 Hi, I’m your helpmate Eco. In this section I’ve put together lots of examples which are typical of the many questions Planet gets asked every day by our customers. To help you get to the information you need as quickly as possible, click on the link headers below that looks most relevant. If there’s nothing there that answers your question closely enough or you have a specific question you need clarifying, email it to enquiries@planetpvc.co.uk and we’ll get back to you very quickly. > About the Survey > About Planning Permission > About Financing > About Building > About Protecting Your Home and Processions > About Fitting the Windows, Frames & Roof > About Finishing ABOUT THE SURVEY Q: Do I need to be at home during the surveyor’s visit? Yes. Q: Why is a survey needed? Shouldn’t the Design Consultant have spotted everything? Our consultants do their best to be accurate. But they are not surveyors and have different. areas of expertise – hence the need for a proper survey. Q: How long will the survey take? About an hour and it is best done in daylight. Q: What does the surveyor do afterwards? The surveyor will write up a report and send it to our factory. This will be used as the ‘blueprint’ for making your conservatory. If changes are needed, he’ll agree them with you on the day. In some circumstances the changes will be confirmed in writing as a Variation of Contract. If this happens, you’ll need to quickly send back some forms. Q: What happens after the survey? Your dedicated project co-ordinator will write with exciting news – the fitting date we have reserved to fit the windows, doors and roof of your new conservatory. ^back to top of page ABOUT PLANNING PERMISSION Q: Is the architect’s fee included? Yes, if you’ve asked us to arrange planning on your behalf. Q: How long will planning permission take? Councils vary and can take up to 12 weeks to decide, but sometimes you’ll know sooner. Most often they will take 6 - 8 weeks to decide. Q: How will we be kept informed of progress? About two weeks after submitting your application, you’ll be given an estimated approval date and will receive the name and telephone number of your case officer at the council from us. Q: Who should I go to with planning questions? It’s best to call your case officer at the council directly with any questions or about news of progress. Q: What happens when planning is granted? Within a week or so, our surveyor will call you to arrange his visit. Q: What happens if planning is refused? In this unlikely event, there is an appeals process which you can pursue if appropriate. ^back to top of page ABOUT FINANCING Q: I’ve applied for finance with Planet. How long will approval take? Sometimes our finance house will say ‘yes’ almost immediately and on other occasions it may take them a few days. This short delay can be for any number of reasons and you should not be unduly concerned. Q: What happens if finance is refused? Finance companies can turn down people for lots of reasons, for example if you’ve moved several times over the past few years. In these circumstances, we always do our best to help and sometimes it’s worth trying another provider, especially if they know you. Q: What do we need to do when our funds are approved? If you’re arranging your own finance, you’ll need to call us as soon as you get the go ahead. If you’re taking up one of our offers, the company will tell us both directly, so there’s no need to call. Q: What does Planet do when finance comes through? One of our surveyors will call you to arrange a convenient time to visit. ^back to top of page ABOUT BUILDING Q: What do I need to do to get ready for the builders? We will send you a checklist with all the common questions. You can use this to prevent any delays or difficulties. Q: Will you move my satellite cables? No, items like these need to be moved by specialists so you will need to arrange this yourself with the relevant company. The same applies to alarms, aerials, telephone wires, and sockets. Q: I can’t be there when the builders arrive. What do I need to do and what do you need? Please call us and we will make all the arrangements before the day – our builders will need power, water and of course access to your garden, plus on some days to your home, if we are creating a new opening. Q: Why can’t you give us a definite time for arriving on the first day? Unfortunately building is unpredictable, not least because we’re at the mercy of the British weather. However, our forward planning does mean delays are rare – but should the worst come to the worst, we’ll always keep you fully up-to-date. Q: Will your builders be at our house every day? No. We have planned to build your base over about 10 days. We’ve also included some ‘contingency’ time so if anything unexpected crops up we can deal with it without affecting the date we’ve promised to fit the windows, doors and roof on your conservatory base. ^back to top of page ABOUT PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND YOUR POSSESSIONS Q: Will you keep plants and paving currently on the area? Yes, but please either move them safely out of the way before we arrive or let us know what you want to keep the very first day. Otherwise if you don’t move it yourself, we won’t know what’s for the skip and what’s not. Please bear in mind that we’re builders, not gardeners so you might like to move precious plants yourself! Q: What if the builders make