Home extensions 2017 - Christmas is coming

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Tatler that looks absolutely beautiful, wow!

How's it going in FinishedLand?

I am having another Ikea Nightmare (TM). I went to the store at 7.30 last night, trying to return some unused items on 3 separate receipts! On the first, which was the main kitchen order, we needed to bring umpteen items of documentation to do this - the finance agreement, ID, you name it. Cue DH having to drive like crazy back across the city to pick these up while I ate a cinnamon roll in a total grump. For the second, I was chasing a refund that was supposed to be processed a month ago. The computer said NO, and we had to speak to a call centre, which just happened to be closed after 8pm. The woman behind the desk made the mistake of describing me as "impatient" for it to be processed on the phone to a colleague, an error that I do not believe she will ever repeat with another customer. The upshot was that I was promised a call this morning, which never materialised. Honestly, they are WORSE THAN USELESS.

On the upside, it's Friday. I find myself in a conflict every weekend. On the one hand, I'm delighted at the prospect of two days without builders (it's now not enough, not nearly enough). On the other, I'm frustrated that yet another week has gone by and I still don't have electrical appliances properly wired in. I am so, so close - but still no dice. It really should happen next week otherwise I will cry.

The cladding is nearly done, which means the scaffolding can almost come down. The decorating of the extension is nearly done (just the rest of the house to do next week!!). I am almost ready for quartz on Monday afternoon. Everything feels like we are just on the verge of a breakthrough - but not quite.

I now cannot wait to be able to sort things into my new kitchen. I swear that never has a woman been so excited by the prospect of cutlery trays as I am. It going to feel like something verging on a religious experience to be able to go to Ikea and get various bamboo items called Variera. Only, knowing Ikea, they will manage to ruin this by being out of stock of all of them.

You are so close whisky, you will get there.

We are progressing here. All the concerns about doors on kitchen cabinets have been fixed, the kitchen lot have confirmed that we do still have enough space to open the cupboards so we don’t have to replace doors. And they showed me the sink set up like ours in the showroom and it was absolutely fine. We had been worried the cupboard was too in your face when using the sink, but actually it isn’t. So now there is nothing to stop them fitting everything on Monday.

We also have a cement truck coming on Monday to pour the concrete foundations. We will mostly be fretting about whether we can save enough off the road to allow it to park up. Aargh.

tatlerer your room and bath look absolutely incredible. Wow.

Whisky thanks for asking. At least one coat done of everything but the stairs so could be worse. Our loft windows went in today so we got to enjoy the view and sunshine for the first time up there which was great. Sorry abo your Ikea pain

So many of you are so close! Welcome to those of you that have just started welcome!

I think we've actually decided on a builder and start date! They guy that seemed really thorough and thus rang alarm bells when I reads Ricks story about her builder at the start. So instead we've taken a hopefully lucky gamble. We've gone for a builder that will build the shell + plastering and screed. We'll organise the plumber, electrician & kitchen fitter. He's not VAT registered & has said that some things will be cheaper and some things more expensive but it'll be within 10% of his quote. We know 6 people he's done work for and they're all very pleased with him and he's been in business 25 years and is in the FMB. Not only do we feel reassured that he'll do a good job, but we can afford him + flooring and a Work top! A friend is planning a £100k extension after he's done ours.......hopefully it's the right decision Who knows with builders, but fingers crossed.

Thanks for the welcome, everyone! I've not done an extension so I'm not sure of the level of difficulty of building relative to extensions, but thankfully with ours we bought the house after the structural building stage was complete and the windows were in, so at least it's already watertight and there's no need for architects, etc. At this point we're just running flat out with meetings nearly every day to get quotes from electricians, plumbers, flooring company, etc. Basically the way it works is we've paid for the completed version of the house from a building company, but the building company's completed version is obviously v basic and standard, so all these meetings are in place to decide details (which is nice, because I get to decide things like placement of radiators and light switches) and calculate supplements for things we want that they aren't included in the original spec. Which, it turns out, is quite a lot.

