Buying or Selling Your Property

Should I Sell or Extend My Property?

Buying or Extending your home is one of the most significant costs you will incur in your lifetime. It is therefore crucial to do your homework in order to spend wisely!

Buying or Selling Your Property. Our Home Development team often get the opportunity to interact with local Estate Agents, especially when selling our New Build properties. The word is, and has been for at least the past twelve months, that we are ‘in a buyer’s market’ and it looks to remain that way for a while yet, sadly not great news for those thinking of selling their homes.

This appears to be the reason why so many people are considering alternatives to selling and also explains why building companies have been extra busy of late. Would be sellers are deciding to stay put and instead invest their money in their current homes. For our company, we have noticed a steep rise in Extension and Home Improvement works.


Extensions. Increasingly, families both prefer and require larger living spaces and are no longer willing to ‘make do’ like our parents. Today we all have so much paraphernalia, toys – clothes – shoes – accessories etc., that we are in need of that extra storage space to fit it all in. Additionally, people want extra rooms in their homes for things like home cinemas or home gyms. Sadly, our fears also play a part in needing more space as we no longer feel comfortable allowing our children to ‘play out’. Instead we prefer to invite their friends to our home, which means the ‘little people’ also need their own space to enjoy their hobbies and time with friends. The easiest answer to a lack of space dilemma would be to build an extension to your property.

There are two main types of Home Extensions, attached and detached. Where a person wishes to increase the internal footage of their home by adding an extension, for example, to the kitchen and creating a beautiful open plan kitchen / lounge area, or by adding another room on top of an existing single storey extension and creating that great new master suite upstairs, these would be marked as attached extensions. Whereas, an outbuilding or room built in the grounds of the main property is considered a detached extension of the home.

What would it cost to build a new Extension or Outbuilding?

In order to answer this question, your builder would have to take many factors into consideration. The more obvious things to consider would be things like the size of the extension and how it is positioned in relation to the main property, or the depth of the footings required to prevent any chance of subsidence later. The not so obvious points to consider, amongst other things, would be the ground conditions upon which you intend to build, if there are any access restrictions to the area, the higher cost of materials if you are required to match, for example, old style sash windows or roof tiles, or moving of pipes or manholes.

Do your homework and spend your money wisely!

If a builder gives you a quote off the top of their head for X amount to complete Y job be cautious as they may just be saying that to secure the job, the work could cost you a lot more than first quoted. Do get a few quotes and use a reputable building company that can provide you with references of past work, and is willing to fully listen to your requirements before providing you with a detailed quote and payment terms in writing.

Contact Bishop Ltd - for professional and stress free building services!

www.bishopltd.com | 0208 926 2010 | info@bishopltd.com

My Home Renovation Story

Are you a first-time home builder or renovator? Need Help?? You need to read this first...

Handling a building, or renovation, project on your own can make most people a little nervous, to say the least. The memories of extending and renovating my own home in Dartford Kent still makes me cringe to this day. Believe me when I say a lot of sleep was lost during that time! I was constantly swinging between excitement, frustration, anger and to even feeling sick at times with the worry of losing a large amount of money if things went wrong. The mental strain was exhausting. Like most people, I had put my life savings into this project and simply could not afford for it to fail.

My Home Renovation Story.

It really was an uphill struggle from the start!

After endless hours of searching I found the perfect property for me and my family. The property needed a complete overhaul as it hadn’t been touched in 30 years by the elderly sellers. This was just the kind of property I wanted as I could complete the renovations and instantly increase the value of the property when I moved in.

The Home Purchase. We exchanged contracts with the seller and then the first obstacle hit us…our confirmed mortgage offer from the Bank was suddenly pulled…eek! I contacted the Ombudsman for help but no reason was given as to why the Bank had decided this. I couldn’t understand why this had happened as all my finances were in order. After rechecking my mortgage application form I noticed I had made a mistake, which I rectified (with evidence) but the bank stated once the mortgage was pulled that was the end – lesson learnt, be extra careful when filling out mortgage application forms as a little mistake could cost you dearly! I had no time to apply for another mortgage so frantically darted from one family member to another to raise the rest of the capital and complete the purchase, the alternative was to lose the £300,000 deposit I had paid on exchange! Like I said, not a good start…

Finding the Right Builder. Determined to get the next step right I employed a building company to help with the renovation and extension works. The company I chose sounded great and offered to complete the work for £5000 less than another company I was considering. Great! …Mistake number 2! I signed on the dotted line, put my furniture into storage and moved my family into a hotel for the predicted 2/3 months it would take to complete the project. However, I only met the builder (I use that term very loosely) twice in the 5 months his company was employed to carry out the work.

