Anyone ever used Dermot Bannon's Company for their own home project

Sparky100

Just wondering if anyone has used dermot bannon's company when looking to extend or rennovate their home.

I like his work a lot from his programme 'Room to Improve' but was wondering if his services are extremely expensive or long waiting time etc

We are looking at rennovating our home and I would love to get someone like him if not himself.

paddy147

Sparky100 wrote: »

Just wondering if anyone has used dermot bannon's company when looking to extend or rennovate their home.

I like his work a lot from his programme 'Room to Improve' but was wondering if his services are extremely expensive or long waiting time etc

We are looking at rennovating our home and I would love to get someone like him if not himself.

He and his QS and their figures seem to be rather expensive,when you look at what you actually get,in the end.

But then again,the builders and contractors are the ones pushing the price aswell,plus they know they are going to be on TV,so thats an extra bit of ammo for all of them.

Ive seen in 2 cases where the client overuled Dermot and the female QS and went and got their own flooring at a fraction of the price that Dermot and the QS were stating.

paddy147

I wonder do the "clients" get any money off the price,for the making of the programme and having their house (before and after) being shown to the nation on TV

Does the client get anything out of it???....(apart from 15 minutes of fame)

firlodge

Hi
Even though I'm his competitor I believe DB is an excellent architect, if somewhat disorganised!
Most architects are finding it tough these days - if you like his stuff give him a call - he deserves some good return for putting himself out there each week!
(But I will PM you my website so you can compare!)
Good luck!

paddy147

firlodge wrote: »

Hi
Even though I'm his competitor I believe DB is an excellent architect, if somewhat disorganised!


Most architects are finding it tough these days - if you like his stuff give him a call - he deserves some good return for putting himself out there each week!
(But I will PM you my website so you can compare!)
Good luck!

Maybe thats purposely done/hyped up for the camera,to add some added/extra drama for the TV show??;)


Sure every trade in the construction and building industry is finding it hard going these days.

A sad and true fact of this very bad and long recession.:(

And yes DB does have a very good/keen eye for design and details.His end product does turn out very well.Hes also not afraid to say that he got something wrong,or that the client was right.:)

NIMAN

I enjoy watching his show but has any project ever come in on budget, so that would scare me off using him.


Having seen various series of the show, I feel that his designs are very generic, and a lot of them look very similar.

rebelden

Yea, his designs seem a bit similar alright on his television programme. Don't know about the one’s he does in real life but personality I like them. Seems to favour flat roof extensions, which mightn’t be to everyone’s taste (maybe peoples preconceptions regarding durability etc).Also his extensions can look a bit boxy/series ofs quare boxes but I suppose that’s the more modern style being promoted at present. Also last weeks renovation I thought turned out very well.

Other then that,one criticism of the show is their little reference to increased insulation and making houses more energy efficient.But I suppose Mr no nonsense Duncan Stewart has that covered.

paddy147

I managed to pull my large building project in under budget.

But I can tell you that it involved going against some of the things that the architect,qs,builder and structural engineer were suggesting,with regards fittings and fixtures and finishes.

Decided to take matters into my own hand and go shop hunting for flooring,tiles and kitchens and bathorrm suites and fittings.

Ok so it took a few heated debates between us all,and some backing down on all sides,but in the end I saved a fortune by doing alot of shopping and product sourcing myself,over what the final price would have been,had I just left it all to the builder,architect,qs and engineer.

It can be daunting,and for an older couple,Im sure it can feel like the "rabbit in the headlights" senario....with regards a final price.


I would also agree that Dermot Bannon has a a bit of fixation with single storey flat roof extensions.

But at the end of the day,the client signs off on the final design and gives the architect and builder the go ahead.

So the client has responsibilty too

paddy147

Room To Improve is just about to start on RTE1 now....21:30pm

paddy147

House was in Dublin 6 this time.

Yet again,bit of demolition work,another box flat roof single storey extension and an external chimney stack built...and a remodel/rennovation of the existing house

Some small landscaping work on a small courtyard (a few plants,some gravel and a few steps).

No sign of any insulation work either.

It is very nice looking,but I fail to see where 131,000 euro has gone to?

repsol

He always seems to go way over budget but his work is good

paddy147

repsol wrote: »

He always seems to go way over budget but his work is good

Well the budget was 130k and they went 1k over budget.

So thats not bad in the overall context of things.

But I just fail to see where 131k euro has gone to,for what the end product was/is?

paddy147

Have to say that I love watching Grand Designs.

I think Kevin McCloud is very good at how he presents the show,and you get a much more "realistic" feel for the building and rennovation that his show documents.

ted1

Flat roof extensions are probably down to avoiding planning peussion which could delay filming

Feckitscold

Worked on a room to improve build.
Dermot seems okay but the end result, the people that employed him seemed to be coerced to go with his idea’s(my personal opinion).
A few short cuts taken for filming.
On price there were loads of materials chucked into the skip, the builder had a few jobs on the go at same time so could have been used on them, even when times were good never seen so much waste.
So that project should have been 20-30 % less(In my personal opinion)

ddooris

Sparky100 there is a Spring design fair on tomorrow (23rd march) in Beacon South Quarter and Dermot bannon is speaking at it....might be worth your while going along



http://www.beaconsouthquarter.ie/design-fair/spring-design-fair-2013

paddy147

ddooris wrote: »

Sparky100 there is a Spring design fair on tomorrow (23rd march) in Beacon South Quarter and Dermot bannon is speaking at it....might be worth your while going along



http://www.beaconsouthquarter.ie/design-fair/spring-design-fair-2013

Someone should ask him the following.......


