___________________________________________________________________________________________ The
British Builder
historic downtown with beautiful old homes in need of restoration , I knew we had found our place and purchased a home there . Leveraging my expertise in homebuilding , I took on renovation projects locally with a team of about ten people whom I trained to meet my standards . Through word of mouth , we rapidly became known for our attention to detail and craftsmanship . Within two years , our renovations were winning awards from McKinney Development Services for Best Historic Renovations . Since our inception in 2005 , we have expanded our services throughout Collin County and into Fairview , although around 90 percent of our projects remain in downtown McKinney ,” he adds .
Demanding projects
Born and bred in the UK , Wayne explains how he transferred the skills he learned there to the American market . “ After spending years in construction in London , I found my true interest lay in the detailed , complex work of older buildings , so I chose to specialize in historic properties and custom residential construction . While the principles of proper building techniques are the same in London and in Texas , each location presents unique challenges . In Texas , for instance , I became an expert in dealing with expansive clay soils , something I rarely encountered in England . Moreover , working on buildings that stood for hundreds of years gave me valuable insights into how structures need to be built to last , regardless of location ,” he continues .
Today , The British Builder ’ s residential work not only encompasses restorations , renovations , and additions to existing homes , but also custom home building and partnered spec projects . “ The latter consists in acquiring properties to renovate , enlarge , or occasionally subdivide into smaller buildable lots ,” says Wayne . “ Across all project types , my focus has always been on restoring , renovating , or building in styles that complement the neighborhood ’ s existing character . In downtown McKinney , we work with a mix of architectural periods , including Victorian , Craftsman , cottage , ranch , and Arts and Crafts , so each project needs to respect and enhance that historical fabric . Rather than imposing oversized ‘ McMansions ’ that feel out of place , we create homes that look like they have always been there ,” he explains .
While this unique approach has proven successful throughout The British Builder ’ s history , building homes in an established downtown area brings unique challenges that require extensive planning and expertise . “ We regularly navigate complex
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