RTC Projects Extensions New builds Renovations

I don’t make a habit of posting reviews about anything unless it is of real benefit to others or unless I am very very satisfied or very very unsatisfied. Choosing a builder is major decision that deserves careful consideration so I hope by reading this helps you with your selection. Myself and my wife (and our new born baby) purchased a 10 year old house last year. The house was in quite good condition and fresh, however we had BIG ambitions and some not so big budgets for some renovations. First up we wanted to knock a wall from the kitchen area into the living area to give us more of an open plan living space (like you see on Room to Improve). We wanted a fake fireplace with electric fire and plumbed plinth heater and some shelving. In total we contacted 3 builders. The first 2 didn’t arrive on time and when they came it felt like they didn’t really want the work. They took some rough notes on their phones and did some rough calculations. They had to be chased to come back with pricing and ideas. I found RTC construction on the Houzz App. Ross (the proprietor) from RTC contacted me the following evening (as I learned he does his building work during normal working hours and his paperwork/pricing/research etc. in the evenings). He scheduled a meeting with me the following day and he was there on time as promised. He came with measuring tape, note pad and laser level in hand and went through our requirements in detail. Straight away he spotted an immediate problem (missed by the other builders) we would encounter. The ceiling height was different on both sides of the dividing wall, so when the wall was knocked the ceiling would not be flush. Ross was confident however he could turn this negative into a positive. Ross went away and as promised 3 days later he delivered a written detailed price estimate detailing all elements the job including labour and materials required via WhatsApp. He also included his own sketches and ideas as well as sending some really nice ideas he did for other clients which gave us a lot of confidence. He popped over the following day with material’s for the shelves. He sourced some beautiful timber which would be used for shelves near the fake fireplace as well as a large timber beam that acted as a feature and conceal the ceiling deviation problem I mentioned. We went through the price estimate line by line. I felt from the price estimate that I could drive a better bargain by sourcing an electrician locally… Not that the RTC price was overly expensive I just thought I could save a few €€€ by shopping around. This is probably one of only 2 regrets I have on the whole renovation. I did get a slightly better price in the short term but I ended up spending more in the long-term because of my own inexperience in how I briefed in the electrician. As I learned, and in hindsight I should have just let RTC manage the electrical work as they only work with trusted tradesmen they have confidence in and seem to have a very good working relationship with. Ross also went through other unforeseen costs that might arise once the building commenced. For example once walls ceilings are stripped back pipes, electricals, reinforcing walls may be encountered. All of which was explained in an easy to understand way. Everything Ross committed to was delivered on. Ross initially started the project but then moved another of his team onto the project. For the majority of the time we had Bernard and Robert his apprentice. They were a pleasure to have around the house and were always mindful we had a new born when it came to hammering and drilling etc. After the project was complete I asked Ross to price me on 2 other jobs. His team did a complete renovation on a bathroom including the installation of a wet room, shower and complete tiling. They also tiled the down stairs hall and sitting room areas. We had another tiler in prior to this on another room who was good but left the place messy afterward and he screwed off doors and didn’t put them back up after himself. All the RTC work was done to a very high standard and the place was left spotlessly clean afterward. Only other regret I had was sourcing painters and decorators out to take care of painting the hall landing area. They came recommended but turned out to be cowboys who didn’t have any quality standards. So I had to run them after some very heated debates over payment. Hindsight again I should of got RTC to take care of it. With the cash running low I asked Ross for ideas on building entrance piers/gate/walls for the front of the house. This time I didn’t interfere and Ross came back with some excellent Ideas on design, structure and materials. The walls would be sloping down between 4 piers. The gate/piers were plastered in white sand plaster so it would never require any painting or maintenance. Ross sourced natural black limestone capping that his team cut to size to create a beautiful contrast of black capping’s with white walls. RSJs were mounted vertically in the pier foundation and had the hinges welded onto them. I am sure other builders would of just bolted them onto the block! Ross was always calling in to check the workmanship and progress. When the block layers commenced the wall they were slightly out on the design or curve( I didn’t notice to be honest), they had quite a bit of work complete, but Ross made them take down the wall and start again! I am sure other builders would of put the head down and plodded on. RTC also managed the relationship with our neighbours very well and called into them and explained the work they would be doing and possible disruptions they might have. Again this is stuff that might seem small but is very important. So if I was doing it all again what would I do differently? Not much really. I would 100% choose RTC. I would ask them more for their ideas and input and I would not try and cut corners by sourcing my own trades people to do parts of the work. Great team of lads you will not regret to do your building work and design.

It is incredibly difficult to find excellent people in trades, however when we hired Ross and his team, we hit the jackpot. Every aspect of the process of the design, build and finish exceeded our highest expectations. Very soon we saw that attention to detail, meticulous workmanship, exacting standards and excellent communication were among the many exceptional features of how Ross and RTC Projects do business. When we initially met with him, we discussed our design ideas for an extension to create an open living space that would be attractive, functional and light filled. We were anxious that any new build would compliment the existing house and not appear like an ultra modern add-on. Our 'vision' was also to blend in the garden almost like an indoor room outdoors. To do this, Ross built an exquisite split-level granite patio which wrapped around the extension and the back of the house. He was so committed to the completion, that he actually levelled and laid roll out grass, cutting a matching the lengths of turf precisely! The result was a beautiful space which could be enjoyed by all the family, indoors or outdoors. I hope the attached photos do the work justice. On a personal level Ross was fantastic to deal with, very approachable and always considered the best solutions during the build seeking to pass on the benefits of his experience and contacts within the trade. He is totally client focused and he listened to us throughout the build which was brought in on time and on budget with absolutely no snags. Since the build Ross has done other smaller jobs for us and saved us quite a lot of money passing on trade discounts. We are very satisfied customers and anyone who engages him to undertake work for them is very fortunate and will not be disappointed.

Remodelled existing dark spare room, added large window. Very clean job that completely transformed and modernised the space with natural light and warmth. Highly recommended.