Opun

I met the Regional Manager for Opun at a trade show. I must admit they have a great project management framework. Which allows the tradesmen that work with them to stick to a tight schedule. Ultimately it narrows down the scope for error. Also, their customer service was excellent. That is what caused this review.

We first came across Opun at the London Homebuilding and Renovation Show 2017. We had been thinking of carrying out some renovation works (replacing the kitchen and two bathrooms, installing underfloor heating and decorating the whole house) but we didn’t know where to start - particularly in terms of finding a main builder. We also really liked the sound of Opun being our sole contact, taking away the need to deal with multiple contractors / consultants and being a single point of responsibility. There was also a focus on Opun being a useful service for professionals with limited time during the working week to call around for quotes and products and for whom instant communication is both important and necessary. Things moved a little slowly at first - we arranged to have designs for our two bathrooms, and although the designer was helpful we were left waiting for a long time before our designs were ready. The portal (instant communication via an app) worked really well, however, and the Opun staff were always helpful and kept us updated. Our works started in March 2018 and we were really happy with the Opun trade partners and the Opun team who were our main contacts - area manager Andrew and Debbie in the head office. Both were helpful, knowledgeable and available immediately if we had any questions. There was no waiting around for a call back and any emails / messages were returned within a matter of hours (and often minutes). We had some issues on a part of the project which Opun were not involved with, but Andrew and Debbie were also on hand to give help and guidance on that too, even though it was going beyond what they had to do. There were a few issues around communication at one stage of the project, but we later learned that this coincided with John Lewis acquiring the business - which is clearly an endorsement of what Opun has to offer. The reasons for no 5 star review are: - The issues we had at the start of the project in terms of the time it took to receive designs and find a trade partner. I believe this was a blip, as the service and response times from Opun after that were very impressive. - The short period of uncertainty we had around the time of the John Lewis acquisition (although clearly a one-off, so a personal issue rather than a problem going forward). - A smaller point - the app stopped working for me in early 2018. I have an up-to-date phone operating system and app, so no idea why. However, there is instant phone and email access to the Opun team. The main pros: - Excellent customer service and instant communication and updates - Excellent quality of work from trade partners - we have now been in our house for 3 months post-work and it still feels great to come home to it. - Certainty on scope and cost - there is a focus on setting out exactly what the works will entail (and what they won’t), which allows for a fixed fee with no hidden charges or surprises.

A mixed experience. We're happy with the outcome of the works and everyone we dealt with were friendly and professional and worked hard to be helpful. We picked Opun to do our small bathroom refit as we were keen on the design and project management services. The early stages of the project were great - the designer came up with a good approach and it was nice to know we had all of the buying of parts dealt with. And we thought the price for this was very reasonable. Things went awry once we'd paid our deposit. We had a couple of weeks of radio silence and when we chased up a couple of days before the project was scheduled to begin we were told it would need to be postponed by two weeks. Then we were then told later that day it would in fact start on schedule. In reality it started in earnest about a week and a half late (although the plumber did come in one Sunday before that to get things started). We were given ongoing assurances about completion dates but these kept getting pushed back as we approached them. All this was frustrating, but we had also booked alternative accommodation for the original start date and (a generous) duration for the project and we'd been really upfront with Opun about the fact that we were doing this. We have small kids so we thought it would be better to be out of the way. So we wound up having to extend this booking and still move back into the flat with a work-in-progress bathroom. The delays and lack of transparency around timings cost us a bunch of additional accommodation money. The bathroom is well done on the whole and we're pleased with much of the work. We had some painful moments towards the end: some minor damage to our downstairs neighbour's ceiling took ages to get fixed with plasterers not turning up when they said they would and then the the plaster falling off again a couple of weeks later. The light switch stopped working a couple of weeks after completion and we were told we'd have to wait til the other side of a bank holiday to get it replaced. In the end we gave up and booked our own contractors to sort out those items. I'm not sure that I would use Opun again. This is a really promising service on paper and some aspects were really great, particularly around the design and surveying, and to reiterate that the actual bathroom fitting has been done thoughtfully and well. But I just felt that they were massively overbooked and weren't being honest and transparent about this. I was surprised that they seemed totally unable/unwilling to line up alternative contractors for small snagging jobs.

Thank you Opun... A really professional, friendly, non-pushy approach to bathroom design and install, meeting costs and timescales & exceeding expectations.

As first time users of Opun we were very impressed by the level of service from communication through to the practicality of the installation time frame. The Guys who worked on the project were excellent.

From first call to the finish on the project - the entire team exceeded my expectations. Thanks guys! looking forward to having you on the next renovation project. N from Canary Wharf London.

I have just had Opun construct a cloakroom in my hall in a space which looked almost too small to contain one and I am delighted with the result. The design team gave me many good ideas and the surveyor was able to overcome several difficulties regarding the connections to water, electricity etc. Throughout this time I was kept in touch with the various possibilities and presented with the different choices. The two builders/electricians/plumbers were a delight to have in the house. They arrived promptly every day at the given time in spite of the snow we suffered that week and they didn’t leave until they had completed the planned work. They tidied up after their work each day and explained what they would be doing the next day. At all times they worked efficiently, completed the work to a high standard and couldn’t have been more helpful, e.g. replacing an outside lightbulb without my asking them to do it and mending the strap on my walking stick. During the work I was constantly kept In touch with the Opun team by telephone or internet and had several visits from the surveyor so that I always knew exactly what was happening. At one time, when a delivery was missing a component, the mistake was rectified immediately. The original quote was adhered to and I am only too happy to recommend their work and care.

We really liked the OPUN approach it gave us confidence that our building work would be completed in a timely way and in the quality of the work. Everyone is friendly and helpful and we are very pleased with the final result. We would definitely use them again and have no hesitation in recommending them.

I needed two toilets in my home and didn't want one downstairs. I gave Opun my needs and wants and their team came up with not only a fantastic design but workmanship was awsome. I had the ability to add my ideas and now have my whirlpool bath, modern shower and two rooms with toilets and sinks. They worked around my family and dogs with respect. I would recommend them with any project. Teena from London

could not fault the installers they were excellent, had a couple of issues with the office but they were rectified so overall would highly reccomend

Went via Opun as I was looking for my project to be managed so that I didn't have to take time off work. Initial consultation and the run up to the work starting everyone was really helpful. There were however a couple of instances where I was asked to be a home for deliveries or various workmen wanting access even though we had given a key, when I declined they did sort. A little more contact would have been good as the project progressed. The firm they provided to complete the works were excellent so overall a good job and I would recommend them.

I had a major refurbishment to do. Top to bottom. Opun were the lowest quote and took care of everything. I ended up with an excellent result with a 5 year guarantee which you can hardly get anywhere. The first and most important thing was choosing the right builder. Because they have an ongoing relationship with him it encourages him to do the job professionally. In Safespec they chose well, something I wouldn't have known how to do. I don't know if they had to 'manage' Safespec. But I didn't, which is the whole point. And the builders were a pleasure to deal with throughout. We had a comprehensive job specification before we started, at fixed price, and they delivered it. Opun is a new way to get the job done, and I recommend it.