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 guideHouse extension cost guide 2026
What extensions cost per square metre in 2026, and why the figure moves so much by type and region.
Read the guideGarage conversion cost and planning guide
How much a garage conversion costs depending on its intended use, and what planning and building control expect.
Read the guideKitchen renovation cost breakdown
Where a kitchen renovation budget actually goes, broken down by trade and element at three spec levels.
Read the guideLoft conversion types and costs
Comparing the four main loft conversion types on cost, headroom and planning implications.
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 guideDo I need planning permission for an extension?
Working through the questions that decide whether you need an application at all.
Read the guidePermitted development rights explained
What the General Permitted Development Order actually allows, class by class.
Read the guideBuilding regulations for homeowners: the Approved Documents explained
A plain-English walk through the Approved Documents that govern most home extensions.
Read the guideParty wall agreements: a practical guide
What the Party Wall etc. Act 1996 requires and how the notice process actually plays out.
Read the guideBuilding insurance during renovations: what actually covers you
Why a standard buildings policy often does not cover you once building work starts, and what does.
Read the guideRSJ and steel beam installation: how the job actually runs
The sequence behind fitting a structural steel beam, from calculations to sign-off.
Read the guideFoundations for house extensions: types, depths and costs
What determines whether your extension needs strip, trench fill, raft or piled foundations.
Read the guideWhen do you actually need a structural engineer?
A practical guide to which jobs need engineer's calculations and roughly what that costs.
Read the guideHow long does a house extension actually take?
A realistic programme for a single-storey extension, and how other project types compare.
Read the guideProject managing your own build: is it worth it?
The honest trade-offs between managing trades yourself and using a single main contractor.
Read the guideHow to choose a builder: the verification checklist
The paperwork and checks that separate a safe hire from an expensive mistake.
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 guideSingle-storey vs double-storey extension: the numbers compared
A data-led side-by-side comparison to help you weigh up storey count before committing to a design.
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 guideUnderpinning costs and when it's needed
When a foundation actually needs underpinning, and what the different methods cost and suit.
Read the guideHow to spot subsidence: cracks, movement and what to check
The crack patterns and movement signs that separate ordinary settlement from genuine subsidence.
Read the guideDamp-proofing older homes: rising, penetrating and condensation explained
Diagnosing the type of damp correctly before choosing a remedy in an older property.
Read the guideCavity wall insulation: when it works and when it doesn't
When cavity wall insulation is the right call, when it causes problems, and the alternatives worth considering.
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.
Read the guide