Advice library
Building advice, written from the tools
67 guides covering the faults we're called out to, the material choices we're asked about, the property types we work on and the commercial side of running a build.
Problems & repairs
Building problems and repairs explained
What's actually going wrong, how to tell a symptom from a cause, and what a lasting repair looks like rather than a cover-up.
Sagging floors and tired joists: what's really happening underneath
Homeowner has a bouncy or dipping floor and wants to know the cause and the fix.
Rotten timber windows: repair, splice or replace?
Owner of timber windows with soft or blown paintwork deciding between repair and replacement.
Doors that stick, drop or won't latch
Owner with a door that binds, drags or fails to latch and wants to know if it is serious.
Damp in solid-wall houses: diagnosis before treatment
Owner of an older solid-wall property with damp patches wanting a diagnosis, not a sales pitch.
Cracked and hollow render: patch or strip?
Owner with cracked external render deciding between local patching and a full re-render.
Leaking flat roofs: finding the actual entry point
Owner of a leaking flat roof over an extension, dormer or garage wanting a durable fix.
Woodworm and timber decay: active or historic?
Owner who has found flight holes or soft timber and needs to know whether treatment is needed.
Creaking stairs and loose handrails
Owner with a noisy or wobbly staircase wanting a repair rather than a replacement.
Bathroom leaks: when sealant is the symptom, not the cause
Owner repeatedly resealing a bath or shower and getting damp below or next door.
Overflowing gutters and the damage they cause
Owner with overflowing or leaking gutters wanting to understand repair vs replacement.
Cracks where an extension meets the original house
Owner seeing a crack at the join between an extension and the original building.
Condensation and black mould in loft spaces
Owner finding damp, mould or dripping nails in a cold roof space.
Removing a chimney breast: gallows brackets, steel and party wall rules
Homeowner considering removing a chimney breast for space and wanting to know the correct structural route and paperwork.
Knocking two rooms into one: what happens to the wall between them
Homeowner planning to open up a downstairs layout and wanting to understand the structural process before committing.
Subsidence and underpinning: diagnosis before anyone reaches for concrete
Homeowner worried about a crack or an insurer's report and wanting to understand the subsidence and underpinning process before committing to work.
Extension foundations: trench fill, depth, trees and drains
Homeowner planning an extension who wants to understand why foundation design and depth vary so much and what drives the cost.
Loft conversion structural requirements: joists, purlins and escape routes
Homeowner considering a loft conversion who wants to understand the structural work involved before committing to a design.
Materials & comparisons
Materials and building systems compared
Honest comparisons of the choices that change cost, lifespan and how a finished job feels to live with.
Oak or softwood for joinery: where each one earns its place
Homeowner specifying joinery and weighing hardwood against painted softwood.
Timber or UPVC windows: the honest comparison
Owner replacing windows and comparing timber against UPVC.
Timber, cedar or composite cladding: which weathering do you want?
Owner choosing a cladding material for an extension, outbuilding or elevation.
Warm roof or cold roof: the build-up that decides condensation risk
Owner or self-builder deciding on a roof insulation strategy.
Clay or concrete roof tiles: weight, weathering and cost
Owner re-roofing and choosing between clay and concrete tiles.
Block and beam or suspended timber ground floors
Self-builder or extension client choosing a ground floor construction.
Lime or cement mortar: why the wrong mix damages old walls
Owner of an older property considering repointing and unsure which mortar to use.
Kitchen worktops compared: quartz, granite, timber and laminate
Homeowner selecting a worktop material during a kitchen project.
Steel beams and timber lintels: what carries what
Owner planning to remove a wall or form an opening and wanting to understand the structure.
Wet room or shower enclosure: what changes below the tiles
Owner planning a bathroom and deciding between a wet room and a tray-based shower.
Rooflights or dormers: light, headroom and permission
Owner planning a loft conversion and choosing how to bring in light and headroom.
Property types & owners
Advice by property type and owner
Every building age brings its own constraints. These pages cover what changes when the property, not the project, sets the rules.
Working on a listed building without losing the plot
Listed building owner planning repairs or alterations and needing to understand the process.
Oast houses: the quirks of living in a converted farm building
Oast house owner planning repairs, upgrades or a conversion of unused space.
Weatherboarded cottages: keeping the skin sound
Owner of a weatherboarded cottage planning external repairs or redecoration.
