Anyone starting an extension imminently?

[Karcheer]

Ours has been a long time coming, planning permission was granted 18months ago, but our builders finally start on Tuesday.
Would be great to have some build buddies

Yes i did :) in the garden wall.

Today more bricks have been laid, some grey stone stuff has been delivered and they've started knocking out external bricks so they can join the new build to the old.

Hi All

been away for a week a lots of progress made.

Brickwork all done up to first floor and surprised at how big the new kitchen window is going to be (in a good way). The first steels have been cut into the brick too.

Can we discuss flooring? Having been to see real stone and hearing about how much more expensive/specialist it is going to be to fit we are now looking at porcelain floor for the kitchen with karndean or wood for the dining area. Has anyone two different types of floor together in the same open space? I want to put tiles where the underfloor heating bit is but something warmer away from the kitchen area and into the living room.

Hello

Can I join in? We've got a loft extension going on at the moment. I can't wait for it to be finished now and we're only 3 weeks in, oops!!

aesop in my old house I had carpet in the living bit and oak in the dining bit of our through lounge, I thought it looked lovely.

madblonde how long have they said it will take?

Today brick work continued, they are preparing for the slab and beam floor. They also knocked through the doorway from the new carport (which doesn't exist yet) and the garage.

8-10 weeks, I'm really hoping it will be done by Xmas though.

I keep trying to do nice things for the builders like I made a cake and left them some but none was eaten. How is everyone else finding theirs?

Hi all,

Not a huge amount of change here, just more bricks going up, but mostly still below ground. The radiator and toilet came out of the downstairs bathroom today.

I went hunting at bathroom shops, I really can't decide whether to go modern or traditional. We could reuse our toilet in the downstairs bathroom, but it's modern so I'd need to buy a modern sink, my heart is definitely traditional whereas dh will want to save money and prefers modern...

How are you all doing?

In bed all day yesterday with the lurgy, feeling really ill with head and throat pain. Builders just got on no bother.

Today woke up after DH went to work and made them a hot drink, got told off and sent back to bed!! Not before they asked if they could pick anything up for me from shops at lunchtime. They are such good guys.

Brickwork up to roof level at rear single extension, side double still halfway though.< All I want for Christmas is a roof on please>

Karcheer I found bathroom shopping the toughest part so far, although now we're looking at tiles I think that may trump it. Have you bought anything yet for it?

Hope you feel better soon Aesops

I keep offering tea to my builders but they never accept

Those of you who had to go through planning permission, how tough was it? We want to do a small rear extension next year (only 4m by about 3.5m) so we'd have to go through it. Was it costly?

Karcheer We went to Grant and Stone with the plans, they stock all sorts, ended up going for quite modern although we have an old house the previous bathroom was fake Victorian so wanted something completely different. Having walk in double size shower which is Aquilisa digital/bath/basin with unit and toilet, plus downstairs loo and basin with unit including taps and towel rail came to approx £5k All Duravit, very happy with the service. Just need to pick tiles but will go for something colourful and Moroccan on floor I think with neutral in shower area.

Will not be making the mistake of putting crackle glazed metro tiles with white grout within shower area like we have in our en-suite they need sealing every year and until I found that miracle cleaner (thanks Mumsnet) spent 4 years cleaning them with a bloody toothbrush!

Madblondedog Our planning was a breeze as we were not going out further at the back then any of our neighbours properties, saying that we went through hell and back with party wall surveyors for both sides which cost us nearly £4k in the end. The actual planning was I think about £375?

Madblondedog just checked the Planning application fee was £172 + VAT

You should also check that you are not building over any drains as this cost us an additional £340 to Thames Water for 'Build over permission'

We'd be building over where there is already a raised (just over hip height) patio so I think they will have looked at the drains but I will double check. We're detached so we don't have to look at party wall agreements do we as there isn't one?

I think we'd be slightly further out than the neighbours extensions but only a tiny bit.

Thanks for the costs, thats significantly less than I expected

Just check you are not building foundations out of line of sheer with next door building. We were not but as it was under 2 metres from their wall still had to have one!

Investigate before you start as your neighbours will be bombarded with party wall surveyors the week you submit planning.

I've a letter saying I owe the council £550 more for the building surveyor today.
We've been playing around with drains, not sure if it affects Thames water, who told you?
Not seen the builders today... Guess this was due to the rain...

That is strange Karcheer, building surveyor charged £250 + VAT for unlimited visits/checks throughout build.

Thames water costs were sent at Architect stage as they applied to them (direct to TW) for license to build over drains on our behalf.

I might clarify with the architect tmr then.

Re council, I know, will call them tmr too...

Does anyone know about soakaways please?

What are the options if it isnt possible to build a soakaway far enough from the extension and the boundary please?

We have building control and the builder coming to stare into our various holes in the ground tomorrow.

I am worried that our plans will be scuppered.

Can I join? We're finally about to start on our double storey side extension - it will be a large kitchen diner with new master bedroom and ensuite above. It's been five years in the planning! We've been through a lot to get here, living in a building site much of the time (the existing house needed a lot more doing than we realised...). So I'm hoping the extension won't be as stressful as all that!

I'm feeling really stressed at the mo, haven't seen or heard from the builders in two days, I've text and left voicemail but nothing. I've no reason to worry as I know the weathers been bad and they were waiting for stuff that should come on Monday but just have this panicked feeling...

Karcheer are they an established firm? If so you should not worry. They just will not turn up for externals in this weather - non-stop rain here for 2 days so nothing been touched. I have a friend also having similar work done and similar story.

Try to enjoy your builder free weekend and peace while it lasts

karcheer ours did that once, we text them in the end and turned out they had git too far ahead for what they had on site so we're waiting for deliveries

Currer - welcome !

Well, now we know all about soakaways! DH is going to have to dig a hole 2 metres deep and 1.2 metres wide and long to sink a soakaway. There is no access for a digger so he has to do this by hand. He is not thrilled by the prospect.

gnome I can volunteer my hole digging dog if you like