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Home extensions 2017 - Christmas is coming

999 replies

Believeitornot · 06/12/2017 18:12

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whiskyowl · 02/02/2018 08:36

Sherbet - you're doing really well, plastering is the hardest bit! Everything looks like a hole in that horrible dark pink colour it has, and it smells like a wet dog too. Hang in there!

Ladies, I had a bit of a teary moment last night. I don't know why, it all got on top of me a bit. I think part of it was how horrible the electrician was, and another part was just really, really wanting and needing my house back now! But I do have good news - the builder is decamping today! There are still quite a few bits and pieces of snagging outstanding, and he's coming back over the next 2 weeks to sort these (I'm holding back a bit of money, just to be sure), but from this evening I will be able to start sorting out my own house again. Smile

To cheer myself up, I went to Ikea and bought a load of drawer inserts for my cutlery, crockery etc. Organising things makes me happy. Smile

Caspiana · 02/02/2018 10:07

Oh @whiskyowl, you poor thing. Sorry it has all got a bit much. I hope the organising has cheered you up Smile. You’re on the home strait now...

@sherbert38 a boiling water tap - I think I need one of those in my life! Will put it on the (ever expanding) wish list for our kitchen!

4yearsnosleep · 02/02/2018 10:39

@whiskyowl hugs for the teary moment. I feel very lucky that I have an electrician that I trust. He's very old and can talk for England, but he's thorough and brilliant so I'm hoping that will be an area that I won't be stressing over.

Sherbet38 · 02/02/2018 11:19

Thankfully whisky the upstairs plastering is all out of site as the whole area is sealed off. But i know its happening ... ( the plasterer is a smoker and even though he smokes outside i can tell when he's arrived Hmm).

caspiana the boiling water taps are fab. Expensive and completely unjustified if you compare it to the cost of a kettle. But i really want to minimise appliances ( to clean around) on work tops Smile

We've hunted around and tried to get really good prices for appliances. We've bought some graded appliances... those that have been returned for one reason or another. None have any dents that will be seen. But we've saved quite a bit of money Smile

ThankYouGillian · 02/02/2018 11:42

Hi all, I've been lurking on this thread having posted a couple of times on the previous one.
We've finished our build now, but still have to settle final bill with the builder. Just wondering, re snagging, what kind of thing should I be looking at? Not sure what's petty and what we should sort ourselves......
It's good to see so many projects coming together!

theredjellybean · 02/02/2018 12:38

Silly question... If you have a new kitchen installed as part of project does the builder fit it? We had thought we'd use Howden kitchens... But wren off interest free four yrs... Which might swing it for us. I had looked at prices on adverts and thought that about 4k would be plenty for simple medium u shaped kitchen, no new appliances needed. But I didn't realise that was not including installation.... Would it be better to get builder to do it all?

4yearsnosleep · 02/02/2018 12:51

@theredjellybean read the Wren thread in here before looking at them! Wickes do 4 years interest free.

My BIL is a tiler and told be to get a professional kitchen fitter, not a builder to fit the kitchen

whiskyowl · 02/02/2018 15:48

Awww, thanks guys. I'm feeling much better today Smile. The electrician is NOT here. But the man who is making my built-in furniture is, and he's brilliant. The best thing was that - totally without prompting - he jokingly said "Are you sure you want warm white lights on your bookcase, and not bright blue ones so it looks like a tacky bar?" Grin

redjelly - I had my builder do it, and if I were doing it again, I would get a professional kitchen fitter instead. The skills are quite different - you want someone who can do second fix with finesse, and many builders aren't really great at this. I literally had to stand over mine and insist over all sorts of things, and it was very stressful. However, I have heard horror stories of terrible kitchen fitters, so I think it would be well worth finding the 'right' guy - by personal recommendation if possible.

DO check out online review for Wren. They have terrible feedback. Ikea do 0% finance on their kitchens, which is really great - but be prepared for issues with them.

thankyou - I'm really wondering the same thing! And coming to the conclusion that I'm prepared to do things that I feel skilled enough to do (and my skillset is small!) but that I'm not prepared to do work where it's clear that I've paid someone else to do it. So I'm happy to Danish oil some wood, to varnish some doors, and to touch up the paint, but I'm not doing stuff like fitting handles on kitchen doors.

DustandRubble · 02/02/2018 16:04

Glad you are feeling better today whisky.

