We would say yes of course it does, but choosing your builder is a big decision and although getting the right price is important when planning your budget for your next home renovation project, getting a reliable builder whose team is consistent and whose suppliers are loyal and competitive are also very important criteria.
We felt we should share our story as transparency is also critical to create a trusting relationship with our clients. Remember, we are in their homes for weeks and sometimes months, and not all clients have the luxury of being able to move out during a renovation. It’s easier if it’s a loft conversion or extension, as most of the work goes on above or alongside the property before we break through to the main home.
My name is Mark Fowles and I am the owner of Elivate. I began my career in construction in 1982 when I joined a small builder in Windsor, H Painter and Sons as an apprentice Carpenter on a 4-year carpentry and joinery apprenticeship at Langley College in Slough. Most of my site managers today began their careers choosing a similar path. Arron, one of our site managers joined us at 18 years of age having completed a Level 2 in Carpentry at Langley College and moving onto an Apprenticeship with us to complete his level 3.
Our Operations Director Craig who has been with the business for over 14 years joined us as a qualified Carpenter. Our other site managers, Alex and Barrie have construction but not carpentry backgrounds. We continue to support training, with two of our carpenters both having completed apprenticeships with Elivate, Asa and Henry. We hope you get to meet them when we are working at your home. Our fresh out of school apprentice is Tyler, and we look forward to being part of his story and watching him grow.
I have long-established relationships with our other trades partners. Our main plumber, Ian Weiss has been a good friend since I was 20 and I can rely on him to always put Elivate clients at the top of his priority list, as I can with our Electricians, Smart Electrical. Ross I have known now for over 10 years.
But it’s not just about the people we are connected to, its also some of the local businesses who have been supplying us for a similar period. We have incredibly tight working relationships with our Steel Suppliers, Metal Pro and our windows and doors come from Woodley Trade Windows. These guys are right on our doorstep. We like to buy locally as it keeps the money in our community where we also live, shop, eat and play, as do all our teams.
We try and buy from other local family-run businesses to maintain that connectivity, but also it keeps our carbon footprint in check as we are not adding delivery miles to any of our transportation of materials. Similar with Andersons Roofing in Wokingham and Collards Waste Management in Reading.
If you live or work in the Reading or Wokingham area, you will have probably passed one of our vans or our construction sites over the years. If you are thinking about an extension, loft or garage conversion project, please do get in touch even at the feasibility stage as we can also provide a full design and build service too.