- Review proposed works.
- Review scopes and specifications.
- Review builders’ quotations.
- Identify unclear allowances or exclusions.
- Compare competing quotations.
- Highlight potential gaps before work begins.
- Help you understand what you are actually agreeing to.
Independent building project support for homeowners
Building work shouldn’t feel like a leap of faith.
BuildSmart gives homeowners independent professional support before, during and after building work.
Whether you are extending, refurbishing, renovating or improving your home, BuildSmart gives you an experienced Chartered Surveyor on your side. Get clear, independent advice on quotations, contracts, costs, variations, payments, workmanship and the decisions that arise as your project progresses.
Email preferred: adam@volarex.co.uk·01226 304007
Independent advice. Direct from Adam. No sales team. No contractor commissions.
Heard BuildSmart on the radio? You’re in the right place.
Building work can get complicated quickly.
A building project may begin with a quotation and a straightforward plan. Then the questions start.
“Is this quotation detailed enough?”
“Which builder should I appoint?”
“Should this work be included in the original price?”
“Is this genuinely a variation?”
“Should I pay this invoice now?”
“Is the workmanship acceptable?”
“What happens if the programme starts slipping?”
“Who is checking that what I am paying for is actually being delivered?”
Most homeowners do not manage construction projects every day.
Builders do.
BuildSmart helps level that gap by giving you independent professional advice throughout the process.
Someone experienced. Someone independent. Someone on your side.
Independent support throughout your project
BuildSmart can support you at one particular stage or stay involved throughout the project. You do not have to buy a large consultancy package. Use as much or as little support as your project needs.
- Contractor due diligence.
- Review relevant information supplied by the contractor.
- Identify questions worth asking before appointment.
- Help compare quotations on a like-for-like basis.
- Flag areas requiring clarification.
- Help you understand the importance of putting the agreement in writing.
- Review contractual arrangements.
- Help clarify scope, price, programme, payment arrangements and variations.
- Provide practical homeowner-focused contract support.
- Progress reviews.
- Site inspections where appropriate.
- Review variations and additional charges.
- Review payment requests.
- Cost monitoring.
- Practical advice as issues arise.
- Liaison support where appropriate.
- Observe workmanship.
- Record visible defects.
- Review concerns raised by the homeowner.
- Provide independent professional observations.
- Support snagging and completion discussions.
- Snagging.
- Outstanding work review.
- Payment and retention considerations where applicable.
- Practical advice before final completion.
You remain the decision-maker. BuildSmart gives you better information on which to base those decisions.
Straightforward professional support
Tell me about your project
Send Adam a few details about your property, planned work, approximate budget and where you are in the process.
Identify where support will help
You may need advice before appointing a contractor, during the works, when considering a variation, or when something has already gone wrong.
Get clear independent advice
Adam explains the position in plain English and identifies practical next steps. Avoid unnecessary construction jargon.
Stay better informed
Make decisions about your home, your contractor and your money with greater clarity.
No call centre. No account manager. You deal directly with Adam.
Not every project needs the same level of support.
Some homeowners want help reviewing quotations before choosing a builder. Others want periodic professional input throughout a refurbishment.
Some contact BuildSmart because additional costs have started appearing or because work on site no longer matches what they expected.
BuildSmart is designed to be flexible.
Before work starts
- Quotation review
- Scope review
- Contract support
- Contractor questions
During the work
- Progress inspections
- Payment advice
- Variation review
- Cost monitoring
When something isn’t right
- Defect observations
- Workmanship concerns
- Unexpected charges
- Completion and snagging
Professional advice, directly from an experienced Chartered Surveyor
Dr Adam Whitehouse
Chartered Surveyor · Chartered Building Engineer
FRICS · C.Build E · CRE® · MCIOB · MCABE · MCInstCES · MCIArb · CertIOSH
BuildSmart is led personally by Dr Adam Whitehouse, an experienced construction and property professional with a background spanning building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, contract administration, construction compliance and health & safety.
Adam has worked across residential property, major construction projects, complex refurbishment work, historic buildings and large-scale developments.
BuildSmart brings that experience directly to homeowners in a practical and approachable way.
There is no hand-off to a junior surveyor or sales team. When you appoint BuildSmart, you deal directly with Adam.
Chartered Surveyor
Chartered Building Engineer
20+ years’ construction and property experience
Independent sole practitioner
The builder has their team. BuildSmart is there for you.
A good builder can be an excellent partner in a project.
But the contractor is still responsible for running their own business, managing their own costs and protecting their own commercial position.
BuildSmart is different. When appointed by the homeowner, the advice is provided to the homeowner. There are no contractor commissions and no financial incentive to recommend additional building work.
Independent
Advice focused on your project and your position.
Experienced
Construction and surveying expertise applied to real-world homeowner decisions.
Personal
Direct access to Adam rather than a chain of account managers.
Homeowner Building Works Contract Template
Prefer to manage the project yourself?
Start with a clear written agreement.
If full BuildSmart support is more than you need, you can purchase the Homeowner Building Works Contract Template and complete it yourself with your contractor.
The template is designed to help homeowners record the key points agreed before building work starts. Once you have purchased it, Adam will send the template to your email address within 24 hours.
- Parties to the agreement
- Description of the work
- Contract price
- Payment arrangements
- Start date
- Programme
- Variations
- Access
- Responsibilities
- Completion
- Defects
- Key project information
£39.99 + VAT
Purchased today and sent by email within 24 hours.
The template provides a structured starting point for recording a homeowner–contractor agreement. It does not replace project-specific legal or professional advice where this is required.
Frequently asked questions
No. BuildSmart is designed to be proportionate to the project.
You may simply want an independent review of a quotation before you appoint a contractor, or you may want ongoing professional support throughout a larger refurbishment or extension.
Yes. This can be one of the most useful times to obtain independent advice.
BuildSmart can review quotations, highlight areas that need clarification and help you compare what different contractors are actually offering.
Not necessarily. BuildSmart can become involved at different stages of a project.
The type of support available will depend on how far the work has progressed and what has already been agreed.
Yes. A quotation review can help identify unclear wording, exclusions, allowances and areas that may benefit from clarification before you commit.
BuildSmart can review the information available and help you understand the basis of the proposed additional cost.
The level of review possible will depend on the records, quotation, contract and project information available.
No. When BuildSmart is appointed by the homeowner, the professional advice is provided to the homeowner.
Yes, subject to location, availability and the scope agreed.
Progress and workmanship inspections can form part of the BuildSmart service.
No professional adviser can guarantee that a construction project will be free of problems.
BuildSmart helps you identify risks, understand information and make better-informed decisions.
Depending on the project and agreed scope, additional professional services may be available.
The first step is to tell Adam about the project and what level of support you require.
BuildSmart provides professional support from Volarex’s UK surveying and construction consultancy practice.
Some services can be provided remotely, while inspections and project visits depend on location and availability. Contact Adam with the property postcode and project details.
Heard BuildSmart on the radio?
If you are planning building work and want an experienced independent professional on your side, tell Adam a little about your project.
Tell me about your project
You do not need to have everything worked out. Send Adam the basics and he can identify where BuildSmart may be able to help.
Prefer email?
adam@volarex.co.ukEmail is preferred and is normally the quickest way to contact Adam.
Telephone: 01226 304007