The big stress points we're running into are the language barrier, which means we're always a little in the dark about what's going on, and the fact that in Luxembourg everything is take-your-breath-away expensive. Want a vanity in the bathroom? 3k. Want recessed lights? 500 each. Rainwater shower? 1500. So thus far, the build has been an exercise in deciding what we really need/want to do now (everything structural that will be hard to change, plus lighting, flooring and plumbing) and managing disappointment over things that we just can't afford to do right now like the fireplace, a deck extension, and finishing off the kitchen and bathroom in the upstairs granny flat. They'll be plumbed in but not functioning. It's annoying as it feels like now is the time to get things done, whilst the house is a building site, but the money just isn't there.

I am waiting to hear from builder number 1 with a quick quote for basic building work, builder number 2 has not returned any of our calls and I have not even got a builder number 3 yet... So going no where here.
But booked summer holiday, the one we are not having Cus we're having an extension... Thought bugger it, I can pay tiny deposit for holiday and wait and see if we ever get a builder to do job..

We have flooring! It's not finished yet but still...

bax - love your flooring! I adore that combination of oak and navy - both really complement the other so well. Is it engineered wood or LVT?

Lingua - One thing this build has taught me is how eye-wateringly expensive second fix is. The shell is almost literally only half of it. I hope you can start to clear all the meetings and get some tradespeople on board - it's all very confusing at the stage when you're dealing with quotes. It's hard and deeply frustrating when you just want things done but there isn't the cash. However, if the work is in a discrete area, like a granny flat, you should be able to minimise the disruption to the rest of your house when it is done at a later date.

4years - hooray! Sounds like you've got the right guy there!

dust - the concrete truck that came to mine was tiny. It was nothing like the size of an HGV - it wasn't even the size of a Luton van! I was amazed, as I think I was expecting one of those huge, industrial cement-churning vans. If yours is the same, parking will be fine, even on a small road. It'll be wonderful to get your foundations in, especially as it's been a bit of a battle with that pesky water to reach this point.

glorious - I'm so impressed that you've painted the stairs. The first coat is the worst, too!

Unfortunately, it's looking like we are going to have to wait to do some of the final elements of our build - in particular for furniture. The bloody union have called a series of really deep strikes - 14 working days in a month. It's going to wipe our about 3/4 of our pay. It couldn't really come at a worse time, since we've budgeted for some of the final elements to come out of wages. I realise this is a first world problem, but it's SO ANNOYING. Not least because it's tactically very, very stupid. The pension offer that we have been given is absolutely dreadful, and we do all need to do something to improve it, but I fear that this industrial action is doomed before it's even started because very few people - particularly those in early career phases with young families - are going to be able to take a hit of that magnitude. The most galling thing is the fear that we'll just end up sacrificing a load of money for nothing because they've overreached themselves to a ridiculous degree.

Ongoing frustrating delays to start date here-hopefully week of 10th feb now... just desperate to get going. Have ordered my kitchen this morning though to take advantage of 10% off sale... eek the real money is about to flow out of my account in one direction only!

Whisky that sounds like a nightmare about the strikes, I hope they aren't a fruitless waste of money. I'm concerned about funds as I've been having ongoing health problems. I'm having an op Wednesday and need 3 weeks off. After 2 weeks I go on 1/2 pay. The last similar but not as severe operation I was supposed to be off 8 weeks and I was off for 16 🙈 plus if this doesn't finally fix it I have no more full pay sick leave until November and my wages are funding everything other than the build costs, so flooring, appliances etc. We're hoping to get the furniture on an interest free credit card, but it all really depends on how the build goes cost wise.

Whisky - it's engineered wood. I would've loved karndean but 45sq metres of it was way out of our budget!

I hope the strike works out in the end. Finances have been the biggest stress for us. We always planned on taking out the final £30k on our 2nd remortgage and to fix our rate. We went with an online broker who were an absolute nightmare. 2 months down the line we didn't have an offer. We gave up 2 weeks ago and we went with a local broker and now have our offer and just waiting to complete.
In the meantime we have a load on our credit card, albeit 0%, but it's a horrible feeling!

That's good to hear Bax we are going for LVT as we have 66sqm to do and yours looks fantastic

Sorry for all those with financial woes, it is hard. whisky I hope the strikes work and you don’t have to be off for too long. It is a lot for your union to ask.

@bax, I love your kitchen, I would never have thought of navy. Flooring looks fab too

Gorgeous flooring bax. I love your units too, they look great with the floor.

