Home Extensions 2017 - come along on the journey

[RedRobin1]

Hi just wondered if anyone has recently started or about to start a home extension. Haven’t seen a 2017 thread so starting one here.

Our two-storey extension is due to start on 1st March and we have just started packing boxes. The planning and research has been ongoing for 2-3 years. Had planning permission approved a few years back and completed all the research around what we would like in our new extended and how we would like to design it all - extending the kitchen / dining area downstairs to create an open plan living, dining and kitchen space and an extra bedroom upstairs.

Have two DCs under 4 and need help / advice / tips and general hand holding.

Is anyone else starting theirs soon?

Tatlerer no not Birmingham.
The bricklayers turned up today and actually told DH that they felt bad leaving the job after the 2 days last week and want to stay until the brickwork is done but that's not how they're being managed, so that's a good insight!
They've left their concrete mixer so hopefully that means they're back Monday!
I hate the fact I'm so pissed off with this, I was so excited about it all and now it's just a knot in my stomach that makes me feel sick!

I hope I haven't killed this with my tales of doom!
Please keep posting lovely extension pics, progress, I'm sure I'll catch you all up at some point. Maybe Christmas! 🏡

Team rick- Really hope you've seen some progress!

We are nearly done! Its week 16 ( of a supposed 10-12 weeks) The kitchen is in and most things all connected up. Used the new oven for the first time in 6 weeks. Its a Neff hide and slide bake off oven and I need Mary Berry to come help me learn how to use it!
Just spent the evening filling the cupboards. So welcome after 6 weeks with a microwave in the lounge.

Waiting on some last bits of painting and the plumber to connect the washing machine etc. then the floor isnt being fitted till 5th July but at least its liveable now.
Its been a hard slog at times but seeing the final product is making it all worth it.

Hi Pigley they've done one day this week! Oh and a couple of hours tidying up out the front because more materials had been delivered and I couldn't get to my front door without climbing over scaffolding boards!
I bet it's great to be using your new kitchen! I am coveting a hide & slide oven too!

They do an amazing job when they're actually here, 4 days work & we have this!
It's just the 4 days have been over 6 weeks!

Wow TeamRick that's shocking. Ours don't turn up sometimes but it's never more than 2 to 3 days.
Our roof should be going on next week.

TeamRick we must be using the same builders!! Are you in Kent!?

We are entering into week 11 and finally watertight (if you don't count the dripping downpipe that will be boxed in and the tub trug catching the washing machine water )... whole thing was meant to take 10-12 weeks. They have caught up but kitchen not coming for another 2 weeks... and then there are alterations to upstairs to begin with.

Hats off to the roofers this weekend, but perhaps didn't love them rocking up at 7.30 yesterday morning when I was in the bath with DD who was screaming to get out, and one suddenly appeared on the roof outside our bathroom window!!!

That's amazing Spy considering we were at the same stage at one point!
No not in Kent!
It's looking really good!

Things were supposed to be improving this week because the bricklayers were contracted in & not part of his team.
So the plan was
Monday - have a good tidy up ( the front garden is a tip, we still have a full skip from day one!)
Tuesday - take delivery of steels & fit the one going over the bifold doors
Wednesday - start the roof
What has happened so far this week?

Absolutely F-All, zilch, nada!, nothing! I know it's only Tuesday but it doesn't fill me with confidence for the rest of the week!

Ours came back yesterday after the 2 week break. We were left with 3 layers of bricks on top of the foundation blocks and foundations (with a small moat around!!)
Have piles of bricks all around the build so looks ready for action. They started laying more bricks this morning and then the rain started. The forecast was for heavy rain the rest of the day so they had to stop. Then of course once they left, the rain stopped and we didn't get any more rain.
Typical.
We had rearranged our work schedules for this month to make sure someone was here every day. Have now sorted out July and DH is looking at August arrangements!

It's frustrating isn't it Sushi , we had a lot of brick laying out going on- I think to make it look like something had been done, when in fact someone had popped round for 10 mins!
DH had a bit of a text row with him tonight which isn't exactly ideal but he told DH they only had about another 30 days work to do! DH said that on past performance that meant another 30 weeks work!

I am in Bucks btw so if anyone is looking for a builder in Bucks, please PM me & I'll tell you who not to use!

Can't believe I last posted here in February, and we're only just getting started! I'll be spending the weekend frantically packing up, ready for the builders to start work next week.

In that funny position of both dreading the During, and being super-excited about the After...

I hope to be able to post an update soon saying how the work is going exactly to plan and is not a penny over budget!!

