The Process
A clear route from first conversation to handover.
The process is deliberate. Each stage answers a different question, so clients move forward with clarity rather than optimism. Nothing is rushed, nothing is assumed, and nothing is committed to until the preceding stage has done its work.
The Journey
Seven stages from first conversation to handover
First conversation
Understanding the house, the brief and whether Ashecroft is the right fit.
This is not a sales call. A Project Guide listens to what you are trying to achieve, asks about the house, the geography and the practical realities. If Ashecroft is the right fit, the conversation moves forward. If not, we will say so directly.
Outcome: Clarity on fit, scope and next steps
Scope & Investment Guide
A grounded financial framework before design commitments are made.
A structured financial and practical briefing prepared around your project type. It sets out likely cost bands, the key variables that will move the budget, and the questions that need to be answered before a fixed-price contract can exist. There is no upfront design fee at this stage.
Outcome: Budget clarity and decision confidence
Discovery Call
A focused conversation to define the brief in detail.
With the financial framework understood, the Discovery Call goes deeper into spatial priorities, how the household uses the ground floor, material preferences, appliance expectations, and the practical constraints of the house. This conversation shapes the design direction.
Outcome: A defined brief ready for survey and concept
Survey and concept
Professional measurement and initial design development.
A chartered surveyor measures the property. The architect and kitchen designer develop initial spatial concepts based on the brief. Structural feasibility is assessed. Planning risk is appraised where relevant. The concept is presented for discussion and refinement.
Outcome: A tested concept grounded in measured reality
Provisional cost proposal
A structured commercial route based on the agreed direction.
The concept translates into a provisional cost proposal, a structured financial framework that reflects the agreed scope, specification and site conditions. This is not a guess or an approximation. It is a serious commercial document that forms the basis of the fixed-price contract.
Outcome: A clear financial commitment before contract
Contract and build
Architecture, kitchen design and construction locked into a fixed-price contract.
Design development completes. Architecture, kitchen specification, structural detail and finishes are resolved together and locked into a fixed-price contract with weekly chained payment orders. The build begins with a dedicated Project Guide managing delivery, sequencing and communication.
Outcome: Fixed-price certainty and single-point accountability
Handover and aftercare
Snagging, documentation and a six-year structural guarantee.
Once construction is complete, a structured snagging process closes out every detail. Clients receive a clear record of what has been built and how it should be maintained. Structural work is covered by a six-year structural guarantee. The Project Guide remains the point of contact for aftercare.
Outcome: A completed project with lasting accountability
The Difference
What makes this different
Most ground-floor projects lose clarity in the handovers between designer, builder, supplier and trades. Each party works to different assumptions, different timelines and different commercial incentives. The client ends up carrying the gaps. Ashecroft closes those gaps by bringing planning, structural thinking, kitchen design and build delivery under one accountable team, with one contract, one Project Guide and one fixed price.