Home extensions 2017 - Christmas is coming

[Believeitornot]

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We've moved into our bedroom.. it's huge!

By the way we still need to get bedding and bedside tables

It looks lovely! I love the colour and that carpet looks so cosy.

Ah whisky, I did similar with our tumble dryer, so many times luckily I had a 3m hose (it's a vented one) so would have to find the nearest window to vent it out of. It saves paying for laundry costs (we did do that for a bit too)

bax, that looks so lovely!!

ah welcome home Tatlerer, I hope the wine was lovely :)

So, we are nearly nearly nearly there. Found out yesterday that they hadn't properly vented the tumble dryer, after leaving it to run and coming back to a utility room which has covered in condensation Luckily we have an extractor fan which made light work of it.

The extractor fan we (DH) bought doesn't fit so we have to order a new one, which is so annoying.

But ever so slowly, we are putting things back and I think we might have a tidy house by next Christmas. It has taken us nearly 6 months to create the mess as everything has gradually been moved around, so probably similar to put it all back.

bax - it looks amazing! I am so jealous of your walk-in wardrobe. It's huge!!

"I think we might have a tidy house by next Christmas."

This made me properly laugh out loud! I feel the same, though I sometimes wonder if Christmas isn't too ambitious a deadline . Decorators are due in here on Thursday, and somehow I need to remove about 5 skiploads of dust from the downstairs before then.

DH has been ill this weekend, so I've been rather stuck at home taking care of him, and feeling a bit mopey. (The fact that it has rained incessantly for 2 weeks here doesn't help). Does anyone else have moments where it just feels like the whole thing is on top of you and it feels (irrationally) like it will never, ever be over?

I have been looking at my tiles and while they're not what I really wanted, I think I can live with them. They've been grouted and it looks much better as a result. I have also noticed that they are superb at disguising dirt (they are a kind of speckled cream) so they may actually be a pretty practical option, particularly given my ability to get curry absolutely everywhere when I am cooking it.

I still can't get over the fact that I managed to wash, dry and put away about 8 loads of washing over the course of a weekend. It's like MAGIC.

Is it worth getting some professional cleaners in whisky?

The builders are starting work fitting the kitchen. Which is mostly so far hunting through boxes trying to find the hardware to put the big tower units together. Builders thought those would come prebuilt so are a bit confused. And while they can find many hinges they have yet to track down any screws or similar.

Kitchen company woman should be here soon and will hopefully help figure it out.

dust - I've never had a cleaner! I am sorely tempted. But I also know i am an absolute nightmare client who is super fussy, and I would not want to inflict myself on any poor unsuspecting person who came in!!

Good news - tiling happening in the garden room today, woohoo!
Bad news - as you may have seen from my other thread, the Osmo oil on my cedar is not dry a month after it has been applied. A MONTH! It is still tacky, and is attracting all kinds of flies, dirt, dust etc. The advice from Osmo is that we need to take it all off with meths and sand right back, then start again. Builder and I both agree that this is ridiculous and stands a good chance of ruining the cedar. I'm therefore planning to wait til it is dry, and then sort it with a quick sand and recoat. I would definitely NOT advise buying the Osmo UV oil for external application on the back of this experience!

Oh no! I thought Osmo was meant to be fabulous stuff? That’s really worrying.

Thought I would just this thread as you're all a lot more knowledgable than me.

I haven't started the journey to extending yet.

We know we want to spring time next year.

When's the best time I start getting quotes?
For small single story extensions under permitted development I assume I just find a recommended design and build contractor and go from there?

Please help!

dust - yes, it is super annoying. Especially as it's a more expensive product than Danish oil, and we went with it because we thought it would be better.

winter - I think we've all been down different paths to the build stage. The first question is: do you need an architect or can you get by with an architectural technician? That is really a question asking: what is your design budget and do you know what you want from the final build?

I went with an architect and it was worth every penny, because they came up with a design that was a million times better than anything DH or I would have reached on our own - but it is also very individual to us and to our tastes/needs. It was time-consuming, however -
the design process took months and months with lots of iterations!
They also put us onto materials we didn't even know about, a builder who specialises in a contemporary finish, and a window company who saved us a fortune on aluminium glazing.

However, others have had really lovely results without doing this - perhaps they are more decisive or clear about their wishes than us! Each build is a little bit different at the end of the day.

Whisky I can recommend the Titan Hoover from Screwfix for dust. I got one as I didn't want to wreck my Hoover and it is great. Very basic and you have to put it together but it was so handy on the concrete floors.

Thanks @whiskyowl

We are both in the joinery and design industry so have a good idea of what we would like.

Maybe an architectural technician initially to get things drawn up to standard?

I'm ever so worried about finding a decent builder as I've heard so many horror stories.

Should I start looking into it now if it can take that long or do we have a bit of wiggle room time for if we were planning the work to commence next spring?

Hi winter.. I am also a newbie, we arw doing a simple single storey extension and new kitchen. Opening kitchen up to new extension which is going on the footprint of existing conservatory.

I have just had first builder round for preliminary chat. He said he wouldn't need architects plans, it's a very straightforward three walls and roof... I can do to scale drawings, and then he and I will agree all the bits like where power points go, the kitchen designer will provide a drawing to show kitchen with plugs etc. And he can work from this.
Several local friends recommended this builder, one had similar build to ours and did their own plans and it worked brilliantly.

