Old House Renovation
Customer reference for building, converting services as told to pickapro by Fiona Geoghegan from Clontarf on 22-Nov-2008
When was the work done?
The work was completed in October, 2008 and took about seven weeks.
What was involved?
It was a complete renovation of an old house. Everything from the electrics to plumbing, tiling, plastering and painting needed to be done. There were major changes made downstairs especially. An old kitchen was taken out and a new one installed and a new utility room and toilet was added. All of the walls needed to be insulated, replastered and painted. A particular concern of mine was that we had old, original coving that we wanted to keep, so additional care would be needed to
preserve it.
How did you choose Killasolan Construction?
I found Larry on the Pickapro website. We had looked at a couple of other builders on the site but felt that for the job that we were doing Larry was more suited for renovation work.
The main thing that we liked about Larry was the fact that he could handle all all the work that would be necessary. We wouldn't have to get three different tradesmen that would take longer and be more expensive.
Had you definite ideas in mind before you talked to Larry Clarke?
We knew the basics; rewiring,
plumbing, plastering but we did a walk around with Larry to determine what was really needed.
Did Larry introduce new ideas?
It was clear on day one that Larry knew what needed to be done and he was very good with practical advise. Before Larry was hired, we had ordered wardrobes and kitchen units but Larry recommended delaying having them installed so that insulation boards could first be added to the walls. If we had put the units in without the insulation being done first, our heating would go straight out the window. We were very grateful for this advice and it really saved us. Without Larry's help we would have made a huge mistake.
How did the project run?
Larry and Jason drove the project very well. They are very reliable and when they say they're going to call, they really do. This seems to be a new phenomena that builders are starting to take care of the client more so than just doing the job when they want to do it. There was never a lack of communication and in fact Larry and Jason communicated the whole way. We were always told if something was a problem or there would be an additional cost to do a particular feature. Everything on the snag list was finished and if there's ever a problem in the future I know they'll be back to get it sorted.
What was the biggest benefit to you of using Killasolan Construction?
It was the piece of mind that came from knowing that one person was doing the entire job and that Larry understood what needed to be done. I was also very happy that Larry and Jason took such care and were able to preserve the old coving on the high ceilings which other builders might have just torn out and replastered. He was very mindful of what we wanted.
What's your favourite part now?
My favourite would definitely be the sitting and dining room downstairs where all the original features would have been kept. It was the reason for buying the house in the first place and if we had lost those period features in the renovation, it would have been a big shame.
Would you recommend Killasolan Construction to others?
Yes I would, absolutely and in fact I already have.
I would genuinely say that if someone wanted a good job done with minimum fuss, these guys are very good. I can only say positive things about Larry and Jason and we were delighted that we got them.
