Extension builders in Swindon
Read what our customers have to say
Work carried out:
In October 2022 we jointly purchased a 5-bedroom house with the prospect of adding a 6th bedroom and developing the property to make a dwelling for our two families to live together, but with separate living quarters. The house was in a poor condition with nothing having been developed/improved for some decades.
The plan was to build a large single-story extension across the back of the house providing two living room/kitchen/diners and to convert the garage and utility area into a bedroom and ensuite bathroom.
Communication with builders.
From day one the communication with JP was excellent. The quotation document was thorough and detailed in the extreme and gave us great confidence that we had made the right choice out of the quotes we had sought.
Throughout the whole 6 month process we were kept well informed, and since we were in temporary accommodation nearby, we were able to visit the site regularly. We got to know JP and the whole team really well and were always welcomed on site.
Where issues arose or choices needed to be made JP helped us with decisions and was always determined to help us achieve the best balance between quality and cost.
JP was also very thorough in communicating with the neighbours who were inevitably affected by a 6-month building project.
Quality of work
At every stage of the build the quality of the workmanship was excellent. This has been confirmed by friends who know far more about building than we do and who, without exception, make very positive comments when they visit. JP is somewhat of a perfectionist, a very desirable characteristic for a builder!! We can say that the result is pretty much exactly what we had hoped for.
Tidiness of site
By its very nature much of the work created a great deal of rubble and required a never-ending supply of skips. The team clearly did their utmost to keep all this to a minimum and it was particularly noticeable that on a Friday evening they cleared and cleaned up the frontage of the house to leave things looking as tidy as possible for the weekend.
Value for money
As I hinted earlier, JP is not one to take short cuts to provide a cheaper option. In our various discussions we were confident that we could absolutely rely on him to provide us with an excellent result at the most appropriate price.
Overall
Six months in temporary accommodation whilst waiting for a build to be completed is inevitably unsettling and stressful. JP did everything he could to make the process as stress free as possible – on a couple of occasions he called in on us just to see how we were doing! I am hoping this is the last major building project we will experience, but if anything crops up there is absolutely no doubt about who we will get to do the work!
We have nothing but the highest praise for Mr. Donovan and his great team.
We had previously selected Great Western Building Services for a small extension to our lounge and hall, which greatly improved our living space. They were not the cheapest, but we were impressed with the quality and detail in their quotation, which gave us great confidence, and we were not disappointed.
When it came to our more recent, and much more ambitious project, we had absolutely no hesitation in inviting GWBS to tender.
The scope of the project was a to be attached to one corner of our bungalow, plus extensive landscaping to the rear of the property. The design of the orangery featured a centrally-located roof lantern in the otherwise tiled sloping roof, and a steel frame, two-tiered to support the roof; steel being required due to the minimal walls and very large windows including full-width bi-fold doors.
The quality of workmanship throughout was outstanding, as was the impressive attention to detail. The site was always kept tidy, the GWBS team were always polite and considerate, and we were always kept informed of plans. Indeed, while we were away on holiday we were even sent photos and a video of the roof lantern being lifted into place by a special crane.
The work was completed on time, despite the challenging heat, which necessitated some unplanned non-working days, and some delays from third parties. It was also completed on budget, allowing for one or two agreed minor changes.
We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending GWBS.
Very easy and quick to respond to queries. Helpful with suggestions for finishing materials etc.
JP was always very approachable and responsive. He demonstrated different building material options when we had to make a choice. On one occasion he rushed out at 9pm to solve a challenge before kitchen worktops arrived at 9am the next day.
The outdoor crew – Craig, Bill, Lee (and others) were really friendly and polite. They went the extra mile to be helpful and tidied up well at the end of each day.
Excellent quality of workmanship. The exterior build is fantastic – the front porch/hall is impressive, and the rear extension brickwork really matches our existing building. The finish of the patio with its retaining wall is great. The care given to the finish – plastering, windows, doors and kitchen fitting has given us a “show house” feel.
GWBS kept the site as tidy as possible during each phase of the build. Skips were regularly emptied. Materials were kept in prearranged places. The garden was returned to original state as much as possible. When the back house wall was removed the team carefully boarded the gap and re-plumbed the sink further back enabling us to continue living in the house whilst the building was completed.
Not the cheapest quote but by no means the most expensive either. We chose GWBS over other builders as we felt we could work easily with J-P, he was keen to ensure that we ended up with a high-quality extension finished in the style of our choosing. J-P is a rare builder – one who listens to concerns, explains what is going on and genuinely tries to give the best results for the agreed budget. J-P sourced a competitive quote for our outsize windows and patio doors. When we made minor changes, we always felt that J-P did not exploit the alteration but either folded it into his plans or quoted a fair price.
We would be very happy to use GWBS again and recommend them to friends and relations considering building work.
JP and his amazing team have created a wonderful extra “living space” for us.
Thanks a bunch JP.
The plastering finish was perfect and electrics were just as we wanted them to be.
Cleaned all the rubbish away.
I would definitely recommend them.
Satisfied customer.
Highly recommended.
His brickies turned up on the agreed date and time, did a good job, were very polite, tidy and considerate, working late to finish the job and cleaning up afterwards.
Jason Walker project managed the build and trades, from start to finish including fitting the kitchen and flooring. He and his team were very easy to work with; helpful, friendly, trustworthy and very hard working.
All of the team were very communicative, quick to find a positive solution for anything that came up as the work progressed, and willing to go the extra mile to ensure the best possible outcome.
We are very pleased with our new extension.
As with all building projects we
had one or two problems along the way but were resolved by the team to my satisfaction.
They were helpful when I wanted to have some extra work done outside.
The build was completed at a good speed, the team were open to last minute changes and/or additions with minimal issues and pricing was very competitive.
We love the finish and quality of work carried out and we would recommend GWBS for all building works…
If you need to see any pics of their work then please get in touch, thanks Mr & Mrs Collins, Hilmarton.
The team are hard working, diligent and professional with a collaborative approach at every stage and this has ensured we have remained on target with timeline, budget and aspirations for the build.
Also very pleased with their continuous drive to deliver a quality build whilst also being considerate of the “fluffy stuff” such as being very personable and keeping the working site orderly.
Happy to recommend.
GWBS were able to recommend under flooring to level out the floor and protect my Porcelain tiles from snapping (especially if there was further movement of the floor) They then designed a layout of the tiles so that they looked perfectly straight and any joins to do this were hidden under the door way.
They were polite, professional and tidy. They arrived when they said they would and the job was completed within the time frame given.
I would highly recommend GWBS as you certainly get what you pay for.