Planning an extension this year - anyone else?

[pigsinmud]

Anyone fancy joining a support thread for extension planning & building! We have lived in our current house for nearly 15 years. It was built in the 1870s and had a kitchen extension at the back built in the 1950s. We are going to demolish that and build a 2 storey extension converting the current music/dining room in to a kitchen/diner and a new bedroom with en suite above. The kitchen has a terrace and steps/slide down to the garden.

A planning application has just been put in and I'm nervous! Plan is to start building when ds1 has finished his gcses this summer. Anyone else got plans?

We got planning approved today. Just waiting for builder to give us the nod. He's really busy at the mo.

So jealous of those people who have their build done and just have to enjoy it now! It's very daunting sitting waiting and knowing the upheaval will be huge.

Last day of objections today. Went online to check and we've had a complaint from our next door but one neighbour. They think it will take away sunlight from their conservatory. Our project manager has spoken to the planning officer and she doesn't think it will cause any trouble. It's making me nervous though. Just got to wait for the committee...

Plans go in today the planning dept tomorrow for our 25m2 family room extension. Only waited 5 weeks for the artchitectural technician to get back to us. hope this is not the speed of things to come!

Mary - we are financing from savings. Its much cheaper for us to extend than to move so luckily avoiding upping our mortgage.

We have quite a big chunk of savings, but will need to take out a small mortgage as well.

We've had to withdraw our planning application today as we were advised they would refuse it. We have to wait until our adjoining neighbours are given consent for their extension and they've not had plans drawn yet. So we're on hold for a good few weeks.

On the plus side we've passed building control, we've no bats (although having to pay for a twilight survey to double check) and we've our mortgage offer in place. And I suppose we get a few more months of enjoying the garden.

Shlike I can't see you'll have a problem with your next door but 1 neighbour. Our neighbours objection concerning light was dismissed. For anyone concerned there's a website called find my shadow where you can put in your house and neighbours position and track where your shadow falls.

Ohnoyou - hope it gets back going again soon. Thanks for that website. I've had a quick look and really don't think our neighbours have anything to worry about. We get sun on our decking in the evening and whatever we get they get. The footprint of our house is not changing, it's just getting higher, so the sun they get now, they'll still get....hope that makes sense!

We just started this week. Extending 3m at the back and taking down existing wall between kitchen/dining room to create one big open plan area. Also extending 4m to side for dh's media room (or man cave) as he calls it, and refitting bathrooms. All within permitted development.
The start got delayed because building control were being fussy with our application and the architect was supposed to sort the contract with the builder but didn't do it.
They have been digging the foundations this week which are 3m deep because we have big trees all around us! Making lots of cups of teas and also have a 3 month old baby to look after while dh is at work. No baby groups for me .
The builder is just building the shell for us. We are sourcing other trades ourselves I.e electrician, plumber and fittings such as doors, glazing, heaters, kitchen. Project managing everything else ourselves as it's the only way we can afford to do it.

YES! We have planning permission. The next door but one neighbours worries about not getting sun in their conservatory have been ignored. It really won't take their sun. I think they were worrying about nothing.

Yay for planning permission! Ours has been rejected but our builder is in a meeting with the planning officer at the moment to see if we can make changes that would be accepted or if all is list and we have to move

Fingers crossed for MollyBdenum What were the reasons for the rejection?

We had our first proposal rejected informally, so withdrew and then resubmitted. Ours hinged on redoing the loft conversion first under permitted development (it was a bit hideous and unsafe) and then submiting a renewed planning application once the roof profile and structure was in place. We also had to nudge our double storey section aware from our joined on neighbour and bring the wall along the boundary with our non joined on neighbour in by about six inches. We regained the space by creeping forward a little at the side, so it didn't really impact our plans.

Our builders 'finished' weeks ago and we're still desperately trying to do all the other stuff, like fit kitchens and bathrooms, redecorate, lay floors, make all the plastering good, repaint damaged and repaired ceilings, paint miles and miles of primed woodwork and the fourteen new doors, build a deck across the rubble at the back of the house, paint the outside of the extension, get someone to make the tarmac on the drive good. You know. That sort of thing. If someone had told me in July last year that we'd still be trying to sort stuff out now, I think I would have given up and just moved.

Well done Shilke that's really good news, I'll be looking forward to your updates on the work. We're hoping to resubmit in the next couple of weeks, so hopefully we'll get permission and start work before the summer ends.

