If you’ve ever commissioned a house extension, kitchen extension, garage conversion or new build project, you’ll be familiar with just how difficult it is to deal with the architect, planning permissions, structural engineer, building regulations, and – of course, the builders.
And when it comes to predicting the costs and timescales, you’d have more chance of winning the lottery. In the UK today, more than 60% of all home improvement projects run over time and over budget.
We don’t think that’s acceptable, and neither should you.
You have an idea of what you’d like to do, but don’t know if it would be allowed or where to start, so you contact an architect.
At this stage, all you really want to know is, “Can we do this, and roughly how much will it cost?”
The architect charges you up front to sign you up, then bills you monthly while they work on ideas for your scheme. They will probably liaise with the local planning department too – and charge you for the privilege.
Then they’ll show you some drawings. Most architects will listen to what you want, but many will try to convince you that you’ll love their latest favourite design trend, simply because they’d like to see their ideas in bricks and mortar. You will want to make some changes, so they’ll go back and make revisions.
At this stage, you feel like you’re stuck in a taxi in a traffic jam with the meter running, watching the fees rack up with no idea of what their final bill will be (at least £5000 in our experience).
And you still have no idea what the project might cost to build or what the structural engineering fees will be.
With the planning permission agreed, you take the architectural drawings to a number of building companies to tender for the work.
You will receive a wide range of prices – some of which will be ‘all in’ and others which show some cost breakdowns. So how do you choose?
Bear in mind that these companies want to win the job, so they are usually more interested in getting you to accept their tender than they are in giving you advice or pointing out potential problems in the drawings.
Then once you’ve signed up, they bring up the issues that will add extra time and cost to the project – often blaming the architect and leaving you stuck in the middle while time drags on and your budget dwindles.
Over our many of years of experience, people have told us they want more transparency around costs and performance.
Building Together means that you’re working in partnership with a full team of professionals, all under one roof.
We have a full in-house team, including an architect, a planning consultant, a structural engineer, experienced construction project managers, foremen and builders – all supported by our customer service team handling procurement and accounts using our custom project management IT system to capture all commercial notes with an online site diary.
It means that, after your free initial meeting with a project manager at our offices in Wallingford, you will walk away knowing whether your idea is feasible and roughly what it’ll cost. And you won’t have been charged a penny.
You pop back to our offices to meet with our architect, planning consultant and project manager and we’ll work up more details – including design, structural engineering and planning along with estimated build costs. At this stage you’ve only spent £150 – isn’t that refreshing?
Armed with that information, you’re ready for the next four simple steps:
We will draw up plans, submit all your requirements to your local planning authority and obtain the necessary building consents.
At this point will also look at any implications around location and access to your property, since those can affect cost considerations when we proceed to step 2.
We produce full working drawings and ask you lots of questions around materials and finishes to make sure everything is nailed down. Then we provide you with a detailed breakdown of each cost line-by-line, avoiding any guesswork or nasty surprises further down the line.
At this point you’ll have firm costs and you can make an informed decision regarding your budget. If things are looking tight, we can enter into a ‘value engineering stage’, where we work with you and make practical suggestions on material choices to reduce costs.
Our profit margins on every part of the project are completely transparent too.
When the budget is firm we’ll produce a full working programme with a critical path analysis which will identify any risks.
This crucial planning stage is often overlooked between separate architects and builders, and that lack of planning is usually where unforeseen costs and delays occur.
We focus strongly here because we understand that you want timely information at the right stages of a job and can’t just come up with extra money at the drop of a hat because the planning was flawed.
Once the build is underway you will receive a twice monthly report on costs and contract, allowing you to see exactly how the project is running. Our pre-job planning, proactive project management and experienced construction team will keep everything on budget and on time.
Your payments will be on a pre-agreed schedule, so there won’t be any nasty surprises. On completion, we’ll ask you for a glowing testimonial like the ones you’ll see below, so that we can spread the word about Building Together to other homeowners.
Your initial meeting with a project manager at our offices in Wallingford is completely free of charge, and you will come away with a good idea of the feasibility, cost and timescale of your project.
Simply click the button below to speak to us and make your booking, or if it’s out of working hours just fill in the form and we’ll contact you to set a time.
Looking forward to meeting you to see how we can Build Together.
Revolutionising the Oxfordshire Building Industry
We saw that people were crying out for a small local firm that acted like a large national one, with professional-level project management and industry-leading service standards. Their main concerns were finding a company that provided clear, accurate quotes, stuck to budgets and timescales and were easy to communicate and work with from start to finish.
Are you ready for a new kind of building firm?
Whether you already know what you’re looking for, or you need help to visualise the final outcome, we work closely with you from design right through to building – holding your hand all the way through.
With our own in-house architectural design and planning team, we can design your entire scheme and get planning approval through quickly and easily. We cover plans, building regulations, planning permission, building control and structural engineering calculations.
With us you don’t get a vague estimate on the back of a fag packet – you get a detailed quote, right down to the last brick and light fitting. And if you make changes to the spec during the project, we revise the estimate, so you always know exactly what you’re paying for.
