Residential Builders
Hampshire

Current News

Creating out buildings of distinction and impressive gardens

R.W. Armstrong & Sons has more than 50 years experience helping the custodians of England's country houses improve their properties.  Work ranges from major projects such as building new country houses from scratch and complete refurbishments of listed homes, to smaller jobs such as creating intimate structures and landscapes in the garden.

Read more in the articles that featured in Country Life in May and June 2009.

Buildings of distinction

Creating the ideal kitchen garden

(4th June 2009)

Building Inspiration on a Grand Scale

To read the article that featured in the Listed Property Owners Club 'Listed Heritage' Magazine on the rebuild of the significant North Wing and the extensive renovations to a large mid to late Victorian era Grade II* listed country home, undertaken by R.W. Armstrong & Sons over several years, click here. 

For more photographs visit the case study on our website at Refurbishment/Listed House.

(1st June 2009)

Chichester building company becomes first subsidiary

R.W. Armstrong & Sons recently took-up the opportunity of acquiring E.A. Chiverton Ltd, a very similar, albeit smaller building company based near Chichester.

Operating in the East Hampshire and Sussex area, Chiverton’s is a family company of 65 years standing, carrying out traditional contracting works with such prestigious clients as The Goodwood Estate, The Weald & Downland Museum, Lord Cowdray and Quinlan Terry Architects, as well as commercial projects for the education sector, health service and local community. 

The acquisition will provide a valuable diversification for Armstrong’s as the landscape of the economy changes, although the company will remain dedicated to maintaining their excellent reputation for specialising in the renovation, extension, and new build, of traditional period and country homes. 
 
The existing owners of E.A Chiverton Ltd, Debbie Chiverton and Mike Wigmore, approached Armstrong’s in light of the changing market conditions and the wish for Debbie to retire.   E.A. Chiverton Ltd will continue to operate in its own name and from its offices in North Bersted, West Sussex, and Mike Wigmore will continue in a consultancy role. 

Debbie Chiverton, retiring owner of E.A. Chiverton Ltd, said:  “We sought Armstrong’s out as having similar attributes and synergies but with the added professionalism and larger structure that could not only continue the good name of E.A. Chiverton but develop the company into a modern, successful organisation.”

"It was a move that the directors of both companies engineered", said Nigel Armstrong, chairman of R.W. Armstrong & Sons.  “We are very excited to have secured such a highly regarded building company as E.A. Chiverton Ltd as our first subsidiary.  It will enable a larger geographical area to be covered by our company, whilst still retaining the personal contact and high quality service that our clients have quite rightly come to expect, and enjoy.”

(20th May 2009)

R.W. Armstrong & Sons shortlisted for Contractor of the Year Award

R.W. Armstrong & Sons was shortlisted for the prestigious 2009 Contractor of the Year Award. 

Armstrong's was one of just seven companies (with turnover up to £500m) to have been chosen in Building magazine's construction national industry awards rewarding best practice, innovation and excellence.  The company was particularly recognised for its commitment to recruiting and retaining high quality craftsmen.  

2008 saw a number of significant long-term projects completed including an extensive extension and renovations to a listed home , and the refurbishment and several extensions to an Edwardian home . 

The company has also focused more on sustainability with many projects requiring green energy solutions etc, and segregated waste policies being used on-site to maximise recycling opportunities. 

In addition, there has been at least five year's of sustained growth, expansion into new geographical areas and a new management structure has been put in place with successful integration of non-family executives.  In light of the current economic climate various measures have also been taken to improve efficiency.

Chairman Nigel Armstrong, said: "I am delighted that the dedication and extensive skills of our staff have been recognised once again with this national Award."   

(2nd April 2009)

Training at all levels

Training continues to be a high priority at Armstrong’s for management and apprentices alike.  Director Stuart Pearson recently attained Distinction in the NEBOSH Certificate in Construction Health & Safety.

In addition, the company employs 15 apprentices with 4 due to complete their apprenticeship this summer after three or four years at college and on site.  Despite the recession the company is still recruiting apprentices with the selection process due to commence again in May.  The ability to turn enthusiastic young individuals into valuable and skilled craftsmen has been a key contributory factor to our on-going success.  

(29th March 2009)

Tennis sponsorship in its fifth year

The tennis programme in various junior schools across Hampshire and Berkshire continues to be sponsored by R.W. Armstrong & Sons. 

Organised by Manydown Tennis, the programme is now in its fifth year.  It ensures that each year over 1500 children get the best tennis coaching during and after school.  The inter school league also provides plenty of match play experience, and culminates in a Tournament of Champions for the Yogi Bear Tennis Shield. 

(25th March 2009)

Read more about our projects and tips on renovating your home

As an 'Expert' in traditional building R.W. Armstrong & Sons is often approached by various consumer and trade publications to give advice on renovating period homes for their readers.

Here are a few articles which you may find of interest, simply click on the links below to view the articles in pdf format. Keep visiting this website for more articles in the future.

