Refresh Renovations United Kingdom Reviews 81

False promises and oversight!
If you live in a house without a roof or just want someone to draw up your ideas on paper and have dealt with architects, planning permission before - you can go for their service otherwise, I certainly wouldn't recommend them if you have no experience in architecture. Also since it's a franchise, I am not sure how they manage quality control.

I had trusted them to provide the best advice as my main profession is nowhere close to architecture, but unfortunately, they failed me.

Lost 1.5K on this company and they have a very lengthy process if you are unhappy with their service, so I would suggest you think about that as well if you are not happy with their service.

If you decide to engage, get a clear understanding of the expected follow-up costs of the remaining stages after their initial 'feasibility and design' stage, as the "working drawings and costing" stage quote was quite high for us.

We had been very explicit with them from the start that we wanted them to suggest and they just took everything we had thought of and pasted them on the design document with no real ‘design input’ or conversation on how we’d like to use the space, lighting considerations, why they did what they did, etc.

I can't paste images here, so I will share the link where I was asking for feedback from the community but it turned into a non-constructive discussion. I hope it helps you come to your own conclusion.
Since I cannot share links, I am sharing a broken version for you to search on Google.

On Houzz.co.uk
Search for "seeking-feedback-on-architect-work"
But in summary,

1. Roof of extension left out: After 3 revisions going back and forth, I asked them when we could discuss the extension roofing to work out the sky windows, etc and they came back telling me that I didn’t request it and so it would cost me an extra revision if I wanted it. I got this statement from them : “The features referenced were not missed; they were not requested. And would be an additional cost because these new requirements were brought to our attention after the release of the third and final concept design revision (REV C)” -

This is why I mentioned having 'previous experience in this area'. We trusted them to inform me as they are the professionals here and we are not, that's why we engage with them.

2. Loft conversion design would not pass building regs: Based on feedback from two independent architects, who we shared the proposed design with, we were advised that it wouldn't pass building regs as the staircase wasn't closed. Now I am not sure if this would be fixed at some future stage, costing us additional money.

Either way, hope this helps to make your own decision.

P.S. - The last email we exchanged was on 1 Aug 2023, but the first design consultation was in Dec 2022, but finally got the time to put it to paper.

good quoting process, helpful portal with quotes and planning. Ali is great to work with he truly cares. good communication. good results

Very happy with the end result. I have already received compliments. Saleem was very patient with me and helped me visualise the changes I could make which in turn helped me decide how I wanted to use my new room. Throughout the project, apart from two electricians, I dealt with the same small team of builders who were used to working together and that made a real difference. Also, it was easy to go back to Saleem with any query or concerns and the builders were able to make some last minute changes. Every project is personal and it was helpful to have a clear budget before I signed on the dotted line. I'd still say that it's important to be prepared for the the unexpected, which I was from previous experience. Overall I would recommend Refresh Renovations.

Very professional and friendly. Done number of jobs. Always delivered on time and with very nice finish. Highly recommend this company

I recently hired Refresh Renovations to transform a shop into a clinic in New Barnet, and I am thrilled with the results. The job was impeccably done, and what stood out the most was the seamless coordination led entirely by their project manager. The attention to detail and commitment to excellence were evident throughout the process. I highly recommend Refresh Renovations for their top-notch service and outstanding results.

James was really excellent T explaining everything and a great service you can trust.

Great experience with Refresh, I was able to cost and budget well in advance. I enjoyed not having to worry about going over budget after then. Highly recommended!

We converted our garage into an office, and couldn’t be more satisfied with the renovation. From the initial consultation through to completion, Refresh provided us a fantastic experience. Ali and his team were friendly, knowledgeable and highly responsive. We were always kept informed. The project completed on time and on budget, and we feel proud of the results. Everyone who has seen it has exclaimed with a big WOW. The reason why we wanted to work with Refresh was to get an end-to-end process, which is exactly what we got. We highly recommend Ali and his team for their professionalism, commitment and quality.

We are absolutely thrilled with our new bathroom, thanks to Ali and his team from Refresh Renovations. Thanks so much guys! You listened to my specifications in detail and kept me well informed. I will highly recommend you guys to my circle of friends and family. An amazing end result from a professional, responsive team!

They misspell their services, and they commit you all but once you pay them, you will get too much delay in work. and ask you for more money.
I wasted my money and 7 months' time. we asked very clearly we need all render with all interior look. 7 months every time we were asked to tell us at a later stage, In the end, they asked for more money telling us the interior was not included.

Review for Refresh Renovations - Berkshire & Basingstoke

I recently had the pleasure of working with Ray Allison and the team at Refresh Renovations - Berkshire & Basingstoke. From our very first conversation, I was impressed with their professionalism, expertise, and genuine care for their clients. Ray always took the time to ensure all my questions were answered, and he consistently went the extra mile to make sure I was satisfied with every aspect of their service. Their dedication to excellence is truly commendable.

Our Experience with Ali at Refresh Renovations in London was great! They exceeded our expectations in all areas. The idea of renovating our home initially seemed dauting, as we got varied quotes and conflicting advice. But Refresh understood our design goals and provided transparent advice with no hard-sell. Their consultative approach enabled us to explore various options while staying within our goals.
The worksite was always left clean and tidy and the trades people were professional and friendly. The communication was great, from start to end we were kept well informed. However, the quality of the renovation exceeded our best hopes. If you are thinking about renovating, then you must call Refresh for a consultative chat. It will be the best decision you will make.

I wish we’d never started with Refresh.

It seems all sunshine and rainbows and promises and plans but I feel that they were never upfront with us about budget from the start. It was only after we got past the first few rounds of phone calls and plans that they came to us with the costed price which was extortionate! (It should have been red flag no.1 that we were essentially paying for a quote). By this time we had already spent thousands and thousands and were left in an excruciating position and with no choice but to pull out and cancel the renovation with Refresh.

We ended up using a local firm to complete the work for less than half of the price that was quoted. I understand that part of the appeal of working with a firm like this is that you can feel safe that you won’t be ripped off or let down, but we were blindsided by this and didn’t realise that we were actually being ripped off by them in the process.

At the beginning of my project they were brilliant. But after 6 months or so they ghosted me. Then a person I hadn't been working with me got in touch and had apparently taken it over. Contact was shaky with phone meetings we had booked in not being made. They said they could have contractors with me in 2 weeks or July. I chose July. Just before July I contacted to get a date. At this point they then said they couldn't get a contractor. They said they had someone separate from them they could get to do it (that person has not got in touch despite it being nearly a month). I have gone back to refresh to try and get help with this but it hasn't worked. So I have a scope which I am now having to take to other companies and hoping they'll take on the work. The whole point in going with refresh was to remove this extra stress. It's gone from being a good experience at the beginning, to leaving me waiting and feeling like I've given them money to have no one actually complete my project.

Jessica was amazing! Really helpful, kind and professional. Would definitely recommend

Such a nice bunch of people. They were very flexible in how many of their 5 step process we were able to use. If you have no design experience and need a team to help you design, plan and find you suppliers then this is the place to go!

I cannot recommend Refresh renovations highly enough. Professional at every stage they can take the worry out of your project. Alana was great and explained everything clearly & succinctly.
Thank you so much.

We are very thankful for Alana’s professionalism and efficiency. Although we ended up not going through with this company we found the process was great.
We will indeed recommend the service to others as if we had known about this offer, at the start of our renovation journey, we would have definitely have chosen this path. We think it might save lots and lots of headaches! Thanks

I appreciated working with Le Roi massively.
He did his absolute best to manage my project. Very responsible and responsive.