Renovations
Renovating older houses so they work for the people living in them now.
Whole-house and partial renovations of older properties around Halesworth, Southwold and the Suffolk coast: roofs, walls, floors, damp, services and the rooms inside.
Renovations, done properly.
Whole-house and partial renovations of older properties around Halesworth, Southwold and the Suffolk coast: roofs, walls, floors, damp, services and the rooms inside.
The work is planned around the building as it is, priced against the drawings, and run by one site manager from the first day to the last. What gets covered up is photographed first.
Ask about a renovation
What matters
- 01
Start with the fabric
Roof, walls, floors and drainage come first. Damp, rot and movement are dealt with before anything is decorated over them.
- 02
Use what the building is made of
Lime where the walls are lime, brick that matches, timber where timber was. Modern materials where they genuinely do a better job.
- 03
One contractor, one programme
We run the trades, the order of work and the inspections, and give you one point of contact from survey to handover.
Materials and methods
- Lime mortar and lime plaster
- Reclaimed and matching brick
- Clay pantiles and plain tiles
- Oak and softwood joinery
- Breathable paints and finishes
Related work
All projects
Outbuilding renovation
Mells outbuilding renovation
A single-storey brick outbuilding near Halesworth, re-roofed in clay pantiles, given new doors and windows, and finished inside as a room lit by two rooflights.
See the project
Kitchen renovation
Heveningham Kitchen
A new kitchen fitted in a beamed cottage at Heveningham: painted units, stone worktops and an oak floor, with the old beams kept and the ceiling made good.
See the project
Porch extension
Halesworth Porch
A new porch on the front of a bungalow at Halesworth: brick dwarf walls, a tiled roof to match the house, and glazed doors.
See the project
Questions
Can you renovate a house while we live in it?
Often, yes, if the work can be sequenced room by room. We will tell you honestly if a job is better done with the house empty.
Do you handle building regulations?
Yes. We work with Building Control from the start and arrange the inspections as the work progresses.
How do you price a renovation?
We survey the house, agree the scope with you, and give a written quotation with provisional sums only where something cannot be seen until work starts.
What about damp in an old house?
We find the cause first. Most damp in older Suffolk houses comes from ground levels, blocked drainage, cement render or plastic paint, and is fixed by putting those right rather than by chemical treatment.
Start with a conversation about the house.
Tell us where the house is and what you have in mind. We will come and look, and say honestly what we think.