I was delighted to complete this renovation of a beautiful property on Duke Street in Bath. As with the majority of my work, this job came about through word of mouth when a former client of mine recommended me to his neighbour. Personal recommendations carry a lot of weight and I think it’s the greatest compliment of my work whenever someone thinks to pass my details along to a friend or family member.
Breakfast bar 
Additional lighting compliments the natural light 
Benchmarx Quickstep flooring 
Benchmarx kitchen
Breakfast bar taking shape 
Preparing for the kitchen install. This area will contain the sink 
Neat work from plumber Luke Bamsy as always 
Fridge freezer unit. The top section needed cutting to accommodate the boiler flue 
Fridge freezer and boiler are neatly tucked away 
Carefully planned out from the start
The job
The property in Duke Street was for a number of years a 1 bed tenanted property. It was in need of modernising and also had the space to convert a 2nd bedroom to benefit the property.
I agreed to complete a full refurbishment of the property, with work including removal of the existing kitchen to create a second bedroom, fitting of a new Benchmarx kitchen to create an open plan kitchen diner, installation of a new Travis Perkins bathroom suite, installing all new electrics and plumbing, new ceilings, carrying out repairs to windows and full decorating throughout.
Flooring and painting all finished 
Bedroom spotlights. Beautiful views from this apartment 
Quickstep flooring supplied by Benchmarx going down 
The hall at the start 
Hallway taking shape 
Also new doorframes throughout 
The wall units fit nicely under the lantern roof 
Fitted by Harvey (Mendip Electrics), the additional lighting compliments the natural light
This job went smoothly and was turned around in 16 weeks. I arranged for trades who came in on a timely basis. The Benchmarx kitchen and Travis Perkins bathroom were both supplied on time with no issues: nothing was missing, damaged or incorrect which avoided delays.
There was lots of damage to the wooden frames throughout the property 
More damage to the wooden frames 
Just one of the repairs carried out to windows on this property 
Night time views over the rooftops of Bath
Challenges and changes
With this being a top floor apartment in central Bath there were some challenges. There was no parking available outside the property which meant off site parking in a local car park was required. Removal of waste was also not straightforward as again due to the central location, skip hire was not an option. Also being on the 5th floor was something that needed to be factored in as waste had to be stored then transferred to street level for removal.
After stripping the bathroom floor it was discovered the joists needed to be replaced. Overall this didn’t add significantly to the duration or cost of the project. In the kitchen area additional led lighting was added which I think makes a real difference.
We discovered the joists needed replacing after stripping the existing bathroom 
Shower looks great 
Before fitting. Note the wooden platform on the left, this will become a shelf 
Bathroom supplied by Travis Perkins, a neat and tidy fit
Partners and suppliers
For the electrical work on this project I brought in Harvey from Mendip Electrics. Luke Bamsy took care of the plumbing, with Rich Etherton providing plastering services and Paul Davis completing the job with painting and decorating. I’ve worked with these professionals for many years and would not hesitate to recommend them. The quality of their work is always first class and they are very reliable which helps keep the project on time and on budget.
The Benchmarx kitchen is not only beautiful, but from a professional viewpoint it is good quality and well manufactured. I rarely have any issues with a Benchmarx kitchen fitting and on the odd occasion something is missing or supplied damaged it is resolved very quickly by the Benchmarx team, which is not something I can say about every supplier. Benchmarx also supplied the Quickstep flooring used throughout the apartment.
Similarly the Travis Perkins bathroom suite is high quality and from a reliable supplier. The new bathroom in this property is a good fit.
Finally, Howdens supplied the Georgian style interior doors. Howdens are another supplier I’ve been happy to work with for years and I find their joinery to be of the highest quality.
The ceilings needed replacing throughout 
Mucky work! 
Repairs underway 
New ceilings going in 
Plastering complete courtesy of Rich Etherton Finished ceilings. A good job well done
Final thoughts
I’m very pleased with the finish at Duke Street. We came in on time and costs were within expectations. There were upgrades to the bathroom and kitchen which did raise costs but the final selection is more fitting to the property in quality and style. The addition of a second bedroom, and moving kitchen to create an open plan kitchen diner with breakfast bar makes excellent use of the property footprint. The apartment is now modern and desirable, with the second bedroom adding significant usable space and value.
If you have a property in need of renovation, whether that’s your home or an investment property, and you like what you’ve seen here, please do get in touch and I’d be happy to meet you and discuss your requirements and possibilities.
This area was previously the kitchen 
Carpets removed and ready to get going 
Access panels will make future inspections and maintenance much easier 
Carpets down and painting done in the bedroom 
Internal doors were replaced. The removal of waste from this top floor apartment was a challenge 
New Georgian style interior doors supplied
by Howdens
Georgian style interior door, painting services by Paul Davis
