Home extensions 2017- the one where all builders are dickheads.

[monkeyfacegrace]

Link to the old thread.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/2847599-Home-Extensions-2017-come-along-on-the-journey

As you were ladies.

@devondream I’m getting a mix of wooden and quartz worktops - the wood could go in as soon as the kitchen has been fitted, although it’ll still need to be oiled. The quartz however will take about a week from when it’s measured, and it’s going to be a waiting game to see whether they can actually squeeze us in before Christmas. I’ve seen some people just put down a board of mdf while they wait for the proper stuff, that might be me in a couple of weeks.

Ooh @Believeitornot the brighter the better as far as I’m concerned - with my poky little doors and north-facing kitchen it gets a bit gloomy here at certain times of day. Can’t wait for our lights to go in, but can’t get hold of the electrician to tell me what to order. I remember seeing some very high tech lighting discussions on the thread, will be back asking for advice in a few days once I know what I need...

Thanks for the explanation about kitchen surfaces. You learn a new thing everyday

@Sherbet38 I would mention the bricks. Better now than when it’s too late and it will fester.

We are getting s recycled glass worktop so templating is needed because it isn’t off the shelf.

I’ve seen some people just put down a board of mdf while they wait for the proper stuff, that might be me in a couple of weeks genius. I’ll be doing this!

Thanks @HernandezEC and @Believeitornot

I don't think the bricks will cause a planning issue as both the choices we were given were acceptable. But I'll check. The weather's rubbish here today, I'm going to wait until it's brighter and go outside and have a good look. The problem is I don't get home from work until after 6 in the week so haven't actually seen the walls in daylight. My husband has, but he's just not that observant ( and he's also just not bothered what brick we have)! I'm more cross on principle ...I sort of hope I don't mind the look of them.

Got a bit shirtt this week with builder who says no point in starting until January now... originally promised September. Doesn’t bode well for relationship going forwards... have another two builders quoting but don’t think they will be available any sooner.... so frustrating!!! Just want to get started.
Would anyone be willing to share

Sorry posted before I got finished-anyone willing to share specification documents? Worried I’ve forgotten some of the more technical considerations.
Drawings done by architectural technician (at builders recommendation...) but think we should have used an architect now

@Whattodowithaminute what sort of specs? We had one long document which covered the steels, drainage, insulation, glazing etc etc.
Is this for the builder? Building control willcheck and sign off on stages so you should be ok.

Hmmm believe I don’t really have much at all at the mo... I suppose I’m hoping for a list of things that I need to make decisions about so I can pre empt them as much as possible...

We got this really useful book this one which covered everything

whattodo I have to agree with your builders. It’s so close to Christmas, enjoy the peace before the chaos in January. You can’t underestimate how hard it is to live in. Plus, most builders are crazy busy trying to get their current jobs to an acceptable standard.

We’re still at our friends house enjoying the peace and cleanliness! I might even cook a roast today 😍
We’ve only popped in the house briefly. It’s chaos. Although our plumbing has been sorted out plastering starts tomorrow. I don’t want to go home 🙈
We’re currently haggling appliance costs and quartz. Be glad when all the big costs are done!

Thanks bax I appreciate it is probably best to wait but we are renting at the moment, have been done before we bought the house in May, decided it would be too disruptive for kids and schools to move so stayed in our current rented house; originally we were going to be in by Xmas now it looks like May next year... I just see money we could be spending on the house going on the rent...

Thanks believe for book recommendation, ordered!

I spent the weekend at BIL's, which was lovely. A clean, ordered house felt like a million miles away from our current state of existence! We've had to pack around 3/4 of what we own, which is all in boxes in the front part of our knock-through lounge/dining room. It'll be sheeted off once the interior work starts. I am SO TIRED - not falling asleep tired, but physically tired. Hefting boxes around the house is exhausting. I have to write quite an important presentation today to give at a rather intimidating old university later in the week, so I need to pull myself together!

I have that book too! I’m hoping that it will at least give me an understanding of what they are supposed to be doing!

As the builders pull on their boots for another working week I hope it is a trouble free week for all and that everyone sees big progress.

I am away for work so have not seen the house since last Tuesday.
Can't wait to get back there on Wednesday morning to have a look.

If they have kept to the plan the tiling should be 75% finished by then and at least the kitchen painted.

Well our brick drama was all unnecessary. My informant that the bricks were not the ones we chose (my dad!) was wrong. The sample was a single brick so didn't look the same as a wall of them. So crisis averted! Fingers crossed for another week of progress for us all.

Those of you who moved out... did you pack and put everything into storage? Our outbuilding is full of furniture, bikes etc. I’d be okay to leave crappy sofas here but all kinds of paperwork and personal items ... not so much. It looks like we might need to ‘move’ for a week or two in January. In practice this will mean that I move with kids, let tradesmen in and feed the dog in the morning, hang around during the day watching everythink like a hawk/being annoying, pick kids up from school and husband staying here with dog overnight.

Glad the bricks situation is sorted sherbet.

Our builder doesn't want to touch our chimney breasts. Turns out pita neighbour only has gallow brackets holding her side up and they reckon that it's too risky you take ours out. So annoyed that she can do shoddy job and mess up our plans, grrr.

We don't need to move out now, but I was going to take important stuff to my mum's and keep popping in during the day.

extension that’s so annoying re neighbour’s side of the chimney breasts.
Tika we moved out and what we don’t have here with us in our rented flat we have in a hired storage container. We knew we were going for a minimum of 7 months though so different situation. If it was just going to be for a week or two I’d be tempted to hire a high-street (eg Access) space if I didn’t know anyone with big garages etc!

extentionmadness

That’s ridiculous and so annoying. Is her side adequate enough? Can’t the builders put in sufficient supports to replace the chimney?

@Sherbet38 did your dad do the typical dad thing of imparting knowledge that he wasn’t 100% sure on 😬 glad that bricks are all sorted though.

The worktops templaters are coming tomo! Woohoo! However the builder has gone quiet on me and I haven’t been home yet so not sure what they haven’t done today.

Getting antsy now!

Getting antsy too today as was told painters were starting last week now turns out it is this wednesday.

Still at least the wooden floor firm is planning on coming on Thursday for the sitting room. Well they say they are let's see.

I have adjusted my expectations of a 30/11 finish (minus the kitchen fitting) to a 24/12 finish!

That's not good news about your neighbor's chimney. What a pain if it is impacting on your whole plan pp.

Glad the brick crisis was just a dad thing.

Deep breaths everyone.

Believe that's fantastic about worktops - the end is so tantalisingly close!

Question for you, and anyone else who has a DIYK kitchen - are you having under cabinet lighting? And did you get it with your kitchen from them, or order it separately? I seem to have overlooked that completely...

whattodo it must be so frustrating (and expensive) having to wait even longer, but you'd get so many delays starting now anyway, with tradesmen on holiday, deliveries taking longer etc, that you might not actually be that much better off - best use the time to get everything fully sorted and then start with a bang in Jan. I do envy you not having to live through the chaos though...

@NamedyChangedy

No we aren’t getting it. There’s a light on the extractor and I think it’ll be bright enough. It’s a bright kitchen or I can prep on the island if need be!

Yes it’s getting close but so far. We’ve got to go through the pain of eating out etc etc now (lol how first world does that sound) - a faff because we both get home so late with work and don’t eat with the dcs anyway. Old kitchen being gutted tomo 😆😆😆😬😬😬