About Oakwood Lofts

My story

I'm Jay, and I run Oakwood Lofts.

See how we support local causes ↓

I didn't take the usual route into building. After leaving school I tried my hand at all sorts: retail, selling cars and houses, van driving for a construction company, and working as a personal trainer.

In 2005 my dad, Mick, asked if I wanted to learn the trade alongside him. Dad has been a carpenter since he was 15, and everything I know about carpentry I learned from him, on site, one job at a time. He taught me to take pride in doing things properly, and to treat every house as if it were our own.

We've now worked together for over 20 years. Between us we've built loft conversions all over Sussex, first for other loft companies and then for ourselves. When I set up Oakwood Lofts in 2018, Dad came with me from day one, working alongside me on every loft while I built the business. Today he's semi-retired, but he still does the finishing touches on our conversions: the stairs, the doors, the skirting and all the little details that make a loft feel like it was always part of the house.

My early jobs taught me something that still shapes how I work: how to listen to people and explain things clearly. A loft conversion is a big decision, and I want every client to understand exactly what they're getting and what it costs.

The team

Photo of Madeleine to come

• Jay: runs every project from the first visit to handover, and builds every loft himself.
• Mick: Jay's dad and our master carpenter. A carpenter since he was 15, with over 50 years in the trade, he trained Jay and has worked alongside him for over 20 years. Now semi-retired, he does the finishing touches on every loft: stairs, doors, skirting and the details clients notice.
• Alfie: Jay's apprentice, learning the trade the same way Jay did, on the job.
• Madeleine: Jay's wife and our administrative manager, keeping the paperwork, scheduling and accounts running smoothly behind the scenes.

Alongside us is a small group of trusted local tradespeople, including our plasterer, electricians and plumbers, many of whom we've worked with for years.

How we work

• Honest, fixed prices. After a free survey, you get a fixed price and a detailed written proposal. The price we agree at the start is the price you pay. Extras are only ever things you've asked for, priced fairly and agreed first.
• You deal with me. From the first visit to handover, you have my number and I'll answer it.
• You can live at home throughout. We build the whole loft from the scaffold, with materials craned up, so nothing comes through your house. We only open up for the new stairs once the loft is built, insulated and plasterboarded, and fit the stairs the next day.
• Craftsmanship that fits your home. From matching period staircases to stained glass, we take care that the new floor feels like part of the original house.
• Tidy and respectful. Many of our clients have young children at home. We keep your house clean, safe and protected.

In the community

Away from the tools, I'm proud to support causes close to home.

Search Seven

I've helped out at many of the charity golf days run by Search Seven, the agency run by my friend Gavin (we've been friends since we were four). Search Seven is a search marketing agency in Hove that puts doing good at the heart of the business. Since 2011 its fundraising campaigns have supported more than 60 local and national charities, raising close to £200,000 so far, and the team is aiming for £200,000 by the agency's 15th birthday at the end of 2026.

At the golf days you'll usually find me driving a golf buggy dressed as a lifeguard, "fining" any golfer who lands in my bunkers. It adds a bit of fun to the day. This year we were also the refreshments sponsor, keeping everyone fed and watered between holes. If your business would like to get involved in their events, have a look at Search Seven's charity campaigns.

Andy's Angels

We also support Andy's Angels, a Worthing charity for children and families who are grieving. It was set up in 2021 by Kayla Shepherd in memory of her husband, Andy, who died suddenly in 2017. While supporting their daughter through her grief, Kayla found there was very little support for grieving children, so she created it herself.

Andy's Angels runs a Grief Play Café in Worthing: a safe, relaxed space where children and their families can play, talk and meet others who understand what they're going through, however long ago they lost someone. It also runs a bereavement choir that brings different generations together. It's a cause close to our hearts, and my wife, Madeleine, will soon be volunteering with them too.

If you know a family who could use their support, or you'd like to help, visit the Andy's Angels website or donate through JustGiving. Andy's Angels is a registered charity, number 1194694.

What our clients say

All quotes are from our Google reviews. Read all 34 reviews on Google →