High quality workmanship is a given but sadly, when it comes to all the business side of things, such as timekeeping, efficiency, admin, customer service & communication, our industry falls very short
My own frustrations from having done many major home improvements, led me to launch Justco Group Ltd
I wanted to build a company that is 100% focused on providing Southampton homeowners, with the highest quality of work (the product), alongside a truly outstanding experience (the service)
My #1 goal, is to deliver a 'world class' experience, that compels you to come back for more, leave a glowing review and/or testimonial and, to then tell others so they can benefit from it too
Having been involved in Marketing, Business Development & Coaching for 30 years, I enjoyed a great career but like most, I had an itch to do something more
Something that really sparked a light and gave me real purpose to do good for others and at the same time, provide me with total fulfillment and joy
For a long time, I've had a fascination with the Trades, particularly building & carpentry work, because I'm in awe as to what good Tradesmen (and women) can produce, especially having tried certain DIY projects myself and producing what can only be described as, slightly sub par results
Anyway, here's the main reason we're here today...
So over the years, I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to invest a significant amount into a wide variety of different home improvements including bathrooms, kitchens, extensions, loft conversions, garden rooms, full home renovation, rewire, landscaping, conservatories etc and as a result, from a consumer perspective, have witnessed a ton of things along the way, the good, the bad and the ugly
See, in most cases (not all, but most), although the work carried out, was generally very good, what often had a lot to be desired, was my overall customer experience, generally resulting in a lot of frustration
Here’s a quick list of things that often annoyed and/or frustrated me: (maybe you can resonate with some, or most)
Days waiting for quotes (in some cases, I never even received them)
Poor communication (from initial enquiry, to before jobs started, during jobs and also after)
Poor timekeeping, not turning up at the time that was agreed, or sometimes even the day (I always felt this was a lack of respect for my time)
Dirty shoes or trainers that left marks on my carpets
Leaving site in a mess without any consideration to it being my home, where I live with my wife and kids
Payment terms – Not being made fully aware of payment expectations, which often led to a frantic search for the relevant funds
Pricing issues often due to misunderstandings (Additional costs that I thought were included, that they said weren’t – too many grey areas
Main contractors having to wait days, sometimes weeks, for their relevant subbie to come and do the next part of the job
Warranty and guarantees – Either not being honoured or being told that it only covered X & not Y
Lack of project flexibility – As some of the work developed, I sometimes found myself wanting to slightly modify the remit because my ideas changed, but was generally shot down with feedback such as: ‘That’s not what we quoted for’ or ‘it’s too late now’
Do any of those sound familiar?
And let me be clear, that list is in no way exhaustive, it’s just the tip of the iceberg
Which got me thinking...
Given my own career experience in business, along with the poor experiences I'd had as a consumer, surely there was a way to combine everything and create a great business that,
Provided exceptional quality of work
Delivered an outstanding customer experience, and alleviated most, if not all of the above frustrations
If I could do that, surely I'd build a fantastic business and in that moment, Justco Group Ltd was born
Now obviously, as you can probably appreciate, to implement all this, to create and develop the necessary systems, the infrastructure, to find the right team etc took quite a significant investment, meaning we aren’t, and never will be, the cheapest provider in town
We don’t want that and after doing a lot of research and talking to many different people, most don’t want cheap either
The old sayings are so true…
Pay peanuts, get monkeys
Pay cheap, pay twice
So just to be clear, as this is really important,
If you're looking for some home high quality improvements, but are only interested in finding the cheapest price, we definitely aren't the right provider for you
There are plenty of 'one man bands' who will always undercut just to get the job and that's fine, we're just not in that market
Our 'target market', is people who appreciate quality and value, and who understand that 'proper' businesses have overheads and need to make a profit
Without a profit, we can't deliver our 'world class' experience
So are we the most expensive?
Absolutely not, I've built the business on being priced mid to high end, but while always providing the highest level of service
In a nutshell, the company was formed because of intrigue, interest and respect to Tradesmen and women, but also, as a result of my own, often shocking experiences as a customer and it’s my goal, to provide Southampton homeowners with the outstanding quality workmanship they deserve, combined with an enjoyable and unique experience
And just before I close this off cos this is really important to share as well,
Why Justco Group Ltd?
What's the name all about?
The answer is very simple...
I wanted to build highly specialist teams, who can deliver 'brilliance' every single time because again, from my own personal experience, most guys and gals have their 'niches' and like most people, are naturally better at some things than others
A chippy can do loads of different types of work and typically, they do
However, building a media wall one week, a staircase the next, then bedroom furniture, does vary their skill set, but in my opinion, 'specialists' is the future of home improvements
They then become super 'proficient and efficient', which in turn, gives you the very best outcome
So Justco Group Ltd is the main company, but under that, are all the other 'specialist' teams, such as:
Just media walls
Just staircases
Just bathrooms
Just garden rooms
Just kitchens
Just landscaping
Just loft conversions
Just extensions
To name but just a few
Obviously, there's often a lot of crossover with our work so most clients tend to invest one multiple 'specialist' services, confident they're getting the 'best of the best', for that specific job
Hopefully that explains the structure and how we work
Now as I said, just like all the best things in life, all this does come at a price
Specialist skill sets and experiences come at a premium, but so does what you get!
The great thing is,
You get to choose…
You can either fly economy, business or first class, the choice is yours!
And if you want to fly business class, but with the first class quality, attention to detail and experience, then maybe you should reach out
If any of the above strikes a chord with you, and you want to experience a new caliber of home improvement company, get in touch today, we'd love to hear from you
We have a host of accreditation's and certifications. Here are
just a few of them
Here at Astute, our sole objective is to provide outstanding work (and value), and to give people and their families the home they deserve
I’m Iain (that's me above, on the left having the great honour of being best man to my best friend), the owner of Astute Carpentry & Construction and my role is delighting clients and managing the day to day operations of the business. Liam works with me on the tools, and Keith manages the day to day running of the business, ensuring all projects run smoothly and are completed on time and on budget
In addition, we have a fantastic team of Tradesmen who are also 100% dedicated, in our vision to delight our customers
We’ve made it our mission, to offer exceptional design and renovation services for people who want more than just a regular contracting experience. You’ll get all of this and more when you choose to partner with Astute
We have a host of accreditation's and certifications. Here are
just a few of them
We’ve been providing quality workmanship for years and have many delighted customers who can vouch for our professionalism and attention to detail. Read more about our work below.
"Had the pleasure of having Ian & Liam undertake 2 large flat roofs. Very punctual, always relayed any information/changes we needed to know.
Job was done in a very timely manor and carried out to perfection.
Would highly recommended"
Ryan Thompson
"These guys are amazing, they communicate well throughout the process of their work and the outcome of their work is always perfect.
Always get what you have asked for with Astute!
Can’t recommend enough!"
Amy Mabey
"Brilliant service provided couldn't knock there work at all down to the finest detail friendly and passionate about the craft definitely recommended 👌🏼"
Jordan
Copyright 2025. Astute Carpentry & Construction Ltd. All Rights Reserved.