Extension, Hollystown, Dublin 15

What was involved?
We live on a golf course and it's a fantastic house but the houses are quite small. That was a problem with us because we already had two young children and a third was on the way at the time. We needed more space. Peter put an extension on the back of our house and also added a new entrance at the side. The extension was to be used as a living room, playroom and even added a bit on to our kitchen. It's a real comfort room that we didn't have before and it's made such a difference, we're delighted with it.

How did you choose Swords Building Contractors Ltd?
I had spoken to three or four other builders and they were making the job ten times bigger than it was and their prices were way off my budget. It was so bad that I was almost put off the whole project. They were driving me berserk. This was a big project and was going to use my savings. It took five years to save this money and it wasn't something that I was going to just hand over to anybody. It was a big decision and I needed it done right.

A neighbour of mine runs a creche and a couple of the girls in there had used Peter before and they recommended him to me. We spoke to Peter and it was two things that really convinced me that he was the right person for the job. First of all, he made everything seem so simple and secondly, his price to carry out the work was within my budget. Peter's a good people person and can communicate the job in a way that doesn't panic you or make you nervous. I had a good feeling about choosing Peter.

Had you definite ideas in mind before you talked to Peter Ashmore?
I did have plans of exactly what I was looking for and Peter showed me a catalogue that had everything I wanted. It made things very simple.

How did the project run?
It couldn't have gone better. We needed to move out of the house for a little over a week and when we came back, while it was still a building site, it was safe to do so. I have a two year old boy and a five year old daughter and it had to be OK for us to move back in.

The job progressed nicely and Peter was able to get it all done in four and a half weeks when other builders were saying two to three months. There was no messing around with Peter or any of the guys he had working with him. Everything we looked for, we got and anyone who has seen the extension since, thinks its fantastic. Something I really liked was that Peter did the foundations and extension in such a way that would allow us to add another storey on top of this one in the future if we would like. It's nice to have that option but it might take a few more years before we could take advantage of that.

What was the biggest benefit to you of using Swords Building Contractors Ltd?
The biggest benefit to me was Peter's professionalism. Peter was always able to come up with options when things looked bleak. For instance, windows I had been pricing were so expensive that I thought I might have to cancel the whole project. Peter was able to get the exact same type of windows but at a less expensive price. Within one day he was able to show me a sample and we went ahead with them at a much reduced cost. Right there I thought that's the difference you get when you have someone like Peter and I knew that he was the builder for me.

What's your favourite part now?
The whole extension. The house was lovely before but small and with the kids it was a tight squeeze and we were never comfortable. If we didn't get the extension done we were going to have to consider moving and I didn't want to. we're now comfortable.

Would you recommend Swords Building Contractors Ltd to others?
I've already recommended Peter to others including my sister. She's in the process of purchasing a house and will be getting it renovated and I told her she needs to get Peter in to speak to her and price the job. I would definitely use him again myself.

Any tips for other people?
I would recommend keeping a little bit of your budget back for any extras you might like to get done when the project is finished.