Doing a side extension/loft conversion with 2 small chilldren

[Revupk]

What have your experiences been? Any tips to minimise the pain? And just how bad was it. Please tell all before I dive in. Thanks

Move out ?

My friend did a huge extension with three children and it was fine but i think she wishes she'd done it in the summer as the rain kept stopping play and cost her money whilst builders sat around annoying her.

Move out if you can. How will you keep your children safe if your house is a building site and your garden a builders yard.

It will take twice as long as you think and 50% longer than the builders tell you

Who will be managing your project?

Loft conversion isn't too disruptive, easy to live through, builders go in and out through roof so you can pretend it's not happening until they cut through for the stairs. Going into the side return is seriously disruptive, you will lose the entire back of your house for much of it and, assuming you live in terrace, builders and debris all go through the house. Of course, you can live through it but it will be tough for at least two or three weeks (based on a six week build) and you will need a "camp kitchen" for much of that.

We had a back extension done this summer and managed with a mini Baby Belling type cooker. We only had the living room downstairs for most of the time (about three months until new kitchen was usable). We have one DD aged four. The bits that made me feel like weeping the most were the dust and washing up in the bath.

The dust a loft conversion creates is amazing, a good builder can limit it though. I would do it over the summer and go away with the kids when the worst hits. Microwave and the bbq will be your friend.

Thanks all. Im thinking that we can manage to live through the loft conversion but that we should probably move out for the side extension which will be a bit of a nightmare. My DCs are 19 months and two months so not keen to expose them to a lot of dust.

Re project management, do you think it is worth getting an architecht to do the project management for the side extension?

Thanks

Yes side return extention harder than loft

If I could have moved out somewhere for the worst bit, I would, even just for a week/10 days especially if my kids were crawling /toddling age

I think if you are having a single-storey extension you shouldn't need a project manager.However with 2 such young kids you will find it really tough.Secondly you won't know what tha builders are getting up to if you're not there all the time - so it might be advisable.I am currently having 2 extensions built and it is tough [i have 4 dc's and d.h. working overseas].I feel i can't go out and leave the builders to it!.

Cybsay, Horton, would you mind sharing some details of your side extension experience. Was it on time/budget. What would you do/not do next time?

I am currently packing up the house and moving out for a side extension and a loft conversion. We decided to move out as it will make the build go quicker as the builders won't have to work around us - and I am already going insane and they haven't even dug the foundations yet. I am currently 22 weeks pregnant and I have a 14 month old dd. I am so frustrated because I am normally fairly hands on but can't help with anything. My poor husband has been left with the bulk of the packing and moving but hopefully it should be done by the end of the week. Fingers crossed.

My sister has kindly offered us the top floor of her house which she doesn't use very often, for the 12 weeks the build is on. I am so terrified that it is going to go over the 12 weeks, we only have a months window before the baby is born and I am more than aware that it is tight.

I just keep thinking it will be worth it in the end and should be lovely for the summer!! Keep your eye on the prize!

Good luck Plumviolet, Im sure it will all go wonderfully. Are you using the same builder for both loft and side?

Would definitely recommend that you get an architect for a job of this size and let them project manage it. Suggest that you go for fixed cost contract so that you know where you stand as otherwise the bill can mount up. Make sure that you have a written contract agreed with the builders as well. Personal recommendations are worth their weight in gold!

Architects aren't always the best project managers, I think it would be better to get a building surveyor. FTC is definitely way to go.

My side extension WAS on time and budget- the builder we used had his own architect draw up the plans- no one 'managed' it as such (I suppose I did, in a way)

They will ask you quite early where do you want your water tap, plug points etc so its worth having a vague idea early on.

Also organsing all deliveries to come while the builders are still on site-they often have other jobs going on at the same time so it was hard to get them back on ocasions

Yes, same builders doing both the loft and the side extension. We started the process back in march last year and got an architect to pull our ideas together into something that would work for us.

Once we had the plans finalised - this took a couple of months back and forth to make sure that it was right, we then sent it off to the planning department. This stage took FOREVER the planning officer was new and a bit of a stickler (for want of a better word) and apparently our dormer was too big, he of course waited till the very last minute to tell us this and then it had to be withdrawn and reapplied or else the planning was going to be rejected. So that at least doubled the time. We finally got official planning just after Christmas. Way longer than we thought it was going to take.

We then got 4 recommendations from the architect for builders and then we got a couple more from word of mouth and got them all to quote for the job. The range of prices was unbelievable from 32k up to 75k - all the builders got the same plans, brief etc.

We decided to go with a company that was round about the middle price wise but was also someone that I felt listened to me!! Some of them looked at me like the little woman etc which pissed me off and they were knocked right off the list.

So here we are job is finally starting and I am totally terrified. I keep watching cowboy builders..... Dumb I know. It's a lot of money for us but when it is finished it should totally change our lives from a comfort point of view, we were totally overflowing out of the house but love it's location, neighbours, schools for dd when she's ready are really good etc etc.

If you have managed to read this far well done and I'll kup on the progress! I see the build a bit like a pregnancy, lots pain and discomfort but worth it in the end!

would you mind sharing some details of your side extension experience. Was it on time/budget. What would you do/not do next time?

Ours wasn't a side extension but a whole width back extension. It was on budget and more or less on time (we had trouble with them coming to do small finishing off bits which didn't impact on us being able to live in it but was seriously annoying).

Next time I would be a lot more arsey about stage payments and not paying up until something is totally completed to my satisfaction. In our case we had silly little things that needed finishing and it was just a lot of stress for nothing. I think if we hadn't been so trusting about paying up then they'd have finished properly on time.

Our architect project managed our extension and was really excellent. I would heartily recommend him to anyone in SW London who is considering a build of this kind.