An historic boathouse located in the popular fishing village of Staithes in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park, is currently undergoing a transformation that is not only set to impress the locals but also all those who visit this picturesque part of the UK.

It’s always been the case that building projects in the National Park need to be handled with care, so that the end product sympathises with the local environment and uses materials in keeping with the general ambience of the village or area in question. And this project is no exception.

So when Darren Vasey, co-owner of Diamond Property Renovations Ltd in Whitby, was asked to price the project, he knew that any quote not only had to account for the use of local material, but would have to provide an accurate indication on the project cost for the owners.

The project in question is a former boathouse which unfortunately suffered substantial fire damage which the owners decided to rebuild as a dwelling house. This incorporated a very high level specification and added to the complexity of the build, especially as the property is located next to the Roxby Beck River and local Herringbone stone was to be used.

The designs also included a vaulted ceiling, all of which added to the difficulty of pricing the job accurately.

Fortunately, Darren and his team had a lot of experience in costing properties in the National Park, so knew the potential pitfalls of quoting for such specialist jobs. Using this experience and his trusted ‘black book’, initial estimates were sent to the client.

However, at the time the first quote was sent to the client, Darren was also looking at costing the job using the estimating software package called EstimatorXpress. And when the new quote using the software was completed, it gave a much more accurate reflection on how much the project was going to cost the client.

Commenting on the software Darren said: “The fact that we used the software to cost the project, probably meant we won the contract. Once we understood how to use the software, costing was easy and was well worth the investment.

“The software allows us to produce reports which breaks down the project bit by bit. This means we are able to demonstrate to the client why things cost what they do and makes us more transparent when it comes to prices. It really did help the client understand the costing of the project.

“The time EstimatorXpress now saves the company means that I can quote for more jobs. For example, we can now provide an accurate quote to build a whole house in just one morning, where as before that could take anything up to a couple of days. Over the last three months I’ve been on site more than over the last two years.”

The fact that Darren now spends more time on site is backed by a recent survey which found that builders on average waste 67 days a year providing estimates.

Developed by Adrian Wild, himself a former builder, EstimatorXpress is the result of more than 20 years experience in the building trade and is specifically targeted at companies like Diamond Property Renovations.

The software has radically changed the way builders approach a job by providing up-to-the-minute prices via the Internet and a professional quotation tool for ease of use to help save time.

In addition, clear building drawings allow the user to visualise the project they are planning to construct, such as foundations, walls and roofs, which helps with the costing of a job.

It means that customers are getting a better service and not a finger in the air quote which is the unfortunate view often associated with builders up and down the country.

Darren continued: “This is a very powerful package. We are able to quote far more quickly and accurately and is hugely beneficial in terms of time. This means we spend less time pricing up jobs and more on site doing the work.”

For further information on EstimatorXpress please call T: 0870 850 2444 or visit the web site www.hbxl.co.uk

Issued 8 April 2005

Issued on behalf of HBXL by Martin Powell Communications. For further information contact Laurence Phillips on T: 01275 394400 or e-mail laurence@martin-powell.com