Renovation and Alteration Case Study
Intona and the WW1 battle of the Somme
Our company is always up for a new challenge however never did we anticipate carrying out work in Picardie in France, helping restore a house situated on the infamous Somme battlefields. These battlefields were the scene of where 19,400 British and Allied soldiers died on the first day of the battle in July 1916
Morval on the Somme is a sleepy hamlet with 81 inhabitants and during the Great War was held by the Germans. The village was eventually retaken, however was by and large destroyed. By 1921 houses were again appearing on the sites of the ruins. One such house built in 1921 was on the main street - 25 Rue Principale.
The Problem
Imagine our surprise one day when one of our existing clients from Dundee who was a WW1 historian announced to us that he had bought this house in Morval, which was now nearly 100 years later, in serious need of love and care. Our client would rather use trusted tradesmen which he knew rather than employ French locals.
There was no shortage of volunteers to work on this project. The Intona expeditionary force has now been to the location three times working on the restoration of this house in a very special place. More importantly to us the client is absolutely delighted at what we have done. The house is now of a standard that is it being currently let as a holiday rental.
The Solution
Visit one saw the conversion of an old typically French log store into a new sitting room and boot room. An existing bedroom was turned into a luxurious bathroom with walk in shower. Various roofs were lowered and plastered and the existing shower area was turned into a lovely utility room.
The next visit saw several floors being replaced and the installation of a brand new kitchen sourced in Dundee . Team Intona were back again this year and have now totally replaced all the bedroom floors.
A final visit saw the living room floor replaced and a preservation project never imagined was complete.
The Result
It was brilliant to see the Intona staff and vans on the Somme. We obviously used the various opportunities to get guided tours of the main sites of the battlefields. This area is awesome and is a must see. This brings us to the final part of this story ...
Our client was helping restore a remaining part of the actual battlefield held by the Germans called the Butte de Warlencourt. Intona was delighted to sponsor this worthy cause by providing two benches for folk to sit and contemplate the carnage which went on there, hoping it will never be repeated anywhere in the world. Intona as such were again preserving. Not a property this time, but a ww1 battle site. We were extremely proud to do so.
Preparation
When you decide to renovate or alter your property, Intona will go through everything with you before the work begins. We know the problems that can arise when making changes to existing buildings and will try to make sure there are no nasty surprised waiting for you.
We'll give you a competitive quote, detailing what we will do, how long it will take and how much it will cost. If you're a householder, we'll also discuss the practicalities of having our team work in your property. For larger projects, the work may be noisy, dusty and generally disruptive. We'll make sure you're well prepared for what lies ahead.
If you agree to go ahead, we'll start making arrangements and give you an estimated starting date. We'll keep you informed throughout the process so that you know how things stand every step of the way.
Work in Progress
Adapting an existing building normally means we have to do some demolition before we can start putting it together again. This can create some dust and mess, but our team will keep this to a minimum, and clear everything away when they're finished.
Larger projects might mean so much disruption that it might be best to move out so our team can really get on with the work without having to worry about the mess each day. Rest assured, we'll treat your property with the respect it deserves and, once the work is complete, we'll put everything back together again.
As the work progresses, you might change your mind about some things, and we might change our minds about the best way to complete the work. We think it’s important that we maintain a dialogue, discussing the project and taking care of problems and opportunities as they come along.
Completion
When the work is complete, we get to experience the best part of our work. When we hand your property back to you, it's like the big "reveal" that you see on TV programmes - very satisfying! We'll go over everything with you, explaining what has been done and answering any questions you might have.
We'll return your keys and bid farewell. But our customer care doesn't stop there. If you have any queries at any time in the future, we'll be here to help.
"I didn’t really expect Intona to take on a project so far from home. But they did - and they did a magnificent job!"
We will be delighted to consider tendering for any contract with the client being assured of a competitive tender.
