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Extension/Remodel

01/02/2021

Our Team Is Changing the Industry

At the end of each year, we think back and reflect on our successes. And as always, it’s down to our incredible team. There are no ifs or buts about it, our team is changing the industry. We are proud to work alongside some of Ireland’s most conscientious, diligent, and skilled industry professionals. They truly are a dream team who make all the struggles and hard work so rewarding.

Dream Homes Built by a Dream Team

Every person on our team plays such a crucial part of our work. It starts with the first phone call and meeting. From there, our team creates great designs, builds a 3D model to allow our clients to experience their home and make adjustments before we get to work. Our quantity surveyor (thank you, Ian), builds a specification with precise costing. Our Planning Permission expert (thank you, Gráinne) handles the planning application and helps prevent unnecessary issues or delays. David, our Contracts Manager, gathers the finalised plans and prepares with our site team (Edgar, Fergal, Kevin, Colin and their crews).

The Proof is in the Pudding

Nobody can fake excellence. The proof of our team’s work is in the pudding. They create beautiful, elegant, well-constructed architecture, executed on schedule, within budget, and all using modern remodelling principles and materials. Every. Single. Team member plays a crucial role — they know that small things are not small. It’s the small things that make or break a complicated process. Every member of our team understood this — that’s why we asked them to join us in the first place. And minute after minute, hour after hour, they work diligently to ensure that every fine detail goes smoothly and according to plan.

Changing the Industry

One of the greatest stresses you can experience in your life is building or renovating a new home. We believed it didn’t have to be that way. Leading by example, we worked hard to create streamlined procedures and processes — and showed what is possible when you truly care about the client and the work. Our team took ownership of responsibility and lifted the burden of stress off the shoulders of our clients. Every year we have strived to improve; This year was no different. Looking back and observing the industry today, we believe that our team has succeeded in elevating the standard in every aspect of our work. We hope that our team’s success will inspire the competition to step up to the plate and help us change the industry for good.

Extension/Remodel

07/01/2021

Simplify the Complex

When you simplify a complex system you end up with something elegant. Think of a leaf, a cactus or a rose; It’s both simple and complex, and that makes it elegant. For us humans, it takes a lot of work to make things elegant. It’s what we do at Sigma Homes — and we do it well. From our designs to our building procedures, we make things work seamlessly.

The most elegant designs take a lot of work. The greatest renovation or remodel work, the one that makes everything look easy, is very, very hard to pull off. There is great complexity in creating a brand new home that exceeds expectations. It’s not just about quality and style, but also about the intelligent use of space and light, not to mention good sound-dampening and thermal insulation. Complications can arise when creating a home because you have multiple pieces in the puzzle. In any build, we work across multiple disciplines, with multiple individuals working on a multi-layered timeline where each piece of the puzzle depends on everything being set properly in place. We have worked hard to make this whole process as elegant as possible. By doing so, it’s possible for us to deliver results that radiate an indefinable sense of quality.

It’s the Small Things That Matter

We have spent years thinking about the small things because we know that it’s the small things that get you. Here is an example of your typical building situation: Say you were planning a kitchen renovation and decided to hire contractors yourself. You arrange a build date, and everything looks good to go. But something came up to halt the entire operation. Problems often start with a small thing. Say the pipework wasn’t laid correctly before the concrete got poured. A relatively small thing, but the delays cascade. It might take another week or more until the pipework is fixed in the correct place, and the concrete can’t be poured until that’s resolved. When you have complications added to an already-complex process, one error or oversight inevitably cascades. Before you know it, you’re delayed by months with no end in sight. This is the typical problem of the industry, and one of the reasons why we created Sigma Homes.

Simplify the Complex: Bringing Vertical Integration to Building

Some things are complex. We have no way to make creating a superb home into an easy process. But what we have succeeded in doing through years of study and research, is to identify and eliminate all unnecessary or avoidable complications. We take the fractured nature of a typical build and bring it all in-house using modern design principles such as Vertical Integration. Vertical Integration is a design concept that is all about bringing as much as you can under one roof. so that everyone is on the same page and communicating with one another effectively. Compare this to when you hire an architect on your own. They might produce an astounding design, but will they be thinking about the availability or workability of the materials he’s proposing for the build? When you hire an electrician or plumber or builder, how much thought will they give to the overall project? How much awareness will they have of the other tradespeople’s needs? The reality is, in these situations communication is almost always a factor that causes delays and expensive oversights. Contractors are more likely to be concerned about getting in new clients than they are about taking care of their existing ones. They probably have their own way of doing things which work fine when they do things alone. But often those ways are more habitual than well-considered, and they result in conflict with other individual tradespeople’s processes. What we have achieved with Sigma Homes is simplicity in the process of the build. Vertical integration. Everyone needed is on on the same team, singing from the same hymn sheet.

