Sturgess & Sturgess
Building Construction Specialists
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Sturgess & SturgessBuilding Construction Specialists
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Renovation - without TearsFrom an article written about Mr. Sturgess Property Review - 12/8/1994.For a builder to survive in today's competitive world he has to be able to do more than just produce a smoothly plastered ceiling or a well pointed wall. He also has to be able to run a business, manage his workers, and understand how to please his customers. A lot to ask perhaps? Not so for Andy Sturgess, who heads the Shaftesbury based firm of Building Construction Specialists, Sturgess & Sturgess. He is one of those rare people who manage to be Jack of all trades and master of all. You have to strike a balance between the way the building was originally designed and the standards we now see as essential to our comfort. His reputation as a builder is already well established in the area. That he is also a talented craftsman becomes evident the moment you step inside his home. In it are finely worked cabinets, heavy oak chests, large pottery urns., all made by him. On every wall there are clocks, restored by him to full working order from states of total dilapidation. "My grandfather was an horologist in Sherbome," he explains. "He taught me the skill, and left me his two-hundred year old tools when he died." It was as a teacher of Craft - building theory and practice - that Mr Sturgess first earned his living. He first turned to building as a means of supplementing his income. His skill, particularly in the field of cabinet making and carpentry, soon earned him a full order book. As well as making doors, windows, and kitchen cabinets he was also commissioned to construct a barrel organ. He made a beautiful inlaid wood cabinet, and built the interior mechanism. The resultant instrument was displayed for several months in a local museum. It is important, Mr Sturgess feels, that house renovations shouldn't alter the basic character of a house. The point at which he finally gave up teaching and took up building as a full time career came fifteen years ago when he had finished renovating his own home. He transformed the unremarkable but pretty period cottage so successfully that it attracted the attention of English Heritage. They immediately listed not only the building itself, but also the fireplace too, which was actually his own creation rather than an original feature. Neighbours were so impressed by his work that he soon had enough commissions to keep him in full time employment as a builder. Mr Sturgess is best known for his work in renovating old buildings. Old barns on the verge of collapse, sagging cottages with mud and wattle walls, and buildings that lean dangerously askew do not daunt him in the slightest. But he is quick to point out that in the case of old buildings he renovates rather than restores them.
Ripe for Renovation An old house is always a compromise. You have to strike a balance between the way the building was originally designed and the standards we now see as essential to our comfort. For example, floors in old Dorset cottages were originally made of dirt. There was only an inglenook fireplace which smoked so badly that a hole had to be cut at the bottom of the door in order to allow the smoke to escape. We can't live like that today, but we still want the cottage to look as it was. We want the window design to be right even if the windows are double glazed. It is important, Mr Sturgess feels, that house renovations shouldn't alter the basic character of a house. "What we aim to do is to put the character back into a house," says Mr. Sturgess. "I don't want a dramatically different building to result from my work. I aim for my work to integrate so well with the original building that it should be difficult to notice the changes," he says.
With work of such a high standard, how does he manage to keep his prices competitive? "My prices are no greater than anyone else's. But when I quote, I quote for the finished job, with all plumbing, electricity and paintwork complete. Most builders just price the minimum, and often if you left it at that the house would be uninhabitable." he says. Old barns on the verge of collapse, sagging cottages with mud and wattle walls, and buildings that lean dangerously askew do not daunt him in the slightest. Builders, like used car salesmen, are universally mistrusted, he feels. He therefore takes care to keep the customer informed of just exactly where every penny has been spent, and has devised a unique system for this purpose. Every week he completes a form detailing how long each of his workers has been on site, the subcontractors who have worked there, and the materials and plant that have been used. Customers can ask him at any time where they stand financially and he will be able to give them a precise breakdown. "If the relationship between a builder and his customer is to work it is essential that we establish trust," he says. "And that means being open and fair with them. If I quote £10,000 for a job and I'm twenty per cent quicker than I thought I would be, the customer will get that extra £2,000 not me. I even give them the materials at trade 'red book' prices." Mr Sturgess likes to keep people happy. "The whole renovation process should actually be enjoyable," he says. "I like to keep my workers happy because that way they do a better job, and I like to see my customers pleased with the results. I like people to think, when I've finished, I am glad I live in this house."
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