Touchstone Lofts

Awful

I had an awful experience working with Touchstone Lofts. Their customer service was terrible and the building process was filled with delays and mistakes, all very costly. Paul the owner, spends more time flagging 1star reviews to Trustpilot and Google, and creating fake 5star reviews instead rather than focusing on delivering the product for which we paid. I'd never recommend this company to anyone, including my worst enemy.

Be careful

Be careful before you sign anything, especially in terms of his contract.
Section 11.5 of their CONTRACT has a GAGGING CLAUSE and they will sue you for £5000 if you leave a review which has not been authorised by Touchstone Lofts, that's why the Google reviews look so good on here because they are all controlled by Touchstone Lofts so you only see the narrative they want you to see, plus they buy the 5* reviews from fake review companies.
Don't take my word for it, ask to see Touchstone Lofts contract before you sign, and I am confident they will make any excuse not to show you. That, in itself, should tell you what you need to know, so BE WARNED!

Brilliant loft conversation

I have just had my loft conversation finalized and my experience with touchstone loft is very positive. Initially I had an architect design the loft space, but when reaching out to touchstone loft they proposed a different design that doesnt even need a planning permission and added much more space than the original design . Paul was very helpful explaining to me the process and requirements giving regular advice about party wall agreements to ensure we so it right . The team working on the loft conversion were very professional and always helping me understand whats going on and proposing ideas to make the loft better . There is high attention to details and very good quality. I am really satisfied with the outcome and I would recommend touchstone loft to anyone

Great loft conversion!

Touchstone did a fantastic job on our loft conversion (new master bedroom, en suite and study), that added lots of extra space to our house! Touchstone suggested more options for the project than others, and this was really helpful when thinking through what exactly we wanted done. Once work began, there was a steady drum-beat of work and Paul did an excellent job of communicating both with me as the customer and with the crew, making sure that deliveries and specialists were onsite when needed. A loft conversion is a big project, but despite this there were no hidden surprises, and both Paul and the crew provided regular status updates and flagged well in advance when we needed to make a decision about specifics (e.g. bathroom layout, location of windows, render colour). Would gladly recommend!

Great loft experience

I am very pleased with our new loft conversion done by Touchstone - it is exactly what we envisaged (new master bedroom, study and bathroom). From the very beginning Touchstone have been extremely consultative in helping us navigate various options and ideas - from layout to the finishing touches. Paul and his crew were very communicative with project updates and any input needed from us. Because it was well-planned by Touchstone, we got plenty of time to make decisions that didn’t impede on the steady work ticking away. I was impressed with how well the crew worked with the specialists (electricians, plumber) slotting-in perfectly so there were no hold ups. It was nice to have the same crew in each day - continuity in communication and quality, but additionally we built up great rapport with each other. It is very clear that the Touchstone crew take pride in their work and it shows in execution. I would gladly recommend Touchstone for a high quality job and great customer experience.

We had a loft conversion during covid, front and back of our chalet bungalow in Bromley. The overall expereince was good, there were some supply issues which had to be expected becuase of Covid but Paul and his team handled the very well and the commuication throughout was good. Would recommend

Shocking

This company is shocking. It offers poor customer service and is disingenuous from the start. Not only do they misquote and charge for every little extra, just watch the original price skyrocket. The owner (who is also the company director) is rude, and will promise you everything but once you signed the contract, just watch how it all changes. How this company is still trading God only knows, but if you look on Companies House website you'll see it's easy to close one company down ie Touchstone Lofts Limited, rebrand and call yourself Touchstone Lofts (South) Limited. AWFUL person and company.

Disappointing Experience

I recently had the misfortune of signing a contract with Touchstone Lofts, and I must say that it was a most disappointing experience from start to eventual finish.
From the moment they arrived at my property, I was struck by the lack of attention to detail and the poor customer service, they were just focused on money and charging for all the additional work that allegedly needed doing. We had an accredited independent inspector view this work, and it was not required as Paul had claimed!
Firstly, the loft itself was not as advertised. The photos on their website showed a spacious and modern loft, but in reality, it was cramped and lacked any imaginative design. The materials used were the cheapest possible, probably to cut costs - not that these were ever passed onto us. The ensuite is a joke and was poorly equipped, and the pipework was particularly disappointing, with a leaky faucet and a shower that barely worked.
Secondly, the customer service was terrible, unless they are chasing payment, then Paul would phone twice or three times a day until the account was settled.
When I arrived at the showhome, there was no one to greet me, and I had to wait outside in the rain for someone to let me in.
The staff were unhelpful and unfriendly, and do not appear to be interested in the customer whatsoever.

Been removed from Which's Trust A Trader scheme

Don't believe what they say, do your due diligence checks otherwise you might regret it, you'll be surprised what you will find. I strongly advise viewing some of their actual products/builds, that's assuming they have any despite them telling you they do - demand to physically see them and ask the householders of their experiences of the company. I mention this because when I asked Touchstone Lofts they would only say "come and visit the showhome in Great Haseley", so I did, and it all looks fine, but that's what the company wanted me to believe. When I pursued my original request of seeing a current client's work, they declined and came up with poor excuses as to why. This raised my suspicion because most reputable companies wouldn't hesitate at this request.

