Home Extension Thread 2018 - summer edition

[DustandRubble]

A thread to share the highs and lows of all things extension, loft conversion, renovation related. Bring your own dustpan and brush.

kitncaboodle I can definitely relate to the getting up in time for the builders arrival....4 months in and it's still a pain in the bum!
minipie that sounds an exciting project...we're doing a similar ish amount of work, but we're still here in the thick of it. There was no way we could afford extra rent. I think our builders would probably rather we were out the way, but they work around us pretty well. Also I totally agree with mynameis with the sourcing all beforehand. Speaking from bitter experience at having the sweats now having to choose things. I would also really go through literally everything with the architect, down to lights, plugs, etc. Ours have been bloody useless and the plans really not practical in that sense, hence having to make on the hop decisions.
thered love your woof. My 2 are really not v impressed at being banished to one room. Thankfully one is quite old so does a lot of sleeping. I'll be so happy for him when it's all finished. He can enjoy his old age pottering about in more space.
Thank you all for your opinions re the kitchen. I have asked for one other combo which I'll post when I get it. The darker base units with the dark island is the clear fave with you all!

P.s Bax I still look at your kitchen and go ooooohhh!

I have shed envy pallando!!! We have a 20ft storage container that is £160/mth and we still have not enough space as now we're also rewiring and 're plumbing the whole house we need to clear more stuff out.
I love,love,love the look of your house and that extension. It will be fantastic!

We did look into storage, but for about £3k we have had a shed base built and a 16ft by 10ft shed - and we only have to move stuff to the bottom of the garden rather than at least 6 miles away! Probably cannot put the books in there though.

The house is fun - but the layout is a bit awkward in places. The reason the kitchen extension is "flattened" is that otherwise one of our bedrooms and one of next doors would only see a slate roof.

Cat is coping surprisingly well. She won't like them breaking in though!

It's amazing how the animals cope. I thought they'd be really distressed the whole time, and bored. They just look slightly irritated at times, but considering they haven't even got use of our garden at the mo, they're doing v well.
Okay lovely lot - I have one more option kitchen colour wise to put out to vote.
So I'll attach the firm fave from yesterday and the last option I have. ( she has done mismatched worktops - unintentionally I presume ) so we would either go white on both sides or wood on both sides ( if we can reuse our old tops. )

I really like the blue but I am not sure about it with grey above. I really want to make it all blue!

I still like blue on lower, and pale grey on back wall.

My ddogs LOVE the builders... Have been 'helping' with digging the foundations, 'helping' moving tools around and 'helping' with lunch clear up... My dd came home with little high viz jackets for the dogs last week and we have written on them.
Norbert is obviously 'project manager' and Arnold is 'dogsbody'...
Not sure the builders love them quite as much though...

Bobkate... What floor are you having?

thered we're having karndean van Gogh country oak.
Love the high vis idea!!! Norbert and Arnold are great dog names!
dust dh has vetoed all blue. Thinks it'll be too much.

Hello!

Have not been on for weeks, have been in a holding pattern while waiting for planning permission. No queries asked of the architect by planners or objections raised yet (assuming we'd be able to see them on the planning portal?) and we have a provisional determination date of 3rd September. Keeping everything crossed it's go go go from there.

We have also started talking to builders after hearing one too many horror story about two year waits, and have pinned down at least one builder (out of five phoned so far ) who can start in the first half of next year. Once we've got planning permission and buiders on board I'll feel I have full justification to start choosing kitchens and bathrooms and tiles and floors and all the fun stuff .

Theredjellybean your dogs sound excellent!

Bobkate I like all dark with the light on the back wall - makes the back wall disappear and enlarge the room. Although I'm not 100% sure on mixed colour kitchens as a general rule.

I am another all blue fan. But I understand what your dh is saying. I find the blue with grey about a bit odd. I love the blue island with the blue floor to ceiling cupboards though!

Grey at the back blue island and sides Bobkate. Love it

Ooh the thread has moved on quickly lol

To the people who have already started work - have you taken daily photos just for your own reference??

newkitchens I haven’t taken anything like daily photos, I’m only there max once per week and even then progress has been so slow so far that there hasn’t been much to take pictures of! Finally in the last two weeks I’ve seen obvious signs of progress... sigh...

Hopefully,
Good luck with planning permission. We have got 6th sept date for decision. Fingers crossed!

Ours is a small ish build I guess compared to some of yours, we can stay in the house for all of it, it will become tricky when we take out he old kitchen. I wasn’t sure whether to take photos of progress or not!

I have taken photos, not daily but when big things happen. It’s nice to see the change.

Builders have been appointed. Meeting next week to discuss timescales etc.

If anyone needs help with planning permission, I'm a Planning Consultant.

There's two great examples of DIYKitchens in the new Good Homes Magazine if anyone wants some inspo/assurance that they can look fab. The bespoke Carrera looks fab and wouldn't have been one I would have considered before

I have started a separate instagram account so that my mum doesn't feel the need to hound me daily with questions on what bit has been done today, etc. It's quite funny. She nags me if I haven't put any on for a few days!
I have another question!
So our layout was 2 doubles and a small box room. We've stolen a little out of the 2 doubles to create the stairs to the loft but they will still be doubles ( albeit a slightly odd shape ). So our 2 DC will have a room each - the one they are currently sharing and our old bedroom. The box room has become a landing/corridor/part of our en suite so our room is in the new extension. So on the first floor we'll have 3 doubles, one is en suite.
The loft room is as the photos. It's quite long. We always intended to put an en suite in there as well, despite us not intending to use it as our bedroom.My DH has seen how lovely and big the room is without the en suite and is now saying he thinks we shouldn't bother.
I, on the other hand, think we should stick to the orginal plan. The room past the en suite will still be 4m long.
We're intending to use it at the moment as a spare/guest room but using sofa beds as day to day use will probably be as somewhere for the girls to hang out with mates, etc. But in the longer term perhaps one of the kids would want to go up there, or us even?
So.... what's best? To en suite up there or not?

Thanks for the good homes tip off 4years - I know what I"ll be buying tomorrow!

This is a mash up from the other angle....

I'd go for an ensuite. It would be good for resale as well as for guests

I agree 4years - just got to convince DH. It makes more sense to do it now I think as well.