Having been through numerous property renovations, Fiona Bailey from Rowtown had a good idea of what to look for when engaging a builder to design and install her classic kitchen plus a contemporary bathroom and shower room.

Fiona searched Check-a-Trade and found Aspire. We went to see her to discuss the project and got on well right from the start. Fiona commented, “I felt straight away that Ben was right for the job. I’ve done plenty of renovations so I know what to look for. I liked his approach, his attention to detail. I trusted his knowledge and agreed with his suggestions.”

The project incorporated a fair amount of work and, as planning is something we’re obsessed with, we spent a good number of hours over three to four days before the job began, making sure everything was perfect and anything that could possibly arise was accounted for. “They looked ahead and anticipated any problems that could arise, and made suggestions to avoid them,” Fiona said.

Aesthetics Mean Everything

Budget is always an important consideration, but we are also great believers that aesthetics really matter. A new kitchen or new bathroom is something to be treasured, and perfection should always be insisted upon.

Fiona was aware of the Heatrae Sadia Megaflo water heating system. We talked the installation of a cylinder to deliver hot water directly from the cold water mains supply. Megaflo offers great benefits, such as higher pressure and flow rates at the hot taps. But you really do need to take a great deal of care over the siting of the cylinder and its pipes so as to avoid interrupting the perfect finish you’ve been striving to achieve.

A number of options were discussed with Fiona and we settled on a solution that would maintain the aesthetics beautifully. “A builder who talks about aesthetics – very unusual! Ben actually cared about how it would look. It was all very well thought through.” 

Care & Respect

For the duration of the works we were extremely careful to make sure Fiona’s house did not come to resemble a building site, as she was living there throughout. “They were very clean when they worked,” said Fiona. “They couldn’t have done more and I was amazed at how they kept everything contained. Every day the area they were working on was cleared.”

Finding Solutions for Unexpected Surprises

You can plan as much as you like, but you can’t always avoid unexpected surprises. As long as you can find a way to work around them then it shouldn’t be a problem.

One surprise we were met with was that the walls of the property were not as thick as we thought they’d be. This resulted in the shower valves Fiona had selected being too deep for the walls. We talked through some options and found a way around it with some clever carpentry and adjustments.

We also came across a situation with the bathroom floor being of inferior quality. We suggested a higher grade flooring to combat the issues and prevent future problems.

Fiona was more than happy with how everything turned out, saying: “What was great was that we agreed a price, and that was the price I paid. I liked the way they factored in a contingency to deal with the unexpected, such as the thin walls and the flooring. It was a clear quote and any extras that arose were discussed and agreed, so no surprises. Very refreshing!” 

“I would wholeheartedly recommend Aspire. They’re very professional and I was amazed at the things they thought of, like preparing everything needed to install a TV in the kitchen. Even the Sky fitter was impressed and asked for their details, saying he’d not yet come across anyone who had the foresight to install a telephone point for the Sky box!”

Fiona’s Home Refurbishment – What we did:

Kitchen 

  • Kitchen Design
  • Kitchen Fitting
  • Appliance Fitting
  • Lighting Design & Fitting
  • Flooring & Tiling
  • Vertical Radiator Installation
  • Megaflo Hot Water Cylinder Installation
  • Electrics & Plumbing

Bathroom 

  • Bathroom design
  • Bathroom installation
  • Custom fitted furniture and features
  • Bath with shower over
  • Flooring & Tiling
  • Installation of Heated Towel Rail
  • Lighting Design & Installation
  • Electrics & Plumbing
  • Megaflo Hot Water Cylinder Installation

Shower Room 

  • Shower room design
  • Shower room installation
  • Walk-in shower with ‘invisible’ surround
  • Flooring & Tiling
  • Installation of Heated Towel Rail
  • Lighting Design & Installation
  • Electrics & Plumbing
  • Megaflo Hot Water Cylinder Installation

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