Name: Dave Palfrey
Project Type: Renovation/Barn Conversion
Size: 175.2m²
Floor coverings: Stone & slate
Floors: Screed, suspended timber
Zones: 11

Dave Palfrey, wife Rebecca and their three children, Tom, Ellie and newborn Catherine, have been living on-site in a caravan in Pembrokeshire whilst completing their restoration.

Whilst looking for a property that required renovation, Dave and Rebecca stumbled across a plot in Pembrokeshire, falling in love with the dilapidated old barn they discovered. They set their hearts on restoring it into a warm, welcoming, family home. Dave described space in their caravan as ’tight’, and pressure mounted to complete the project quickly when they discovered Rebecca was pregnant with their third child.

“Even though we had no building experience, we were determined to renovate the barn ourselves as much as possible. I had been a teacher for a number of years and hoped that my organisational skills would come in useful. Most people we spoke to thought we were mad, but we knew it would be value for money and, if nothing else, an experience.”

“We were keen to make the most of the space available and spent some time browsing through magazines for inspiration. This was how we came across underfloor heating. It seemed a really good solution to our problem, so we started making calls to various companies. Nu-Heat was by far the most friendly and informative and this held them in good stead as we needed a company that would offer full support.”

“We also liked the fact that Nu-Heat provided CAD drawings. We were told that the drawings would detail tube layout based on the heat loss calculations for our property. It was reassuring to know that time would be spent looking at our particular project and gave us every faith that Nu-Heat was a truly professional company.”

“Whilst we were still conducting research we saw an advertisement by Channel 5. They were asking for people renovating properties in the country to nominate themselves to be filmed for a new series called Build a New Life. We thought it might be a bit of fun and gave them a call. A few weeks later we had a film crew on our door step!”

“With regard to the installation of our underfloor heating system, it went without a hitch. I have to say, every person I dealt with at Nu-Heat was really friendly and knowledgeable. Even with my limited experience of renovating, I know how hard it is to find a company that is friendly and, more importantly, does what it promises.”

“Without sounding too corny, we absolutely love Nu-Heat and cannot fault the service we received. We are hoping to stay in our property for many years to come, but should we decide to take on another project, I know which underfloor heating company I will be calling – Nu-Heat.”

“Building schedules being what they are, unfortunately we did not meet the deadline and are still all happily living, new baby and all, on-site in the caravan. The end is in sight, which is keeping us all going. We know it will have all been worth while in the end, when we take off our shoes and walk round on a nice warm floor!”

Since speaking to Dave, we are happy to report that Rebecca, Dave, Tom, Ellie and Catherine are now all happily living in their new home.