Tina's Stunning Home Transformation | Checkatrade
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Tina’s stunning bungalow transformation

First-time buyer Tina used Checkatrade to completely transform her two-bedroom, semi-detached bungalow in Ruislip, London, into the family home she dreamed of. You won’t believe the results!
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About Tina's renovation project

The project: To transform this two-bed bungalow into a bright and spacious family home

Tina explains: “After renting for most of our late 20s, my partner and I decided it was time to invest in our first home. We wanted to start a family and were keen to buy a property we could extend to create a bright and spacious home that we could grow into.

When we found the bungalow, we knew it would be a full renovation project. But being first-time homeowners, with no experience in this field, we felt completely overwhelmed.

Bungalow before
kitchen - before
Bathroom - before

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First step, research

As this was our first time becoming homeowners and completing a full home renovation, we felt quite daunted by the prospect of construction work. So we used Checkatrade as a well-established and trusted website to help us prepare for and understand what a project of this type would involve.

We were encouraged to read Checkatrade’s homeowner blog. It helped us to learn and understand what’s involved with a home renovation, and best of all, how to plan one. 

We also got really excited while reading the blog to see other homes that had been renovated too. 

Reading all of the advice and seeing examples of completed work eased any anxieties we had about undertaking major construction work!

Checkatrade cost guides on a laptop

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Finding a home renovation expert

We had used Checkatrade in the past to find contractors for small jobs. Knowing that Checkatrade is an accredited platform gave me peace of mind and made me feel at ease.

We used the Checkatrade website to find construction companies that were specialists in property renovations. What I found really helpful was being able to search for contractors via job specification, geographical area, and, most importantly, highly rated by other homeowners local to me. 

Once we had a shortlist of construction companies on Checkatrade, we compared their skills, experience, and customer reviews, and viewed examples of their work on their member profile pages. Doing all this in a few clicks made the process straightforward and less time-consuming

It was the strength of the verified customer reviews that I found especially helpful – this is what led us to choose SM London Construction to complete our project.”

We check the reviews on Checkatrade are from real people, and that trades meet our high standards.

Hiring SM London Construction

Their previous customers consistently rated them highly, which caught our attention. The examples of their work were just what we were looking for – a modern, sleek, and stylish aesthetic. Plus, they’d completed a few renovation projects in our local area. 

Contacting Shaz, owner of SM London Construction, was easy through Checkatrade. Everything I needed was in one place: contact email address, phone number, and social media platforms were all listed.

I gave SM London Construction a ring, and Shaz answered immediately. He was responsive, professional, friendly, and had a lot of knowledge and answered all our questions and enquiries. 

He’d organised a face-to-face meeting within the week to discuss our plans. We were impressed by how efficient he was!

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Working with SM London Construction

SM London Construction offers all aspects of building and construction in and around the Berkshire area. They specialise in home extensions, conversions, and refurbishments.

“Before meeting Shaz we wanted to make sure we were prepared and made notes on everything we wanted to cover in the meeting. We knew we needed a full property renovation to include a porch extension, a rear extension, and loft conversion with ensuite.”

First impressions

“Shaz was punctual, well presented, and his energy was super positive. The meeting was very beneficial and productive, taking a detailed tour of the property to share our vision for our future home.

From the initial meeting, Shaz was able to share topline costings, which we appreciated as this is something that initially made us nervous. Shaz’s transparency and honesty are what stood out making sure we were aware of what a renovation project entails.

Shaz showed such an interest in our journey and the reasons for purchasing this property and really took time to understand our needs and purpose in what we wanted to achieve for the renovation.

The quote

“Shaz’s quote was very detailed and comprehensive, which allowed us to understand what items were included and what we’d need to purchase ourselves. This was great because it allowed us to make sure we set aside a realistic budget for ourselves before starting the renovation.

Throughout the project, Shaz ensured that costs were discussed at every stage of the building works, which resulted in no discrepancies. Shaz made notes about anything we discussed making sure it was documented, which avoided any miscommunication.”

Communication

We had daily phone conversations and weekly meetings with Shaz. We discussed everything in detail so that nothing was overlooked.

Shaz’s consistent communication allowed us to discuss any issues we encountered, and he would make sure we left the meeting with actions, which were always completed as promised.

We also received regular updates through videos and photos, which helped to keep us informed on occasions when we couldn’t make it on-site.

Shaz also introduced himself to our neighbours, allowing him to respond to their concerns during the building construction first-hand. There were occasions when our neighbours had enquiries and Shaz was able to reassure them, making sure they were satisfied and reduced any disturbance.

His builders remained polite and professional throughout the whole process to us and our neighbours.”

Attention to detail

“Shaz’s attention to detail and the quality of his builders’ work exceeded my expectations. Their professionalism enabled us to build a trusting relationship and Shaz always made sure our needs were put first.

When they encountered anything challenging or situations that needed more discussion, they always made sure to consult us first before making any changes or proceeding with any work.

For example, Shaz spoke with us about making our ensuite bigger to allow space for a comfortable shower, changing the placement of a window to make it central, and widening our corridor. We appreciated these thoughtful considerations to make sure we were delighted with the end result.” 

Schedules

“We found that Shaz set realistic deadlines for each job and he always met those deadlines, which resulted in him completing the works in the exact timeframe we needed.

At the end of every working day, Shaz and his team ensured the building site was left clean and they completed a number of construction site security measures to make sure it was safe for our neighbouring community.”

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The result: A showstopping transformation

Shaz and his SM London Construction team transformed Tina’s property from a dated house to a stylish and practical family home.

SM London and Tina's Before After Bathroom
Tina's bungalow extension/conversion before and after

What does Tina think?

Renovating our home has created stability for our family as we can now settle down for a few years instead of moving. Every part of our home now fits a purpose for each of our needs making it such a practical, child-friendly, safe home while still looking aesthetically pleasing.

Opting for an open plan concept has allowed so much natural light to come through, making it really bright and airy. It also allowed us to have the space for the younger children to play and explore while giving us a space to entertain and host our family and friends, which is something we love to do.”

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How Tina rated the Checkatrade experience

“A renovation project can be an emotional process due to the amount of investment, commitment, and time it requires. However, Shaz was compassionate, patient, and understanding and allowed us the time we needed.

We have been extremely impressed with the outcome of Shaz’s work and are now in the process of designing a renovation project for a garden room! Bring it on!

From the initial stages of planning and designing the renovation to the end completion, we’ve been so impressed with the resources on Checkatrade that have helped to guide us throughout this journey. The reviews, blogs, and information on trends and ideas gave us the knowledge that helped us get remarkable results!

I would definitely recommend using Checkatrade to all homeowners. Read the reviews on the member profiles, compare what others have experienced, and you’ll find the right match for any project, big or small.”

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Considering a home renovation project of your own?

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