Deciding to build a granny flat is simple, designing and building the extension can be a lot harder. You'll have a lot of questions to answer along the way. Can you use a general contractor or is is better to use one who has built a lot of granny flats before? Is a template design better than a customised one? Should you let the person who'll live in the flat have a say in what it looks like? Luckily, I'm here to help. My name is Maria. We moved my Mum into a purpose-built granny flat last year, so I've had to answer all these questions and more. I thought it'd be useful for other people to see how we managed the process, so here we are — get reading!
Tough and Reliable: Finding a Competent Bricklaying Company
Bricklaying could be considered one of the most valuable skills in the world, especially in the construction business. Given the importance of bricklaying, it is essential that when you need any bricklaying work to be done, you need to hire the right people to give you quality work. However, with so many companies offering bricklaying services, selecting the most competent contractor to give you the best value for your money might be tricky. Luckily, this article is here to make your choice as straightforward as it gets. Here are some of the most critical traits that you should look out for when choosing bricklaying services for your next project:
Accreditation and Experience
A professional bricklayer will focus specifically on bricklaying as their specialized trade. Therefore, when looking for a company to hire their services, make sure that the company is specifically accredited to offer bricklaying services. However, accreditation is not all that you should look for -- you should also ensure that they have experience, because given the fact that bricklaying is a hands-on activity, a person becomes more skilled and precise at it the more they do it. Look at it like typing on a computer keyboard -- the more you type, the quicker and more accurate your typing will be. As such, for a competent bricklaying company, look for accreditation and experience.
The qualification of the individual bricklayers
When seeking the services of a bricklaying company, you need to be very adamant and inquire about who exactly will work on your project. Study the individual's qualifications and experience so that you are completely comfortable with them. Ideally, a good company will have competent staff so that you do not need to worry. However, if the company's name does not convince you, going the extra mile to look into the individuals working on your project is also allowed
An accurate quotation of the price
There are many bricklaying projects that can be done, and the nature and size of the bricklaying job will determine the cost. However, a competent company will give you an accurate quotation, and they will tell you how they have arrived at the price (the broken-down quotation). For example, they will tell you how much it will cost you to buy the bricks, transport the bricks to your premises, and the cost of the labour required to do the job.
Quality advice
You may not know anything about bricklaying, so you will have a lot of questions. Therefore, you need someone to explain to you the basics of the work and the process required for your particular project. They may also give you alternatives, such as the option of obtaining the bricks yourself if you feel their price is too high.