What We Bring to the Table

The typical problems that plague the building industry are simply unlikely to happen with Sigma Homes. That plumber in the earlier example? We’re unlikely to have that issue. The whole team has worked together to create a clear process and system with the big picture in mind. We work to prevent the types of delays and mistakes that are typical in the building industry. We know that most quality issues are down to a lack of pre-planning or oversight. So we have processes that are founded on planning and supervision. When something causes a delay, we work on making sure that error never happens again. That takes effort. That takes work. Simplifying these processes is very very hard, and that’s why we’re the only ones doing it. Each team member checks over the previous team member’s work, and everyone is used to working with one another as a team. And honestly, that’s a big part of why we love our job. Together we strive for excellence. We hold each other accountable to the big picture so that we can all improve and grow. And at the end of each project, we have the privilege of seeing our client’s faces as they view the results of our efforts. A beautiful, quality home which we have delivered for them, on time and within budget.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help you, call us today on 021 4365 866

House Extensions|Renovation

27/11/2020

Do You Need Planning Permission?

We’re often asked by clients, “Do you need planning permission to get an extension?”. The worry is, of course, the stress of all the paperwork, the hopes of getting approval, the dismay and disappointment if you’re not approved, and then having to repeat the whole ordeal again. When you’re looking at the big picture at the early start of a home renovation or extension, it can feel intimidating, to say the least. Thankfully, we can assure our clients even at this early stage with two answers that are equally true.

Do You Need Planning Permission?

Our first answer for many of our clients is this; You absolutely don’t need to get planning permission to completely change your home. You would be amazed what adding just two or three hundred square feet to your home can do when it’s done strategically and with an overall vision in mind. You can create a home that really works. A common problem with traditional Irish houses is that the proportions are all wrong. You have important rooms like your living area that are too long and narrow, hallways that are too tight and small, kitchen and living rooms that aren’t centred, poorly placed doors that can make your living room feel a bit like a corridor. By strategically adding space to your home, the other rooms and partition walls can be reconsidered. Together, we can look at how you live, how you’d love to live, and we can re-envision your space to support you and your family.

Our Second Answer

So, do you need Planning Permission? Our second answer is for you if perhaps you need more space. Say you have a bigger family or more ideas of what they’d like your home to be. For you, we’d say you might need to get planning permission — but this absolutely does not have to be a source of stress for you. Sure, if you were doing this alone it could be problematic. But the reality is we do this every day. We know what the planning authorities need and want in a design. So we take your dream and ideas, and together we can create a plan. We ensure that what you want can be achieved with swift and painless approval. We are happy to manage the planning application process. Rest assured that no matter what steps you need to take, we’re here to help you. If you’d like to see what’s possible, feel free to give us a call today. We would be delighted to stop by to meet you, discuss your ideas, and give you an opportunity to see what we can accomplish.

Extension/Remodel

29/10/2020

Considering a Remodel?

If you’re considering some remodel work, you might be startled by some of the possibilities available to you when you’re working with a builder who is using modern design principles and methodologies. This is our livelihood, so you’d think it’s normal for us. But it’s still a moment of excitement and anticipation for us on handover day. Remodelling the old confines into bright, open, warm spaces that make you feel like you’re stepping into a zen garden. On handover day, we get to present the finished space to the homeowners. The best is when some members of the family are seeing the space for the first time since work began; You get to witness their faces light up when they see the old building completely transformed.

Feel the Design Come Alive From The Moment You Step Inside

Using modern remodelling principles, you’re no longer confined to what you’d expect from an Irish home. You have an opportunity to break beyond your expectations. Design is essential for us. We love to tie-in the great things about the old with the spectacular things about the new. Home extension and remodelling work are usually about adding another room — which is fantastic. Or adding more space — which is great…but it can be all that and much more.

