A space saving design solution UIL utilised back in 2018/2019 was to install a washing machine in a bathroom.

This is a common design tactic utilised in Europe and America and really it does make sense – after all, why would a washing machine be in a food area (kitchen)? If you don’t have a utility room then a bathroom (with all it’s lovely cleanliness and plumbing) is the obvious place for a washing machine.

Read the original post that UIL wrote on MyBuilder here

Sometimes it does feel like we are living in a limbo…. So any time you can bring order to the chaos it is probably a good idea to do so! Don’t hire a fly-by-night or unprofessional trades-person, do your due diligence and you probably won't come unstuck.

When you are dealing with a proper incorporated Limited Company you, the customer will have access to certain information that other types of businesses (e.g. Sole-Trader) don’t or won't provide.

You are what you say you are…

It sounds silly but it is true. Anyone who has ever changed career will have realised it is true. At first you have “impostor syndrome” but then all of a sudden you are running a new life, dressing differently, carrying yourself different, mixing with different people…

If you act shy you will be more shy…

If you give in to OCD you will become more OCD…

Afraid of something? Then you’ll be more afraid in the future…

Water causes the most damage to buildings! Even above fire!

Most people are interested and surprised to learn this.

That dripping gutter you meant to fix ten years ago – seemed like a minor problem, but left unchecked it can cause a lot of damage to a structure because the slow drip drip drip has been chipping away at the building and causing all sort of unseen damage like rot, decay, paint peeling, etc.

A bit like the Bermuda triangle a project budget will always be a thing of mystery – after all, how do you control time, quality and money!? Surely only Dr Who can control time?! The simple answer is that you cannot control and prioritise all three aspects of a project – even for the best Project Manager, it is impossible.

Yet again we missed our own birthday party! October was a crazy busy month, busy enough to almost forget that Upcycle Interiors Limited (UIL) turned 4 years old.

A big thank you goes out to all customers – past – present – future.

Thank you!

If you’re unsure of the options then this blog will hopefully clarify the way that pricing a job works.

“The devil is in the detail” so they say, alternatively, the “The Architecture is in the detail”, which is far better considering we are discussing buildings.

Both of these sayings are so true! Details can make or break a project, in the same way that they can make or break a business.

UIL is proud to act in a professional manner at all times and to conduct business in a completely transparent manner. There is nothing to hide - you will find all of the company details in this blog

Please see the below video to find out about the 3 pillars that Upcycle Interiors stands by - Professional, Trustworthy, Reliable

Recycling a material normally means reducing it to its raw material and then making a new item from it. For example, glass bottles are melted down and then used to make new glass bottles. This process uses a lot of energy. The value of the recycled material is “neutral”, after it is used it is thrown away, melted down and another bottle is made, which has the same value/quality of the bottle that was discarded.

A brief overview of some of the books on the current reading list

Other Portland / Weymouth-based Handymen and Property Maintenance operatives include Chesil Property Maintenance and HouseMartin. Martin is much like Upcycle Interiors Limited – offering a broad range of skills and virtually able to cater for everything that a complete renovation requires. A promising fact is that House Martin does not advertise cheap or value prices and they aren’t trying to do everything at the lowest level.

Ahhh the elusive Weymouth Handyman.  Or should that be elusive tradesman (or tradesperson)?

If you have reached out to any trade (or even window cleaner or gardener) since about 2020 you may have experienced a common problem – zero availability!

Doing a quick check of the market would suggest Weymouth has a fair number of Handyman Businesses. For example, there’s RCD Contracts (South West) who come across as a fair-sized family team offering a large number of services.

 Then there’s Handyman Solutions (Andy, if you’re reading, I think your website is down or the link from Yell.com is broken?) with his distinctive silver signs – love them!

 Finally, in Dorchester is Handyman Hardy who has a great shiny website and looks similar to Handyman Solutions – a one-man band in a distinctive van.

To the loyal, existing customers of UIL, welcome back – hopefully you can see some new subtle changes to the website and it is easier for you to navigate.

To the new customers, hello and welcome! Thanks for taking a look at the blog and getting this far, hopefully you find something useful here.

Now that the site is undergoing a renovation we plan for the blog to become a regular feature: keeping you informed and up to date with the business goings on, whilst also sharing regular tips, guides, “how to” articles and even debunking some common misconceptions.

The blog will be a less formal area for some chit chat, a bit of moaning or getting issues off our chest, news, and a glimpse into personal lives and maybe even hobbies.

For those of you who don’t know about the past of Upcycle Interiors – the idea was conceived in Q1 2015, but was not formally incorporated at Companies House until June 2018, around this time Mark was a sole trader, trading as Upcycle Interiors.

Where has the time gone? It’s been around 2 years since I last updated the blog! I wouldn’t put it down to “time flying when you’re having fun” so much, more a case of being busy – which is good.

The business is now completely re-established and known in Weymouth with regular advertising in ‘Free Portland News’, Contact magazine, The Register and CheckaTrade directory. You might also see our correx advertising boards outside clients' homes or receive a business card dropped through your door (with a money-off voucher). We have built up a new client base and even with the Covid-19 situation the workload is consistently busy.

Upcycle Interiors Limited (UIL) is excited to announce that the business will be relocating to beautiful & sunny Jurassic coast town of Weymouth (Dorset) next week!

The business has more than 100 projects under it's belt and I (Mark) would personally like to thank every single one of my previous customers. South East London is where the company was founded and the adventure began.

With Checkatrade reviews dating back over a year, it's about time I gave you my thoughts and opinions on it, after all, this is a blog, right? So what better place to air my views!

So what do I think? It is good! Yup, that's pretty much it, CheckaTrade is good, well actually, maybe I'm being unfair- it's excellent. And no, they're not paying me to say that. Let me explain - of all the trade directories and lead generation sites I have used CheckaTrade does the most stringent checks and is head and shoulders above the rest. If you find a company or tradesperson listed on their site then personally I believe they are professional, trustworthy and serious. I don't think you will find cowboys or "fly-by-night" types on there and the monthly fee certainly puts off the people who are just looking for a little bit of extra pocket money.

I will put my hands up and admit that in all my marketing material, mentioning sustainability and the environment is something I completely overlooked.

I had just made the assumption that nowadays everyone thinks about these things.

For me it is just a normal way of life - to reuse materials, salvage something or be conscious of waste.

The business is based on foundations of sustainability: upcycling (reusing) materials is at the core of the company and this is something that helps the environment. Rather than producing waste, the business tries to take a waste product and make something beautiful from it.

The number of trade directories and lead-generation websites seems to be ever-increasing! Just when you think you know them all, a few more pop up.

I've even done my own market research to try and figure out which ones the general public know about and trust.

So with the property investment strategy on the back burner and the conveyancing ongoing (why does it take so long? There simply is no excuse...) I turn my attention to handyman services, carpentry and interior/landscape design....

...No job is too small and I am happy to work on an hourly rate or day rate if that is what you want. However, I find that most customers prefer a fixed price written quotation.

Aside from the hands-on jobs, I also offer more academic/professional services like interior design, landscape design, project management and specialist stone consulting. As these services range vastly please contact sales@upcycleinteriors.co.uk to discuss in detail.