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Design Spec Ltd.

Multiple locations

(39)
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About

Here at Design Spec Ltd, we pride ourselves on our Fixed Fee Architecture and our 'Unlimited Design Stage' covering everything that requires Planning Permission, Building Control Approval or even building works!

All of our services here at Design Spec are based on one simple fact… The average UK citizen will extend their home ONCE in their lifetime We take this very seriously and have built our entire company with this quotation being the driving force.

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2 hires on Bark

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Reviews (39)

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4.5/5

39 customer reviews

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4 September 2023

MAKING YOU AWARE - Whilst DesignSpec (Kieron) did an good job on the first section of our renovation, although Kieron was our point of contact for the second stage of the renovation, unfortunately he was not working and we were not advised of this. They did not visit the site once between planning and engineered drawings for our loft extension this resulted in them missing the fact that we would not be able to stand upstairs in our new loft. We had no choice but to lower the ceilings on the first floor by 2ft. The drawings did not take into account we needed to stand up in the shower. We had no choice to move our young family out into rented accommodation. We are circa GBP 30k out of pocket and despite asking for compensation. DesignSpec have given us the run around and we are now having to go to their Professional Indemnity Insurers to indemnify us for their negligence. More...

Design Spec Ltd.
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Reply from Design Spec Ltd.

"Thank you for your feedback following your recent building works. For complete transparency, we have outlined our role with this project while also highlighting the fact that our doors are always open for communication. We are incredibly grateful to have worked on two very large projects at this address, both remits were the same. These remits included obtaining planning and building control permission, with both projects being completed on time, with no extra or additional fees. Full permission was obtained from the planning and building control departments respectively, all as per our agreed remit. All heights, design work etc. were agreed upon prior to submitting any plans to both the planning and building control departments. These plans provided sections etc. which were made available to all parties. All paperwork obtained full permission from the relevant authorities. We were not contracted to project manage any of the works on-site but did answer and assist the contractors on-site with any ongoing questions which arose. We are fully committed to assisting any and all homeowners, from start to finish. We are incredibly proud of our response rates at Design Spec with all homeowners generally receiving responses within 24 hours. We have reviewed our communication chain and can confirm that both projects did receive this same level of care and attention throughout. In summary, we are gutted that you feel Design Spec could have done more and as always, we will review our internal processes and see if there is further room for improvement in our pursuit of the best homeowner service possible. In the meantime, we wanted to take this opportunity to stress that our doors are always open for communication as we aim to help every homeowner possible."

14 October 2022

Unfortunately my experience of this company is somewhat woeful. Yes, after many delays and excuses, they produced designs but over quoted as the payment they asked for was more than the subsequent invoice plus they wanted an extra which I paid for but has never been invoiced. Finally when planning was refused even tho I raised queries to which they did not reply, they wanted nearly £1,000 to resubmit with a letter - the contents of which I am sure they would have done many times previously. In short I feel done. More...

23 July 2021

James and the team at design spec we’re excellent at guiding us through the planning process. They provided us with some excellent planning drawings and were happy to make numerous amendments to the plans to make sure they were right for us. We have now completed the phase 1 build which we are extremely happy with. Time to enjoy for a bit and then start phase 2. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

7 July 2021

Design spec’s input has been invaluable with helping us with our plans ! They’ve been supportive, helpful and professional all the way and we cannot recommend them enough !

Reviewed on Facebook

26 April 2021

In 2017 or so we realised that a large chunk of our (large) garden was being wasted and unused. Looking to the future (summer 2020), we decided to explore options around gaining planning for building a house in that piece of the garden to sell independently of the main house.

James at Design Spec seemed a good bet and we commenced the design process for planning, who were incredibly picky and not always helpful in the manner they responded to submitted plans.

James stuck with it and after around 9 (!) different versions of a detached 3-bed house, we achieved full planning permission in October 2018.

