A perfect finish
Andrew Kay takes a look at the work of Soundhouse, a small local building company that prides itself on high standards and customer service.
Soundhouse have been featured regularly in the pages of Latest Homes since we first launched. I can clearly remember going along, not to meet the team, but to visit some of their clients.
It was a clever idea because rather than spending a few hours listening to a builder tell me why he was so good, I spent time with some very happy clients.
These were clients who were impressed at every level with the Soundhouse service.
Back then, they were impressed by the quality of the work, the attention to detail and finish. They loved the clean working methods employed, the lack of mess and intrusion into the normal workings of their homes.
Of course, I did meet with Nick from Soundhouse to find out what is new. I had expected that given their great track record and success the company would have expanded. But it has not. Nick is absolutely committed to maintaining the same level of service and does not believe that he and his team could guarantee that with expansion.
It must certainly be down to his company’s commitment to keeping in touch with their customers that they are so full of praise for what the Soundhouse team do and the way that they do it. By focusing the company’s attentions on quite specific kinds of building work they are able to offer excellent advice based on real life experiences.
That said, they are always keen to approach a client’s wish list with an open mind, endeavouring to fulfil all those dreams.
Loft conversions come in many forms, from a simple boarded floor and clad beams to the full works with integrated facilities like wetroom showers and massive expanses of glazed panels. Today, the loft conversion is no longer seen as a desperate attempt to create much-needed space and more as the creative way to stay in a home that you love but are about to outgrow. Many couples start life in a property defined by budget rather than long-term needs. If you are lucky enough to have useable roof space then the only way is up.
It would be easy to understand why a company like this would seek to expand its business, but they have not and Nick has no intention of doing so. They continue to work with a small and very exclusive list of clients, completing very special work to very exacting standards. NIck understands how to work with people and has surrounded himself with a team of consummate professionals. They operate in a low key manner, avoiding using skips, and recycling as much as is possible on every project.
Soundhouse is a specialist firm in the loft conversion business. Its service can include total architectural design, building control and planning permissions if required and is not in the business of cutting corners. There is also a full team of building specialists so that none of the work is subcontracted out. By using a core team, there is always a member on site who will understand the project and they pride themselves on not nipping off to finish other jobs here and there, leaving clients high and perhaps not very dry. As for the Kombi trucks, well, they are their only visible trademark, unbranded and much loved.