Pre-Construction
Getting your team, contracts, and site ready
1 Free with email
How to Find a Reliable Builder for Your Extension
Where to find builders, what to ask them, and the red flags that save you from a costly project going wrong. Practical vetting guide for UK homeowners.
2
Getting Builder Quotes and Comparing Them: A Practical UK Guide
How to get like-for-like quotes from builders, what each line item means, where the hidden costs are, and a systematic approach to choosing the right builder at the right price. UK-specific for extensions.
3
Contracts and Payment Schedules: Protecting Your Money
Why a handshake deal can cost you thousands, what a proper building contract covers, and how to structure stage payments so you never pay ahead of completed work. UK-specific guidance for homeowner-managed extensions.
4
Builder's Insurance: What to Check Before They Start
Around 80% of homeowners doing major building work are underinsured. What your builder must carry, how to verify it's genuine, and the cover gaps that could cost you thousands.
5
Utility Meter Relocation: The Task Nobody Warns You About
Moving gas and electric meters for an extension involves five companies and takes months to coordinate. A real-world guide to getting it right.
6
Skip Hire and Site Setup: Preparing Your Property for Building Work
How many skips you need for an extension, what they cost, why grab lorries are better for heavy waste, and how to set up your site before the builder arrives.
7
What to Do When a Supplier Goes Bust (And How to Get Your Money Back)
Construction suppliers fail at record rates. Learn how Section 75 credit card protection recovers your money, how to spot warning signs, and what to do when a supplier goes into insolvency.
8
Managing Your Builder: Communication, Expectations, and When to Push Back
How to communicate with your builder, keep a site diary, spot warning signs early, handle disputes, and manage the relationship that determines whether your extension succeeds or fails.
9
Tracking Your Build Costs
Fewer than 1 in 3 extension projects finish within 10% of budget. Set up a cost tracker, enforce written variation approvals, and review at every milestone to stay in control.
10
Dealing with Builder Disputes
What to do when the builder relationship breaks down: your legal rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the dispute escalation ladder, mediation, small claims court, and how to recover your money.