Since then, due to a variety of issues - NONE of which concern DS - we lost a few builder/developer buyers but finally, last week, we exchanged contracts on the land with completion (hopefully) in May!

James has always been helpful, professional and open during the various sale processes and was always an absolute delight to chat too and ask advice from. His advice always proved useful and knowing he was still there, even though his part was complete, was incredibly important.

His support, flexibility and willingness to support a (fairly small) project than was in his past has made this, at times incredibly stressful process, just that little bit easier to bear.

James - we finally got there!

Thank You (and your Team) so very much!
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Reviewed on Houzz

27 February 2021

Truly fantastic and a pleasure to work with.

This was our first home renovation project so, being inexperienced, we were naturally hesitant when looking for an architect and initially wondered if we had made the right choice. .. and it soon became clear that we had.

Design Spec really stuck by us and helped us through what was a particularly tough time with our local council, jumping through hoops to make sure we got our desired plans approved in the end.

James and his team truly go above and beyond what is required to make sure you're happy, inside or outside of working hours - it really doesn't matter to them, as long as they get the job done.

Hopefully we'll cross paths again in future!
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Reviewed on Houzz

1 February 2021

A great service from beginning to end. This was my first experience of doing any kind of building project so had many questions that were all answered clearly. It was always nice to know that the fixed price included unlimited alterations to get the final result exactly what we wanted. I can’t recommend highly enough! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

2 December 2020

Design Spec Ltd. did the drawings for my extension. They are very professional and excellent to work with, nothing was too much trouble when I wanted to change things.
I would definitely recommend them.

Reviewed on Houzz

24 November 2020

Absolutely fantastic service, cannot recommend highly enough.

I worked extensively with James and his team, we had numerous redesigns until we pinned down a finalised design on our family home, this was never an issue for the team and they were only too happy to help. Then when we progressed to the planning approval stage, the representation and advice that Design Spec gave was fantastic particularly with an overzealous planning officer.

After numerous adjustments to the design and countless phone calls and emails, (between Design Spec and the planning officer, we did nothing! simply sat back and let the professionals handle it all), we received our approval.

Design Spec even completed our BC designs, put us in touch with our BC company and structural engineers.

Fantastic service from the initial meeting to completion.
Once again cannot recommend highly enough
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Reviewed on Houzz

6 October 2020

We are planning to add an extension to our property to give us extra space for the addition of an extra toilet and give us a larger dining room. Design Spec Ltd were recommended to us and I'm pleased to say that they have been extremely helpful with the drawing up of our plans, submitting those plans and getting planning permission. most of this took place during the lockdown period but we were kept informed of what was happening every step of the way. Very highly recommended. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

11 September 2020

They were very helpful throughout the whole process of my planning application and produced a high quality set of drawings.

Reviewed on Houzz

8 September 2020

We sacked off our architects !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And trusted the high star ratings and great review for design-spec ! IT WAS WORTH IT!
The 3D renders of our new home really helped us make the right decisions for our forever home!

These guys have there finger on the pulse with design /building costs and regulations .
And the whats app group to share ideas and information keeps you in the loop !

100% a genuine recommendation .

nick and kate
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Reviewed on Houzz

29 November 2019

Very impressed with the friendly, straightforward and helpful design from Kieron and the team. It was an enjoyable experience and exciting to go through that process with a lovely bunch of people. Thanks

Reviewed on Google Maps

29 October 2019

I can't speak highly enough of Design Spec and in particular James. He was recommended to me by a friend and did not disappoint. We were really pleased with every aspect of his advice throughout the planning process of our extension and he was always on hand when we had any queries. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

26 August 2019

Have worked with the Design Spec team to develop plans for an upgrade to my home - input received on my initial plans has avoided me making some, potentially, costly choices. However the team have been very happy and responsive to include my wishes and ideas as the design developed - planning permission now received - Just need to find the right builder and let the work commence! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

19 August 2019

Absolutely delighted we chose Design Spec, they’ve made everything so easy, I can’t praise them enough. Kieron has been very friendly and helpful. I couldn’t ask for more. I would highly recommend. . More...

