Mike Acton

“ I have no hesitation in providing a testimonial for Mike Acton, as we could not be more satisfied with the quality of his work.
We selected Mike's tender based on the responses he gave to questions and our discussions during his site visit, despite his bid not being the cheapest. His responses demonstrated both the deep understanding of multiple trades necessary to manage a complex conversion, and also the ability to communicate clearly, effectively and honestly with us. Mike will tell you if he thinks it is a bad idea and you should listen to him. This honesty and transparency was also reflected in his tender.
As mentioned, it was not the cheapest price we received, but it was the most comprehensive and honest. Pleasingly this was born out in the final bill and there were no surprises or “not included” moments – we got the full picture up front.
During the build his team were polite, courteous and professional throughout. We remained in the house with a young family during a loft conversion that lasted 5 months but it was managed in such a way that disruption was minimised to the extent that it became almost unnoticed at times. The immediate team and normal guest trades were pleasant company – frankly the house felt a bit empty after they left. Mike's choice of partner trades – electricians, plumbers and plasterers – was consistently discerning and we have used all of them for subsequent work without any issue and the same high quality outcome.
Whilst all of the above are important aspects, they only represent the normal expectation from a professional building firm with a good reputation. What sets Mike and his team apart is firstly the problem solving and secondly the quality/attention to detail.
Things will go wrong on a build – in our case there were three such moments. First, the structural engineer's design had a flaw and was overly complex and inefficient; secondly the architect's plans had a magic step that meant the staircase didn't work; and finally, the plumbers couldn't find a way to get the drain from the new shower to the soil pipe across the combination of new and old joists.
This is where Mike comes into his own. In all three cases his calm, logical problem solving saved the day. Mike was the only one to spot the flaw in the structural engineer's design and then basically did his job for him (and saved us from a much larger manpower bill) by significantly simplifying an overly complex design. The solution to the architect's magic step was an elegant shuffling of the design that has actually left a better solution and more effective layout than was originally designed. The stairs and new hall/room look like they were designed that way when the house was built. It was an exceptional save.
Similarly with the plumbing, I listened as Mike solved the plumbing problem for the plumber by calmly and logically working through the options and spotting the trick that everyone else had missed. These saves were worth every penny of the cost on their own and are the difference between grand design and conversion nightmare.
The final observation is the most important.
Ten months after completing and leaving site, the finish of the work still looks pristine. With a full loft conversion you might expect a reasonable amount of movement and requirement for fixes but the whole thing is rock solid – barely a squeak, crack or gap showing. The care invested and quality of the finish and workmanship really shows through.
If you are making a major intervention on your most valuable possession, you want to know it will be done well. This is why we picked Mike and having now got our loft conversion, this is why we are happy to provide an unreserved recommendation. ”