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

I'm getting ever so itchy waiting for our builders due to start in 3 weeks.
Should I have told our architect that we are starting or do they just do the plan bits? How do we know the sizes? Our plans are to scale so do we just measure?

Is it normal to feel extreme anxiety that we have done something wrong/underestimated what it'll be like to live through it/panic about running out of money?

I think they were just drawing up our plans

amazing I hope it's normal to be constantly anxious.....because I am!!! We're about a month in....no going back now. I am so bad at being decisive, this process is like the worse thing for me. I am constantly second guessing our plans, our decisions, size/position of doors, etc. Having said that I am doing my level best to ride with it..and know that whatever we end up with will be a vast improvement on what we had before so therefore the worry will be worth it!!!
I keep telling myself 5 months of pain for years of gain!!

Hi there, I'm new to all this! Builders start our extension tomorrow, well once they've demolished the conservatory that is. Very excited but also a little nervous, hoping we've made the right decision. I guess time will tell...

I will be joining you on Monday! Feeling a mix of excitement and terror.
We are doing a six month project to demolish an existing shoddy extension and rebuild a single storey wrap around extension along with complete renovation of the whole ground floor.
Fingers crossed it's a smooth journey for everyone.

@theredjellybean take your picture to IKEA and book an appointment with their kitchen people, that'd give you a comparison. IKEA will be flat pack so factor in their installation service cost. ours is IKEA and very happy.

We're near the end of ours (6 months late!) but external works will take another month (external insulation and render, then paving - groundwork already done). Currently OH needs to paint our main living area, install our ufh and floating wooden floor then we can call it "done".
Internally we will have a long list of things to finish off ourselves (OH wanted to do this as he enjoys it) - skirting/windowsills/shelves etc.

Hello. I've been lurking on here for a while. We've just started the work for our extension. Luckily we aren't living there but it is still going to be a long and stressful period. It isn't helped by the fact we got the plans done by an architect friend of mine, but we seem to be missing information and my husband isn't at all happy.
Can I ask who calculated your joist sizes for you? Was it your architect or a stuctural engineer? Thanks

Our steels and joist measurements were done by a structural engineer cabbage

Structural engineer for steels & joists, the architect did foundations though.

100% a structural engineer!

Can I have your collective wisdom and thoughts then on my kitchen layout design, part 5487 ( that's what it feels like anyway! )
The back run of tall units I was thinking could be surrounded by a frame...a bit like in the second image ( but we would have the ovens on on top of the other to make room for a larder either side and a tall fridge and freezer on the ends )
Then the unit to the left of the chimney I was thinking of something like the 3rd image.

And in other excting news....the wall between the old kitchen and old lounge is coming down as I type. I am beyond excited!!!

The wall is down .
Where the glass doors are still ( they'll be blocked up soon ) is the back wall where I thought the tall, framed run could go.

Hello.

Today I've joined your ranks and work on our extension has started with digging out foundations. Our house is up a lane and we can't get a truck up it so a dumper truck has been whizzing up and down all day.

We have a big hole in the ground and the rain has started so I'm hoping that it won't be a swimming pool by the morning!

4 month build. Can't wait for it to be over!

Love both ideas @bobkate

Welcome to all of you that started this week 🙌🏼

Homesunderthehammer is your lane is unadopted out of interest?
We live down an unadopted road that serves other properties and I'm wondering about the impact of any potential damage caused by construction vehicles.

Does anyone have a checklist of things to have done legally and for your own sanity before building work starts? only just found out about party wall agreements and now I'm panicking again that we have forgotten something

Yes - hello to all other extensioneers!
Amazing I wouldn't be able to help on either the party wall or adopted road. I'm sure I found a thread here once before we started that helped. Maybe search pre build checklist or similar?
4years do you think that layout works ok? Your kitchen was from DIY wasn't it? Did you send them a plan like mine above to get a quote or did you have to itemise everything for them? I would quite like an idea of costs before we think about going up there as it would be a fair trek.

Thanks bob
Do we need insurance to carry out the work at all?

I came home and the kitchen ceiling is gone.

As a side order, my mum is in a care home and I've got an offer on her house so I'm dealing with her affairs as well, she has alzhiemers. I discovered today she had cancelled the house insurance in April TO SAVE ME SOME TIME considering taking her phone away . Thank god it didn't collapse/burn to ground.

Amazing , you should notify insurance company you are doing work