A & R Design

A&R carried out a kitchen extension for us which included a separate utility room. Rob and Allison were completely professional in their approach to the project. They were responsive to our queries, they offered advice and guidance and were very well organised in keeping to schedule. Everyone who worked on the build - construction, carpenters, plumbing, electrical, plasterers and decorators etc - all were professional, tidy and did excellent work. They were also considerate of our needs as we were living at the property while the work was being carried out. I am extremely happy with the finished product and have received so many compliments from family and friends but also other trades who have been to the property since the work finished. I would definitely use A&R again and would not hesitate to recommend them to others.

I was pleased to be able to have A&R Design complete the work upstairs in my house as I had heard only good feedback from others about their work. The flooring repairs were done perfectly and all in one day. They were careful with some items of furniture that could not be moved elsewhere throughout the work and cleaned up everything as they went along. I was particularly impressed with the painting and the attention to detail. The decorator went beyond the call of duty and helped me sort out some things that had not been planned in at the start such as replacing door handles and moving some power points. Despite all that the decorating was done early and I got a fee reduction as a result. Once the work started Allison and the others were quick to help me choosing colours and fabrics as I had little experience and no other help available to me. She also found a new light fitting in lightening quick time which was very thoughtfully chosen. At the end their recommended cleaner came to do a final clean. Overall I was very impressed with what I realise was perhaps a small job for A&R Design but I felt despite that it was given full attention and I would definitely recommend them.

We used A & R Design at the start of this year to complete an over hall to a reception room and hallway / landing. We knew that there was a lot of work that would need doing and wanted a complete team of people who could carry out every aspect of the work including managing it all. We had underfloor heating installed, new flooring and walls plastered. Every member of their team who worked on our house was polite, professional and obviously took great pride in their work. As with any period house, there was some work that needed doing that involved extra costs. This was explained to us clearly and Robert came round to talk us through a variety of options. We always felt that the work was progressing and moving forward. The finished work is amazing. There are a lot of original features and woodwork and Todd the decorator painstakingly painted all of these to a really high standard. He also was great at giving us advice on which paints and colours to use. We are now loving our new space. We would not hesitate to recommend A & R Design and will definitely use them again in the future.

I had an old conservatory replaced with a single storey rear extension and found the team at A&R a pleasure to deal with at every stage. Rob, Allison and Jo were very approachable and efficient, keeping me updated on progress, sourcing and dealing with suppliers and providing a clear and accurate schedule of works and payment schedule. The onsite teams were unfailingly friendly, skilled and considerate which made living with the build far easier than I was expecting. Some time was lost waiting for the glass for windows and doors - a supply chain issue beyond the control of A&R - but once this was resolved, the team worked really hard to ensure that the job was completed on time and on budget. I am delighted with the result - the new space is beautiful inside and out, and has transformed my house.

A&R Design did a fantastic job. Complete replacement roof, fascias, guttering and painting the pebbledash. The work was completed in the time estimated and I was kept informed all the way through. All the guys worked hard and cleaned up after themselves. I can really recommend Todd who completed the painting meticulously. Whenever I had a query Robert would immediately pop by to discuss. So I would definitely recommend for anyone needing building work.

Through the later stages of the pandemic we had extensive work done at a newly occupied bungalow. We worked with an architect from December 2020 and work started in May 2021 We had a new first floor installed consisting of a bathroom, a sitting room with kitchenette and two bedrooms. We lived in the property, downstairs the whole time this was carried out with little inconvenience to us. Stairs were put in in July 2021 ready for us to move upstairs in September2021 for a complete refurbishment of the downstairs of an extension of a new kitchen, replastering of all the walls to the required insulation standards, complete renewal of all electricity, and double glazing and installation of downstairs toilet, utility room and ensuite to main bedroom. The main work was completed by December 2021Only two days were lost when steels were not available. The highlight of the work was the ease with which suggestions and changes to the architects design was made by the builders, the help and suggestions made for all the fittings and finishes which we had. The quality of the work is excellent and the foreman in charge was really helpful to us with his own suggestions and keeping us informed of the next steps being undertaken and anticipating any decisions we needed to make. We were always kept informed and any ideas we had were considered and incorporated as far as possible and little extras were accommodated. Customer care was paramount

We engaged A&R to undertake a project to renovate out home, whilst we remained living there. The scope included removal of a chimney stack, replacing several ceilings and floors, replacement of hot water and heating systems, a rewire, and a bathroom refit, with a project budget in excess of one hundred thousand pounds. Work started well and A&R contractors were polite and professional, with work largely progressing in line with the expected two and a half month duration. However, it was clear that there was a resource shortfall which caused the plumbing to fall steadily behind. In order to help the plumbers catch up, we agreed to have the old boiler removed before the new boiler was installed, on a promise that we would have heat again in a few days. A&R’s plumbers walked away from the job a day later which left us with no heating for two months; just after a large part of the house had been plastered. The cold weather and the humidity from the plaster made life very unpleasant. After this, we received inflated invoices with duplicate and, in some cases, concealed charges. Although the charges were removed when challenged, A&R were remarkably unapologetic about the more than eighteen thousand pounds they tried to add incorrectly. The rewire was only partially completed with dangerous wiring left in-situ. Ultimately, after over six months, A&R abandoned site leaving us with a substantially unusable home which we are having to have remedied by others. We have since discovered other customers with similar experiences.

We had an old conservatory replaced with a rear extension so we could have a completely new kitchen, utility and pantry. Excellent service from start to finish. You get a clear timetable for the work and schedule of payment so you know what to expect when, which takes out so much of the guesswork. Rob was always available and helpful, resolving some hiccups along the way without any drama, and no question was too small or stupid to bother him with. He has a friendly, skilled team all round. Thanks to the guys who did the initial demolition and block work with amazing speed, and then to Mark and Dean who cheerfully kept things moving on site even when material shortages due to Covid slowed things down. They were also all very kind with our elderly neighbours who needed reassurance at times. Special shout out to Allison who was a great help in sorting out our kitchen design and dealing with the suppliers so we didn’t have to! Thanks also to Jo for being so helpful and ultra-efficient with invoicing etc. And obviously thanks to Rob who oversaw the whole build, made everything work smoothly and popped in regularly to check all was well. If you want a company that is approachable, gives you options without the hard sell, and as clear and transparent as possible from quote to final invoice, then I highly recommend A&R Design. You might get cheaper quotes but I genuinely don’t think you’d get the same results or level of service. The space is great! Thanks!

We engaged A&R following a recommendation from a friend. The A&R team, Rob, Allison and Jo are all highly professional and were helpful at all stages of our rear ground floor extension build. All aspects of the project management were taken care of and we were kept informed on a daily basis of what was happening as well as the next stages. All the trades who came onsite were also very skilled, polite and tidy workers. Special mention to Jamie, Glen and Alfie who also gave us some good/helpful ideas that we hadn't considered. We added a couple of jobs to the interior finish as well as the exterior patio, fencing and lawn. It all came in on time and on budget and we are delighted with the finished product, having lived with the new space for nearly 3 months. We are complimented by everyone who has been to the house, and we can wholeheartedly recommend A&R based upon our experience with them.

Rob and the team were excellent throughout the project. Clear guidance on work scheduling and budget right from the start. We were kept up to date throughout on costs, timings for the different stages and Rob and the team were thoughtful and pragmatic about solutions to issues that we encountered on the way, particularly being mindful of our budget. The team were always on time, friendly and clean and did a fantastic job bringing the project in on time and to a very high standard. Final snagging was dealt with quickly and efficiently. I would definitely use A&R again.