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

Great photos Wombat, by the way!

First building control visit yesterday and no issues so far :) which is good as we have had major issues with getting the floor down and needed extra steels.

Both my builder and architect (who don't know each other) reccomended the same independant building control company.

Wombat it all looks beautiful, where is your kitchen from if you don't mind me asking?

I love all the animals getting involved in the building work and putting their stamp (paw prints) on the work

Ddog insists on not letting the builders in until each of them has given him a morning pat on the head

Currer yes from the council. right jobsworth he is! driving me nuts. i swear if he's mean to my poor builders once more i'll push him off the bloody roof. He really seems to have it in for them. They're polish, so I assume he thinks they shouldn't be here (they're fine, they've been checked out). How dare he! Talks to them like utter shit to be honest, and I've been there when he's done it. I patrol the grounds like a Doberman whilst he's onsite.....

Mad - its a Wren kitchen. they're very good and I would recommend them. very good to haggle with. We bought a lot of the bits separate. I think it was £4k for the cupboards, the units, the dishwasher and a few other bits. But it's a solid kitchen, that thing will last YEARS.

And yes, Ddog1 & Ddog2 are indeed getting fed bits of kibble by all that walk through the door. I know this because i set their stuff out before I go to work. when i come home their bowls on the kitchen side have less in. Naughty Pugs. Naughty builders. Still - I'll miss em when they're gone, I've got used to waking up at 8am to find them in the kitchen with a coffee!

Wombat I know what you mean, I've go strangely used to random people being in my house at all times of the day.

Will have a look at Wren kitchens

Just hope that you have kept your neighbours informed, as they may have to put up with a huge amount of unwanted noise and disruption to their lives. My neighbours were incredibly inconsiderate and actually moved out for about 4 months while their house was gutted, while we had to endure drilling and banging so loud and long that at times made out house vibrate and we couldn't hear ourselves speak. As we worked from home it also affected our livelihood. When they eventually moved back in they didn't even speak to us never mind acknowledge or apologise for the extended disruption. I was expecting at least a bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers.

how rude of them customer ! You could have complained and had their work stopped. where that would have got you i dont know but heh!

we've had party wall agreements signed etc and let them know. our neighbours are all lovely. No doubt at some point they'll be wanted to rip out stuff (they've said so) so we'll have to endure the same.

madblonde I was there the other day, and the owner of the company went "this is Lucas, he's replacing Christopher".... I was like... I have NO idea which one christopher was, but yeah sure! hi Lucas. they are fab builders i've got to say. We even share milk now. and i ate the chocolate buttons that they left lying around... it's like a student house. write your name on it or its anyones!

Our house is detached so thankfully we're not bothering anyone I don't think. All our neighbours have had loft extensions so when we see them they tend to say nice things like "don't worry, its worth all the stress" which is lovely and helps keep us going.

Sorry to hear about your rubbish experience though Customer, I think some people are just arses!

Wombat sounds like you've got a good group there, ours turn down any offers of food/drink. Wondering if they've seen me cook or something so are worried

Ah Wombat - your poor builders having someone like that. Three different builders we've used (we've been at this renovation a while!) have warned us about a particular jobsworth inspector - they dread getting him!

It's a big and complex job so I think I'd rather our builder took charge of it and used the firm he is happy to work with. We just need to be sure it will all be done properly, of course.

I will miss them. But also be thankful when they've gone. Saying that, they must feel the same. In they stroll at 7.45 Saturday morning and there I am - bed hair, yesterday's make up, dressing gown.. Feeding dogs. I must look a state. Still, they dutifully turn up (must check I'm not flashing them or summat in dressing gown)...

Haha I feel obliged to be up and dressed before they arrive so I don't traumatise them. Luckily they always let me know what time they will arrive so I can get up 5 mins earlier than that

We really need to start striping wall paper and doing some of the downstairs but I can't face adding to the existing mess at the moment

I'm up and dressed before they arrive too, but I do have a morning tea with them before I go to work and one when I get home (made by them).
My cats cat flap will be moving as well. I'd like a completely glass back door to let light into the utility room as we are loosing the window we currently have and Im worried about light, but I think a cat flap might look odd in a glass door :/ anyway not anything I need to worry about right now.
Today the builder started knocking through from what will be the family room to the kitchen, so very dusty in the kitchen tonight (pizza for dinner!). They've dug out a big hole in the garage, which will be steps down to the utility room (the garage is higher than the house as were on a slope), and they've continued brickwork. And we got a skip!!!

