Truestone Construction Ltd

15/06/2026

We've seen all 5 of these mistakes ruin renovations.

People halfway through a build, out of money, with no kitchen and a Christmas deadline. People who chose the cheapest quote and got abandoned mid-job. People who didn't realise their dream extension needed full planning until the council put a stop notice on it.

These mistakes are 100% avoidable. Save this post. Send it to anyone you know who's planning a build.

And if you want to talk through your specific project - message us. We do free consultations for exactly this reason. Even if you don't end up building with us, you'll walk away knowing what to look out for.

13/06/2026

"How long will it take?"

The most-asked question in any first consultation. And the most-lied-about answer in our industry.

Here's the honest version for a bog standard average single-storey rear extension 👆

🧱 12 weeks is realistic - if your builder knows what they're doing and the schedule is properly planned.

If anyone quotes you 6 weeks for this, run. If anyone tells you "as long as it takes" - also run.

A proper builder will hand you a Gantt chart at week zero showing exactly what's happening in week 1, week 5, and week 11. We do this for every Truestone client. It's how we keep ourselves accountable and how we keep you sane.

Save this post for when you start your planning. And if you want a realistic timeline for YOUR project - get in touch.

📞 07767 636368

10/06/2026

08/06/2026

8am on site. Every day.
Clean site at the end of every shift.
Communication that doesn't make you chase us.

If you've ever had a builder ghost you for 3 days mid-job - you'll know how much this matters.

06/06/2026

This is the bit that catches everyone off guard. 🏠

A lot of homeowners assume they need full planning permission for an extension. Months of waiting, hundreds of pounds, council meetings, the lot.

In reality, MOST single-storey rear extensions fall under Permitted Development - meaning you can build without full planning, as long as you stay within the rules:

📏 Up to 6m projection (detached) or 4m (semi/terrace)
📏 Max 4m to ridge, 3m to eaves
🌳 Less than half your garden built on
👋 Neighbour consultation needed for the larger extensions

Get any of these wrong and you're looking at retrospective planning, fines, or a forced demolition. Get them right and you can be on site in weeks, not months.

If you're planning a project - let us check yours BEFORE you commit. We do it free of charge. No catch. We'd rather you build right than build twice.

📞 07767 636368 · DM us anytime

02/06/2026

"They asked us all the right questions."

This is the bit a lot of builders skip.

Most builders show up, take a brief, give you a price, and start digging. We do it differently.

Before we lift a single tool, we ask:
→ How do you actually USE your house day-to-day?
→ Where does the morning sun hit? Where do the kids do homework?
→ What's frustrating you most right now?
→ What's the one thing you'd regret NOT including?

Because the goal isn't just to build what's on the plan. It's to build what's right for YOUR family.

The plans aren't the brief. The plans are what we produce AFTER we understand the brief.

If you want a builder who treats your home like a tick-box exercise - we're not it. If you want one who'll sit at your kitchen table for an hour just to make sure we get it right - give us a call.

📞 07767 636368

31/05/2026

Sometimes big projects can go wrong before a single brick is laid. Here's where homeowners trip up:

1️⃣ Falling in love with the design before checking the budget.

You spend months on Pinterest. You meet with an architect. You get drawings that make you cry happy tears. Then you get quotes and realise the build is £40k over what you can actually afford. Now you're stuck redesigning, restarting, or compromising on the bits that made you fall in love in the first place. Get a real budget from a real builder BEFORE you commission drawings.

2️⃣ Treating planning permission as an afterthought.

"We'll sort it later." Famous last words. Some extensions are permitted development (no planning needed) and some absolutely aren't. The difference can cost you 8-12 weeks and a council application fee. Check this FIRST, not last.

3️⃣ Choosing a builder based on price alone.

The cheapest quote is almost always the most expensive in the end. Either they've forgotten something, they're undercutting to win the job and adding it back in "variations" later, or they're cutting corners on materials. A proper builder will give you a fixed, itemised quote - and stand by it.

We've seen all 3 of these ruin renovations. Not "make them a bit annoying"

If you're at the start of your planning journey, save this post. And if you want a free 30-min consultation to talk through your specific project (with no pressure, no sales pitch) - drop us a DM or call James on 07767 636368.

We'd rather have an honest conversation at week zero than a much worse one at week 14.

📍 Bromley · Beckenham · Lewisham · Crystal Palace · Greater London

​builder

29/05/2026

Start your extension the right way.

Most homeowners get sold the dream and end up with the nightmare.

Cheap quote. Vague timeline. A builder who disappears for 3 days mid-job.

Drawings that don't match the spec. Costs that creep up week by week until you're £20k over budget with no idea how it happened.

That's not how we work.

When we say "designed, built, managed — properly," we mean:

✅ Designed — We work with trusted architects and planning consultants to get the drawings right before a brick is laid. Permitted development checked. Planning permission handled if needed. Building control sign-off included.

✅ Built — FMB approved. Fully insured. £5M public liability cover. Daily on-site supervision. 8am starts, every day, no excuses.

✅ Managed — properly — Fixed, itemised quote at week zero. Week-by-week schedule you can hold us to. James personally runs every project — not a sub-contracted PM you've never met.

One point of contact from quote to handover.This is what separates a real builder from a chancer.

If you've been putting off your extension because you're nervous about choosing the wrong builder — that's the right instinct. The wrong builder can cost you your savings and your sanity.

Talk to us first. Free consultation. No pressure. Honest answers.

📞 07767 636368
📩 [email protected]
📍 Bromley · Beckenham · Lewisham · Crystal Palace · Greater London

27/05/2026

"One of the good builders you can trust." 🙏

This means everything.

Ruben came to us after a referral - and like a lot of homeowners, he'd been burned before. Builders who didn't show up. Builders who didn't communicate. Builders who left jobs half-finished.

We rebuilt his garden wall (a 7ft x 20ft party wall job - tricky, with neighbour negotiations involved) on time and on budget.

This is why we do what we do. We're not the cheapest. We're not the flashiest. But when we say we'll be on site at 8am, we're on site at 8am.

Trust is just one thing we build well.

If you've been let down before and you're nervous about starting your next project - talk to us. We'll do things the right way.

📞 07767 636368