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?

My architect has a process to manage the tender process including selecting builders (including any we suggest). Then compile a tender pack, issue the invite,specifying the requirements the builders need to meet, they then evaluate and level them to allow us to compare them easily. Once we choose them they produce a contract and will check 3times during the build to ensure the work is right before we pay each invoice. They will also negotiate any additional works. For 625 plus vat. Do you think this is good value. It seems good to us, we are total novices and only have one builder we have any knowledge about.

Hi Yehudi, we didn't have that option and it's been fine, the builder has been great and really easy to deal with (although we are a couple of weeks from finishing so I may regret saying that). Our architect sent out tender requests to some of his regulars plus some we wanted to approach but from there onwards it was up to us. However for peace of mind and negotiation if there is ever an issue that doesn't seem a bad price to me!

It depends how busy you are Yehudi. If both of you work FT, it may be a good option. I'd probably have time to do most of that myself tbh so wouldn't pay for it.

We're a bit stuck at pre-planning, trying to sort out a final layout. How do you decide? I'm not sure if we should pay a couple of hundred quid extra to get a sketch up done or if we can figure it out ourselves. If you used Sketch-Up, did you find it useful?

I don't know if we're going to manage to start this year at this rate.

These photos are amazing- how quickly they go up!
Ours starts after Easter. Had some kitchen door samples from DIY kitchens arrive today!
It's starting to feel real!

How are all the extensions going? Our builder is starting on Tuesday!
Feel so sorry for the poor cat!

We have quotes which are substantially more than expected.

Ours will be starting middle may ..Very excited but lots of decisions about the kitchen !
Can anyone tell me how long it took their water board ( Thames in our case)to approve a build over notice ...We are applying for within 1.5 m ...We were told 21days by one and 10 days by another ..Applied online yesterday!

Our builders are also starting Tuesday! Spent the day taking the shed down, stuff stored in the spare room/next doors garage, and 2 dump runs...

Should we be thinking about keeping the cats out of the way? They mostly spend all day asleep on the bed ...

Our extention had a hold up with a drain we knew was there but wasnt on plans so couldn't work out how to deal with it until exposed... 2 weeks delay and 3k later its been moved and the concrete gets poured on tuesday!

I'm busy trying to make decisions on things so as not to hold any of the build up, who knew garage doors would be so tricky to get quotes for let alone match to a front door!

We have been keeping our cats in while we have diggers in the garden but the are very warey of any builder noise and hide upstairs!

Spy we took our shed down last week & took up 10 year old decking!
I was amazed! Absolutely nothing under there at all! Alive or dead! Feel like the calm before the storm, just enjoying the Bank Holiday!
Good luck!

I think I'm going to keep my cat shut in my bedroom during the day! He doesn't do much either but I don't want him getting stressed out!
And our foundations need to be 2m deep due to tree proximity, I'm really worried about that!

Jigster our Thames decision was basically the same day, the architect sent over the drawings then called them to get the reference number so I could pay them, the guy checked the drawings arrived and said they wouldn't have any problem and would issue the certificate as soon as I paid.
Similar building about 1.5m from a drain going across the back. The architect wasn't too happy about having to apply but there wasn't any choice.

That is good news John thank you
Builder can start much earlier than we thought and now it's rush rush !

Three weeks into the build and it's now at the stage where there are multiple holes in the walls for new windows and no roof on the extension. Looking rather messy. Will be chatting with the builders today to ask them to keep outside tidier because it's a right eyesore for the neighbours.

Going up quickly at the moment and I'm not living on site, which is a blessing, but went over at weekend to sort out a coupke of things and with builders not there, it's a bit depressing. It'll be three weeks before the windows and bifolds are in. That will be a glorious day.

Just read upthread about my builders quotes. I got three others in in the end and ended up taking the guy who could was actually able to get a plumber to quote for underfloor heating and an electrician to quote for putting in lights to my plan.

Glad to hear of others' progress. It'll all be great when it's done.

Hello all,

I can't wait to be able to join this thread properly. We're at the planning stage. Spoke to architect yesterday and we might have to review our drawings as it looks like there might be an issue with it. Not what I was expecting to hear as we all deemed it so straightforward. Hey ho. I just hope it can be sorted soon.

Good luck with everyone's extensions!

And we're off!

Love hearing about everyone's progress!
We've made progress too- ended up with a quote within our budget from a builder recommended by a friend who sought separate quotes for the plumber, electrician and joiner. We've spent Easter packing up the house- the removal guys came today to take a truck load to storage, the men and van come on Thurs to move us into a 2 bed flat round the corner. Really excited but nervous about the sheer number of decisions we'll have to start making soon!!

Good to see others have now started building.

We are now about 5ish weeks in. The novelty has well and truly worn off and both DH are abit fed up with it all.
The walls are up and roof and velux windows are in. We are now waiting for the bi folds so that we are water tight before starting inside. Theres been issues along the way that have slowed things down and changed our build from the plans. The roof pitch has changed as has the positioning of the velux windows. Its now been discovered that we will also need a pier at the side of the kitchen to support the steel beam which means we need to redesign our kitchen layout ... sigh! Currently a little miffed with the builders as some of theses problems could of been identified sooner ( they have had the plans since Aug last yr!) Now there's no one on site for about a week or so untill the bi folds are ready. Why they weren't ordered sooner I don't know. The estimate 10/12 weeks is looking very optomistic at the moment. Sorry to rant.

Pigley that's annoying for you. Did the architect/structural engineer take no responsibility for the things that aren't/didn't work?

Architect basically said ' I just design it, its up to the builder to work out how to build it'. Helpful hey.

Day 1 too !!! Hope the weather stays for us ...Poor dog didn't know what's going on ,he's banned out the garden otherwise he'll fall down a hole!
Building control coming tomorrow-they want 2m deep on the plans as we had a couple of trees before. No roots or anything on the 'test' hole so fingers crossed

Hello! I promise to add pictures as I go but mumsnet cherry popped!
We are ready to go, (permissions, structural drawings, notified building control) on our extension, having received some, erm interesting quotes for all in one building companies for our two storey extension we are project managing ourselves and employing individual tradespeople.

I am about to find an electrician to carry out the works. It's a big job. I was wondering if any of you guys had tips as to what to specify in preparation for the demolition aspect of the job- we have to demolish an existing extension. Is it a case of just switching things off at the fuse box or is there more? Thank you!

Day 2 here and I'm already about to have a nervous breakdown!!

We have a very narrow access so the muckaway lorry needs to go down an adjacent bridleway. We have legal right of way up it and in front of another property but the owner is kicking off (they are just not very nice basically!) despite us not having done anything yet and we wont even be using the access across. They just dont want a lorry going up the track basically, even though its not even their land. I've spoken to the council who have said it's fine.... waiting to get it in writing from them now. The rest of our neighbours are being lovely and all agree these people are nuts. But just added stress!

Sorry to hear about the unduly stress spydie. Hopefully you'll get the go ahead in writing soon and will be able to move on!

Pigley how annoying and unhelpful!

Flyfisherlady Good luck with the beginning of your work! We're going to project manage it ourselves too and do it like you are doing. How are you finding it so far? Watching with interest about your electrician question. Hope someone can help you.

EJC85 I'm sort of confident, sort of terrified. I have project managed before as part of my job. The worst thing is not really having a clue how much anything costs so when we get quotes back I have very little base line to work from. I am going to sign up to the negotiation course at work though. I am sure that would be helpful as I am not very good at pushing back on costs etc.