If you’re on a tight or fixed budget we’ll cost-engineer everything before we start. And with our exclusive custom-built Project Management System, you can see exactly what’s going on and make fast decisions wherever you are in the world.
The only surprise you’ll get from us is if we finish ahead of schedule or come in under-budget.
If you already have architectural plans, that’s great. We’ll work through them with you, then fully cost your project with a completely transparent breakdown provided by our own in-house quantity surveyor.
You don’t like surprises, and neither do we. So when you work with us there are no added extras.
The detailed work we do in the planning and quoting stage means that we can bottom out the cost before we even break ground.
Not with us. We’re able to manage and track your project incredibly tightly, with fully detailed timetables, milestones and deadlines.
We expect you to hold us to our promises, and we always keep them.
Once we start, Darren or Ben will be your dedicated Project Manager, and they’ll liaise with you, the Planning Department, Building Control and our team of outstanding construction engineers to make sure everything stays on track, on time and on budget.
“I whole-heartedly recommend New Home Improvement Group. They operate under one ethos: to leave knowing you’re happy and they’ve done the best job possible. That’s unique in my experience. I’ve never found another company that has the same drive and determination to work towards those principles.”
“They were punctual and always turned up when they said they would. It’s quality work. This new space lets in loads of light and will change our lives”
Ray first contacted us in late 2021 for a new driveway but it quickly turned into a full home refurbishment. Take a look at the full project here.
How a simple home extension turned into a full Garden Room and landscaping project.
Building and landscaping an accessible, usable and comfortable garden space complete with Garden Room for wheelchair user Malcolm.
See how our home renovation work resulted in the sale of this glorious country house.
“Having worked with Darren and his team on our driveway and garage projects we found their straightforward, pragmatic and transparent approach refreshing, so we felt very confident selecting New Home Improvement Group to deliver phase 2 of our barn conversion.”
This was a particularly challenging contract that many companies had run a mile from. The challenge was to keep the existing restaurant trading at all times during the contract.
A garage conversion is one of the most affordable ways possible to add some additional living space to your home.
If you’ve been considering converting your garage, there are many things to consider and we’re sure you have questions.
Luckily, we’ve got you covered. Click below for your full guide.
A beautiful driveway leads to a beautiful home.
Over the last 10 years we’ve set a new gold standard for driveways and external landscaping, with our top-flight customer service, custom Project Management System and 10 Year Guarantee.
We make hard landscaping easy, with solid, stable, permeable solutions that are as easy on the planet as they are on the eye.
Join our thousands of happy customers today.
New block paving driveway, gravel car park, Indian Sandstone patio for Ella and Sam in Wantage, Oxfordshire.
Tony called The New Driveway Company because he wanted his tarmac driveway replaced with one that complements and adds aesthetic value to his beautiful home.
Mr Horner contacted The New Driveway Company to replace and extend his drive with a new block driveway in Garsington, Oxford.
The brief was to design and build a patio that came seamlessly from the lifestyle room at the rear of the property.
Our custom-built Garden Rooms are made to your exact specifications and built on-site to meet the demands of modern living.
Each one is unique and is architecturally designed in-house to be eco-friendly, sustainable and flexible enough to handle whatever your lifestyle throws at them.
How will you use yours… Office? Studio? Gym? Personal Sanctuary?
“The New Garden Room Company have delivered us our dream garden with the wow factor. This space will change the way we live and we can now enjoy it all year round with family and friends”
“We weren’t prepared for the huge difference the new patio room would make. The ability to have the room as open or closed as we want at any time is brilliant – perfect for warm days that turn into cool evenings.”
We transformed Anne’s new-build garden with a new Garden Room Studio, extensive landscaping, patio and water feature. Now she has the perfect studio and surroundings to inspire her painting.
We built Jack and Emily a versatile, contemporary, multi-use Garden Room and a garden that can be fully used and enjoyed throughout the year.
British-Made Contemporary uPVC and Aluminium Windows, Bifold Doors and Sliding Doors Designed and Engineered for 21st Century Living
Why Choose our uPVC and Aluminium Windows and Doors?
Our premium uPVC and Aluminium Windows and Doors are stronger, lighter, more energy-efficient, friendlier to the environment and allow for thinner frames that let in more light. They are virtually maintenance-free and we can match almost any style and colour you can imagine.
We’ve partnered with Britain’s top manufacturers to bring you the best in uPVC and aluminium window and door design, coupled with our market-leading customer service, project management, fitting and aftercare.
We were delighted to support Oxford Brookes marketing students by giving them the opportunity to work with a real-life Oxford business
“When we explained what we were doing and what our plans are they immediately offered to help with new equipment and support.”
“We are delighted to welcome the New Home Improvement Group to our team of prestigious County Cup competition sponsors and are excited to work with them.”
New Home Improvement Group are proud sponsors of the Player of the Month competition through the 2023/24 season with voting from September 2023.
We are the proud sponsors of Wallingford & Crowmarsh Ladies FC
Nai’s House is a blended youth and wellbeing service that want to create a world where all children and young adults have access to appropriate and empowering mental health support.
Darren Field was called in to quote for a new garden for Helen & Douglas House Oxford, and it ended in a “DIY-SOS” style community project.
Your home, but better