4years - I am so sorry you are having health problems. I had a period of bad health myself a few years ago, so I have a bit of an insight into how worrying it can all be. In the gentlest possible way, are you sure this is a good time to be putting yourself through all the stress of a building project? It takes a big toll - I think all of us who are generally well would say so, ladies?- and I am worried that with you already being unwell, it might get too much. I understand, though, that sometimes it becomes a chicken-and-egg situation: you need to change your living space to get better, but to do so may actually negatively impact your health. We will all be rooting for you on this thread, anyway.

bax - that's just abysmal from the broker. I can't believe they took that long. Sometimes I wonder whether these places really want business at all!

It's quartz day today. I am trying not to let myself get too excited in case something goes wrong and we don't have worktops by the end of the day. But, all being well, we will!

Our foundations are being poured today, I am so excited. We have managed to save enough space for the parking. This is feeling very real now! We should catch up the outside & inside in no time as most of the back is bifold doors so there isn’t that much wall to build.

Thanks @whiskyowl I'm hoping that all will be resolved by the op I'm having Wednesday. Plus I'm rather furious though relieved that the extreme pain I've been in the last few months is due to an infection but no one bothered to examine me, they just pumped me with strong painkillers Even if it does reoccur, I should be good for at least a year. It's an ongoing problem from having my daughter who is 4 1/2. I've found researching the project has distracted me from the pain and if we delayed it, who knows when I'd be better! I've delayed the start date to July in the hope that I'll be fully healed by then.....fingers crossed!

Although I hate the layout of our house as it is currently, it's quite useful for the build as we can easily completely seal off the building area, but still have access to our utility room, hallway and living room (plus the whole upstairs) we've also agreed with our neighbours to put our gas bbq in their garden so we can use it to cook on. I'm in now doubt it'll be stressful but hopefully worth it in the end.

Oh no 4years - I know what it's like to be in pain all the time, and it's horrendous. Having to fight your corner when you are under par is really stressful on top of that. I'm so sorry they didn't pick up the infection until now. It is really frustrating when things like that are missed.

As long as you think you can cope, who am I to say different ! Being able to seal off the affected area will make a HUGE difference, too. July sounds like a good time to start a build. I don't think I'd do another winter one - too cold when everything is open and you have no heating!

dust - I am STILL confused by your timeline . I have to keep reminding myself that you have these two separate phases of work going on concurrently. The foundations being poured is a really exciting moment - it is literally set in stone (well, almost) then! You'll be amazed at how fast the shell flies up.

I'm glad we're starting in July, the shell should be up by the end of August and the kitchen installed mid September.....just no flooring until mid November! I'm just hoping for it all to be done by Christmas

One thing I've learned is that 6 months is a lot more realistic as a timescale than the regulation builder-speak of "12 weeks"! (Unless you have bax's flying building team, that is!) Sounds really do-able.

Quartz guys have JUST showed up. I'm supposed to be focused on a paper today - big deadline, scarily soon - but instead I've been chewing my nails and waiting impatiently and not focusing! I am going to have to work this evening now!

Yay for getting quartz fitted!

I'd be the same. I've got loads of work to do before I go off sick Wednesday, but I'm really struggling to focus and concentrate due to pain; I think I'll be working on my laptop whilst waiting for my operation (I work at the hospital I'm having the operation at!)

I've managed to haggle £700 off of our granite quote. Ronan's are still slightly cheaper, but this is a local company and we can go choose the slabs which I'm very excited about

I love the idea of choosing the slabs, that would really sell it to me!

Just had a huge panic. The fitters arrived and said "No, we need the sockets OFF".

"What do you mean, OFF" I say - I took the screws out and loosened them.
"No" they say, very firmly "We need you to remove the whole front plate."
My electrician is not answering his phone, so I go and switch the circuits off at the main board, have a brief prayer - totally hypocritical as I am an atheist - and unscrew all the covers, then - very cautiously at first - I reach a bit of tape towards the wire.

I AM NOT DEAD. And the quartz fitting continueth. Therefore this mission was a success.

Ooh hope the quartz is finished now! Our granite people were bossy too but god they knew what they were doing (and the glue smelt lovely 😂 not ina weird way though!)

We started last week of August which seems forever ago but in reality our house has totally changed!