Good luck Molly with yours, it's so disheartening isn't it?

Mummy that's interesting to read, ours was informally rejected too, partly due to the roof line. Good luck with finishing off, I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end.

How's everyone doing? Scaffolding goes up on Monday to start on redoing the roof. Internal work starts at end of July. I have got to do things like pick a kitchen and bathroom. I can't decide what I'd like.

Do I want a stainless steel or ceramic sink?

Hi all, good to see some progress with planning approvals. We are in the later stages of the build now. We have a shell of an extension that is now a part of the main house. Roof on, windows and French doors are in. We are about to get plastered this week with electrics and plumbing completed next week. We have our lights all purchased and ready to go up. Then the fun part of decorating will start and flooring will be laid. We are going for a finished product and have just until end of June to completion. Yippee! Hubs and I have a saved bottle of champagne chilling ready to celebrate!

Don't think I've posted on here before, but we are 9 weeks in to our extension/remodelling project. It's being plastered next week, but kitchen fitter not available til end July so still have another 6 weeks to go until we have a kitchen :-( Think it will be worth the wait though. Good luck to everyone else going through this!

Hi there,

A well-planned extension nearly always adds value. But look at house prices in your local area to gauge how much value another bedroom will add to your property – be careful not to overdevelop.

Finding the perfect builder makes a big difference to a project – and isn’t as hard as you might think. Look around for someone who is dedicated, inventive, highly skilled and adheres to the estimate. It might seem like wishful thinking but they do exist

All the best

Peter

How's everyone doing? We've replaced our roof on the main house and am in the process of clearing the kitchen. We are away next week and that is when the project will begin in earnest.

We've had a setback though. Our project manager has finally given us a price and it's 50% more than his original ball park figure we've been through the figures and can lose a bit here and there - a window etc! It's just making me very nervous though!

Oh, exciting! Hi everyone. So glad I found this thread, I'm feeling a bit lost.

So we had an architect friend very kindly draw up some plans for us to extend our 2 bed Victorian terrace with a side extension, double rear and a loft. I'm quite happy to manage the project myself - we've even been talking about only getting the shell and some of the tricky carpentry and tiling bits done professionally and tackling the rest ourselves (because we are masochists).

Now we need to find a decent builder. The projects my architect mate usually works on are slightly... grander than our little extension, so her builder contacts aren't in scope. Any tips for North East London would be massively appreciated.

We still haven't finished off. Just to warn you. We have no decking across the back still, not finished painting, still have one shower left to fit (then bathrooms are done), haven't painted any doors yet although the woodwork is mostly done, render isn't painted and not finished papering. We're also thousands over budget. Sigh.

But we have finally got tarmac. small woot.

After months of road surveys, light surveys, bat surveys we've at last got full planning permission :)
We're meeting project manager next week to discuss a start date.
How's everyone doing with theirs?

We are starting to get somewhere now! Full planning permission approved, building drawings being done at the moment so will hopefully we through by mid Sept (if the structural engineer pulls his finger out and comes to have a look).

Getting building quotes at the moment - very scared what they will be. We are just having the shell built and are fitting out the inside ourselves to save money (DH is qualified electrician, best mate a plumber and both are very good at DIY so will only need to get a plasterer in hopefully).

Can't wait till it gets started but I'm sure it will be very stressful!

We are almost complete but six weeks overdue. It has been stressful since end of June as the children were off school July onwards. Never underestimate the dust levels, we have been dampdusting most days until recently! Poor communication and not seeing work on site for days is the most frustrating, seems once you over run they have no interest anymore. Mostly internal works going on which can be quite disruptive on our time for going out but allowing access etc. Outdoors is being worked on as we speak. We are looking forward to enjoying the extra space but the champagne is still corked for now. Do make sure you include a completion date and a reasonable liquidated damages clause in your contracts.

We're doing the same as you nikki, having the shell built and then fitting the inside as and when. I must admit I'm anxious about the build, our neighbours (who objected) will not be happy at all that it's going ahead. We're using a project manager who will employ and instruct the builders and liaise with the neighbours to hopefully keep it all on track and as 'friendly' as possible.
2plus1 I feel for you, how frustrating to be waiting for them to turn up to finish, I hope you get to pop your champagne soon.
Molly have you got permission?
Schilke how's yours going did you sort your costs with the project manager? I'm a bit worried about that with ours, as we haven't signed anything yet.