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

Builders were back on site today, phew! The beams for the floor were supposed to be here today, but looks more like Thursday now.

Madblondedog - that would be an improvement on our dog whose contribution is taking the form of alternately falling into and peeing into the various holes.

Karcheer that must be a relief. At least you are still in progress.

Two sets of brickies arrived today. Looks like they are going to be knocking through the back bedroom for joist connection only which means we are going to remain enclosed a little longer than we thought. All systems go to get to roof level asap. I reckon the roof will be starting just before xmas if lucky if not then January.

I am wondering is is feasible to do all internals i.e. studding/plastering first and second fixing, removal 2 chimney breasts and then flooring bath and kitchen before end March?

Does anyone else have a completion date set yet?

Good news, no rain today and I believe forecast is same for all week.

Gnome Your dog sounds hilarious, we could have a thread on his/her antics alone!

Gnome I have the funniest vision of your dog weeing in a hole then looking regretful as it falls in the same hole straight after

We're supposed to be finished (based on the 10 week estimate) on the 28th Dec so I was hoping pre xmas as they've been missioning it but we've had a few issues so I think its going to be until Jan which makes me sad. I'm hoping the issues don't add to the cost to the extent we can't do the other extension we want to do.

Hi Everyone, interesting to read all the progress since I last caught up. I think this is the worst time of year to be undertaking a project as Christmas looms like the iceberg in front of the Titanic. I'm torn on alternate days between the rational thought that an extension is for life and not just for Christmas and threatening all concerned that heads will roll if it's not finished and all I have to do by Christmas Eve is plump the odd cushion. Don't actually say this aloud you understand.
Gnome love hearing about your dog! You should post a pic to assist our mental imagery. I just have two grumpy cats as their bowls keep moving to facilitate plastering etc. Electricians are coming on Monday to do the final fix and I have finally got the plumber to realise that he'll have to hang the radiators after the floor goes down as I'm not cutting the flooring around the radiator legs for his convenience...gggrrrr!

Our project was supposed to be four months, so end of jan , but I reckon we are a week behind schedule, plus realistically you've got to add two weeks forvchristmas, so I'm thinking end February. Although, I'm not really thinking about an end date as I'll only be disappointed, plus that doesn't include finishing bathrooms, landscaping etc as we don't have the money, so I think it'll be most of 2016 in reality!

Today they were prepping the carport floor and alley way floor (which will become part of the house) for concreting tomorrow.

Thanks for the welcome AesopsMables!

I'm having a stress about it all... The builder wants to start in December as his team of brickies is available then (we had originally planned for the new year / spring). The groundworks will be done before Christmas and the walls will be going up between Christmas and New Year. Not sure if this craziness?! But it would be great to have most of it finished by spring.

There is so much still to sort out between now and December though, that my head is hurting. If it all comes together it will be a miracle...

We have also changed our minds on the plans yet again this weekend - only a small change to a stud wall (we thought) but our architect says it needs to go back through planning... arrgh!

How on earth did people do this before the internet?

As we are moving through our project each stage is researched on the internet. Today we are mostly thinking about soakaways!

On the plus side the Building Control bod has said that the foundations only need to go down 70-100cm. I suspect that this was to do with DH clutching the BC bods ankles and sobbing!

gnome that's good! ours had to go down deeper than the original drawings which added time and cost (more concrete).

I feel like I should be thinking about windows as we have one feature window, not really sure how long these things take to order, anyone know?

Are you contracting these separately or through the builder? Certainly a colleague had new windows and doors fitted recently and the lead time was just a handful of weeks. That was using a local firm not one of the big nationals.

Karcheer usually a couple of weeks, varies I think depending on where you're buying from though.

Gnome I couldn't agree more. Without the Internet we'd have been stuffed!

aaaaahhhhhh......

The plot has now thickened re rainwater drainage. DH was digging his elephant trap hole for the soakaway and has come across a sewage pipe. Interestingly, not on the water board's map.