a mess? We will do our best to keep the area as neat and tidy as possible, but some mess is inevitable. If you have any concerns please talk to your foreman. In particular, it can be hard not to cause short-term damage to lawns and flowerbeds, especially if it’s wet. Q: Will there be a lot of dust? Compared with most building projects, no. However, if we need to knock through from the outside into your home, some dust and debris will result. Many people like to protect flooring with tough plastic and cover furnishings with dustsheets, as well as take down curtains. We recommend you do the same. Q: Won’t my home be vulnerable before the conservatory is completed? No, if we are creating a new opening, we will always make sure it is securely boarded up so your home will be safe. If you've already got patio doors, they can be kept locked as usual. Q: What about the electrician and plumber? We will notify other tradesmen of the building dates. They will contact you directly to make arrangements, so there is no need to contact them or us, unless you anticipate a problem, in which case, please call your dedicated project co-ordinator. ^back to top of page ABOUT FITTING THE WINDOWS, FRAMES & ROOF Q: It’s impossible for us to meet this fitting date. What should we do? Please call us as soon as you can. We will do our best to find you a new date, but please be aware there may be a delay. Q: How long will it take to fit the windows and roof? Usually only a day, if your conservatory is not too large or complex. Generally, conservatories over 14m2 in area will take a little longer. We’ll let you know well in advance how long it will take. Q: Do we need to take time off work? Not necessarily, but if you are not planning to be at home, you need to make arrangements to pay us for the conservatory on the day, and for power and water to be available. Q: How do we pay for the conservatory? We will write to you beforehand with the details, to help you make the necessary arrangements. The fitters will also bring an invoice with them, so you can pay before they leave. You can pay by cheque, bankers draft. If you have opted for one of our finance packages, payment plans will vary from the information given here. Please refer to your finance documents for details. Q: Afterwards, will my conservatory be ready to use? Probably not, as there may be work to finish off. If this is the case, the fitters will go through a Quality Plan with you. Your conservatory may also need plastering, tiling and the electrics and plumbing finishing off. Q: Why is the Quality Plan important? It helps us check that we have built and fitted your conservatory to high standards. Our Quality Engineers use it to prepare for their visits and to ensure they finish the day they visit. It does not cover work done by other tradesmen such as tilers and plasterers as these are sometimes completed after your conservatory has been fitted and we've done our job. ^back to top of page ABOUT FINISHING Q: What sort of things might need finishing? Quite often, nothing at all – other than your own plans for decoration. But sometimes we will have to wait for plaster to dry before fitting skirting, for example. Other trades may need to finish up and your choice of flooring will need to be laid on top of the concrete. Q: What finish will I get to my conservatory floor? The standard is trowel finished concrete, which will occasionally be peppered if it rained when freshly laid. This is fine for tiling, but if you are planning on a smooth flat floor, such as Amtico or similar, your flooring company will need to lay a levelling compound. Q: When will the plasterer and other trades arrive? They will know the date the roof is going on and will probably already have made an arrangement with you. If not, they will contact you directly. Q: When will Planet finish their jobs? If we do need to finish some work, this will be done by a Quality Engineer. He works from the Quality Plan completed by you and the fitters. Before the Engineer's visit, we'll call you to check the details on the Plan once again. Q: I don’t want to pay until everything’s completed. Is that OK? If we’ve still work to do, you don’t have to pay the final 5% until the Quality Engineer’s visit. It’s important you tell us everything, so we can finish up at this appointment. You’ll then need to give the Quality Engineer the final 5% payment. If there’s nothing to do, your final 5% will be due straight away. If you have opted for one of our finance packages, payment plans will vary from the information given here. Please refer to your finance documents for details. Q: What if other people still need to finish up? Once the Quality Plan is completed, we’ve fulfilled our commitment to you and there should be no more work to do. Q: Will there be a final inspection? No, we do not routinely visit unless a Quality Engineer is needed to complete work on the Quality Plan. Q: I’m delighted with my conservatory. Do you have a recommend and reward scheme? We do. You can earn cash for every recommend you make and your friends and family will benefit too. We’ll be sending you details soon. Q: It’s not often you get service like this. Who do I need to thank? We run an internal reward scheme for great service. If you’re happy with the way it’s gone please do write to or email your project co-ordinator – naming names, so they’ll get a little extra for doing a good job. ^back to top of page |