Allen and Val, from Stafford, had their lovely period property extended with new additions of a larger rear kitchen and an orangery.

“John

We just had the place revalued by the agent who sold us the property and thanks in large part to the work of your team it has increased in value by 25%.

That apart we were impressed with the professionalism, flexibility and “can do” approach of you and your excellent team who were a pleasure to have been associated with. The end result exceeded our expectations and invariably results in positive if not envious comments from our visitors.

Many thanks for a job well done and please feel free to use us as a reference.

Regards

Allen & Val”

When you can’t afford to move but you desperately need extra living space, it’s hard to beat a new conservatory for value and functionality.

Davidson Design and Build are approved installers for the elitisUltra framed Conservatory range so, in just 2 weeks, you could spread your wings and have a beautiful new living room, dining room, study, entertainment area or playroom that brings more daylight into your home and gives you more room to breathe.
With energy costs soaring, you’ll be happy to find that Elitis ‘A’ rated windows are designed to capture the sun’s free warmth and to keep it there, providing an exceptional U-value to keep the heat in your home, even when the sun isn’t shining.

Family security is everything and using the very latest in specialist glass coatings and state-of-the-art thermal chambers, our steel reinforcement has 80 times the structural strength of plastic so you get only the best security alongside the best energy efficiency.

With every frame fitted, you get many more benefits too, such as:
• Full written manufacture’s 15 year product warranty
• Each elitis window is individually registered with its own energy rates BFRC certificate
• Manufactured by elitis: a British Standards Licensed company ISO9001, BS7412, Secured by Design
• Steel Reinforcement to British Standards. High security hinges and locking
• The option of Police recommend Secured by Design standard for vulnerable areas requested at time of order
• ‘A’ energy rated as standard on white, coloured and woodgrain effect frames.
• Top all of that with the added benefit of the Davidson Design and Build exclusive ‘DROPStopper’ technology fitted to all windows and doors, making your frames even safer and easier to maintain.

So as 30% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our homes and 23% of the heat we pay for escapes through our windows, some 60% of our home energy is spent on simply heating! That means that nearly a quarter of your annual heating bill does nothing other than damage our environment! So apart from the obvious saving of money, every improvement you make on these figures has significant benefit to all our futures.

It costs you nothing to speak to us about your ideas, plans or aspirations for your home so CALL TODAY 01785 817981 to speak to our design team. We’re happy to help!

PDR Construction based in Hull have landed a £6m contract to build a new B&Q superstore in Tamworth, Staffordshire by property developer The Redbourne Group. The 45000 sq ft B&Q store and three other retail units are at the Cardinal Point scheme in Tamworth. The new store will be the latest for B&Q to meet their environmental and sustainability requirements and is of a custom design for the firm by Wakefield-based architects The Harris Partnership. B&Q will be moving in along with fashion retailer Next and electronic store Maplins.

The new construction contact marks another large leap forward for the Yorkshire based firm who have grown over the past few years to be one of the largest independent builders for the North East. This is another significant contact to be won by the firm, and the first for retail giant B&Q. The location of the build in Tamworth has seen the firm’s profile grow outside its local base of Yorkshire expanding into Staffordshire – despite the current economical climate.

The construction is part of the Building Schools for the future (BSF) programme which as part of the scheme includes the refurbish or rebuild of every secondary and special needs school in the Stoke on Trent area. It is believed the new project will create new jobs for local construction firms until February 2012 – when the school is scheduled to open.

The land is currently green wasteland, and some local residents are voicing their concerns over the projected plans. They are worried that the building of the school is being carries out so close to their homes and that the nature of the prospective pupils may bring trouble to the area. Some wish for the land to remain as it is.

It can be very hard finding a trusted builder as there are many cowboys around. The above video has the answers to most of the common questions you ask when looking for a trusted builder.