Ours is going ok in the sense that the downstairs is now structurally done, all internal walls down and all steels in, at an additional cost of £6500 for things they didn't know until they got going. They're just starting on the roof extension now and that's already another £6k as they'd hoped to save some of the roof but the tiles are crumbling as they remove them and the structure is rotten. We've also had to replace all our pipes for another £4k. We're hoping that's it for the surprises. They're all things we thought we might have to do, the roof was mentioned on our survey 11 years ago and knew were probably on the cards but it has taken us massively over budget. The builder promises me that there are no more big surprises.

Can't believe didn't find this group earlier!
We started our double side extension in March. Creating an open plan kitchen/diner with boot room/utility and wet room. Then upstairs a bigger master with ensuite and walk in wardrobe plus extra bedroom for DD. Husband then added a garage when he saw my kitchen plans!
Builders are lovely and very happy with quality just been a bit slow but you can't have it all!
We are having bifolds for the kitchen and sliding doors in the master (attached a couple of photos). Living on site with 2 pre-schoolers and a big dog! Kitchen wall is down next week so then it gets serious.
Hope you are all counting down the days and happy with progress :)

Time for this weeks update!
We have a steel over what will be the bifold doors!
That's it!
No roof
No tidy up
He won't give us any new time scales
To add insult to injury DH went out to do the bins early this am & bumped in to one of the lads picking up some concrete! I think he's actually using our front garden as a store for his materials for other jobs! 😡😡😡
This is my front garden!!!!! The skip has been there since 18 April!

This is our rubbish pile teamrick, hopefully it'll make you feel slightly better!? Apparently it's going on Tuesday

Oh Spie let me know if it does!
I if my expectations are unreasonable I'd rather know!

Wow Toonlass looks exciting!
Sorry to hear of little progress teamrick hopefully they will pick up the pace soon. We get up to 7 builders most mornings for tea/coffee then after there 'team meeting' in the garden half go off on other jobs most days...
We had the upstairs knock through this week so tons of dust and because one of the new doorways is for our en-suite our bedroom is more like a dusty cave! They are planning on plastering the 2 new rooms upstairs next week so we can d-camp the kitchen and they can knock through downstairs!
I was coping with the dust quite well until on the one day i was at work they took the liberty of 'borrowing' my Henry hoover, splitting the bag and covering the inside & filter with fine builders dust!

Hope you all enjoy a builder free weekend (i have never looked forward to weekends so much!)

Jo

Ha Jojo I have builder free weeks! 6 of them so far bar 4 days! I would be overjoyed to see them of a weekend!
If he doesn't turn up on Monday as promised I think we're going to report him to trading standards and try & find another builder!
We're getting no where fast!

I've started following all of your extension progress and I'm staggered by how many of you have builders not turning up, it must be extremely frustrating. Ours have been here every day for 3 weeks and have another 4/5 weeks to go. We seem to have been very lucky with the company we got.

We're knocking through 3 rooms and relocating our kitchen and repurposing our current kitchen into a utility room, new roofing and installing a lantern, not an extension so I don't actually qualify for joining your thread but wanted to sympathise.

Spydie- Im in Kent :)

Team Rick...Glad your finally seeing progress.

Only small stuff to finish here from the builders point of view ( tons of stuff internally that we are sorting ourselves though) Just waiting for the electricians to fit the under cupboard lights then we should all be done! No more builders!

The floor is being fitted Wed to Fri so looking forward to that.

Love using the new kitchen. The bi folds are amazing ( although didn't think about the amount of glass to clean!) We have sooo much more space now it makes such a difference. Its been a hard slog the past 4 months but worth it in the end. Keep with it people :)

A couple of pics taken last week.

Wow Pigley that is amazing!
It looks fantastic! You must be over the moon!

We are seeing progress but so slow! DH has written him a letter today threatening legal action, trading standards, health & safety executive! When I looked in my diary they have been at my house 7 days since 8th May! Even worse than I thought!

We're expecting him to walk away but that won't be a bad thing, the relationship has completely broken down, he's promised this week exactly what he promised last week. He won't come & speak to us in person & won't give any dates for completion of anything!
My kitchen is arriving on 24 July and I don't even have a roof!
Sobs! 😭😭

Fingers crossed, the builder should be finishing the floor this evening, then the doors can go back on. Once this is done I think there will be a firm email asking for a final date for the skirting to go on and the finishing touches to the kitchen and final snagging. I have discovered that getting things demolished and re built is the easy part. It's getting them back to finish off things which is more problematic - they've moved onto more interesting projects...

Kitchen being fitted wc 24/7 .. desperately looking for tiles now ..was happy to put just around units but consensus is under units which makes sense as I have integrated units ...painting done and all looking beautifully bright ...just doing the existing kitchen which will now be a bedroom. ..goodness ceiling is down window broken through and dust everywhere ...! It will be worth it !!!