Oh and re the dogs, it's now part of their routine to say good morning to the builders and they won't settle until they do :/

Isn't it funny with the animals how they so easily adopt them as part of their routine. My two go straight for the one that picks them up. There's one that calls them Piggies (they are pugs so make pig noises) and goes Oink Oink Snort Snort at them. He used to go "Hello Piggies" and make the noise and is shout "NOT PIGS" so now he whispers it thinking I can't hear ;) Good really. They're my babies so glad to see them making a fuss as they are left with them all day.

I've had a few days of no builders. They're back Monday. Am sincerely looking forward to my lie in tomorrow. Home base should be coming round to look at the shit floor we've bought from them, then we go carpet shopping. Can't effin wait

We've a builder here tomorrow.

Am I the only one stressing about the floor plan design? I've a feeling our kitchen and utility room will be really awkward (doors in funny places, dark etc) when it's all complete... I'm already thinking phase 2... My dh will kill me!

What do you mean feel awkward? Is it more that it will feel different so you think it will feel awkward? Or that you know it won't flow?

It's hard to say isn't it, I'm not sure it'll flow or look right or something, but I guess it could just be that it's a change. It was all designed by an architect, but our focus was more on upstairs, as we only had a certain budget, plus you can keep picking away at a design can't you.
Maybe I'll love it when it's built :)
Our kitchen will have a lot of doorways which isn't ideal and the utility will be kind of in the middle of the house... Ahhh it'll be fine...

I think it's like anything, if you keep looking at something eventually it looks weird!

Our guys are here tomorrow too. They had today off, I think its because its been so stupidly windy they were struggling yesterday.

Haha I love how the animals see all the positives in the work (more people to tickle tummies etc)

We need to tile shop, I ordered loads of samples online but I'm still stuck.

I'm dreading starting the downstairs work, slightly concerned we will run out money before we get it all finished

The money thing is annoying me a bit tbh ;) would be great to do this with an unlimited money pot ;)

Did someone say crackle glaze tiles were a bad choice, I really like them.

I could do with an extra 20k, then we'd be fine I think....come on lottery win

Yes to wanting more money to really complete it all but reality is we will be part decorated and hardly furnished for the next 12 months and buying something every pay day. Good really as means we can live in the new space for a while and get used to it.

Karcheer Step away from the crackle glazed tiles, I repeat STEP AWAY!. We have them in our en-suite they are cream metro crackle glazed half tiled with lovely border tile against F&B 'Mizzle' background and are beyond beautiful BUT seriously high maintenance. We DH has to seal them every few months and they are a pain to clean as you shouldn't use bleach or harsh chemicals on them.

This week all steels have now been fitted and the back bedroom is out of bounds and boarded up ready for the breakthrough. Downstairs in the kitchen we have 4 steel posts holding up the ceiling. DH suggested I take up pole dancing cheeky sod. Every time I go into the kitchen he gets a twinkle in his eye

Ordered bi-folds yesterday and finally decided to get the make and colour we had originally looked at over 12 months ago. What a palaver that was running round trying to see examples of different sightlines/colours in situ. V happy that decision is sorted, along with Kitchen type and colour fully agreed upon we are progressing nicely.

Do love hearing about your animals, since our DDog died a couple of years ago we have not had the heart to get another but I am seriously considering getting a little one in the summer, house is not the same without animals. Our DD's are no longer at home and I think it would be great to have a little pooch friend.

No builders for two days and I am staying in bed all morning! Bloody grim out weather wise.

Weather seems much improved here so builders back on site

Has anyone used the glass mosaic tiles before, looking at doing kind of a feature strip in our shower

Ddog has decided to stay in bed with dp this morning (still not up either of them!). I think he fancies a week off the loud noises poor thing

Wombat your builders sound lovely! You aren't in SE London are you?

That should have read no builders for the (next) two days. i.e. weekend.
They have been here all week working v hard.

Madblondedog Friends of ours have just had their bathroom done and used glass mosaic tiling, it looks very nice and they are extremely pleased with them.