There's a possibility we've been a little busy to post an update for a while - 13 months in fact... Not quite the regular updates we were aiming for but here's what we've been up to since our last update - good luck making it to the end...
November 2018:
Last check-in we'd just got our Rainsford Road, Chelmsford development out of the ground, the conversion of a 9 bed HMO into a 3 bed and a 2 bed while we built a new 2 bed house on the side which we managed to get approved despite concerns over a protected tree - despite it having fallen down a decade previous...
Having switched development finance lenders at the 11th hour we were able to proceed. By the end of November 2018, we've got the new build element of the build up, the renovation is well underway and the renderers have started.
With the new build element complete our structural team moved on to a new project, the erection of two 3-bed chalet-style houses in Mayland for a developer client.
December 2018:
Before the Christmas shut down and sneaking in a couple of weeks with the family we had the Rainsford Road, Chelmsford project structurally complete, rendering complete, boarded out and ready for plastering.
Most importantly - we'd sold the first house! Not bad considering there's no staircase and viewers we using a ladder - still got the full asking price. Happy clients who now get to pick the rest of the finishes.
The 2 Chalet style houses in Mayland are nearly up to first-floor level.
January 2019:
By the end of January, we've got Rainsford Road, Chelmsford plastered, the decorator has started and we're back to block pave the driveway. Best of all we've got the second house SOLD!
The two chalet-style houses in Mayland are over the first-floor level, scaffolding in and second floor going up.
February 2019:
By the end of February, we have the first gardens finished and decoration complete at Rainsford Road, Chelmsford.
The massive driveway complete.
The interiors team squeezed in two bathroom renovations in Chelmsford.
The two chalet-style 3-bed houses in Mayland have the deck on, first-floor steelwork in and blockwork up for the second floor.
March 2019:
By the end of March, we've finished the last of the gardens at Rainsford Road, Chelmsford and have tied off the last of the snagging and testing for final sign off and handover to the buyers and new tenants for the new build which we've kept for the Connection Property portfolio.
The two chalets in Mayland have the last of the steels installed in an impressive display of grunt work, saving the client a fortune in crane fees.
The roof structure is now built and the dormer frames constructed.
April 2019:
By the end of April, we have the roof tiling underway, windows and doors installed on the Chalets in Mayland.
With work underway on the interior carpentry.
May 2019:
The chalets in Mayland are being insulated and boarded ready for plastering.
While the exterior work continues in preparation for rendering.
Connection Construction wins Best New House Builder in Essex at the 2019 Home Builder Awards run by Build Magazine - a great acknowledgement for the team for two years of hard work.
With the plasterers heading to Mayland our structural team peel off to take on a major hard landscaping project for a domestic client.
June 2019:
By the end of June, the decorator has got a mist coat on both houses in Mayland, staircases measured and ordered, floors insulated, membrane down and screeders in.
Our heavy landscaping project in Stow Maries completed, an unbeliveable amount of earth moved, so many tiles cut, many under a gazebo in the driving rain but an amazing finish and a delighted client.
July 2019:
The two chalets in Mayland have been rendered and looking great.
Second fix electrics, second fix plumbing, second carpentry, kitchen going in, stairs looking great and the bi-folds installed.
We also had a quick commercial project to complete, taking up the entire ground floor of a block of flats that had been flooded, taking up the render, insulation and block & beam floor and replacing everything with new dry materials.
August 2019:
The chalets have now been decorated and kitchens fitted, awaiting the client's landscaper and mains connections.
I popped back to Rainsford Road. Chelmsford to get a final picture. The buyers happily settled in and the tenants happy in the new build we kept in the Connection Property portfolio.
Not a million miles off the CGI's we'd had done...
August was a big month for investment properties, finst we compleated on Rossendale, Chelmsford. This will be a conversion of a 4-bed run down probate property into a high-end 6-bed HMO. This was initially a light refurb - it ended up making sense to move structural walls, becoming a bit more of a project that initially intended. Even with the additional costs, this project should return around 30% return on capital expenditaure as part of the Connection Property portfolio.
We also had an offer accepted on this beauty in Colchester, a 3-bed house which we'll convert into a 5-bed HMO as a partnership between Connection Property and a private investor - this deal should provide a 50% return on capital expenditure which will be shared 50/50 with our investment partner.
September 2019:
September has mostly been spent at our HMO conversion on Rossendale in Chelmsford. Safe to say the light refurb went out the window when we had to pull foundations for new structural walls internally. Due to the makeup of the upstairs walls and the lack of structural support in the original building it made more sense to strip the whole building back and start again from scratch.
We did make time to squeeze in a quick new fence for a client in Chelmsford.
October 2019:
October was mostly spent in our Chelmsford HMO conversion, having stripped everything back and rebuilt the structural walls we've rebuilt all the internal walls, insulated, boarded, designed a new heating and water system for the additional people that'll be using the house, first fixed the electrics and plumbing and got a lot of the plastering done.
We did find the time to build a Porch Extension for our Landscaping partner Daniel Windsor Landscapes in South Woodham Ferrers.
November 2019:
This month we've finished the plastering, taken delivery and installed the kitchen, the stairs are going in and generally rushing to get out of the way so the decorator can get in.
You made it! A whole year worth of projects... I'm impressed you stuck with it. I'll try to update more regularly going forward.
Watch this space to see how the two HMO conversions go, we've got a further 20-bed project coming up we can't say too much about right now but will update you shortly.
In the meantime, if you've like to invest with Connection Property, either for a straight fixed, guaranteed return on your money up to 10% (which beats losing money to inflation in any savings account) or if you have a larger pot and want bigger returns you could partner on one of our developments for much greater returns.
Any questions then please get in touch - Iain Large iain@cil.global or 07957 972 349.