Reviewed on Houzz

14 August 2019

The services Kieron and his guys provide is outstanding. Their one-off payment is very convenient and simple for every thing from a customised 1 to 1 design consultation, planning, applications to BC, following up and communication/ feedback is excellent. Very friendly and professional services. I will recommend them anytime and go back myself for phase 2 the project. Yet to complete the fish tank though !! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

29 April 2019

James & Kieron were amazing! Very professional and produced results in such a short space of time. They are very attentive and very friendly and I would 100% recommend them!!!

Reviewed on Google Maps

30 December 2018

I have worked very closely with Design Spec for many years now and the service and quality of drawings is incredible. I used them for my own home and the result was nothing less than brilliant, best group I have used across the industry.

Reviewed on Google Maps

30 December 2018

Very happy with James and his colleagues .
Very helpful and knowledgeable team
Will definitely be using his services again

Reviewed on Google Maps

30 December 2018

James and the team have been a brilliant help, they have been very professional and I would certainly recommend them to other professionals in need of a good architect and planning team.

Reviewed on Google Maps

6 December 2018

Very happy with James and his colleagues.
Always helpful and knowledgeable.
Will definitely be using his services again.
Anyone thinking about development should contact james
More...

Reviewed on Houzz

4 November 2018

My company have worked to Design Spec's architectural layouts over the years on various projects, their drawings, notes and availability have helped our installations run smoothly from the first day on site right up to handover.

Due to their professional approach and attention to detail in the p...
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Reviewed on Houzz

1 November 2018

Design Spec were thoroughly professional throughout the planning stage of our project and any queries were dealt with quickly and efficiently.

Unfortunately our project has had to be put on ice for the moment so I can't post any pictures of the work as it hasn't started.
More...

Reviewed on Houzz

31 October 2018

Very professional service. Our Loft conversion plans were done within timescales promised with little amendments needed. Overall I would highly recommend James and Design Spec for your project. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

17 June 2018

James provided an outstanding service. He was very understanding, professional and polite, hemade the whole design and planning process a breeze, he made sure we was kept up to date at all times. We found his prices to be very competitive and would have no hesitation in recommending him. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

29 May 2018

Needed some design plans made up and was guided to James at DesignSpec. So glad I was. Couldn’t be happier with the work and very reasonably priced. Would highly recommend this company. Thank you James for all your help. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

29 May 2018

James is a fantastic young architect. He has done several plans for me at very reasonable prices. Anyone looking to build anything should get in touch with James.

Reviewed on Google Maps

11 April 2018

James has been great as we hired him to take over form another designer who really was not listening to what we wanted! James got on board very quickly to what we were looking to design and the type of vision we had. His design is now in build and it looks amazing so far, I wouldn't hesitate to us... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

10 April 2018

Excellent service. James was really helpful, his designs were excellent and planning was really easy. I would definitely recommend Design Spec

Reviewed on Houzz

2 April 2018

Design spec was recommended to us for a kitchen extension. We found them to be helpful, quick to respond and available for any of our questions, we'd certainly recommend!

Reviewed on Houzz

12 March 2018

We have worked on few jobs with James by now and he's always been of an extreme value to our team of professionals, both as an Architect and Project Manager. He's friendly, reliable, creative and always offers prompt and good advice. We can only hope to have more young people in the industry engaging in the way James does. Well, well done! More...

