This case study was written by the customer.

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I had been delaying the building of an extension to my house for a number of years but had reached the stage where my crumbling conservatory and worn out old kitchen just had to go.

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After a great piece of work by Simon Kettle of SAKdesign, I had plans and approval for the extension so the process of finding a company to carry out the project began.

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I approached 4 companies to bid for the project and met with 3 of them, discussing the project in detail with each and awaited their proposals. All the quotes were of a similar monetary value but when I met Phil Mullock, Director of P.G. Mullock Building Contractors Ltd, he immediately struck me as someone who knew the business inside and out and also had some brilliant suggestions for the project which I hadn’t considered. You would expect nothing less from a guy whose family run business has gone from strength to strength for well over 25 years.

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After a few tweaks, an easy to understand contract was signed with Phil and works commenced a few weeks later. Note – a good builder will always have work ongoing therefore you may have to wait a while for them to start your job so plan well ahead!

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I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Phil and his team for any project – big or small for the following reasons: –

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Reliability – they actually do what they say they are going to do!

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Inevitably there will be the odd unanticipated problem – the difference with Phil and his team is that they find workable Solutions – their experience and skill is invaluable

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Trust – Phil has an excellent crew, the majority of whom have worked with him for a number of years and it shows – workmanship 2nd to none and they all get on well and work together as a team rather than individual trades – so important to ensure jobs seamlessly run into each other. There was someone on site each day and not just for a couple of hours – full days!

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Excellent admin support – any queries were resolved quickly and efficiently

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Excellent communication – Weekly meetings with Phil and information/requests etc via text as and when required with fast informative responses.

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Deliveries on time meant no work-time lost

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No more no less cost than agreed at start of project

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Although Phil had other projects running simultaneously ( as you would expect from a successful builder) I always felt my project had his undivided attention.

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Things I learned/Tips

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Notify your insurance company of any works BEFORE works start

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Have a plan but be ready to be flexible when problems arise

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Keep in contact with the project manager and don’t be afraid to ask questions about anything – he has lots of experience and may be able to offer suggestions to make your project even better!

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Don’t hover or distract the guys when they are working – its easier said than done but trust them to do what they do, they are experts and try not to keep asking “how things are progressing” etc as I did.

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Keep a photo log of each day’s progress – it’s great to look back on further down the line.

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Have anything you are sourcing yourself ready for use when needed such as tiles, materials etc so that the project moves on as swiftly as possible. Missing a slot with a tiler for instance may mean a long delay until he becomes available again if tiles are not there for him to use.

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If you accept that there will be lots of dust, mess and that you won’t be able to cook properly for weeks then you won’t be disappointed – but remember it’s all worth it

Ensure you make lots of brews and that cool drinks are always available to the guys on site

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And above all…… Phil was ALWAYS right

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I should stress that I have composed this case study without renumeration or coercion – my motivation was to show others that there are honest, reliable companies out there who will go that extra mile to produce your dream project – in budget and with minimum stress and disruption.

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I took pictures of each day of the project, which lasted a total of 4 months, almost exactly to the timescale that Phil said it would take. Here are a few which show the progression at each stage. Forgive my pictures as I am not of the Instagram Generation!