When we are working on large building projects that involve various elements of the house being developed simultaneously, a huge consideration is the dependencies of each aspect on the others.

At the beginning of our total house refurbishment at Heslop Road, Balham, the scaffolding that was needed to work on the loft conversion meant we were unable to start work on the basement because the conveyor and compressor could not be installed.

More recently, we could not focus on digging out the mass of earth from the middle of the basement until the temporary supports were removed and the house was supported by its new frame. However, as soon as this process was complete, we were able to remove the large island of earth and get the conveyor belt and compressor off site.

We then had to ensure that the basement was insulated and waterproofed, which meant installing drainage and undergoing rigorous testing to ensure the ground water disappears. Once we were confident the drainage was effective, the insulation, screed, underfloor heating (which also needed to be rigorously tested), membrane and shell were laid – and with so many layers there is no margin for error.

At this stage it all becomes very exciting for the home owner because we spray the floor to show them where the internal walls will be and they come in to see the layout and make any small adjustments. This isn’t a time for a dramatic change of plans though, as due to the underfloor heating there is only room for about 100mm movement.

This is the stage when communication with the client becomes much more frequent. We have email conversations most days because we need to discuss fixtures and fittings, gas meters, electric boards and, in this instance, the stairs in the rear lightwell, which have been redesigned.

As a client, this is the time when you really need to be on top of exactly what you want so that we can order everything on time to adhere to the schedule and no time wasted waiting around for items to arrive.