Reviewed on Houzz

30 July 2017

Excellent service that we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. James came to us on recommendation and certainly lived up to his reputation. James was always courteous and professional. He listened to our ideas and made suggestions, many of which were incorporated into our final design. He guided us throu... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

17 July 2017

James was recommended to us, and we're glad we used his services. He was great from start to finish, and didnt give up until we were happy. James even supplied extra copies of Plans to builders, and was always forthcoming with helpful advice.
James submitted all necessary Planning paperwork, and ma...
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Reviewed on Houzz

11 July 2017

James has done several jobs for us. I find James to be friendly genuine and professional. He has a great future in this industry and have no hesitation forwarding him to anyone as he will be a big asset to anyones projects

Reviewed on Houzz

10 July 2017

We hired James to design our loft conversion. We we're looking for someone to give us design ideas which we couldn't think of ourselves and this is what he delivered. I found him thorough, very knowledgable and professional. Drawings are of excellent quality. More...

Reviewed on Houzz

18 May 2016

Great team to work with - very approachable and receptive to ideas and design changes, really responsive and deeply knowledgeable - very comfortable sitting there on a Saturday morning discussing design themes over a coffee - it's how house design should be done

Reviewed on Houzz

26 April 2016

I have worked with James for a good while to evolve a two storey two bedroom chalet
design on a difficult plot. The deign was completed totally to my satisfaction and I am indebted to James for his ability to come up with the goods!
James listens and suggests also comes up with excellent ideas. He...
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Reviewed on Houzz

15 April 2016

Extremely pleased with the service we received from James at New World Designers Ltd. He couldn't have been more helpful, visiting us on numerous occasions to discuss what we wanted, offering ideas and suggestions and saying what was or wasn't possible. He also kept in regular contact throughout the... More...

Reviewed on Houzz

Q&As

Garage conversions are a very cost-effective way to add space to your home, there are also very few hurdles involved!

Provided you have Permitted Development Rights at your address, you can simply apply for Building Control approval for your garage conversion.

Did you know garage conversions provide the highest ROI in any property investment... Fact!

A garage conversion must commence with a site survey, with this survey, we can prepare your initial preliminary plans. These plans can be used for obtaining simple budgets but can also be used as the template for your Structural Calculations and Building Control package.

Once a design has been agreed with the client, we will work to fulfil a complete Building Control standard plan and submit your application to the designated Building Control Authority.

We have partnerships with Structural Engineers and Building Control Authorities to ensure the smoothest and most cost-effective solution for your proposal.

Height. It is important to have at least 2.1m head height within your finished loft conversion. If your existing loft is 2.3m - 2.4m then consider the new floor joists, flat roof joists etc. when calculating your final head height.

Sometimes we can lower the ceilings in the rooms below, however, this can be a very costly solution if you are not planning to completely renovate the floors below.

We offer a free initial consultation to iron out any of these potential pitfalls on day one!

We start with your site survey, these details help us to build your initial preliminary plans and are used to work with you on your internal and external designs.

Once a design has been produced and agreed you will require Structural Calculations, we have many companies that we work with daily, providing the most competitive rates and best timescales.

Once the calculations and your final plans have been produced, we can submit your Building Control Application and/or your Certificate of Lawfulness for your works!

Our quotations provide a fixed fee solution to get you from A-Z.

We love the finished photos, we have built our company on positive feedback and customer satisfaction, allowing us to revisit our projects on completion to take lots of great photos!

In today's age, none of us will work with a company that does not have 5-star reviews, we carry our reviews with pride!

We do not agree with the standard way of running a design business. We have abolished percentage fees, travel expense, disbursements, hourly rates, paper copy charges etc.

The fact we could offer a fixed fee solution to all of our clients is the true reason for forming Design Spec Ltd.

Fixed fee solutions. As well as this, we offer a free consultation, free quotations, 1 to 1 management and our unlimited 'Preliminary Design Stage' of works as standard!

We can also set up private Houzz and Pinterest folders fully inclusive for all fo our clients!

Start your project by contacting us today.

Services

We offer fixed fee architecture, 1 to 1 management and an unlimited 'Preliminary Design Stage' as a standard with all of our quotations.

We also offer a free initial site meeting and free quotations for all of our work!

Our company is built on one simple fact 'The average UK Citizen extends their home ONCE in their lifetime'.

Contact us today to get your project started.

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