Home Extension thread 2018

[Baxdream]

Thought we should get the new thread ready!
Our front door is in. Long story but it arrived damaged 😫 it's in and lovely but it's going to be replaced!
Our fencing has started today, the short ones are new, the others are getting ripped out

It is such a tough journey. Don't feel guilty about moaning during the tough times. It's hard to manage at home and to act normal at work.
People only understand if they go through it.

You soon forget though and the house you create is a dream and provides those lovely memories. The first family meal is pretty special!

We have our landscaping company here until next Friday and then our house is ours. Thankfully just in time for summer.

So our builders have arrived and demolished the patio within minutes . I have provided them with tea, coffee, biscuits, squash and their own mugs and cheap kettle (so not bothered if they get broken)...... how else can I keep the builders happy; any tips?

Another week gone-another week with no steels... so frustrating...

What is the hold up, whattodo?, is it the crappy weather? We got nothing done outside this week due to rain. Tomorrow the frame for the bifolds should go in though. And next week the brickie is back and will lay bricks. In 2 weeks we should have the extension and the front porch built.

We have also provided the builders with a list of all outstanding internal jobs, as we are down to the snagging and bitty things that it is easy to forget. I am feeling more hopeful that by the end of this month we may have small snagging stuff to do but, on the whole, we should be finished.

Itsthekissing you are being nicer to your builders than I am! Mine brought their own kettle and tea & coffee. I think what mine like best is me leaving them to it and picking up any issues with the main builder.

I'm knee deep in clearing out the kitchen tonight ready to vacate one side of the house as the roof is raised and the new kitchen area constructed. We are also moving the staircase to this side of house.

The flat roof was packed with compressed straw and all the ceilings are wood. Every day after work I'm vacuuming up the bits that fall through as they work on the roof.

I'm determined to stay

dust working diagnosis is builder procrastination and possible incompetence... would challenge him more if only he’d answer the phone

Devil that sounds like a fairly epic bit of the work! Hope it goes smoothly.

Whattodo how frustrating. Is your builder just not showing up or answering his phone?

I continue to await further information from South West Water re the sewer build over, and the architect continues to be useless (off the radar for a fortnight then cancelled today's appointment). So glad we weren't planning on using him for project management, he is good natured but so disorganised.

I'm in hell my house is chaos. I'm beginning to wish we had somewhere to move out to!

Whatodo that's annoying. Guess its too late to switch builders? I always found they want to get cracking as time is money and all that.

Devil, wow that looks huge area.

Hopefully our architect was absolute awful we discovered. Got lots wrong and we had issues with water company too. Feel your pain.

We know him well personally so I think he’s just being evasive because he has nothing to report with respect to progress, nothing is happening at all on site, ad I understand he’s worried about the house falling down when they put the steel in

We have our building control certificate 😱

That calls for a celebration Bax!

#Baxdream excellent news!!

Whattodo some builders take on several jobs and either run out of manpower or funds because they use a new job to fund one in progress. So they disappear for a bit until they get more money in.

Our house is flat roofed sixties built into the side of a hill so we live on the upper floor which is level with the back garden. We are extending downstairs to get a huge balcony, extending at back to get massive kitchen. Every room except the lounge is either getting bigger or moving. We are moving the bathroom a bedroom the staircase and utility and toilet. It's timber framed and now steels are in we can move everything about as none of the walls are structural on the upper floor.

I'm aiming for something along the lines of this

Wow devil that will be amazing. Bax congrats on the certificate...whoo hoo!
Whattodo we had about a 2 week wait for our steels...the builders on site were twiddling their thumbs a bit and grumbling around a lot. Once they arrived, they went up really quick so hopefully that'll be the same in your case. hopefully I despaired with our architects so I'm quite relieved all that part of that is out the way.
I keep meaning to post with kitchen layout questions but am just too exhausted to think about that. I think I'm being a bit ostrich about it, really need to pull my finger out. Waahhhhh
Happy long, sunny weekend to you all!

We have 5 days left and our house will be completely finished 😱

I am so envious Bax. Just imagine how you are going to feel having a celebratory drink in your new garden, knowing all the building work is behind you.

#Baxdream what are you having done in the garden? It's something we need to do after the extension is complete but no idea what kind of prices we are looking at?

Looks great Bax, how long has it taken?

We've spent the day moving everything into the lounge and bedroom.

Here's my new kitchen

We had all new fencing, new patio and all new lawn, it's costing just over £8k. Worth every penny though!
I cannot wait to start enjoying it!

That’s a fine looking kitchen devil. Bijou.

We chose the sunniest day ever to cook the first roast in our new kitchen. The difference in space and having two ovens was noted. Very pleased.

I have spent the day emptying out the last of our kitchen cupboards, ready for the wall to come down next week. I am missing being able to cook a roast! Even on a hot day like today! My challenge next week is kitchen planning. I WILL not stick my head in the sand any longer!!! Famous last words!