Residential Flat Extension & Refurbishment in Brent, London

The Customer

After many years of saving, this young professional had saved enough to start a career on the property ladder. The property of choice was a period mansion block flat. The client considered the spacious 75 metre square area to offer great potential for re-sale and enlisted Bischell to refurbish the flat to gain maximum selling value.

The Challenge

The client required an extension and full refurbishment of a 75 square metre, 2nd floor flat, including two bedrooms, one main bathroom and a new custom-fit kitchen. The client also required a new chimney breast and an integrated polished stone plinth.

The client also wanted all the joinery to be custom made to a high standard. Although the client would be living in the flat for some time to come, his main goal was to maximise the re-sale value of his flat.

Special Features

• Large 2nd floor extension
• A custom designed and fitted kitchen
• A new chimney breast and polished stone plinth
• Supply and fit of all joinery, skirting, architraves and doors
• Maximum re-sale value was a priority
• Adapting to complex client finances

The Solution

Originally, the client enlisted us to provide a more modest refurbishment in-line with the capital they had available. However, the client’s ambition took over and the project moved towards a more high-spec finish. High-end features included oak finished doors and flooring, a custom designed kitchen and a polished stone cantilevered plinth which was integrated into the chimney breast. This required us to work flexibly with the client’s adaptive tastes.

An original two month deadline was set by the client. However, soon into the build, the client’s funds dried up due to the extravagant spending resulting from a change to a high-end refurbishment. The client therefore had to lower the payment amounts and stretch them over a longer period of time. However, Bischell adapted to this and created a more fluid project schedule which was tailored to the client’s needs and financial situation over the course of many months.

Rather than enforcing the smaller budget and restricting the project to suit us, we worked closely with the client over a much longer 6 month period on more flexible terms to gradually but eventually create a finished project which gave the client the results they wanted.