Davidson Design and Build are Staffordshire builders you can trust and we have lots of happy customers who will tell you about us and our exceptional services in our testimonials. It is not just the quality of our building work that keeps our customers happy and recommending us to their friends but our friendly approach and customer service. We look at what we can do for your home and help you get the best design for your building requirements. Whether it is a Kitchen, house extension, conservatory, bathroom or something more complicated we will help you get the best for your money.

The above video answers a lot of common questions and valid questions you should consider when choosing a builder to work on your home.

You can get answers for:

1. Where should I start when looking for a builder?
2. Where should I not look for a builder?
3. How can I check if a builder is qualified?
4. What is a ‘cowboy builder’?
5. Should I ask for references from a builder?
6. Should I ask to visit previous sites where work was done?
7. Should I get a contract signed by a builder?
8. When should I use a project manager?
9. Are builders insured?
10. How much notice will I need to give a builder before he can start?
11. Is it worth waiting for the right builder?
12. Should I make sure my architect is happy with the builders I choose?
13. When is the best time of year to get work done?
14. How many registered builders are there in the UK?

If you want to go through any of these questions with Davidson Design and Build then get in touch and we will happily go through these and any other building questions or requirements you may have.

Davidson Design and Build are Trusted builders based in Staffordshire, with the VAT increase coming in January many of our customers have been asking about how this will affect them.

In January the VAT will go up to 20% as opposed to the current 17.5% VAT, when purchasing  a large job like a house extension or conservatory this can be a significant increase in money. Building work is not something many people can afford to pay up front and over the duration of the job (which can take a few months depending on the scale) the VAT may have changed from the start of the job to the end of the job. Although Davidson Design and Build like to help our customers as much as possible we are reputable builders and still have to pay this VAT ourselves, however we always guarantee you will only have to pay what is on your original quote.

We have made this offer even better by helping you beat the VAT increase and can ensure that if you pay your deposit we will hold your quote at the current VAT level until March 2011. When the VAT increase in January is applied you will have an extra 2 months at the 17.5% rate saving you lots of money on large jobs.

Not only will we save you money on your VAT with a deposit but we also include FREE DROPstopper technology in all PVCu doors and windows we install.

For more information contact Davidson Design and Build today!

There are a lot of Cowboy builders around and sometimes it can be hard to find a trusted builder to do your building work. Here are 5 of our top tips for choosing a Trusted builder so you can feel safe and secure in the building supplier you have chosen.

1. Get your builder to come round to quote, any one who quotes over the phone will not have seen the job in full and could miss out vital building requirements. Each job is different and a good builder will quote based on your needs not a one size fits all solution. It may be tempting to go for a quick and seemingly cheap quote when the builder just says- conservatory on a semi detached house is £X but if they miss something there could be hidden costs later on.
2. Never pay for a quote, some builders will get you to pay for a quote, although it takes time for a quote to be put together you still shouldn’t have to pay. Many cowboy builders will make you pay for a quote in the hope that you will be more likely to use them and not shop around, it may also be due to them not getting much building work, Davidson Design and Build offer no obligation free quotes!
3. Make sure you know what is included in your quote, for example some builders will miss out electrical’s or plastering so at the end you have to pay much extra. If you know exactly what you are getting you can budget in additional costs if necessary. Davidson Design and Build guarantee you never pay more than is on the written quote!
4. Has you builder got any good testimonials? Can you speak to any of their past customers, if they don’t have anyone for you to talk to they may be inexperienced or their customers have not been happy. Davidson Design and Build have 30 years of happy customers, check out some of our testimonials on the site.
5. Google your builders, if there are lots of bad reviews online stay well away, you can also see if your builder is a member of any trade associations that will back them, for example Davidson Design and Build are proudly listed on the Staffordshire Trader register.

Good luck in finding a trusted builder and for your free no obligation quote contact Davidson Design and Build the Staffordshire builders you can trust today!

