This week the snag jobs for our renovation were all finished. Other than some carpentry work that is being done currently the rest of the renovation is now complete. Leaving just the flooring to be laid at the end of March.
I thought it might be nice to just send a thank you to the crew that have worked on our home over the past five months.
They say a company is only as good as the leader but I think it should also be - a company is only as good as its employees - it is all about team work.
Let's start at the beginning.
Our first interaction with https://www.insideoutsidebuilder.uk/ was with Louise who runs the office. She answered my emails and got a very detailed quotation over to us very promptly. And in fact all of the email and phone communication I have had with Louise has been efficient, helpful and friendly. Even when my queries have been mad, she was incredibly patient.
Next we met the boss man Dan who came out to do a site visit, he was really friendly and helpful and gave lots of good advice. I also know that he has done a lot of work behind the scenes!
On the first day of the renovation we were introduced to our 'dream team' - Site Foreman Neil and the trusty crew Harry and Taylor. They were all superstars from day one. For the next eight weeks they were on site 8am to 5pm. Work was carried out efficiently and with great care for us as we were living in the house. Every evening they made sure to tidy up and took extra steps to make sure it was safe for Eric (the dog) and that he could get out to the garden. Each morning we had a briefing about what was going to happen that day and we were kept completely in the loop. Having Neil on site every day gave us huge peace of mind. He was really helpful and incredibly patient with us, keeping us updated and with such a good sense of humour. Harry and Taylor are both amazing, hard working and incredibly skilled, they tackled each job with total professionalism and also both knew exactly what was going on at any given time. They have also both been back at various points to fit windows, door frames and do other snag jobs. Eric also fell in love with Taylor, but we suspect that was in part due to Taylor discovering where the dog biscuits were kept. These three went above and beyond on more than one occasion.
With demolition of walls, a conservatory, chimney breasts and ceilings it was a noisy, messy few weeks - made all the more easy for us by the professional team. We had planned on moving out for a couple of weeks if needed but it wasn't necessary because the team made life as comfortable as possible for us.
Then we met the electrician Tom Moore who was incredibly helpful and talked through everything with us, what we needed and what he thought would work best. He was such a nice chap who likes to sing when he works. He did a huge amount of electrical work for us, some of it quite challenging, but he took it all in his stride and what he has done is fantastic. Light fittings, sockets, new fuse board, moving the wifi and the most science fiction set up in the new study for internet and computers you have ever seen.
Plumbing, radiators and replacing the gas boiler were all done by Phil who was super efficient and cheerful, even when our old boiler tried to squish him! He did a fantastic job and worked incredibly quickly too, even coming in on the weekend to keep things to schedule.
We also had a wonderful plasterer who did an excellent job and he came in on the weekend to make sure it didn't hold things up too.
Bricklayers and roofers were also in, but so quiet and unassuming we didn't really notice they were there, they got in and did the job.
Next we met Tom Haywood the carpenter. He stepped in to fit our kitchen and did a sterling job because it was not easy. Always cheerful and a fount of knowledge on the ancient Romans (we had a lot of chats). Even the dishwasher saga didn't stop him from smiling. Tom has also gone on to build us the most superb bespoke book/vinyl shelving in the new study and is currently working on a 'cake station' (i.e fitted units and shelving under the stairs). The worktop for which he has created from reclaimed wood and it is stunning. He has been so helpful and his carpentry skills are off the scale.
One of the last jobs was painting which fell to the dynamic duo Karl and Rich - it makes everything look so much better with colour on the walls. They also spray painted the old UPVC doors in the new study, I didn't even know that was a thing, but it looks so much better.
Then we decided the garden needed an overhaul...
Enter the landscaping team Jason and Dan. They talked over what we wanted, made lists, went away and then came back swinging. The garden was done and dusted within a week - new patio, shingle, edging, gate and fence panels. Totally professional and it looks beautiful.
Every single person that Inside Outside have sent through our doors has been incredible. They have all been polite, friendly, efficient and gone out of their way to get things done for us.
It has been a long job, and not without a few hiccups, but that is to be expected on such a large job and coming in on the tail end of a pandemic. When we have shouted for something (what we really mean is we asked Louise nicely) it has been done quickly and efficiently.
We have also learnt a lot from the experience. It has been difficult on occasion, more so in the latter few weeks. Two of us working from the bedroom for several months has its challenges. However, the result is worth it.
I like to think we have not only come out of this with an amazing home transformation, but also met some of the nicest people.
To follow the renovation from the start, click the 'Renovations' tab at the top of this blog
Once the flooring is down I will post some before and after photos.