Project Management. To save on costs I decided to provide all materials for the project, friends and family had advised me that builders overcharge on materials to make their profit. Mistake 3… Rather than making a saving this arrangement increased my costs, as it appears bags of cement (amongst other building materials) can suddenly grow legs and walk off the site! This meant I had to replace materials a few times so work could continue, and copper piping is not cheap!

Three months into the project (although it should have been finished by then) I took a month’s leave from my job to be on site every day and make sure nothing went missing and the project was moved forward. Very bad move!! The main guy on the site knew I was eager to get the project finished and suggested I help out whilst there to move it along. Initially I was happy to be involved but then the penny dropped, I was now paying a building company to complete my project but had worked a month unpaid for them myself, not to mention the rising costs caused by the delay in completion, storage charges and hotel bills, but hey they did give me a cheaper quote! Mistake 4… are you seeing a pattern with this company yet??

The Crunch. Four months into the project the builder called to say the job had taken longer than anticipated and his team needed more money in order to complete the work. He reeled off a list of additional ‘unforeseen’ jobs they had completed, which could have been plausible, but in his absence, he had not known I was on site daily myself and knew exactly what the team had being doing. After a heated discussion, I agreed to pay an additional £5000 for the project, half to be paid straight away... Mistake 5! The guys on site worked to the end of that week and didn’t return. I called and left lots of messages on the builder’s phone and even went to his office to find out what was happening, the address on the contract was not correct so no joy there either.

The Drag. Five months after starting the project we were left with a half-finished house, no builders, a distressed family, extortionate bills, and no idea what to do next. We allowed three weeks to pass before it became obvious that the builders were not going to return. I knew I had to make a decision in order to get my family into our new home. The following week I decided to cut our losses with the original builder and employed a new building company. Thankfully they provided a Project Management service and completed the remainder of the works themselves and we were able to move in to our new home within a month.

Home Improvements Add Value. Did I add value to my property by undertaking the extension and renovation works? Yes, I did! However, due to my lack of knowledge (and trusting nature), a large chunk of the money was swallowed up by the expenses we incurred waiting to move in our new home, unfinished work by the first set of builders, storage and hotel bills piled up due to the delay in moving in to the house and the additional cost of employing the new builders to finish the project.

“Buy Cheap Pay Twice!” So, what have I learnt from this experience? Since speaking to many others about my misfortune I have come to realise my story is not exceptional. Unscrupulous builders have caused chaos in many people’s lives. If I was to advise someone now about building or renovating their property I would suggest they consider the following points:

a) Make sure you do your due diligence!

b) Speak to at least 2 or 3 building companies and ask for evidence of previous work.

c) Make sure your contract is worth the paper it is written on! Check out the address and telephone number, make sure both parties have signed it, and it includes the following points:

a. The payment terms

b. The estimated finish date (give 2/3-week extension max unless you are given a good reason for the delay)

c. What is and is not included in the cost

d) Employ a company that is passionate about their work and pays attention to your needs throughout the project. Remember, they are working for you or you may find yourself in the same position I did.

e) When employing a builder do NOT base your decision solely on the cheapest quote it can often become a lot more expensive in the long run, like me, you could be caught by the ‘Buy Cheap Pay Twice’ proverb!


Bishop Ltd provides complete Turnkey Management services, including the design and planning stage of your project. We will handle your project from start to finish so your free carry on with your everyday life. Sit back, relax and let us take the strain!

Call Bishop Ltd on 0208 926 2010 for a no obligation quote!

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The Right Builder for YOU!

The Right Builder for YOU!

Building or extending a home is quite possibly the most exciting and rewarding venture a person can undertake. However, if you instruct a building company with less than honorable scruples it can, sadly, also become a very painful and expensive experience! Let’s face it, most of us have heard the horror stories about clients being left in the lurch with half-finished and even dangerous projects, the television industry has spent hours of film reel on them. In my mind, these types of builders are simply ‘handymen’ parading in builders clothing… or, for a better term, WOLVES in sheep’s clothing! These bandits are a little better qualified at getting the job done than your regular Joe (obviously not referring to our Joe at Bishop Ltd!), who may have decided to put up a shelf on a Sunday afternoon. They are not like the many hardworking honest tradesmen out there who take pride in their work and aim to provide the best service possible.