I am seeing a couple of other builders too.

But we have a very tight budget and saving architect fees would be great

Thanks @theredjellybean

Sounds similar to our plans.

If anyone can recommend a builder in Hertfordshire or Buckinghamshire border of Hertfordshire that would be amazing!

(Or any to avoid!)

@theredjellybean when are you planning on starting work?

Hoping for March... Sorry we are in Cornwall so not much use to you

I could be wrong, but isn't the Legendary Twatcops in winter's area? Paging @TeamRick to warn you about a builder you definitely shouldn't use!!

winter We used an architectural technician to get drawings on a simple single storey rear extension, still needed structural engineer as 4 structural steels going in. We are suing a builder we know and have waited 9 months for him to be available. The whole process from purchase to move in (for a week 16 week build...) will have taken a year. I would have started some of these bits earlier if I could have in hindsight.

I would say the same as whattodo - there isn't such a thing as starting too early when it comes to a build project. Decent builders will have a waiting list. We used an architect just because I know one and she's fab. She also came up with a couple of ideas that I hadn't thought of and we're really happy with the final design. Some builders will offer a design and build service. Ask around for recommendations from builders, architects and architectural technicians, then arrange to meet some and get quotes. Trust your instincts, these people need to listen to you and don't underestimate how long it can all take!

We used osmo oil on our cedar. Once the temperature dropped below 5C we found it took ages to dry. Unfortunately with the back of the house missing everywhere was colder than 5C.

didireally - Did it dry in the end? Or did you have to do something to it? I am really hoping that if I just wait long enough, it will happen!

Up late today - anxiety. Today has not been a good day in building land. While my builder was brilliant with the very rough work of putting up timber frames, he's much less good at the delicate and accurate work of second fix carpentry. Weirdly, the architraves are all perfect, but the under stairs cupboards and skirting are the very reverse - plain awful. Some of the skirting isn't even proper mitred - basic stuff.

I need to ask your advice, fellow extensioners. Is it worth the fight to get this straight, or would it be better just to give up and then employ a joiner I know to be very good indeed to come and refit at extra cost?? Part of me thinks I should fight it out rather than pay twice - they clearly CAN do a mitre joint, because some of the skirting has one. Another part of me thinks it's the sunken costs fallacy to try, and that really I should be hurrying this guy out of the door and employing someone more competent.

What is worrying me the most is that I've got some lovely oak internal doors that need fitting, and the builder wants to do this before the flooring has been fitted, which just doesn't sound like a good idea. Also, if he thinks its adequate to bodge together two bits of skirting, what's he going to do to my lovely and expensive doors?

DH is really trying to be kind and to fuss over me, but I just want to be left alone at the moment. I really need him to step up and start taking some of the load of the difficult conversations off me. He is supposed to be the successful one of the two of us - he's paid a load more money because he's good at dealing with difficult conversations and sensitive situations, and he gets sent on posh courses at hotels called "Fierce Conversations" where some trainer tells you how to handle difficult people, and then gives you a miniature blow up beach ball at the end. Yet somehow all of the project management has fallen to me, the person completely untrained in this stuff - and this has been the case even when he has actually been in the house at the time the conversation has been happening! I am going to stick his stupid beach ball toy with my corkscrew when he is not looking.

I certainly wouldn’t let them fit the doors before the floor whisky. That sounds like a recipe for trouble. I think sometimes you have to consider the cost versus your own mental well-being. If fighting for it to be right is going to exhaust you and make you miserable, would you rather just spend the money and save the stress? Especially given you don’t know if they will ever do a good job?

Our doors have been fitted before flooring 😱 in fairness our main builder is a carpenter by trade so he just takes them off if necessary. Our flooring goes down on Saturday.

We had our second night in our new bedroom and I had the best night sleep in ages. It's so nice to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel

Tell them whisky!!!! I’ve pointed out shoddy work and got it remedied.

It’s not acceptable!

Oh I think it is great for a DS. You could use other bright accent colours or go with white with that colour in for duvets lights etc.
we had a very bright yellow chosen by DS when he was three. I cringed putting it on but now if I see the giggling photo of him on his bed it looks really lovely in the room. I found curtain fabric and made bright curtains and matching duvet. I do think it is great to let kids have their own choice I never did. Although I came home from school one day to find my dad had done my room. It was about the size of a shoe box so he got it all done in one day. Snowberry walls, a very narrow, single wardrobe in aubergine and a lime green chest of drawers( it was the 70's) I know it sounds horrible flashy colours now but somehow it didn't. Dad was very artistic and my friends thought it was cool!
Another
A friend wanted hers done then. She had a big room with twin beds. She painted it olive green, all the walls😳 red accent - lampshades knick knacks, floating shelves. She had white door surrounds and white duvet covers. Her mum said " NoWay!" She refused to let her unless she did it herself, so we did. About six of us when her mum was out one day. We were about15/16. Surprisingly it looked great and it is the only room of all my friends I remember.
I hope he loves it. Autistic kids see life a different way. Get him on Pintrest now to find accessories😁