The builder will be making some suggestions re taking the rain water off through to the front of the house to Building Control man. If this is not successful then we will be limited to building a conservatory.

The dog is now bored of the digging but does like DH being at his level so that he can lick his face or backside depending on what he gets to first. At least someone is happy!

A surprise pipe is never what you want.

Your dog seems to be really enjoying your building works

Gnome if the sewage pipe is not on the map hopefully that means it is not in operation?

DH rang me at work yesterday to 'prepare' me for what I was coming home to...Scaffolding in kitchen all along the front of cupboards so cannot get access to dishwasher/wmachine BUT can get to microwave and sink. Dust. Everywhere. Thick dust.

Also found out on first builder invoice that what was going to be an additional 3k for ground works due to deeper foundations is in actual fact 5k.

Had a wobble on bifold door decision, going for Sunflex as opposed to Schuco which is another £1200 added to budget all down to the opening being slightly narrower than first designed so want doors with minimum sightlines.

Deep sigh, and repeat "it will look great for summer" which is just as well as there will be no money left for holiday next year or the next 3 years

Has anyone else have issues arise which should have been foreseen?If so who bears the brunt of the additional cost?

Quick question... our builder wants to use a private building control company (who are apparently much easier and more convenient to use than the council). We would still get the same certificate at the end, signed off by the council. Our architect however is advising against using a private firm. He thinks they cut corners.

The architect also wants to put the plans back through Planning (for a change to an internal wall / RSJ). This could take another five weeks - which we don't have right now! Our builder however doesn't see the change as a problem, as the private building control company are more flexible. He is offering to take control of the plans and engineering calculations etc as he's the one building the extension.

We are not sure who to trust most to give us the right advice to drive this forward...

I've had no issues at all with council bc apart from charging us a additional,550. They come out the day you call etc.

Have you all informed your house insurance companies? We remembered to do this today oops!

The floor for the carport isn't coming till Tuesday, the steels on Monday, floor needs to be done before the steels so we will have to store them till weds and then put in place, builder not thrilled.
Ours also incurred about £4k extra for ground work he's absorbing this at the mo, but dh and I may give him a contribution towards this as an Xmas bonus if all goes well up till then...

CurrerBell

I found THIS on the Planning Portal.

So they are legitimate.

Building Control are coming tomorrow to decide whether the builder's proposal for diverting the rainwater drainage is acceptable. Fingers crossed otherwise we will be back to building a conservatory.

On the plus side the council have come back to say that there are no objections from our neighbours (neighbour consultation scheme for larger conservatories) so we have the formal go ahead from planning if not building control.

The dog has a new game of dropping his toys into the holes.

gnome yesterday my cat was given a temporary access route into the house as the ground below her cat flap was being concreted, all day she happily used the new access. However last night we aren't sure how...she danced around outside her cat flap leaving loads of little paw prints in the concrete. Bless her...

Can I join in too? Hello waves !!

We're 7months in and having horrid problems. It's a Victorian terrace, we've moved the bathroom to one of the 3 bedrooms upstairs as it was down at the back of the kitchen (and piss poor) and are currently in the middle of doing the loft.

We've knocked down 2 walls, 4 chimney breasts and stripped back to brick and re plastered. I'm praying for carpet for Christmas :) here's some pics of the kitchen before

And some of the kitchen after and my lovely new bathroom

Building control are just a$$holes :( no end of issues. Every time he comes round. More issues. Now stuff he's previously said is ok, is not. We're so close.. But it's another week where we have to go back to structural engineers and architects

Wombat, is your inspector from the council?

Thanks Gone for the link - our builder said the Building Control would ultimately be signed off by the council, but for the day to day inspections he finds the private company much better to use, and less liable to hold things up...

We haven't considered what is going to happen with our cat! His cat flap is part of the bit that is due to be demolished, and a new concrete slab laid. He's not going to be happy...