I am feeling fed up of it all now. This week has been like wading through mud for various reasons. Icing on the cake was the electrician not turning up today so I do not have a working oven for the weekend. The main builder is pissed off too as he had the guys on another job and would have sent one to me to finish off fitting cupboard doors had he known the electrician wasn’t coming.

He is aware that things are starting to get to me and has promised progress. I am going to do my best to persuade DH that we should move out for a few weeks later this month to allow the bathroom to be done. That means we are not depending on the downstairs toilet being done for them to start. And I am not sure I can grin & bear it through a few weeks of no bath/shower anymore. It has all gone on for too long.

DustandRubble · 02/02/2018 16:08

And I REALLY wanted to be able to use the oven this weekend. Still, the granite company called to confirm the worktop will be fitted on Tuesday.

redjelly our builders are fitting the kitchen. They are doing a good job, but kitchen renovations are a big thing for them. They are more internal builders, probably why our build is backwards!

whiskyowl · 02/02/2018 16:14

Oh no dust - how rotten for you! I know exactly what it's like to set your heart on having something orking and then for it not to happen. It really sucks! It af

I can hear how exhausted and ground down you are in your post. You are not alone! I've felt that way so much, and then felt guilty about feeling that way because I should be strong and striding through all the changes. But sometimes it just gets to you, and when it does it is just miserable! I think one thing I've realised is that home is the place I come to get away from the upsets of the world, and when it's home that is the cause of the upset I find that very confusing and disturbing!

I'm glad your builder is listening to your concerns. And I think moving out is a GREAT idea. If I were doing this again, I would definitely budget for way more time out.

It does get better. You WILL get that oven on early next week, and in the meantime there is gin. Flowers Gin Flowers Grin

whiskyowl · 02/02/2018 16:15

Oops, my sentence vanished! It was supposed to say "It affects the way you feel about everything!"

DustandRubble · 02/02/2018 16:40

Thanks whisky, once I see some progress again it will give me a boost. I just put the dishwasher on to cheer myself up. Grin

Those choosing appliances, get a dishwasher with a cutlery drawer rather than basket. It is brilliant!

theredjellybean · 02/02/2018 20:55

Thanks for the advice everyone.
I will ask my friend who recommended the builder who fitted her kitchen.
Chin up everyone, I am sure the hour before dawn is the darkest.... And some of you are so close...
Our builder is coming to do test dig to check foundations of old conservatory in two weeks... Fingers x they arw going to be good enough.
We are very lucky that we can escape our build and go to our city flat but I worry then no one is there supervising building work. But weekends we can stay in city...

Baxdream · 03/02/2018 17:57

Look look 😱

Home extensions 2017 - Christmas is coming
Caspiana · 03/02/2018 18:16

Beautiful @bax!

Threesocks · 03/02/2018 18:23

That light is gorgeous - where's it from?

Baxdream · 03/02/2018 19:08

It's by dar lighting

4yearsnosleep · 03/02/2018 22:47

It's so beautiful Bax 😍😍

theredjellybean · 03/02/2018 23:04

Absolutely worth it

TeamRick · 04/02/2018 08:36

Coming on to offer morale to Whisky & Dust! You"re nearly there! ThanksThanks

whiskyowl · 04/02/2018 08:38

Gorgeous! It twinkles bax!

I am half way through sorting out the almighty mess that is my front room (where I left all my stuff packed in boxes). The level of dust in there is unreal and I am shattered with moving heavy boxes around. But I have some hopes I might have something resembling a room by this evening!

Baxdream · 04/02/2018 11:58

Thanks everyone it is a thing of beauty.

There's so many near the end now, it's lovely to see!

Rick - hope you're enjoying your beautiful home.

To all those starting- the tears are worth it! It is soon forgotten when you have your dream home

DustandRubble · 04/02/2018 21:28

It is gorgeous.

My new dishwasher is doing a good job of cheering me up. It is so good! Our last dishwasher was awful, DH bought it on a whim without any research. This time I did research, bought a Miele, and it has been a revelation. Glasses are sparkly! And the cutlery drawer is a stroke of genius. Love it.

glorious · 04/02/2018 22:47

whisky glad you're feeling better. I've had a number of times this week where I've totally lost it. I've just got no resilience at all left.

Ooh bax I love it!

We've been fitting our out kitchen this weekend. It turns out I find that very stressful too. It needs a lot of work still but the basics are there.

Home extensions 2017 - Christmas is coming
Home extensions 2017 - Christmas is coming