Above is a video montage of some stupid and idiotic things builders can do, putting themselves and you at risk, not to mention creating extra work that you will have to pay for. Although this is an amusing video to watch of building mistakes it is not so funny if it happens to you. Cowboy builders are all around and although sometimes they may seem cheaper up front the work is rarely up to standard and can cost you thousands in repairs over the next few years. This is why it is important to use a recommended builder.

Recommended builders can sometimes be a little bit more expensive, this is because they tend to do everything through the books meaning the tax man charges them and they have to pay VAT and national insurance like any reputable company. However, because they do everything through the books they have a responsibility to provide good work and recommended builders have worked hard to earn that recommendation and will continue to work hard to keep it.

If you are looking for a building supplier your should choose your building supplier carefully as many builders around are your stereotypical cowboy builder who will not adhere to health and safety regulations and cut corners on the building work and supplies. This is something that can cost you a lot of money after even just a couple of months when the cracks start to show.

Davidson design and build are the Staffordshire builders you can trust and with 30 years experience and lots of happy customers the proof is in the building of the many conservatories, kitchens and extensions that are standing strong to this day, we only go back to have a cuppa with our customers or discuss extra work they may want.

Our recommendation for choosing a builder to get a few quotes and speak to their customers, if your builder is cagey about past customers it could be because they haven’t done many jobs or they may not have done a good job and have cut corners leaving some very unhappy customers. Davidson Design and Build are proudly listed on the Staffordshire Trader Register and have lots of testimonials from our happy customers, so have a look what they have said and get in touch for a quote.

Many people like to improve their home with a spacious kitchen that can be used for entertaining as well as cooking, a Kitchen extension can also add a lot of value to your house for a reasonable price. You can improve your kitchen with space saving units and equipment or you may want to go all out with an external kitchen extension or knocking down internal walls to add space.

“While a competent DIYer will be able to install a flat-pack kitchen, major work should be left to building professionals,” advises Ian Davis, director general of the FMB, which published The Essential Guide to Home Improvement.

Kitchen Research
When investing in any kind of home improvements it is important to do some research first, even before you call your local builder it is important to have an idea of how you will use the room. Think about how you use it now and how that will change, do you want outdoor access to the garden with a door or will you be using it for dining or entertaining as well as cooking? By considering how you will use the kitchen, you can get some idea on layout which you can talk through with your builder.

Proper Preparation
As with most things you need to consider the workspace of your kitchen, the preparation space of Chopping, draining, cleaning, and cooking. This means when designing your kitchen you need to consider this preparation area, you need all the areas to be accessible , you need to make sure when cooking you can get to the oven, the hobs, the chopping area and and the sink. They need to be close enough together to make preparing food and meals easier. Remember that you need to allow space for pots and pans as well as other useful utensils, how much storage space will you need for all of your kitchen appliances, cutlery and will you still have room for your weekly groceries.

Think about your drains

One of the most important elements to think about when extending or re designing your kitchen is where the drains go, many drains will go outside of your kitchen and this can affect the layout of the kitchen. You need to be aware of where sink, dishwasher or washing machine outlets lead out, if possible these should  have direct access to external drains. Another consideration is how much they will be used, this should not be a problem in a new house where builders allow for excess appliances like large plumbed in fridges, dishwashers, washing machines as well as your sink usage. However, in an older house it may not have been built to allow for this so some work on the drains may be necessary. If you want to move your drains, perhaps for the extension of an external wall, this can get very expensive and you may need to check with the building regulations before you start.

Safety
When changing a kitchen you may want to consider moving or adding utility points, this could be for water, gas and electrics, this will push up the price but is a good investment as it is easier to do this at the early stages rather than once the kitchen is built. When moving electrical appliances or points you have to consider the compliance and safety of the worker. Staffordshire builders make sure only qualified electricians and Corgi ( Council of Registered Gas Installers) registered Gas workers will work on your home. If you are using someone other than Davidson Design and Build make sure the individual doing the work is registered with the correct bodies rather than just the company, this is required by the Health and Safety legislation, if you use an unqualified trades person this will deem your guarantees on your appliances as being invalid.

