Day in the life: Oliver Petrie

I've been part of the Development team at Stonewater for almost nine years, and I've worked in social housing for more than 13 years. I've been in a few different roles over that time, and I'm now a Project Officer - working every day to help make sure people have a safe, high-quality and affordable place to call home.

Outside of work, I enjoy cycling, going for long walks and catching up with family and friends, including my two young nephews, the eldest being an avid Bournemouth FC supporter!

My role is all about making sure our new-build projects run smoothly from start to finish - from early planning stages through to the moment they're ready for our customers to move in. It's quite fast-paced and requires clear communication - the quicker and more smoothly we can deliver new properties, the sooner households can settle into their new home and community.

My day can include anything from reviewing invoices and coordinating with construction teams, to appointing consultants and ensuring new contractors are set up correctly on our systems. These tasks might sound technical, but they're all important to help keep projects on track so customers don't face delays in moving into their new homes.

A big part of what I do is preparing for the moment our developers hand over new properties to Stonewater. This is where attention to detail really matters! I make sure we have all the right paperwork in place and stay in constant contact with our agents and developers, allowing our New Homes teams to be able to welcome customers, hand them their keys and help them to settle in smoothly. There are plenty of late afternoon calls the day before handover, which keep me very busy!

This is one of the most rewarding parts of my role. Hearing that a move-in has gone smoothly - and knowing our new developments are helping to give many households stability, independence and somewhere to build their future - makes every busy handover day worthwhile!

I also lead on commissioning public art on our new build schemes. Working with local artists to create something meaningful for the community really adds character and identity to the places people live.

It’s interesting working with local and talented artists to build bespoke public art on our new build developments that is meaningful and tells a story.

As well as this, I lead on scheme opening events. One highlight this year was organising the opening of a new development in Haslemere, Surrey. Meeting customers on the day and watching a community begin to form was incredible!

I was proud to represent Stonewater and celebrate the delivery of a fantastic new development and see a community come to life. It’s the most fulfilling part of my role.

Being a Project Officer means working at the heart of change. I enjoy seeing plans turn into reality and knowing that I get to play a part in helping deliver our mission to provide affordable, quality homes for our customers.