Ivar London
7 MINUTE READ
What to expect from an Ivar London refurbishment
Ivar London takes contractual responsibility for the whole renovation project
When we quote we provide a single price to you and we take contractual responsibility to ensure that all the contractors do what they say and any price slippages we experience with them will be our problem, not yours. Many operators in London work on an approach of giving a teaser price to the customer before then substantially increasing the total cost by adding in “extras” that need to be paid once the work has started, and which is difficult for a consumer to avoid as they don’t want the contractor to stop working. We don’t work on that basis – instead, we provide a clear upfront price for an agreed amount of work, which we adhere to.
Overall time of the project
Renovation projects are much like a 3 dimensional puzzle – contractors are needed at different time-points and this is why projects take a long time. Renovation projects are a lot of work. There is no escaping this fact, and typically they will take us 4-6 months for a large apartment refurbishment. There is huge call on our time to successfully carry a project through from start to finish.
Licences and Permissions management
Before any material works can commence, relevant parties need to be notified and where applicable relevant consents obtained. We will deal with the managing agents of the building who act for the landlord, who may require a licence to be obtained and we will deal with the local council, dealing with Building Control, as well as with any consents required for skips, waste removal or other highway or other requirements.
Design time
Working out what the overall and furniture layout of the project should be and why, design aesthetic, researching and choosing correct products and materials, comprehensive DWG software plans and elevations for the project, showing in detail how the project will, (which is crucial for getting quotes from contractors and thereafter in project management) and ensuring that the plans are delivered on to time and budget.
Strip-out works management
Before the main works can start, we co-ordinate and arrange for the site to be cleared, including disassembling, breaking down waste into smaller units, and cover cost of removal and dumping charges.
Skilled and competent contractors
Part of the value we bring to projects is our black-book of outstanding contractors – London is famous for having terrible builders and renovators and there are a lot of horror stories about incompetence, poor quality, lack of reliability, time-table slippages and outright fraud. We only work with contractors that we have very substantial trust with, often having worked with them for many years.
Site and works management
Any full renovation will involve multiple contractors – sometimes more than 12 – and this requires: on-going site management to ensure quality, that the timetable is adhered to, on-going site management to deal with variances and unexpected issues and dealing with them in a logical and efficient manner; on-going site management to deal with health and safety, on-going site management to deal with neighbour issues and managing agent stipulations and on-going review of communal areas to ensure that properly protected and that they are kept clean during the works.
Product management
We take responsibility for sourcing high quality products and BSI Building Construction materials, placing orders for products and materials, dealing with product and material deliveries, dealing with product and material damages and returns.
Labour, product, material and disposal costs
The quotes we provide include costs for highly skilled specialist labour and all relevant material and product costs, including everything from paint, to plaster, to plaster-board, piping, as well as costs to pay for removal of building-site waste.
Certificates and insurance
We check that all our contractors have relevant public liability and third party insurance. At the end of the renovation, we will provide an EICR electrical certificate, a Gas Safe certificate (where applicable) as well as a Building Control Certificate confirming the approval of the local council’s building control team of the works.
