There doesn't appear to be a current support thread for those living with building work...

[Lexilicious]

Would anyone like to join me gibbering in the corner?

We built an extension two years ago on our 2 bed terrace, replaced a bathroom and boarded the loft for storage last year, and this year we're doing The Rest.

Downstairs had been completely open plan until we put a door the the kitchen when doing the extension, and we're now having a partition wall to (re)create a living room and hall. Upstairs we have demolished a hall cupboard and split the large front bedroom into two. It all started on the 6th August and seems to have ground to a halt - plasterers accepted a fixed rate and are doing a lovely job but I don't know when they next intend to be here to do the last day or so (landing, stairs and hall - new and old walls and covering artexing/paint effects on ceilings. I have carpet fitting and bed delivery booked for just over two weeks from now and I am fretting that the skirtings won't even be on, but I want woodwork on and everything painted before carpet and nice new things in there.

But most of all I just hate that you can't touch anything in the house without picking up a layer of plaster/brick dust on your fingers, we are crushed into the back bedroom (DS on a cot mattress on the floor and us on a small double sofa bed) and all the front room furniture is piled into the extension and kitchen.

DH and I are having shortened tempers and poor attention span and sleep. I really want it finished. We stayed away during the major building work when there were 3-4 tradesmen on site every day, but we have to live here now and go to work. Except that one of us has to stay at home to have the windows open to dry the plaster - we're taking turns.

Aaaargh (and sorry that was long!)

It is grim isn't it!
It took about 2 years for me to get over our work and it sounded less than yours and was pre-dc.
The end product will be worth it but getting there is soooo stressful.
Chin up!
And have a

Oh gawd... Don't say that. We're about to start if the bloody builder will ever return my calls...

Ah, thanks! Have been on the (quality local type) ciders his evening so feeling less strained. DH and I have had a good convo about paint colours and I've secured at least a couple of days of the painter for next week. Baby steps to looking presentable... I feel much better when I'm choosing things and making decisions. The waiting, and the film of dust, are the worst parts but it will be over and can be cleaned. Probably.

Good luck lemmings (never a truer username...!)

Oh well golemmings at least forewarned is forearmed!
I was both working and living on a building site. It all got a bit much!!

We're about to start too, builder has been held up on his current job due to the weather so ours has been pushed back, he said hell still have it done by Christmas!

Ah yes. The christmas easter deadline. Good luck with that!

I know am dreading it already, I have terrible anxiety as it is and just want it finished so I can relax. We ar having a double storey side extension and a single storey extension to the rear, downstairs only one door being knocked through, kitchen remaining untouched. Upstairs one new bedroom, box room doubling in size, downstairs bedroom, utility room and playroom.

Can I join you?

Our builders arrive tomorrow. We will be living here with a makeshift kitchen while they knock through and extend the back of the house. They estimate a build time of 16 weeks...

It's taken a year of planning, we are excited that it's finally happening but also feeling scared....

A year is that all? Ours has been 3 years of planning including two architects (one died), two sets of planning permissions, 2 building warrants, one neighbour objection, one extension way over budget, nearly put house on market, had to wait until another house sold, oh one builder who said he would do it then said no he wouldn't, erm anything else?

Surely it's got to be plain sailing from here on in (clutching at straws)

Ours should be straight forward. It's a single storey extension, although it does involve taking the back of the house out... And we will lose the kitchen for 3 weeks or so. Camping in the front room with a 3 and 1yo will be fine. Won't it. Won't it?

Our biggest problem is not getting a start date from the builder. I need to coordinate other trades, quotes are out of date and I can see them not starting until October which is when I return to work after a years mat leave. Since I'm pm-ing the job, it will be a challenge.

golemmings that sounds like exactly the job we did two years ago. Took 10 weeks, but was PM'd by the extensions company man. He ran an unbelievable logistics operation - things would just arrive outside the house exactly a day before they were required, without fail - this meant that the trades could just keep working rather than popping out all the time to buy materials. Your main PM issue might therefore be in getting your tradesmen to tell you exactly what needs to be bought, so that you can keep it coming for them.

Are you returning to work full or part time? Even if FT I would recommend either you or your H being there at the start of each day to meet the guys and know what is happening that day, and get any requests for stuff / warnings that the water needs to be cut off (etc).

Waves

We're mid extension at the moment. It's only a small extension at the back of our kitchen but we're having a small downstairs loo put in where you used to access the kitchen from the dining room and having a new doorway knocked through from the dining room to the kitchen. The old, knackered kitchen will be replaced with a shiney new one :)

So far:

• the new extension brickwork, roof (reclaimed slate tiles), velux windows (I LOVE them), rsj and drains have been built/installed

• the old back wall of the kitchen has been knocked down, the old back door bricked up and the new window and patio doors installed

• the old kitchen in its entirety has been ripped out - no sink, washing machine, oven, anything! I have set up a temporary kitchen in my dining room comprising of a chest of drawers on which the microwave and toaster have been plonked and cutlery and crockery have been stored. The fridge and freezer have been shoved next to it as a temporary work surface and the breville toastie maker and george forman grill installed on top of them

• the radiators have been taken out of the kitchen and dining room and a hole has been knocked through for the doorway into the dining room

• a channel in the floor has been dug up in the kitchen for the drainage to the new downstairs loo

• the frame for the stud wall has been erected - involving the joiner firing two nails through the existing electrical circuit and nearly burning the house down over the bank holiday weekend while we were away - fortunately scorched skirting boards, burned and melted electrical cable and a near heart attack for me are the only damage done

• the new electric cables and socket points have been first fix installed

Apparently, the plumber should be doing stuff today with plastering being done tomorrow.

DC2 is due in 7 weeks!!!

Or alternatively, plumber will fuck off and work on another job and not bother turning up at all today. The joys of subcontractors.

Soozle, sorry to hear that. hope back soon.

Got home yesterday to a fully plastered hall and stairs! I didn't think they would manage that in only one day, so really impressed. Electrician is there today doing something under the floorboards so we are all staying out. Most of the rest of the woodwork might go on tomorrow, and then all that's left is putting a latex levelling screed on the floor downstairs (concrete base, like most council-built houses) which I hope dries within a day otherwise we will be a little bit stuffed! Can get into the kitchen/extension via the back door but couldn't get upstairs without crossing the hall, unless they rig up some interesting walk-the-plank contraption between front door and the first of the stairs!