Builders in Saffron Walden

Renovation work in a medieval market town

Saffron Walden is one of the best preserved medieval market towns in the country, and building here is a discipline in its own right. Timber-framed and Georgian listed buildings crowd the lanes around the market square and along Bridge Street, the surrounding Uttlesford villages hold thatch and lime plaster in quantity, and even the newer estates on the edge of town sit close to the parkland fringe of Audley End. Older buildings here rarely offer a straight wall or a square corner, and they should never be forced into one. Timber frames move with the seasons, soft handmade bricks want lime mortar rather than hard cement, and original beams, floors and staircases deserve repair before replacement. Our approach to full renovations is built around those principles. We take time to understand how a building was put together before we open it up, and where listed building consent applies we work methodically within it, keeping the character that makes these houses worth owning in the first place.

Lime plaster, flues and woodburners

Breathability is the most important idea in caring for the area's older housing stock. Hard modern gypsum on an old solid wall traps moisture and causes damage that can take years to show. Our plastering service covers lime plaster and traditional finishes alongside modern boards and skims, so the right material goes on the right wall, whether that is a timber-framed cottage in one of the villages or a Victorian terrace nearer the town centre. Fireplaces are the other constant in Uttlesford's period homes. As a HETAS registered installer, we fit woodburners and flues safely into old chimneys, sizing and lining the flue correctly so a centuries old stack can serve a modern, efficient stove.

Modern space for the town edge and villages

Not everything in Saffron Walden is centuries old. The estates on the edge of town, along with postwar housing in the surrounding villages, suit more straightforward improvement. Rear and side house extensions add kitchen diners and utility space, internal remodelling opens up dated layouts, and refreshed kitchens and bathrooms bring family homes up to the standard buyers in this market expect. Because travel from CB10 and CB11 usually runs through Audley End station or the M11, many owners choose to invest in the house they have rather than move, and a well planned extension is often the most sensible way to do it.

One accountable team, start to finish

Every project runs through a single in-house team covering building, plumbing, electrics and finishing, so there is one point of responsibility from the first survey to the final coat of paint. We are an established firm, fully insured, and our workmanship is guaranteed. Clients across Essex rate our work at 4.9 out of 5, and that reputation is built on turning up when we say we will and finishing what we start. If you are planning work in Saffron Walden, the market square conservation area or any of the villages around it, contact us for a free, no obligation quote or call 07967 232435.