Its last day had arrived. Early on we were advised the roof may contain asbestos so I sent a small sample off to http://www.cornerstonesafety.co.uk/ in Kent. Sure enough the results came back positive. The test cost me £55 for two samples and I had the results within a week. Although  the asbestos was Chrysotile or white asbestos (so not the really nasty stuff) it still potentially added on a hefty extra to our bill. Our local Council also provided this service at a cost of £79 with a quick 1 day turn around.

There were two options.

1. Buy some protective suits and dismantle the roof ourselves, sealing the tiles into rubble bags and taking them to the dump (recycling centre). In Cornwall this would incur a £10 fee per bag for disposal.
2. Buy in the services of a local demolition company. Although this can be pricey we shopped around and would recommend http://plymouthdemolition.co.uk/. It cost us £450 to remove the tiles (25m²) and a further £500 (plus VAT) to knock the walls down and remove the slab. Shop around though – the costs for asbestos removal vary widely.

And so the garage was no more – next stage footings – enter Ross of Morcom Construction a local colleague and friend of Angelas.