Glasnevin, Dublin

What was involved?
I had a house that needed to be gutted, completely renovated and insulated. The roof over the existing extension needed to be redone as well. Anthony and his guys pretty much did everything you could think of except plastering because I already had someone for that and the new kitchen which was installed by the same people I bought it from.

How did you choose Clancon Build?
Anthony would be an aquaintance of mine from years ago. I saw the work that he had done on his own house which I have to say is amazing. The attention to detail and finish he puts into everything he does is the biggest testment to the quality of his work. I did get prices off other builders but I chose Anthony for two reasons. Not only was his quote less expensive than the others but I also just felt more comfortable with Anthony in the house because I knew and trusted him.

Had you definite ideas in mind before you talked to Anthony Clancy?
My original idea was to do things open plan but after looking at the layout Anthony explained that it's sometimes nice to sit in another room to get away from things, so we did a mix of the two.

Did Anthony introduce new ideas?
Anthony came up with a lot of good ideas and I pretty much did go with what he suggested but he never pushed me to do anything I didn't want to. At first I wasn't going to get the house insulated but Anthony told me that I would freeze if I didn't. My solution to being cold was to just put on another jumper and I would be grand. The plasterer agreed with Anthony though. He told me that if I didn't get the house insulated, that the walls he was plastering would get damp and be ruined. I decided in the end to insulate the house and I'm glad I did. I should have listened to Anthony about upgrading the heating system as well but I didn't.

How did the project run?
Everything was done on schedule and completed within a good time. The whole project took about six weeks from start to finish. It started in January just after Christmas and by February I was moving in. The job was finished on time and on budget. Anthony always kept me up to speed about what was happening and was good about putting my mind at ease. He always conferred with me and would never go buy something without asking me first.

What was the biggest benefit to you of using Clancon Build?
I suppose it would be peace of mind. I just knew that I could trust Anthony and that the job would be done right. Anthony is a perfectionist and he treated this project as if it was his own house. He really wanted me to be happy with it. He takes great pride in his work, gets down to the minute details and the house was finished to an extremely high standard.

What's your favourite part now?
I would have to say that I love my solid walnut floors. When you spend a lot of money on floors like I did, you want someone to put them in properly. Anthony fitted them perfectly and there are no lumps, bumps or gaps.

Would you recommend Clancon Build to others?
I would, yes. Generally I would be quite wary about recommending people because if it goes badly it comes back on me but I couldn't recommend Anthony more highly. People who have been in my house and seen the work that Anthony did have had him out to do work for them as well. That itself speaks volumes of how high the quality of his work is.

Any tips for other people?
Keep an open mind and listen to what the builders have to say. Don't be pushed into anything but understand that they might come up with ideas you hadn't considered or know a better way to do something.