Play by the rules

Before starting any building work it is a good idea to check to see if planning permission is needed, luckily for many kitchen extensions, home extensions and conservatories, planning permission is not always needed but every council is different so always contact your local planning office to see if the work will be allowable under the current permitted development. If you find out later that you needed planning permission and you didn’t apply then the council can demand you remove the extension and get the house back to its original state, this can be very costly!

It may be that the council will allow an extension but have certain perimeters like stone work etc, this is good to be aware of at the beginning so that your builder can incorporate this into the design.

Use the professionals

Always use a professional builder for a kitchen extension, they have enough experience and will know many of the smaller details a DIYer would overlook. Davidson Design and Build are your local Staffordshire builders you can trust and we can help you design the perfect kitchen for your home. We can also advise on how you will cope whilst the kitchen is in the building stage and you have no cooking facilities for a while.

If you are getting quotes from a number of different companies, make sure you also get testimonials, find out who they have worked with before and how they found the experience. Did they finish everything to a high standard? Did they cut any corners? These are all important questions you should ask.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON HOW TO CHOOSE A SUPPLIER

Sometimes, no matter what lengths you think you’ve gone to, to ensure you buy from the right supplier, things can still go horribly wrong.  For example, take our own recent experience of buying a new puppy

Questions were asked and all the correct answers were received:-

1. Are you a Kennel Club UK Accredited Breeder?  “YES”
2. Are the Sire and the Dam (Dad and Mum) both KC Registered and health checked?  “YES”
3. Will the puppy be KC Registered?  “YES”
4. Will we be able to see the puppy with its mother?  “YES”
5. Will the puppy be Vet checked?  “YES”

All sounded great and the seller was very convincing that she was a bona fide breeder, so imagine our shock and distress when, after waiting 10 weeks and driving 3 hours to pick up our little guy, we actually uncovered the misery behind the puppy farming trade.

We can ask why council officials and The Kennel Club UK have not acted sooner as complaints ranging from fake pedigrees to bogus vaccination certificates have already drawn the attention of both Trading Standards and the RSPCA.  But who is really to blame here for the time lost?  Could we have done more?  The answer is, clearly, “YES”!

Asking the right questions of a potential supplier is stage one of the process, but VERIFYING the answers is the crucial stage two.

For example you may come to us and ask;

• How many years experience do you have in the building trade?

HOW CAN YOU VERIFY THAT TO ME?   (Through industry references).

• How many house extensions/kitchens/garage conversions (whatever) have you carried out in the last 3 years?

HOW CAN I SPEAK WITH THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS TO VERIFY THEIR LEVEL OF SATISFACTION?   (Then speak with them!)

• Are you, therefore, VAT registered and a law-abiding, tax-paying company?

WHAT IS YOUR VAT REGISTRATION NUMBER, SO WE CAN VERIFY YOUR EXISTENCE WITH THE LOCAL VAT OFFICE?   (Only 2 house extensions a YEAR puts a builder into the VAT bracket. No VAT, then not a real builder).

• How would you rate your reputation as a builder in this area?

DO YOU HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO US CONTACTING YOUR LOCAL TRADING STANDARDS OFFICE REGARDING POSSIBLE REPORTS ON YOUR WORK?    (Then do it!)

We can all be taken in by a smooth talker or swanky brochures, but getting into the habit of actually checking out the details is crucial to avoiding costly mistakes.

Ask us at any time for former customer contacts and we can supply you with as many as you like – AND we’re registered with Trading Standards under their Trader Register programme, showing our commitment to working with honesty and integrity!

Back to the story of the puppy, after consulting the RSPCA, we were instructed to walk away from the deal and to get a full refund.  One week later, having asked the questions and VERIFIED the answers from a number of other Dog Breeders, we found the right Breeder and the puppy we were looking for, closer to home and for much less cost.   ‘Murphy’ Davidson arrives home to us on 25^th May.