How we helped our clients cut the constructions costs of their eco-renovation
THE PROJECT
Destroying your most precious asset in order to create your dream home is a scary and courageous thing to do, but that’s just what our clients did to their dilapidated 1960’s family home in rural Oxfordshire. We were introduced to our clients via their architects as they needed construction cost advice, help finding a build team, and project management support.
THE CHALLENGE
This 1960’s property was a very dark and tired space and was extremely inefficient thermally. It had no insulation, only single glazed windows and was heated via a very old oil boiler with small, old fashioned radiators. The annual heating bills were enormous and yet it was still an extremely cold and uncomfortable place to live in winter. Our clients had worked up plans with their architect to refurbish their home, which involved opening up and reconfiguring the space across all 3 floors of the house. They planned to strip the house back to a shell, replace all the windows and doors, add a large amount of insulation and extend it to create a modern eco home. However after having spoken to some local builders, our clients were concerned that the project was becoming unaffordable and so they were looking for help to get their project back on track financially.
THE SOLUTION
The first step was for our Quantity Surveying team to create a detailed estimate for the building project. This helped our clients to understand how they could cut the costs of their plans, either by adjusting their designs or changing their specifications. It also highlighted the opportunity which existed with this project for our clients to save money by buying their materials direct and managing the build as a self-builder using individual tradespeople rather than using a single main contractor.
In the end we not only helped our clients cost engineer their project, but we also organised the tender process for our clients and then fully projected managed the build onsite.
THE RESULT
Inside the house was totally gutted and then reconfigured with vaulted ceilings, new full height windows, roof lights, a glass floor panel and a new open 3 storey stairwell to create a light, open space. We introduced our client to a lighting designer contact of ours to help ensure that the interior and exterior spaces were lit beautifully and effectively using the best low energy options.
Eco credentials were key, so the external walls were insulated both inside and out before being rendered with a breathable eco-render and clad with red cedar. The heating system was updated from oil heated radiators to an Air Source Heat pump with under-floor heating as well as two wood burning stoves. Hot water was generated via an efficient Eco-cent system. A photovoltaic array was installed on the garage roof to generate electricity. A new bio-digester replaced the old cess pit. Outside the 2 acre site was completely re-landscaped with a new garage block, a resin-bonded driveway, a parking area, a large patio with retaining walls as well as fencing and tree-planting.
The result is a 1960’s eco home refurbishment with the look and energy performance of a 21st century new build.
CLPM Services used by our client:-
Design Review, Cost Estimating and Budgeting, Cost Engineering, Procurement Advice, Tender Management and Analysis, Monthly Cost Reporting, and Project Management using individual trades.
Even though I’m very organised and can take a large amount of stress I don’t think I could have managed the build without my project manager. It’s very difficult juggling a job or children with a building project and we would have wasted an awful lot of time and money with delays if I’d tried to do it myself. We also saved a lot of money on materials, paying trade prices for everything – I think good project managers pay for themselves!
Mrs F, Oxfordshire