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.

Interesting homesunderthehammer, would you mind sharing how the builder suggested to save the money on steels?

Hi User, it's probably to do with our design which has a number of 2100mm high windows. To tie in with the existing house, the architect had them right in the corner of the room supported by a steel "goalpost". The builder thought, and checked with building control, that if we moved them 675mm from the outside corner we could rely on the blockwork and wouldn't need quite as much steel. So we agreed.

Thank you, that went completely over my head, but I will pretend to know what I'm talking about to my builder.

Ours has been painful. It feels like it's been going on forever. First patio was done. Then knocked out back wall to make a space for bifold door. Then all doors and windows replaced after 25 years!
Then kitchen to dining room wall knocked through. Then small extension done on front of kitchen. With new glass roof.
Bloke went on holiday without allocating the glass roof a job number. So delayed a week.
So plaster,electrician and plumber delayed a week.

Plus new kitchen being installed is now delayed a week.

I've had no kitchen for weeks and been using disposable plates and washing up in a bowl in the garden.

Everyone says: oh it's lovely, so worth it. Really? Doesn't feel like it to me.

Please be over soon.....

What a nightmare Oblomov. Living through it is such hard work (we did it last time) and makes the whole process feel so much longer even without the delays you’ve had. The space looks lovely though, Hopefully its a bit like childbirth and by Christmas you’ll be enjoying your newly finished house having totally forgotten the excruciating pain it took to get there!

Oblomov sorry you’re having a hard time of it. I’m so nervous about when builders come down into the house to do ground floor (currently doing loft so no real impact yet).

One day it really will be a distant memory!!

Oblomov I swear it is worth it in the end. We had a few months of washing up in the bath and coping with our hot plate and microwave. It was hard, but honestly now I have a working kitchen it is worth it. And I say that when the kitchen is still boarded up for the extension and building material everywhere!

HI everyone. Sorry I kind of fell off the last thread, but things progressing well.
Builders cracking on and I fear we're being spoilt by the lack of 'hassle' at the moment! We've currently still got the use of all the upstairs and the front room downstairs, plus we have our caravan on the drive for cooking.
I am beginning to panic slightly about when they start the knock throughs upstairs as then we really will be in the van full time - plus trying to fit what's left upstairs into the last remaining 1/4 of the storage unit!
Trying hard not to worry about that at the moment though!
Anyway - loving seeing all your progress and pics. Here's a couple of how we are currently.

Thank you everyone. I knew you'd all totally understand. Yes, like childbirth!!
I was on the last thread and remember someone else saying about the disposable plates, so I took their hint!

Window disaster aside, exciting week ahead as our DIY kitchen arrives this week, our bathroom furniture also arrives and we are due our internal doors to be delivered today so this will feel like a major step forward this week. Electrician has begun fitting the sockets and switches also, carpenter is halfway through fitting out our walk through wardrobe in our new master suite and decorator is almost finished painting. Still waiting for new garage door to arrive, need to begin ordering new front door and pick new porch floor tiles but otherwise it should begin looking like a house again soon.

Linguaphile, that door looks great, what is it and where did you purchase, if you don't mind me asking?

Oooh Humpty, sounds like you're over the hill (bad pun I know) looking forward to pics!

Bobkate you're extension looks huge. You've got a really pretty house

Lingua that it looking fabulous!

Welcome Hippo, I’m here for a handhold on bills, we’d been quoted 14k for Windows and doors but now it’s looking like it was incorrect and it’s going to be much more expensive :(

My news is that our insurance premium has gone up by £200 because if the work, should I just pay it? I don’t think I have the energy to shop around :(

I too am expecting our insurance premium to go up.

Just had both invoices for party wall ours and neighbours £1450 each :( I do worry that it’s not going to be worth all the expense :(

So far today the building inspector has told us that they are still not happy with the roof and want the builder to squeeze a steel up there!
Electrician is rewiring the whole house for us as we have no Earth wires in the lights.
Still 5 guys including 2 electricians a plumber and 2 chippys beavering away.
It's not the mess, dust or noise getting me down it's the fact it is so hard to get out with my little boy at 39 weeks pregnant, all I want to do is sleep lol.

chocolate I cant imagine how hard it must be whilst so heavily pregnant I do feel for you.

Firm words with builder-much promise of action... sure it all just washes over him though. Really frustrated now; feeling like I’m making some big expensive mistakes in our lives at the moment...

What to do- what is the hold up with your builder?

Oh chocolate, will you still be living in once the baby is born, that must be very hard :(

I can have a bath again!

The drains at the back of our house have been out of action for about 3 weeks but today they've been starting to connect them back up again, starting with the bathroom. Kitchen and utility room tomorrow. Thankfully we have a toilet and shower at the front of the house.

In comparison to what some of you are living with, we're having a walk in the park.

chocolate honestly I think he’s over committed himself and has two other jobs finishing next week...once they are done we are all he has on for a while but it doesn’t feel like much consolation to be honest. In the whole scheme of things I keep reminding myself this is a 10 year plus house so the delays are relatively minor but we have now owned it for over a year and I don’t even consider we are doing anything that unconventional to it-full width rear extension, New bathrooms and a bit of reconfiguration via stud walls... sigh... could have knocked it down and started again in this time...

Excellent news 9bottles bath will be so lovely with some warm weather around. I hope you see some progress brandnewhoyse pictures soon please!