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Beware; these wolves create so much misery and chaos in their wake that it has tarnished the reputation of the building trade as a whole. How many times have you heard the phrase ‘do you know of a good builder? He must be trustworthy!’ Why should a client have to question whether a builder is trustworthy? Should it not be the case anyway? People are scared of approaching new building companies; this can’t, and shouldn’t be right. Let’s face it, the reality is, one person is passing their hard-earn money (sometimes life savings) into the hands of an unknown person in the HOPE they will fulfill their promise! Yes, that is scary. The service provider should appreciate they have a duty to their client and do all they can in order to fulfill that duty.

So, what should you do to best protect yourself?

The most obvious answer would be to ask family and friends for recommendations. But remember what has worked for them may not necessarily fit with you. It’s always wise to get at least two or three different quotes before making your selection, and don’t be fooled into basing your final decision on price alone – it may price you a great deal a lot of within the long haul. Be informed! Ask your prospective builder questions, LOTS of them. Any good builder will be happy to spend time explaining how he will approach and deliver your project. Request to see examples of past works, check out their website - testimonials are always a good place to start, make sure you get a written quote showing what is, and what is not, included in the price and, very importantly, their payment terms. An unscrupulous builder would not want to entertain any of this!

Be wise, it will take a very long time to make all that money back if you mistakenly pick the cheaper ‘wolf’ over the slightly more expensive but highly qualified and experienced honest tradesman!

Beware, be informed and be wise!

Bishop Ltd – Construction Services, more updates to visit click here @ Local builder Dartford Kent

High Quality Construction Services UK

Bishop Ltd continues to deliver high quality construction services in the south east region of the UK. We continue to strive in building a solid name within the industry, to become the ‘go to’ building company within our local areas, and for our clients to feel secure in the knowledge that they are in very safe hands.

We are also very mindful of the safety of our workforce, and the environment, whilst meeting the proposed requirements and deadlines of our clients. It is our aim for our team and clients to achieve there goals safely and with the least amount of distribution to their surroundings.

Buying your first home or Re-building your present home is one of the most significant purchases you will make in your lifetime, so it’s crucial to be as prepared as possible. Purchasing / Re-building / Re-Modelling a home takes a lot of time and planning, but in every instance when you move in it always feels like a brand new home, the headaches will be worth it!

Whether you are looking to build a custom home, or Re-Model your current property, Bishop Ltd’s construction team will work with you to bring your dream home to life.

Read More Information and contact team to click here @ Local builders in Aylesford Kent

Design Consultant Service Local Builders

Our Design Consultant service is a stand-alone package that encompasses all the early stages of a project. These early stages relate mainly to the design, drawings and Planning Permission aspect of a project. If you are setting out as a ‘first time builder’ we would strongly advice that you consider using this service.

With residential projects its often very difficult for the average person to know where to start, Architects, Planning Permissions, Building Regulations etc…, it can all seem a bit of a minefield. For this reason, we at Bishop Ltd decided to include a further service to our list, Design Consultants.

The aim is to help you achieve not only the best results for your project, but to also gain a clear vision of how you would like your property to serve you, and your family. It may be that you work from home so need to divide the internal space in such a way as to include a study, or would it be best to add that new office with a garage conversion. All design work for a new home, or extension, has to be thoroughly considered to make sure you get the optimum use out of your new space.

With our design service, after confirming your likes and dislikes, we will start by helping you to focus on an actual design layout that works for your new property, or new space in the case of extensions. This could include helping you to decide what style or look you want to achieve, both internally and externally, what you will be using the new space(s) for, or it could be help with choosing the right doors, windows, kitchens or bathrooms.

Once we are clear on the design part of the build we can then provide you with the support of our architect. He will complete all your plans and drawings in preparation for submission to your local Planning Permissions Authority.

Whatever design and planning support you need we at Bishop Ltd are here to help you. Why not give us a call and put us to the test!

Read More Information to visit and click here @ Local builder in Loughton Essex

Bishop Ltd Professional Tradesmen

Bishop Ltd provides comprehensive construction Management and Consulting services to help you achieve the best results for your project. Our professional tradesmen are qualified to manage all facets of any major construction project.

Contact Us:- www.bishopltd.com