PLEASE share your home renovation tips- I need your sage advice

[Apatite1]

Hi everyone

I'm a complete newbie in the scary world of home improvements.

We are hoping to build a two storey extension and completely change the internal layout of a house. It's a dilapated 60s box right now.

We haven't hired an architect yet.

I would be very grateful for all your tips on how to do this as painlessly as possible, and on a tight budget. Our dream house will need £300k plus (which tbh this house isn't worth spending that much on): we have a third of this plus contingency unless I win the lottery or pull off that diamond heist . We need to cut corners all over, I've started looking for ex display kitchens, bathrooms etc already.

I'm looking for advice on everything from what to ask an architect, to what to put into a building contract, down to where to get door handles from. If would be great to hear from experts like noddyholder and PigletJohn, I'm out of my comfort zone by a considerable distance here!

I'm happy to answer any questions you have and it would be great to collate a thread of useful tips for others to refer to in future.

If you found great service with any companies, including builders in south east london, please share your thoughts.

Thanks to you all in advance!

Apatite dazed and confused

[SunflowerLV]

Hi can I join this thread.

I live in SE London and looking to embark on a house renovation. I am planning a new kitchen, 3 bathrooms and 1 toilet, garage conversion, loft conversion, install walk on glass floor panel, update utility room, sliding doors and lean-to glass roof and a garden makeover.

I've been meeting with builders the past few weeks and it turns out that I need a new heating system as my pipes are too small and I need to rewire the whole house. It is all getting very expensive.....

[kittentwo]

My dh is a builder and we are extending an renovating a 1974 detached bungalow. Have stretched ourselves for this place so not a lot of cash spare will cost us about 80, 000 not including labour but obviously he wont be earning any money while he is working on it. Our plan is Get plans passed get shell built. Plumbing electrics plaster out. Then save an one room at a time. Living in it with kids pets etc during the process have allowed ourselves about two to three years. Want to do it to a high quality finish so will take our time. Thankfully I have a great capacity for living in chaos :)) good luck with yours .

[Apatite1]

Welcome sunflower and kitten! waves

Sunflower, I'm in SE London too. Now awaiting planning permission. Defintely enlarge your pipes, most older houses don't have wide enough pipes to get a good flow for more than one tap running at the same time. I see you are having three bathrooms so you'll need it for sure. Will you be project managing yourself?

Kitten, wow kudos to your husband for doing it all himself! Have you gone in for planning permission now?

How is everyone else doing?

[kittentwo]

No plans still being drawn up. Think we know what we want to do with it now.

[SunflowerLV]

I have planning permission for mine but only after appealing.

I am currently on maternity leave so was thinking of project managing - is that crazy with a 3 mth old and 4 yr old?

I've seen tiles that I love from World's End Tiles but they are super expensive. Can't decide whether to splurge on them and cut back elsewhere. What do you guys think, are expensive tiles worth it?

Also can't decide between laminate flooring or engineered wood. I think laminate would be more practical with children but DS prefers engineered. What do you think?

[kittentwo]

We had I solid oak at the last house and it got better an better with age so I would go for engineered oak over laminate mine did scratch and dent and mark but just made it look better with some character. We are going for parquet flooring this time as a nox to the 70s era of the house. I love tiles so I would splurge. But then again we quite often have a fantastic bunch of flowers but no bread or milk in the house ;)

[Apatite1]

I also vote for engineered wood (we are getting underfloor heating too) and the tiles of your choice. I think you save on sinks, toilets but not taps and tiles, unless you want plain white. Which you don't.

I'm not project managing, as I work but mostly because I simply don't know what I'm doing, it's hard to coordinate the different trades and I'd be responsible for any mis timings. Too much pressure for me!

[SunflowerLV]

The tiles are about £80 per m2 so for three bathrooms it will be around £7k.

Thanks Kitten, I am going to look at engineered wood tomorrow and give it a bit more thought.

[Apatite1]

Gak, that's a lot! How about for one bathroom only, then something else for the rest?

[kittentwo]

I agree apatite 1 why not go to town on one bathroom an less on others. That is what we will do. In fact I plan to try and re use some of my existing 70s tiles as a bit of up cycling especially for kids bathroom or guest en suite. Think our bathroom we will go to town on and maybe little turquoise loo. 7k seems a fortune. Do you plan to stay there for a good few years? If you do then at least you will get the enjoyment of them .

[Mum2KSS]

Hi - we are in week 7 of our new extension and wondered how you all are getting on??