Should we go ahead with building work?

[Nowisthemonthofmaying]

So we were planning on building a ground floor extension and doing a loft conversion over the next few months - it's fairly time critical as I'm pregnant and we want to get it finished before the baby arrives. The house is tiny and without the work it'll be a real squish with three of us!

But now with all this corona stuff going on my DP wants to cancel - he's worried that as things get worse, we could end up with a half-finished house, paying for scaffolding that isn't being used and can't be taken down, etc etc. I see his point but kind of think we should just push on and deal with any problems as and when they come up.

Who is right? Should we cancel? We need to make the decision ASAP as work is due to start in the next few weeks but we haven't signed the contract yet.

I’d cancel. Better a cramped house than a half finished house.

Would cancel asap. The way things are developing we will inevitably go into lockdown like Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Austria etc. I wouldn't want to spend 6-8 weeks in an unfinished building site if non-essential workers like builders are told to stay at home

No definitely cancel.

Cancel.
I've just finished an extension and would have hated it if we got half way there and I was left with no kitchen and a tarpaulin over the hole in the back of my house...

Hmm... Everyone seems to agree with my DH so far, this is not ideal 😂

I only said to my sister this morning what a nightmare it would be if you were having building work done during all this. So, if you're not having it done right now there's no way I'd start a project like that!

Better to be squashed than not watertight.

I see his point but kind of think we should just push on and deal with any problems as and when they come up.

How well do you think you'd cope with potentially the side missing from your house for a few months, a newborn, and possible self-isolation all at the same time?

If you'll cope fine with that, then crack on.

Hmm, when you put it like that...

We have just started but are discussing when to put a stop to the build. If our builder turns up tomorrow we are 2 weeks away from losing our kitchen and knocking through. At the moment we are considering getting to that point then reevaluate. I really don't want to be on lock down with an open house and no kitchen!!

Definitely cancel if you still can, or at least postpone until the we all have a better handle on all this (if ever).
If the government decide to lockdown in a few weeks your builders won’t be able to work and that could go on indefinitely. Or they may become ill themselves - too many unknowns

We’re only one week into a loft conversion, which has also involved lowering the ceilings on the first floor. And we’re living it while it’s being done. All I can do now is hope it gets finished...

Yes if we'd already started the best thing would be to plough ahead I know! As it is, it's looking like cancelling is the sensible option unfortunately.

We're due to start next week and I'm having a meeting with the guy tomorrow.

On the one hand: obviously a nightmare to have a half finished house (same sort of thing as above but thankfully just turning a rotting conservatory into a kitchen extension rather than loft too). On the other hand, the builders are stuck in this country and have - although no contract's signed - held themselves for this work, and it's not like they'll have other work to do. Jobs are essential to mental health, mental health is literally health, etc., etc. Also, this is the panic phase of the nightmare, but no one has the energy to keep that going, and what will the new slightly crappier normal look like in a fortnight?

I'm minded to put all that on the table and watchfully wait while we let them at least do the first week's work next week, which is the bit before they start knocking down the main back wall.

Hmm. Really not sure about it, though. Absolutely am not flip about this, or the crappier new normal. Just sort of aware that world-in-permanent-lockdown is not a feasible world and not sure how to do the best thing.