Straight answers on building work, before you commit
No sales copy — just how projects are priced, what the rules require, what tends to go wrong and how we approach it.
Understanding what a quote is made of
What actually drives the cost of a single-storey extension
Why two extensions of the same size can be quoted very differently.
Read the guideGarage conversion pricing: what changes the number
The four things that separate a cheap garage conversion from a properly done one.
Read the guideSteel beams: what a structural quote should include
The line items that separate a complete steel quote from a bare beam price.
Read the guidePlanning a kitchen renovation budget that survives the build
Separating the units budget from the building work budget.
Read the guideRefurbishment budgets: what to spend on first
Ordering a refurbishment so nothing gets ripped out twice.
Read the guidePlanning, regulations and how a build runs
Planning permission or permitted development?
How to work out which route your project takes before you spend on drawings.
Read the guideBuilding regulations, building notices and sign-off
How building control actually runs on a domestic project.
Read the guideParty walls: when your neighbour needs to be told
The neighbour conversation that is easier had early than late.
Read the guideHow a domestic build is actually sequenced
What happens in which order, and why the order matters.
Read the guideWhat happens on a Blades Building site visit
How the first conversation works, and what you get out of it.
Read the guideQuestions worth asking any builder before you sign
A short checklist for comparing contractors properly.
Read the guideChoosing between two sensible options
Single-storey or two-storey extension?
Two very different projects that often start as the same conversation.
Read the guideGarage conversion or extension: which gives you more?
Reusing space you already have, versus adding new footprint.
Read the guideKnock through or extend? Getting more from the ground floor
Often the cheapest way to transform a ground floor is not to add to it.
Read the guideSteel beam or lintel: what your opening needs
Two different answers to two different structural questions.
Read the guideBi-fold, sliding or French doors on a new extension
The glazing decision changes the structure behind it.
Read the guideRefurbish or move? A builder's view
Sometimes the honest answer is that the house cannot become what you want.
Read the guideWhen something is not right
Cracking above a new opening: what it means
Not every crack is a problem, but some are worth acting on quickly.
Read the guideSagging or dipping ceiling after a knock-through
A visible dip usually points to how the load is being carried, not the plaster.
Read the guideDamp and cold in a converted garage: causes and fixes
Almost always a build-up problem, not a heating problem.
Read the guideCondensation and cold spots in a new extension
New buildings hold a lot of water, but persistent condensation has other causes.
Read the guideRemoving a chimney breast safely
Reclaiming floor space from a redundant flue, without leaving a load unsupported.
Read the guideBathroom leaks, failed grout and tiling that has let go
Most bathroom leaks are a substrate problem dressed up as a grout problem.
Read the guideAdvice by the kind of property you own
Renovating a Victorian terrace: what to expect
The structural quirks that show up in almost every terrace project.
Read the guideWorking on a 1930s semi: the recurring themes
Interwar semis follow a pattern, and so do the projects that suit them.
Read the guideExtending a modern estate-built family home
Newer houses come with their own set of constraints.
Read the guideBungalow alterations: opening up and adding on
Fewer floors above means more scope to open up, within limits.
Read the guideLandlord refurbishments between tenancies
Void periods are the constraint, so the programme drives the scope.
Read the guideRenovating before you move in
An empty house is the cheapest house to work on.
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