Victorian terraces: the same five projects, again and again
Owner of a Victorian terrace planning renovation and wanting to know the usual scope.
1930s semis: the most improvable houses on the street
Owner of an interwar semi planning an extension or whole-house improvement.
New-build homes: snagging, upgrades and the things developers leave out
Recent new-build buyer planning upgrades, storage or garden works after moving in.
Landlords: specification that survives tenants and inspections
Landlord planning a void-period refurbishment or a compliance-driven upgrade.
Holiday lets: building work that has to fit between bookings
Holiday let owner planning upgrades that must fit around guest occupancy.
Barns and farm buildings: repair, re-use or convert
Rural owner with a barn or agricultural building considering repair or conversion.
Shop and café fit-outs: trading again as fast as possible
Small business owner planning a retail or hospitality fit-out.
Home offices and garden studios that work all year
Home worker planning a garden office or converting a room into a proper study.
Adapting a home to stay in it for the long term
Owner or family planning accessibility adaptations to remain in the home.
Class Q barn conversions: what permitted development actually allows
Landowner or buyer considering converting an agricultural building to a dwelling under Class Q.
Granny annexes and multigenerational living: planning, tax and build options
Homeowner considering an annexe for a relative, adult child, or rental income.
Basement and cellar conversions: tanking, head height and whether it's worth it
Homeowner with an existing cellar or considering excavating one, weighing cost against usable space.
Renovating a house you've just bought: getting the order of works right
New homeowner planning renovation works and unsure what order to tackle them in.
Extending a bungalow: loft, dormer or wrap-around, and what limits each
Bungalow owner comparing options to add space, unsure whether to go up or out.
Costs & process
How building work is costed, run and handed over
The commercial and procedural side of building work, written for homeowners who have never run a project before.
How a building quote is actually built up
Homeowner comparing builders' quotes and unsure why prices differ so much.
Building regulations: what they cover and who signs it off
Homeowner unsure whether their project needs building control approval.
Planning permission or permitted development?
Owner planning an extension or loft and wanting to know if an application is needed.
Party wall agreements without falling out with the neighbours
Owner planning work near or on a shared wall or boundary.
What actually happens, week by week, on a building project
Owner who wants to understand the sequence and duration of a building project.
Choosing a builder: the checks that actually tell you something
Homeowner selecting a contractor and wanting objective selection criteria.
Contracts, payment stages and variations
Owner wanting to understand contract terms and payment structure before signing.
Living in the house while the work is going on
Owner deciding whether to stay in the property during works and how to cope.
When you need a structural engineer, and what they produce
Owner wondering whether their project needs an engineer and what that adds.
Snagging and handover: finishing a job properly
Owner approaching the end of a project and wanting to know how it should conclude.
Guarantees, warranties and what happens afterwards
Owner wanting to understand what cover they have after works complete.
From first sketch to buildable drawings
Owner starting a project and wanting to understand the design stages.
What a garage conversion costs in Kent, and what drives the price
Homeowner researching how much converting a garage into living space will cost before getting quotes.
Kitchen renovation cost: what a full refurbishment actually breaks down to
Homeowner wanting a realistic cost breakdown for a full kitchen refurbishment before commissioning quotes.
Bathroom renovation cost: where the budget actually goes
Homeowner wanting a clear cost breakdown for a bathroom or en-suite renovation before requesting quotes.
Re-roofing cost: what actually drives the price of a new roof
Homeowner needing a re-roof wants to understand what's driving the price before comparing quotes.
The cost of removing a wall and installing a steel beam (RSJ)
Homeowner wanting to knock through a load-bearing wall and understand the real cost of the structural work involved.
Setting a renovation budget that survives contact with the job
Homeowner planning a renovation and trying to work out how much to budget and how much to keep spare.
VAT on building work: when reliefs apply and when they don't
Homeowner wondering whether their project qualifies for reduced or zero VAT.
Why £-per-square-metre figures mislead — and how to use them properly
Homeowner researching typical extension or renovation costs and confused by wildly different £/m² figures online.
Which building works actually add value to a Kent home
Homeowner deciding which project to prioritise partly with resale value in mind.
Writing a project brief that gets you comparable quotes
Homeowner about to approach several builders and wanting quotes that can be fairly compared.
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