Most companies that offer a two-stage process will prioritise the build process over the architectural designs, leaving you with a design that you may not necessarily have chosen. At Build Team, we value both Design & Build equally – and we work hard to exceed...
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Happy New Year! Our Design and Build Team can’t wait to get started on a multitude of new and exciting projects for 2018. We always think, what better time to get started on an extension than at the beginning of the year? In an industry...
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If you’re thinking about extending your kitchen, open plan living is ideal as you will be left with a generous room size that can be very multifunctional. Open plan living needs to be well thought out, as you don’t want to lose that much loved...
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Tis' the season to spend less time outdoors, and more time getting cosy in your home. Extensions offer a great opportunity to modernise your home, both visually (if that’s your preference) and also practicality. Most period-home owners come to realise older Victorian properties come a...
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The Design & Build process is typically new to our clients, and we understand that it is our job to ensure that you (as the client) are well informed, and the project runs smoothly. You will receive dedicated support for both the Design & Build...
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Utility areas are great if you want to create a room to hide all of your clutter and unsightly items. Washing machines, tumble dryers and ironing boards require space and are generally awkward to hide away. You can hide them away in your kitchen, although...
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Fire curtain
A fire curtain sits in the ceiling at the threshold of the kitchen, or where any walls have been removed. It’s activated by a heat detector, sealing off the area to give you more time to evacuate the building. This option can stop the smoke from spreading through the building, making an escape easier. However, they only aim to stop the spread of fire and do little to extinguish it, so they can be used to great effect in conjunction with a suppressant system.
Sprinklers
Sprinklers are mounted on your ceiling. The sprinklers activate individually, maximising the amount of water pressure available closest to the fire. They use a lot of water and give complete coverage of the room to put out the fire or suppress it until the fire brigade arrive. Insurers dislike them because of the amount of water they use (up to 60 litres a minute) potentially causing more damage to your belongings than the fire itself.
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When it comes to designing your extension there are lots of factors to consider; all of which impact the options available to you. For example, designing a home extension to a ground floor flat is very different the design for a full house. One of...
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The shape and style of your extension will make such a difference on your daily activity, so it’s important you revolve your design around you. It’s important to think about practicality when you design your home; it’s no use having a kitchen that is beautiful...
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London has some pretty incredible views – they might not be seaside savvy or mountainous landscapes, but the city skyline is a hard one to beat. Roof terraces offer a fantastic opportunity to incorporate some sky-high views into your home; they can also be a...
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Building Control is a collection of guidelines designed to maintain your safety when extending your home. During the build process, this typically involves four site visits: the first visit when the foundations are being laid, the second when the cavity wall is erected, the third...
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One very important feature of a build is the way the building looks from the outside. During the Design Process, our clients love to get involved in the interior design and exterior is generally pushed aside and thought about either when we prompt the discussion,...
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People often think that too much of anything can be a bad thing – but this isn’t the case for natural light. Designing an extension that encourages natural light entry is crucial and there are plenty of ways to go about doing it; one of...
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Whether you intend to go large and invest in a lower ground floor, or keep it simple and go for a cellar conversion; there are loads of ways you can use this underground space. We thought we would share just some of the ideas and...
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We find that our clients choose to extend for many different reasons - some want a dining area, others want more natural light; flats usually want an extra bedroom. One of the most common reasons is the growing demand for a larger kitchen and it’s...
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Your boundary wall height will affect your roof design, as lower boundary walls prefer a pitched roof to make the design practical. Higher boundary walls offer you more flexibility, as you’re free to choose from either a pitched or flat roof design. Making a decision on...
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Have you ever wondered how an architect would design their house? Our Design Team work so hard at creating our clients visions; we thought we would ask some of the team to design their perfect extension. We chose the existing floorplan and specification that we use...
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Add Space and Value There are endless benefits to extending your home, and the immediate ones that come to mind tend to be visual; you’ll have more light, you can design your kitchen around you and your family, you can create more efficient functionality in your...
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Our Design Team have been busy since the beginning of the year with a record breaking number of instructions in both January and February. We encourage all clients, prospective and current; to give us feedback throughout the Design Phase so we can ensure we are doing...
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The reason for extending is usually quite simple; you want more space in your home. While reasons for the additional space vary massively, we do find that lots of our clients want to accommodate their growing families....
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Depending on your design options and personal preference, you might need to find a way to get natural light through to the room that sits behind your kitchen....
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Light can make or break a room and it’s really important to find the right balance between natural and artificial light. The best way to do this is to really understand what light you are going to gain from your chosen design. Lots of our...
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Here at Build Team, we offer a two-stage process. The first stage is the Design Phase and the second is the Build Phase. For those of you who have plans drawn up and planning permission approved, we do offer a Build Only service too, if...
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An open plan design is a great way to create a large multi-functional space and it’s an obvious favourite for our past and current clients. Not only does this design option utilise all of the space available, but it also encourages the flow of natural...
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Exposed brick is a rising star among interior decoration – with our last two builds, and an on-going build incorporating it into their design. When designing your kitchen extension, it is key to consider your interior space and what look you want to create. What is...
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We are often asked whether an extension is a worthwhile investment on a flat or on a home where the size of the extended space looks to be rather small in comparison to others. Regardless of the size of your home or the side return area,...
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This is a question we are frequently asked by prospective clients, and our answer is always the same; the cost is dependent on the size and the design of the scheme. The final cost of each side return extension will differ as the designs are...
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How many access points does my side return extension need? Find out more in our helpful blog post....
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