1-Why does he constantly go with boxy extensions with flat roofs??

2-Why does he never bother to include/install any propper insulation or solar/PV panels on any of his rennovations and extensions???

ted1

Well PV panels aren't great in Ireland with poor payback do to little to no fed in tariffs and low irradiance levels.

The reason there left out is so as to not top toe on Duncan's area

Gaffneyhayes

Need to do a specialized conversion on a bungalow for my disabled son, was thinking of getting Dermot to do it as I'm a fan of the programme, any reasons not to ?

deco 3

Hi Gaffney,

After becoming disabled recently myself due to an accident, I would be very interested in hearing how you get on with him. I am looking to come back to Ireland from Australia in the next 6-12 months and doing something similar.

Best of luck,

Deco.

paddy147

Gaffneyhayes wrote: »

Need to do a specialized conversion on a bungalow for my disabled son, was thinking of getting Dermot to do it as I'm a fan of the programme, any reasons not to ?

Make sure that costs dont spiral out of control.

Just because hes a celeb now and your a fan of his ...dont let them 2 bits mingle and keep them out of any contracts and professional work.

At the end of the day you want the most work done for the best price possible and to keep costs down as mush as possible.

If you feel he is too expensive..then simply walk away and get someone else to do it.

mari2222

Recommend the people behind the website madaboutdesign dot ie

am not connected to the business

ted1

Just had a look at that site, it looks really amateurish and would put me off using them.

No real pictures, contact details, no real about us etc

dory

I find his designs incredibly boring. Used love to show but can't watch it any more. I hate knowing what the design is going to else before he even shows the drawing. And the walls are always white! Would really put me off using him.

firlodge

Gaffneyhayes wrote: »

Need to do a specialized conversion on a bungalow for my disabled son, was thinking of getting Dermot to do it as I'm a fan of the programme, any reasons not to ?

I believe he is a good architect & creates some great spaces, but for the work you need you require someone with time & empathy also. I don't think they are his strengths unfortunately.

paddy147

Room To Improve with Dermot Bannon is back on RTE1 tonight at 7:30pm.

Its a re-run of the last series......surprise surprise with RTE

paulcos

I have watched his programme infrequently but strongly suspect that whilst often finishing with a good product the agenda he is pushing is more concerned with the his reputation and less concerned with the client and therefore the budget suffers. Now this is a toss up between two things and I may be way off base about either.
Why in the last program I saw screened (rural farm house extension) was the outcome of the build not shown. Did the client become increasingly difficult to deal with or a breakdown in communications between parties. The fundamental flaw which lead to a planning application being needed was not properly explained for me(the client did mention difficulties in trying to contact Mr Bannon if that is the truth) and then the program ended. Why screen it at all?

paddy147

paulcos wrote: »

I have watched his programme infrequently but strongly suspect that whilst often finishing with a good product the agenda he is pushing is more concerned with the his reputation and less concerned with the client and therefore the budget suffers. Now this is a toss up between two things and I may be way off base about either.
Why in the last program I saw screened (rural farm house extension) was the outcome of the build not shown. Did the client become increasingly difficult to deal with or a breakdown in communications between parties. The fundamental flaw which lead to a planning application being needed was not properly explained for me(the client did mention difficulties in trying to contact Mr Bannon if that is the truth) and then the program ended. Why screen it at all?

Its a 2 part programme...that one.;)


The wife and the husband did say to the camera that they deiced to make a split second decision when the foundations were being dug and poured.......and they told the builder to go out another meter and a half.

Surely the builder could have copped the bigger overall size,by moving out another 1.5 meters than what was down on the plans he was given
Surely he could have halted things to make sure that things were going to be legit/legal,at that stage??

But there does seem to have been a breakdown in communication between clients,builder and architect.

That could be also put in there to make the show seem "edgey/tense" to the viewing audience though.;)



The husbands attitude (ah sure fcuk the law and planning permission,we dont need it) was and is very poor.:(
The law is the law,regardless of whether his neighbour is 5 meters away or 5 miles away down the road from him.



Dermot Bannon seems absolutely obsessed with flat roofs and square rear extensions.

I dont think he did one house in the entire series where he designed and had a propper high pitched slate/tiled roof on the extension.

paulcos

Thanks for the explanation Paddy147.

OSiriS

paddy147 wrote: »

Its a 2 part programme...that one.;)

Are you sure about that? There was text at the end of the show that revealed the outcome that eventually they got the permission and completed the extension. I got the impression that this episode was to highlight the dangers of making changes to plans without understanding what you are doing

Dermot Bannon seems absolutely obsessed with flat roofs and square rear extensions.

I dont think he did one house in the entire series where he designed and had a propper high pitched slate/tiled roof on the extension.

I have noticed this myself, and it is something I find very off-putting about modern architecture in general. I have wondered, though, is the issue that the clients are expecting so much for their budget that there is nothing left for attractive exteriors and a pitched roof?

paulcos

All I took from the end was the project got the go ahead and that not much was said other than Dermot putting his own footnote on it. What he said made sense of course but everything does when it's edited doesn't it.
Call me paranoid (and i often am) but something stinks about this one, stinks bad I say

Fionnbw

Mod Note: 1st post downing a person...

yop

Mod Note - I think this thread has run its course as its just turning into a chance for a pop at DB and doesn't seem to add anything positive to the forum.

CLOSED