Whilst at their showroom I asked for an approximate idea of price for a Dormer conversion, and I was stunned at what they quoted. When I followed this up with a local builder they were also surprised as this was £25k more than what the market value for the same work indicated. I also checked on "checkatrade.com" and the company isn't listed, nor when I further checked "Which consumer website" I found out that apparently the company has been removed from their "Trust A Trader" scheme. When I contacted Trading Standards they confirmed there have been a number of complaints about this company, but they wouldn't disclose and more information as to why. Needless to say, I didn't go with Touchstone Lofts in the end, despite their heavy sales pitch. And reading some of their Google and other reviews, I feel I dodged a bullet here.

They just walked off the job leaving me in limbo

I had an extremely negative experience with Paul Johal and his team at Touchstone during the implementation of our proposed loft conversion and internal restructuring. Paul demonstrated a complete lack of involvement in the planning and design of the works and abandoned the project shortly after it started, making himself unavailable for any further discussions or visits. The work done by Mantas and his team was anything but prompt and they consistently went over budget, resulting in the original quotation doubling. I would strongly advise against considering Touchstone for any similar projects.

Suppressing bad reviews

It has long puzzled me why Touchstone, with whom I have a current outstanding dispute, were receiving so many good reviews. I now have a better idea of why that might be.
Having recently submitted a critical review of Touchstone myself, I was contacted by their office manager reminding me of clauses in their contract which forbid customers from making “derogatory or disparaging statements … which might be expected to damage or lower Touchstone reputation”.

But she had failed to check the actual contract document which I signed back in 2022, which pre-dates the time when Touchstone Lofts introduced these additional clauses into their standard contract.

So it seems anyone who may have had a bad experience with Touchstone Lofts in the last few years and is still in dispute with them may not want to risk a legal challenge which might jeopardize their case.

Horrible experience

We contracted Touchstone Lofts to build a loft conversion after seeing many reviews. The initial meeting with Paul left a good impression as he promised outstanding service with no hassle. Their marketing and website looks impressive, promising exceptional build quality and customer service but the reality is different. Paul turned up 3 hours late, so not a great start. I could write pages regarding the incompetence and appalling service we encountered with Touchstone but I am going to summarise. The work commenced in September 2022 and from the very first day we had issues with the workers not turning up some days, some days only one person would turn up and this continued throughout the whole build process. I contacted Touchstone to complain and they simply informed me that ‘time was not of the essence’. We were given a timescale of 12 weeks but the project was not completed till December 2022.We were charged an extortionate amounts of money by Touchstone for all the extras they applied. Paul was supposed to manage the project but we felt let down by his lack of presence and managing. We were the ones pointing out all the errors in the build and highlighting any issues that arose. We were left at the mercy of the contractor, who was very inconsiderate at times ( left us with no heating and or electricity).We had paid for interior decoration to be carried out and this took forever to complete. The delays in the build and decorating meant that we had to pay for storage for our belongings. Finally the decoration work started and the work was not finished to a good standard and they needed to return several times to complete the job. Eventually, once the work was complete, it took approximately 12 months to issue the completion certificate and this took months of emails, telephone calls and complaints to the their office. Sarah McIntyre spoke to us and she would acknowledge emails and then simply forget about us till we complained again. These are just a few of the...

Foul

Beware of Touchstone Lofts and their director, Paul Johal. My experience with this company and its leadership has been nothing short of deceitful and disappointing. From start to finish, I encountered multiple instances of dishonesty and overcharging, making it clear that this company prioritizes profit over integrity.Firstly, I was misled by the promises made during the initial consultation. The vision presented to me by Touchstone Lofts and Paul Johal was far from the reality of the project. The end result did not align with the expectations set, and the discrepancies were egregiously evident.Furthermore, the overcharging that I experienced was beyond unacceptable. The costs escalated significantly throughout the project, and it became apparent that transparency and honest pricing were not a priority for Touchstone Lofts or Paul Johal. This deceptive practice left me feeling misled and financially burdened.It's also worth noting that Paul Johal's involvement in multiple directorships raises concerns about where his allegiances truly lie. This lack of focused attention on a single company raises questions about his commitment to providing quality service and prioritizing customer satisfaction.In conclusion, my experience with Touchstone Lofts and Paul Johal was marred by deceit, overcharging, and a lack of transparency. I would caution anyone considering this company for their loft conversion needs to proceed with extreme caution and thoroughly vet alternative options. The lack of integrity and honesty demonstrated by this company and its director has left a lasting negative impression, and I cannot, whatsoever, recommend their services to others.

I dodged a bullet!

Boy I'm glad my friend told me about some real bad Touchstone Lofts reviews placed on Facebook and other social media. These tend to be more realistic than the obviously fake reviews this company have purchased on Google. Likewise, if you notice the pattern on Trustpilot, it's very similar.

I was thinking if getting a loft conversion on our property, but when my friend mentioned about her extremely bad experience with Touchstone she said to avoid them, I can see why now. I've dodged a bullet!

Loathsome company

Don't be deceived by Touchstone Lofts facade - we were and now we have a property with significant damage to the underground pipes, which Paul Johal said was "nothing to do with us", when clearly it was. He's admitted no liability for his company's failings, and there's many of them, in fact, too many to list. I am severely out of pocket due to this companies extreme overcharging, they exceeded the original quote by 60%! I have remortgaged to fund this, and the amount of stress involved is unbelievable. Paul and Touchstone Lofts only bring misery to your life, not the promised loft conversion they said. An loathsome individual and company.