When Considering a Remodel, It Can Be More Than Just Space…

Because it’s not just about having more space, it’s about being able to plan out that space so that its angles, contours and surfaces give you a visceral a sense of openness. A perfectly good, spacious house or bedroom can still end up feeling somewhat claustrophobic. With poor lighting, low ceilings, narrow hallways, spaces can seem to shrink. Once you start adding in gear, clothes, ornaments and toys, perhaps without well-thought-out storage, it can starts to look like an ‘object orphanage’ — a place where things go when they don’t have a place to call their own. The solution isn’t just to add more space, though that will help tremendously. To truly break free of the dreaded clutter, it helps to bring modern design principles to bear on the problem. When you hire the right architect, you can have the exact same space but with a very different feeling. Rooms in your house can feel brighter, more open, more liberating. Everything in your home will have its place. With excellent design, it will feel like coming home.

Renovation

28/09/2020

What Do You Need?

What Do You Need? At Sigma Homes, we’re constantly seeking better ways to answer this question. We constantly ask ourselves what can we do to make your home more comfortable. What can we do to make the renovation experience feel easier for our client? We work to stay at the cutting edge of the latest building technologies, materials, designs and finishes. A big part of our job is to do the painful work for our clients so that, for them, the entire experience from start to finish is seamless, easy and enjoyable.

We are always looking out for better quality building materials that will improve the quality of our client’s home and their life. We constantly add and add to our skills, our materials and our repertoire of products and styles. We know that each new client we work with has their own unique preferences, and we strive to make it as easy as possible for them to find the exact thing they’re looking for. No matter how big or small the job, from a full renovation to a bedroom remodelling, we learn from the experience so that we can make it even better the next time.

What Do You Need To Make This a Pleasurable Experience?

Everyone knows that renovating can be one of the biggest (and potentially most stressful) projects you will undertake in your life. There are a hundred little things that can become difficult. Take one example: choosing your finishes. We all know that it can be an exhausting process that can easily take up hundreds of hours of your time. When you think about it, the bulk of this time is wasted. As you pore through catalogues and websites, you must view hundreds and hundreds of products, colours or ideas that are not even close to what you want.

We have found countless areas like this in the renovation process, where we have been able to improve our client’s experience. During our initial meetings, we get to know your preferences; We learn about your style, your ideas, your wishes, expectations, as well as what you don’t want. From there, we can go over our massive library of possibilities and, after deliberation and discussion, we will present to you some ideas we think are most in-line with your tastes and preferences. Very often, we get such a good sense of what our client wants that they are thrilled with one of the ideas we present to them — or they only need to make a few refinements. And in the rare times when this doesn’t quite match, we are often able to pinpoint what isn’t matching their needs and present a different idea that is exactly what they want.

Whatever the hard work entails, we can bear the burden for you. Whether it’s sorting out planning permission for you or helping you find the best styles and designs, we listen to what you need and do the painful work — so that you can enjoy the experience.

Renovation

05/08/2020

Fully Customised Kitchens

At Sigma Homes, we produce fully customised kitchens that have been designed from the ground-up to suit you, your family and your lifestyle. As bespoke kitchen renovators, we know that you have a vision and we’re here to help you make it a reality. Our client’s satisfaction is what matters to us.

An Unfortunate Reality In The Industry

We hear so much positive feedback every day, and we use this feedback to ensure we are always providing the best service possible. But we’ve heard too many stories from clients who, before meeting us, had a bad experience when hiring a builder on a different project. As we listened, we realised we were essentially hearing the same story over and over again. The gist of the story is this. The client has an idea of what they want and what they don’t. They are careful about the builder they choose. They have call-outs and meetings and receive quotes, and finally, after countless hours and discussions with different builders, they chose the one who seemed like the best fit. The contractor was polite, seemed to be very knowledgeable, open and enthusiastic about the ideas discussed. They genuinely seem eager to work with them to fulfil their vision. Great!

But once the renovation starts, things begin to go downhill. The original plans and designs, which had been discussed and agreed upon, seemed to go out the window. It seems the builder has his own way of doing things; the placement and sizes of units, which was agreed prior to building, are altered without discussion with the client. Colours and finishes are changed. And often, the client only found this out after the contractor has ordered the units are already installed. When the client raises an issue, pointing to the original agreed plans, the contractor argues, becomes defensive and instead of promptly rectifying the problem, they instead become difficult to reach. The build gets delayed by weeks or more as the builder seemingly disappears off the surface of the earth. Unfortunately, this is not an unusual story, and it’s one of the “norms” in the industry that we have always sought to disrupt.

Fully Customised Kitchens That Delight

We are constantly evaluating what goes well and what can be improved in our processes. That is why when we won the Best Of Houzz Award for Design, we reflected on what had got us there. We realised one of the key factors was this: When a client chooses us, we are on their side.