"Fixing it" featured in Period Ideas December 2008 issue.  R.W. Armstrong's chairman Nigel Armstrong reveals what you can do to enure you manage your project effectively.
Fixing it

"Lessons learned" featured in Period Ideas July 2008 issue.  Chairman Nigel Armstrong provides the Heritage Comment on why we need to invest in training.
Lessons learned

"Attention to detail brings stunning results" featured in the Listed Property Owners Club 'Listed Heritage' magazine. Read more on the significant renovation and refurbishment of this Elizabethan cottage.
Attention to detail brings stunning results

(21st January 2009)

Our view on the economic climate

The most frightening thing about the current situation is the suddenness of the global downturn.

The rapid tightening of borrowing requirements by banks and a general lack of consumer confidence has predominantly affected the bottom and middle market and has caused a good many of the country's housebuilders and commercial developers to lower or halt production more or less immediately. This has had a severe and sudden impact on many subcontractors and suppliers.

However, the high-end residential refurbishment market is still 'active', if not 'buoyant', with many of our architect friends maintaining substantial workloads.

As a company, we have recently been working to full capacity; the work we currently have in hand was first conceived by our clients up to two years ago and the enquiries we are currently dealing with, commonly result from property purchases that were instigated six or more months ago.

Going forward, a number of clients currently contemplating significant building projects may have been tempted to hold fire in order to take advantage of an anticipated deflationary construction market. Anticipating this, we have put together a number of "prime cost" proposals to prospective clients that allow them to take advantage of this deflationary market over the coming months while at the same time guaranteeing a maximum contract price.

We hope also that the reduction of the VAT rate to 15% (with the prospect of it rising to 18.5% or more in future years), coupled with the spectre of higher personal tax liabilities looming, will convince property owners that 2009 is a opportune time to invest in high value capital projects.

Prospective clients must be warned, however, not to put too much price pressure on struggling contractors and building professionals. Severe cost cutting is unsustainable and will lead to, at best, short cuts and claims and, at worst, company failures leaving clients high and dry. Clients tempted to accept unrealistically low prices may also find that their chosen contractor is underinsured or cannot obtain credit in these unforgiving times.

Although many potential clients are holding back on new property investment in anticipation of further house price deflation, the prime and ultra-prime brackets are proving more resilient. There will be a moment in 2009 when a back log of potential purchasers will anticipate that the market has bottomed out and will return to the market. Increasing numbers of foreign investors may also take advantage of the weak pound and historically low property prices which will help aid a recovery.

(8th December 2008)

Measures taken to limit impact of downturn

Despite the final quarter of 2008 being the busiest period in our 50 year history, the outlook for 2009 remains far from certain.

Although we have a number of large projects running through to May 2009, we need a substantial number of starts in the first few months of next year in order to keep all of our highly skilled teams intact. On the plus side, we are still experiencing a very healthy level of enquiries and we do not intend to diminish our established levels of quality and service in order to chase increasingly cut-throat tender levels.

What we are doing, is trimming costs and non-essential overheads wherever practicable in order to increase our competitiveness. Our highly experienced buying department is also key in driving down material and subcontractor costs in order to pass on these benefits to our clients.

In anticipation of a deflationary market place, a good number of our clients have chosen to work with us on a Cost Plus or Prime Cost basis, in order to take full advantage of any falling costs over the coming months.

We are also broadening our scope of work to include smaller works, ecclesiastical and National Trust projects.

(8th December 2008)

IT measures taken to improve efficiency

Much has been reported about a slump in the construction industry, and despite having a healthy order book, R.W. Armstong & Sons continue to take measures to improve efficiency and control in relation to both costs and project management.

These include investing in a new collaborative software solution to support all parts of our construction operations from estimating, surveying and buying, to contracts and site management. In addition to a whole host of beneficial system processes, the software facilitates external collaboration with project design and management teams to maximize the speed and efficiency of information flow, particularly with regard to drawing and data distribution.

As the system is web based it enables full communication with all our construction sites through broadband connection or 3G wireless, assuming security access is permitted. We expect to have the system fully implemented by the end of this year and will be hoping to see immediate improvements.

(20th October 2008)

Several training awards for Armstrong employees

Once again R.W. Armstrong and Sons has been recognised with several training awards, following winning the Company Award at the Hampshire Construction Training Association's awards in June.

Site manager Paul Corneby was presented with the HNC Achievement Award at the BCOT Awards Ceremony for the best student overall in his group studying for an HNC in Construction. At the same ceremony, bricklayer Ben Davies was presented with the JC Beale Award for Brickwork.

Armstrong's carpenters have also done well with the following attaining NVQ qualifications: Dean Smith and Shane Dowling passed Level 3, and Nathan Field, Andrew Cook, Christopher Hancock and Samuel Leaver all passed Level 2.

Finally in the office, Hannah Townson completed her AAT NVQ Level 2 qualification.

(29th August 2008)

Cricket matches with architects escape the rain

The regular summer cricket matches between R.W. Armstrong & Sons and local architects had a good run this season with only two out of the seven matches cancelled due to adverse weather.

Armstrong's won an easy victory in our first match against Robert Adams architects thanks to several runs of 25, and the demon bowling of new assistant surveyor Rob Carver. We were not so lucky with our Away match against Witcher Crawford, but went onto beat them at Home.

The Away match against Ian Adam Smith (Fine Town and Country House Commissions) was a close run contest with great batting and bowling from both teams. In all, Armstrong's won three out of the five matches played.

(20th August 2008)