This week, we were invited to take time out from our Christmas holidays to go for a celebration drink with a client in their newly converted barn, in Great Harwood, Lancashire. We had a great time, admiring the fantastic new dwelling with the excited family.
Exactly a year earlier, we’d been stood with the client in the derelict barn discussing our brief and a programme for the conversion works.
As well as requiring an absolute top quality standard of conversion and achieving value for money, a main requirement was that the client and his family must be living in the converted barn by the next Christmas.
At the time, we had already obtained Planning Permission for residential conversion having being appointed following a referral in 2010. A few years earlier, a previous Planning Application had been refused by the local authority, so it wasn’t a straightforward matter. However, our team of Surveyors discussed the client’s requirements and prepared alternative proposals. Pre-application meetings were held with Planning Officers, and a ‘fresh’ Planning Application submitted, which was approved.
An outline programme was agreed with the client and he instructed us to proceed with detailed design and project management of the scheme with the specific requirement that the project must be completed by December 2011.
A detailed brief was discussed with the client and a full specification and detailed drawings were prepared and agreed and Building Regulation approval was obtained. We also explored suitable renewable energy sources for the barn, opting for a ground source heat pump to serve the under-floor heating and the hot water requirements of the home. Our role also included liaising with structural engineers, services engineers, utility providers and the local authority.
On behalf of the client, we selected a list of suitable contractors and sought competitive tender prices. Following the tendering process we met with the client and the contractor, to ensure that the client was fully satisfied before putting a contract in place with the contractor.
From thereon we project-managed the entire works to completion. The client was provided with regular progress reports and all payments to contractors were managed.
The project was delivered on time and was a definite success….. thanks to the experienced and committed team at Lea Hough Chartered Surveyors, working with a conscientious contractor who was familiar with barn conversion projects, and a decisive, enthusiastic client (and also a little bit of luck with the weather during the early stages of works!).
The quality of workmanship is of the highest standard and the final account is within budget. The barn was entirely completed on time and handed-over in mid-December 2011, ensuring the client’s thrilled family were able to have a wonderful Christmas spent in their new barn conversion.
