My experience with Matthews & Son LLP…
My experience with Matthews & Son LLP and, in particular, Nick Coates, was extremely disappointing and is not one I would wish on any homeowner undertaking renovation works.
In my opinion, the Licence to Alter process was unnecessarily and excessively prolonged, resulting in substantial additional costs, inconvenience and stress. The project experienced significant delays, during which we incurred many months of additional accommodation expenses while being unable to return to our home.
Throughout the process, I repeatedly questioned the basis for these delays and did not receive explanations that I considered justified or proportionate to the issues being raised. As a result, I formed the view that the process was being handled in a manner that unfairly prolonged the project and failed to properly balance the interests of all parties involved.
On several occasions, disputes escalated unnecessarily and required legal involvement. In my opinion, insufficient consideration was given to the significant financial impact that ongoing delays were having on us as homeowners.
These events led me to lose confidence in the impartiality, proportionality and professionalism of the process.
I felt that issues raised by one neighbouring flat were given disproportionate attention, even where they appeared unrelated to our works, whilst more significant concerns discovered during the project, including structural, plumbing and electrical issues, did not receive the same level of urgency. In my view, this contributed to delays and unnecessary complications.
There were requests for contractor documentation, unannounced site visits, and repeated attempts to involve our contractors in matters they considered unrelated to their scope of work. Several contractors expressed concerns regarding these interactions and the pressure placed upon them to accept responsibility for issues that pre-dated their involvement.
There were also requests for contractors' personal identification documents, including photographic ID, to be provided by email. I found these requests unusual and, in my opinion, unnecessary in the circumstances, particularly given the privacy and data protection considerations involved. The requests created additional concern and administrative burden for both us and our contractors.
I was also concerned by correspondence received after the works had been completed suggesting that we should not occupy our own property. I strongly disagreed with that position and found it both unreasonable and distressing.
Overall, I felt that the process became unnecessarily adversarial, costly and prolonged. Given the financial consequences and the way the project was handled, I have sought legal advice and the matter has been documented and placed in the hands of solicitors for review.
Based on my personal experience, I would not use Matthews & Son LLP again and would not recommend their services to others considering a Licence to Alter or similar residential project.