Your home in Shirley
Sometimes the most useful change is about how a room is used throughout the day. A kitchen might need more dining space; a living area might need room for working or family time. Describe the practical problem first. We can then discuss whether your plans call for more space, changes to existing rooms or updated finishes.
The room you need may be an improvement to the space you already have. Think about how the home works during an ordinary day: cooking, eating, working and spending time together. For a Shirley enquiry, explain where those activities compete for space and what would make them easier. We can discuss extensions or refurbishment around the practical changes you want to make.
From the building to the finish
Explore the work relevant to your plans. Each service can be discussed on its own or as part of a wider project.
When an existing room simply cannot accommodate everything you need, additional space may be worth exploring. Describe the functions the new area must serve and the way it should connect with the house. We offer full home extensions, with in-house drawings and diagrams to help make the proposed change easier to discuss.
If the footprint is sufficient but the home needs a new direction, tell us what you want to change in the existing rooms. Our refurbishment services include building and finishing work, so you can discuss repairs, plastering and flooring alongside the broader plan. Share the rooms you want to keep as well as those that need attention.
A flooring change can be part of refreshing a room or finishing a larger project. Explain which spaces are involved and any other work proposed in those areas. Discussing flooring alongside the alterations helps keep the enquiry focused on the finished room rather than a single surface considered without its surroundings.
Our complete service range also includes the building and finishing work below. Tell us which jobs you want to bring into the same enquiry.
Explore the possibilities
For a Shirley home, more floor space and a better use of existing rooms can solve different problems. Consider the daily activities first, then compare an extension, refurbishment and the finishing work that would make the result feel complete.
If a kitchen doubles as a dining room or a living room also serves as a workspace, explain where the pressure is felt. An extension discussion can then focus on the activity that needs more room and how the new space would connect with the house. Consider routes through the rooms and furniture positions as well as the area added. In-house drawings can help make those relationships easier to explore.
A refurbishment can bring the existing rooms into a clearer plan. List what you want to retain, the surfaces that need renewing and any known repairs. Think about how the rooms relate to one another rather than making each finish a separate decision. Building work, plastering and flooring can be discussed together, alongside any electrical or other trade requirements that form part of your ideas.
The flooring conversation should include the use of the space and the work around it. Explain whether you are refreshing one room, adjoining rooms or the connection to an extension. Mention existing issues and any planned plastering or alterations. This gives the finish a place in the wider scope and helps you discuss the result you want without needing to settle every material choice before making contact.
A useful first conversation
A practical Shirley project brief describes the activity that needs more room or a better layout. That is often more helpful at the start than choosing finishes alone.
We have in-house support for drawings and diagrams, as well as contacts for electricians and other trades. Let us know where you need help as the project takes shape.
You can start with what you know. Your ideas do not need to be final before you get in touch.
Before work begins
Before a Shirley extension or refurbishment, discuss the day-to-day arrangements as well as the design. The most useful questions connect the proposed work to how the home is used now.
Identify where you eat, work and spend time together, and which of those activities need a better arrangement. Explain any rooms that need to remain available. This makes household priorities visible in the project discussion without assuming that every room can stay in normal use during the work.
An improvement in one room may be part of a wider change. Describe any connected flooring, plastering or repairs and the spaces you would like included. Keep the extension and existing rooms on the same plan so the enquiry covers their relationship rather than only the additional floor area.
Explain how the property is accessed, any storage considerations and your preferred timing. Mention other trades already involved or needed. Arrangements and responsibilities depend on the proposed scope and need discussion, so include practical preferences early rather than assuming how the project will be organised.
Useful local information
Where your ideas include an extension or other building changes, use the property address and the proposed scope when checking the relevant requirements. Solihull Council's planning and building control pages provide official local information. Keep any existing drawings or application details together while you develop the project brief.
Solihull Council planning information (opens in a new tab)
Confirm the authority and requirements for your exact address and proposed work. Our drawing support does not replace any technical or approval checks.
Before we begin
A clearer brief makes the first conversation more useful. Get in touch if you would like to discuss your own property.
No. A clear idea of what is not working and what you want to improve is enough to begin a conversation. If drawings would help explain the change, ask about our in-house support.
Yes. Explain the practical problem you want to solve and the space available now. We can discuss the building services relevant to both ideas. In-house drawings can help explore the change, while suitability and project requirements need to be considered for the individual property.
No. Tell us which rooms are involved, what else is changing and the result you have in mind. The flooring discussion can develop alongside the wider refurbishment or extension scope rather than being settled before you have explained the building work.
Yes. Tell us which rooms are involved and any repairs, plastering or building changes proposed in the same areas. Flooring is part of our service range and can be discussed alongside a wider refurbishment or extension. The scope should describe the connected work as well as the finished floor.
Start with the activities that feel awkward and the spaces where they happen. You can enquire without a finished design. Ask about our in-house drawings and diagrams to help explore the idea, and explain whether you are open to an extension, refurbishment or a combination of building and finishing work.
We are based in Solihull and welcome building enquiries from Shirley and the surrounding areas. Share your property address and the proposed work when you contact us, so we can discuss your individual project.
Your next step
Tell us what you have in mind. We’ll talk through the possibilities.
