Bespoke timber building firm Urban Marque turns to Roofing Superstore to source all its quality roofing materials – making considerable cost savings along the way. With a vast catalogue of stock from world leading suppliers just a few clicks away, Urban Marque also benefits from a one stop shop for its pitched roof builds, saving the company valuable time and resources once spent dealing with multiple suppliers.
The Living Lodge – The market for garden buildings and structures is set to be worth over £325m by 2018, according to a recent report by AMA Research*. With house prices rises rising, and with the growing need to create more liveable space, homeowners are increasingly seeking innovative solutions to maximise their properties; creating more space quickly and without the need for planning permission.
Following the relaxation of UK planning rules and the introduction of several new consented building opportunities, a different breed of garden space is beginning to enter the spotlight. The ‘lodge’ – otherwise known as a granny annexe, static caravan, or mobile home.
One company taking full advantage of the market opportunity is bespoke timber building firm, Urban Marque, often the first port of call for discerning homeowners, architects and landscape designers looking for livable lodges that will not only meet UK Building Regulations, but are also fully compliant with the Caravan Acts.
Chris Thorpe, Urban Marque’s technical director, explained:”Garden rooms have always been popular, but we are seeing more people turning to us to create spaces which are suitable to live in. Many of our customers want to make better use of their gardens with a view to accommodating elderly parents, or even younger families who cannot afford to get on the property ladder.”
With 30 standard lodges in its collection, all of which can be tailored to a client needs for a completely bespoke living space, each is designed and made to order at the company’s Shropshire based factory, and installed directly on site. Self-builders also have the option of purchasing a fully engineered structural kit and assembling it themselves.
“All our homes are fully engineered and each unit is supplied with site-specific structural calculations, full design drawings and proof of compliance with the Caravan Acts” Chris added. “There are endless options available, from one to six bedrooms, serving as a holiday home, extra office space or even as a wedding venue.”
Making its Marque – Prices for garden rooms vary, catering to a range of price options, with a fully engineered structural kit starting at £13,000, and between £30,000 – £40,000 for a small, fully constructed lodge – complete with fixtures and fittings. Currently, the company fulfils around 60 garden lodge orders a year, which when added to the standard garden rooms they also supply, comes to around 100 buildings in total annually; no small feat for a company that has been running for just 18 months.
With a growing annual turnover, Urban Marque has seen revenues rise steadily since it began just 18 months ago, and the company expects this to continue over the next few years. Chris said: “We have had a fantastic few years, and our success is down to the quality of our structures. All our lodges are manufactured in Shropshire, with each meeting UK Building Regulations. Every lodge has both thermal and sound levels which are the same as a traditional masonry home, so our customers know they are buying a high quality, comfortable home.”
The company relies heavily on word of mouth, with 95% of projects over the past year coming as a direct result of recommendations from satisfied clients. Placing old fashioned business ethics and customer experience at the heart of the operation has also been key to the company’s success, with dedicated staff on hand to provide advice and updates at every stage of the design and construction process.
Reliable roofing – Every Urban Marque Lodge is available with a range of external finishes, from traditional timber cladding and half log, to render, with a choice of a flat or pitched roof, and the company turns to Roofing Superstore to supply all its membranes, fixtures and fittings.
“Roofing Superstore provided us with a really big choice of products, including those from some of the leading roofing manufacturers” said Chris. “With the business continuing to grow, and with orders also on the increase, we needed a supplier that we could trust and rely on to provide the products consistently.”
Roofing Superstore is now the company’s sole supplier of roofing materials, including roof shingles, fascia and soffit boards, underlay and rainwater systems.
Urban Marque has also made significant cost savings with Roofing Superstore. Jake Thorpe, managing director, said: “Roofing Superstore is by far the cheapest quality trade supplier for most products.”
Saving time and money – As one of the largest online merchants, Roofing Superstore stocks over 29,000 products from the world’s leading suppliers.
Chris explains the advantages to Urban Marque: “Access to such a wide range of stock with Roofing Superstore, including plenty of homegrown options to choose from, means that we can get everything we need from one place, making the process quick, easy, and stress free.”
Roofing Superstore’s eCommerce model also means that Urban Marque has benefited not only in terms of cost savings, but also in time. Chris said: “The security of knowing that just a few minutes online will get the job done is a huge timesaver. There is no need to spend hours visiting bricks and mortar merchants to source our materials, and we now have more time to take on new projects.
“The orders are processed manually, and the customer service is impeccable. If there are any doubts on our part, then a quick phone call is all it takes to solve; there will always be someone on hand to provide the expert advice we need.
“The savings in time, along with the in-depth knowledge of the sales staff, is a saving that cannot be quantified. It’s a convenient shopping experience, and certainly one that we would recommend.”
*AMA Research, The Garden Buildings & Structures Market Report – UK 2016-2020
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