GETTING THE WORK DONE Both Lorin and Saliha had an active role on the project – Lorin project managing, and Saliha sourcing products. “It was helpful to have our architect friend to ask for advice in that regard,” Saliha says. The contractor helped Lorin with the project management but it was mostly him, which he says was “extremely stressful! I think for people doing this for the first time, you have to make so many decisions without a reference point,” he explains. With products varying hugely in cost he and Saliha found it tricky to know what was worth spending extra money on, and where they could spend a bit less. “Emotionally you always veer towards the most expensive option, somehow it feels like it must be better!”
When it came to finding a builder, the couple got several quotes, and their chosen contractor, Geosky, quoted both the lowest price and shortest timescale. This was a “red flag,” says Lorin, making them “question if there was anything hidden, but there wasn’t.” Saliha continues: “They’re just very hardworking people, we were very impressed.” The quotes varied hugely, with the most expensive coming in at around 80% more than their chosen builders. But despite the cheaper price, Lorin and Saliha admit it was still more than double what they initially thought the project would cost them. “It was a pretty bitter pill to swallow!” Lorin admits.
They then faced an eye-wateringly high unexpected cost early on in the project, when opening up the roof revealed the house’s four
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www.sbhonline.co.uk
“I veer more towards modern, Saliha is more rustic, so it was marrying up those two design languages” – Lorin
chimneys were supported by gallows brackets only – something no longer accepted by Building Regs. “We had to put steels in, which was very unpleasant,” says Lorin. “It cost around £15,000 overall.” Subcontractors were sourced by Lorin and Saliha, but it wasn’t a huge undertaking as only a handful were needed. They installed an eco- friendly woodburner in the living room – they had wanted an open fireplace, but environmental rules in London meant they couldn’t – which required a specific contractor. They also needed a specific contractor to install a fire curtain in the living room to comply with regulations regarding open plan living. “It’s a bit absurd because it’s a really small space, but it was that or a sprinkler system which was even
nov/dec 2021
HIGH POINT
“It was really exciting when the loft was being built, it opens everything up and suddenly the space just felt super big. Also when they put the glass in for the side return extension because that’s when we saw everything coming together.” –Lorin
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