How We Work
A Clear Process, From First Idea to Finished Home
Most homeowners come to us having already tried to piece a project together. Multiple quotes, conflicting advice, no clear route forward. We work through five defined stages, so you know what's happening, what comes next, and what it costs at every step.
00
Stage Zero
Review
Turnaround: Two weeks
Fee: £450 plus VAT desktop review, £600 plus VAT with site visit
What happens at this stage
Stage Zero is a paid feasibility appraisal of your property and your brief. We assess what's likely achievable, where planning will help or hinder, what realistic costs look like, and how the project programme might unfold. The output is a written PDF report that gives you a clear, honest picture of the project before you commit to a full architectural appointment.
Why it matters
Most of the regret in residential projects comes from decisions made too early without enough information. Stage Zero is low cost, low commitment, and designed to give you the clarity you need. If you decide not to proceed with us, you keep the report and can use it to brief other companies. If you do proceed, the Stage Zero fee is credited in full against Stage One.
01
Stage One
Plan
Duration: 8 to 14 weeks
What happens at this stage
We visit your home, carry out a measured survey, and develop a concept design that responds to your brief, your property, and the planning context of your borough. We work through options with you, refine the design, and prepare and submit the planning application or permitted development notification.
Why it matters
This is where ideas become a real design, and where the planning route gets agreed and submitted. Getting this stage right protects the project from the most common cause of delays and cost overruns.
02
Stage Two
Specify
Duration: 6 to 10 weeks
What happens at this stage
The approved design is developed into a buildable, compliant construction package. Building regulations drawings, structural coordination with engineers, materials and finishes specification, and any consultant inputs needed. This stage turns the design into something a contractor can price accurately and build properly.
Why it matters
Most of the cost surprises during construction come from incomplete specification. The more that's resolved on paper before a builder is appointed, the less room there is for variation orders, scope creep, and disputes. Stage Two is the work that protects your budget during the build.
03
Stage Three
Tender
Duration: 4 to 8 weeks
What happens at this stage
We prepare the tender documentation, send it to a shortlist of vetted contractors, and analyse the returns alongside you. We help you compare like-for-like and support the conversations and negotiations through to a signed contract with the right builder for your project.
Why it matters
The contractor you choose is the single biggest decision affecting your build experience and your final cost. A good tender process surfaces the real cost of the project, the contractors' approach, and any red flags before you commit.
04
Stage Four
Build
Project dependent
What happens at this stage
We stay with you through construction. Site inspections at the right intervals, contractor queries answered, design decisions resolved on the fly, and a clear eye on whether what's being built matches what was designed and specified.
Why it matters
Even with a great specification and a good contractor, builds throw up decisions every week. Having an experienced eye on the project means those decisions get made well, in your interest, and without the project losing momentum.
✓
The Result
Welcome Home
Where you end up: Living in the home you wanted
What this looks like
A home that works the way you actually live. Built to last, designed for the long term, and delivered without the chaos that most homeowners come to expect from extension projects.
That the budget held. That the planning went through. That the build felt managed rather than improvised. That they have a home they're proud of, and would do it again with us if they ever moved.