From the very first meeting, our goal is to use our knowledge and expertise to fulfil our client’s wishes. We want our client to see their newly renovated home for the first time and feel delight. We want what’s best for our client based on their needs. No cookie-cutter solutions, no “standard” design. Just high standards and designs which we can feel confident will, at the very least, reach our client’s highest expectations. In the early stages of design, we will, of course, offer suggestions if we think it will better achieve our client’s vision. But it’s just that; a suggestion. And from the initial meeting and throughout the planning phase, we will be making sure that the plans we agree upon are precisely what our client wants. Of course, we are open to making changes later in the project — but that will be on our client’s terms.

If you’d like to meet with us to discuss your ideas, give us a call today on 021 4365 866

House Extensions

30/06/2020

Getting Planning Permission for an Extension

Getting planning permission for an extension can be a tricky affair when you’re unsure of local regulations and other hurdles. Planning authorities have specific guidelines and occasionally some unwritten ‘no-goes’ that if you’re unaware of, can slow down the approval process or even lead to rejections in some cases.

It Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult

We started Sigma Homes because we believed homeowners should be able to enjoy the experience of a new project or home extension. In a real sense, our goal is to improve our clients’ lives. Not just while we work with them during the design, planning and building phase, but for every day after for the rest of their lives. A large part of meeting our goal has been to alleviate the stresses of a build, renovation or home extension. In the years since we began, we have looked carefully at the areas of a typical project. And we took particular care in understanding areas that become ‘stressors’ for our clients, intending to alleviate or remove them altogether.

Getting Permission

planning permission for an extension

In some cases, planning permission for your extension must meet stringent criteria. Thankfully, we understand what planning authorities expect and require. We also know how to get the most out of your project while still adhering to these criteria. It’s almost always possible for you to get an incredible home extension no matter the criteria.

We provide a free consultation service that covers planning application requirements. We have the expertise and knowledge to anticipate potential snags before they ever become an issue during application. And if you decide to work with us, we will handle all aspects of the Planning Application process for you.

“We’ve Had Trouble Getting Planning Permission for an Extension In The Past”

If you’ve had trouble getting planning permission before, we might be able to help. Because we know what planning authorities are looking for and have now gone over hundreds of applications and reviews. We have an unmatched understanding of the landscape that means we can often navigate through the application phase without any hiccups. Having done this hundreds of times from new builds to renovations, we know how to help you maximise every facet of your project. You may be concerned that the authorities will reject your application. We’re often able to foresee and work around potential issues in a way that meets the planning authority’s strict criteria — so that you are more likely to get approval the first time around, even in particularly tricky circumstances. And even when previous attempts have failed, we have often had success in our first round.

If you’d like to find out more about consultation service, call us today on 021-436-5866

Extension/Remodel|Renovation

29/05/2020

Bedroom Remodelling

Bedroom remodelling is an essential aspect of a home renovation project. Your bedroom is your sanctuary. It’s where, and how, you wind down after a long day. It’s where you go to read, to repose, to recharge. We’ve seen it enough times to know that it’s no exaggeration to say that having a home designed around who you are will profoundly improve your life. That potential is there for the taking in every space in your home, from the utility room to the kitchen — and not least of all in your bedroom. Your bedroom is the environment you wake up to each morning. It sets the tone for the rest of your day, day after day, week after week. Your bedroom sets the tone for your life. As such, we treat it with the level of care it deserves. It’s important to us that your bedroom supports you, accommodating and encourages the things that give you energy, inspiration and joy.

Bedroom Remodelling Is About You

At Sigma Homes, when we think about remodelling and extending a home, we are constantly asking ourselves how this will improve our client’s quality of life. What we excel at (and are genuinely passionate about) is delivering the perfect space uniquely tailored for each of our clients. When we first sit down with you, we listen. We learn about what you’re looking for, what is going on with your space that you would like to be different, what is working for you, what is not. How would you like to feel in your new home? Listening to you, we learn about your style preferences. Sometimes after our clients describe their needs they add, “but I’m no expert”. That’s simply not true. Even if they don’t know the jargon or specific terms for a decor style or finish, they always know what they like and what they don’t.

Our Process Sets Us Apart

Before we begin any physical work, an important part of our process is to understand your style preferences and reflect those back to you in a complete concept. To refine the design, we listen to your feedback. What elements reflect your needs? What parts, if any, don’t quite hit the mark for what you’re after? By the end of this process, we will have helped you create a seamless, complete concept based borne from your preferences and lifestyle. A bespoke space created especially to let you relax, sink back, and sigh a deep breath of relief.

