How long after the given completion date did your building work take?

[Housewife2010]

Our double extension is due to be completed this Friday. They have been working on it for 12 weeks and there is masses left to be done. I've asked for a realistic completion date. Did your extensions take the estimated time or far longer?

[TychosNose]

2 months over. Originally 4 months but took six. No obvious reason like weeks of bad weather. I think they just got it wrong.
We found that once we got to the original completion date work started to slow down because the builders were booked on other jobs. So keep an eye on that.
Our builders were great though and after all the stress and disruption it's been totally worth it. Million times less stressful than moving. Just read the current thread about the previous tenants who didn't move out and you'll feel better!

[Housewife2010]

Hello Tycho's. You've worried me even more! If it goes more than a week over there won't be time to have our kitchen in by Easter. I just want all workmen out now. At half term I had to be up early and dressed by 8 for the workmen. Ours have definitely slowed down. We used to have half a dozen or more here at at a time. Today there is one. - I've read that other thread. Speechless!

[Chapsie]

My contract had a penalty for going over the completion date. The threat of us claiming under this sped them up. Have you checked yours?

[emwithme]

Full refurb plus extension. Started May. Was told completion initially mid-September, then end of October, then "you'll definitely be in for Christmas".

We finally moved a fortnight ago, and there's still snagging type stuff to do.

[TychosNose]

Sorry! Are you managing it yourselves? We had an architect as a go between (can't remember the correct term) so we got him to harass the builders.
We didn't have a penalty for over-running.

[powerjen]

Ours was supposed to finish at the end of Jan and reckon there is at least another 6 weeks of stuff to do. We got 3 weeks behind because it rained for days on end just as the roof was about to go on and then we have added a couple of things which has caused another week of delays. The rest of it seems to be down to individual trade availability eg quite a lot of people were flooded in our area over Christmas so understandably the heating engineers and electricians prioritised getting people back in their homes.

I agree with PP that things seem to slow down after the scheduled end date - very frustrating. I feel like I am turning into a champion nagger.

[Ilelo]

We are starting week 28 of a 12 week project today. A loft conversion and double storey rear extension. The builder did them as two separate projects instead of simultaneously as in the contract. Our contract didn't have penalties either.

Hopefully this is the last week but we've been hearing/thinking that for the last 4 weeks or so.

[Housewife2010]

In the contract it says they have to pay us £200 per week it goes over. We've chased the builder today and apparently it should finish (apart from snagging) by beginning of next week. I can only imagine there will be a dozen workmen a day ( and extra building pixies through the night!) for this to happen.

[emwithme]

Oh, the building pixies, how I wish we'd had them