If you’re planning for a home or bedroom remodelling project, give us a call today on 021 436 5866

Extension/Remodel|Renovation

30/04/2020

Build Management

Build management is a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to efficiently and effectively building, extending or renovating your home. We started Sigma Homes because there were many problems in the industry that we wanted to solve. Looking critically at the industry, we sought to understand why builds so often went so wrong. Why exactly did the majority of construction and renovation projects end up having major mistakes, delays and disruptions? Why was construction typically so stressful for the customer? While there are many reasons, one of the critical aspects we identified was build management. On paper, a build seems deceptively straightforward. But the reality is far from it. It’s very easy to look at the plans and think, “we just need these traders and these suppliers, and then we’ll get the job done”. Many experienced industry professionals have also made this assumption on their own home projects. But very often they discover the reality is a lot more complicated than that.

Cutting Costs

We all want to get the best quality work for the best price. For those managing their own build, this might mean sourcing different traders and suppliers for various tasks. A dozen quotes from different builders, another dozen from plumbers, electricians, plasterers, fitters for the kitchen, etc. Because you’re getting the best price by shopping around, it can feel like you’re saving money. But this unlikely to be the case. It’s easy to get a date from traders and suppliers in the planning stages. But each one is an individual operating in their own best interest. They may say they’ll be available today, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be available in six months when you need them. Attempts to cut costs by finding the best person for each job often results in added stress and unforeseen delays which end up costing far more time and money later down the line when one trader is waiting on another before they can proceed.

Good Build Management Is About Trust

Most builders and traders are overbooked. They know that even without delays on other projects, the project will likely run on longer than the customer would like or expect. While the reasons for this may be understandable from the perspective of a trader trying to make ends meet, for the customer, the result is delays, obfuscations, miscommunications and a breakdown of trust. A typical builder jumps between multiple projects. This often happens without clarity and focus. It often results in mistakes and miscommunications, adding to delays, and the feeling that this builder is not the trustworthy person you had met initially. And it’s stressful when you feel stuck in a relationship with someone you can’t trust.

Build Management: The One Stop Shop

Sourcing different, independent experts to work on a single project means you’re almost guaranteed to have delays and miscommunications. At Sigma Homes, we are committed to putting our relationship with our clients first. We saw that effective build management was critical to exceeding their expectations. In order to orchestrate everything smoothly and remove the stress from our clients, we knew we had to be a unified team. Our architects, builders, plumbers, plasterers, electricians and fitters work together as one coordinated unit. We plan our activities as a team to ensure that you get the home of your dreams delivered to you, our client, on-time — and to the very highest quality.

If you’d like to discuss your project with our team, feel free to call us today on 021 2348 095.

Renovation

28/04/2020

Home Renovations Worth Waiting For

While we currently have a waiting list of clients for home renovations, we provide home renovations worth waiting for. When you arrange a date to work with us, we stand by it. As a client-focused design and renovation organisation, we put our efforts into streamlining every aspect of the renovation process. We use process-improvement techniques to ensure that with every build, we get more efficient at delivering top tier results. What this means is that we know how long something will take; and when we provide a start and finish date, we can stand by it.

Home Renovations Worth Waiting For. A Passion for Design

We have a huge passion for what we do. We are about professionalism, quality craftsmanship, and incorporating excellence in everything we do. As our architect listens to your needs and wishes, they are already visualising the end results and thinking of ways to meet your requirements while maximising light and space. One of the most stressful aspects of renovating a home is spending dozens if not hundreds of hours calling around to shops, poring over catalogues and going online in search for the right tiles, floors, paints, windows, fixtures, and colours to match the space and your taste. With our knowledge of what you want and our own wide-ranging selection, we can provide you with some samples, specific suggestions that we think will match your taste and your requirements, and complement the build beautifully. We want you to love the light and space in your new home, so we go the extra mile for you. This is why last month we won the Houzz Award for Design.

Whatever design you go with, we will complete it to an exceptional level of quality. We will go through the snag list and make sure everything is completed to perfection before we finalise the handover. For us, the handover is not the end. We consider the completion of your home renovation at the beginning of our relationship with you. This is why we include a 10-year warranty on all our projects. If there’s a problem with any aspect of the renovation, including any fixtures that we’ve installed, we are just a phone call away — and we prioritise all existing clients as highly as our potential clients.

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