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.

@Linguaphile ... wow!!

@Linguaphile wow! Congratulations 🍾

@Catquest1 welcome and good luck

@Linguaphile,
It's beautiful! Wow! Completely worth it!

Wow!!!

@catquest1 come on in! Make sure you’ve got some biscuits!

@linguaphile it’s quite simply STUNNING!

Yesterday the sky lights went in in the showerroom, utiliy room and over the kitchen window so hopefully it won’t look quite so much like a cave in the middle and today the plasterers were in. I can’t quite believe how quickly it’s gone.

Although today a bombshell was dropped. They’re not decorating it. It’s not in the contract, and they don’t normally do it. Buggar 😩
So now we have to find a decorator that’s free 2 weeks before xmas!

Oh lingua it looks stunning. You must be so over the moon! Things feel like they are stalling here a bit but hoping the bifolds will be going in next week...fingers crossed! Trying to gee everyone along a bit!!

Thank you!! I have been happy as a clam this evening organizing everything. My pull-out larder and huge shallow spice drawer bring particular joy! I honestly didn’t realize how big it would be. It’s enormous. 😳

Oh Birdy how disheartening about the decorators not being included in the contract. We had that and it was a nasty shock for both timeline and budget. Hope you can find someone!

Bobkate crossing everything they install the bifolds on schedule! It makes such a difference to have doors and windows. 😅

@Linguaphile I am envious of your organising!! Enjoy your beautiful home!

@BirdyandBee what a disappointment. Fingers crossed you can find someone.

@bobkate windows make such a difference don't they.

We had our first window frame go in today in the new kitchen window opening.

It's such a relief to be honest as they have taken ages to make them. We are having wooden windows to match the original ones in the house and we were beginning to think they were going to delay the whole project. The rest of the windows will be arriving next week, so it feels like we might actually make the Xmas deadline!! We too have plaster-boarding going on and the decorators are also in getting a base coat on the rooms in the existing house. The finish line seems so close and yet so far!

So lovely to hear progress and people on the home straight. Lingua the kitchen is beautiful, what an amazing job. Enjoy!

Our decorators started yesterday from the top of the house, tiling nearly complete in the bathrooms, the extension is being plastered, the floor gets poured for the extension next Wednesday so a really big push to get as much done as possible in that space.

Double ooh and aah at the kitchen @linguaphile

Oh wow at the kitchen and other pictures Linguaphile ! Gives me hope whilst sitting here feeling a touch chilly. Pain on the decorator front Birdyandbee . No budget here for it so I’m doing it and have been able to start on hall and downstairs toilet so I feel some progress being mad3 despite fight with caulking gun. It won.

Our roof steels went in last week which was cool to watch. They were all chilled out but for DH and I it felt like a bit of a Grand Designs moment as it was craned in. Today the roof is starting to look more like a roof, I can see where the dormer will be and he’s putting on felt. Missing bathroom wall roughly replaced but shower not functional so I’ve been filling in as many gaps in utility room ceiling where another shower is, with old underlay and sheets to make it as warm as possible.

Considering one side of upstairs behind a hollow door is open to the elements it could be colder but am so looking forward to being watertight. Have found roof tiles for £100 which will save about £250 after petrol costs. First lot are back but think we’ll need to do another 3 runs once the guy takes rest off. His wife is currently minus a staircase, looked slightly fraught and was muttering one day at a time, I could relate to that.

Without doubt we have bitten off way more than budget allows but hopefully will come good in the end, I have to tell myself that and who wants render on the outside anyway ! (Me, one day...)

Thanks! I'm now in the dilemma of choosing barstools. Very similar. It's a question of whether comfort and quality should trump one with a slightly more appealing general look. What do you think??

Option 1
pros: real leather, super comfortable
cons: chrome base, fussier design
www.atlanticshopping.co.uk/bar-stools/siena-bar-stool-black.html?utm_expid=37303517-2.bHgDipp7Soqajl0a4YjsQQ.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlanticshopping.co.uk%2Fbar-stools%2Flexi-brushed-steel-stool-black.html

Option 2
pros: brushed steel base, less fussy design
cons: fake leather, not as comfy
www.atlanticshopping.co.uk/bar-stools/newark-brushed-bar-stool-black.html?utm_expid=37303517-2.bHgDipp7Soqajl0a4YjsQQ.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.atlanticshopping.co.uk%2Fbar-stools%2Fsiena-bar-stool-black.html

We went for looks over comfort. Don't get me wrong I love the look of ours but I do regret not getting lovely soft seats. In all honesty, I expect we'll change them when we can

That's interesting Bax, good to know!

Cripes lingua I can hardly tell the difference between those two so I would go comfort all the way!!

@Linguaphile I am struggling to tell the difference either, so I would go real leather and comfort!

We’re planning on a single storey extension next year so I’m reading all this with interest! Ours will be a knock through of kitchen to dining room, removal of utility, wc and conservatory. Extending out to create one large space incorporating kitchen, dining, office, utility and wc. Our existing utility houses our wc, boiler and washing machine. This part of the house is an extension which will need to be removed so they can start the new extension. I’m wondering whether they can temporarily hook up the boiler and washing machine in a different part of the house? Or would it be cheaper to move out and let them get on? Hope this makes sense!

Well we truly look like a building site now. To save some money we knocked our garage down ourselves this weekend with some help from our marvellous bil. My arms ache from doing the sledgehammering bit.

Rubble is being renoved today and hopefully digger is arriving later on - no going back now

Beyond angry with builder-he’s pushed back floor installation as they’re not ready-he’s known since Friday only told me today when I called and pushed him on progress... was supposed to go in tomorrow...
Move date back at least another week... pre Christmas move date looking precarious....

Good luck catquest and whyisitsodifficult

@Whattodowithaminute that sucks. I find lack of communication the most annoying thing about tradesmen

Oh god, that is really annoying whatto I feel your pain .
I am cacking it. Apparently the back doors and roof lights are being installed tomorrow. We haven't had one part of their order arrive without an issue so am dreading it

I feel your pain guys ... we are waiting for windows ... apparently will be here this week. I have fear about Christmas ... my builder keeps trying to reassure me it will be done by the beginning of Dec ... we seem so close but yet so far ... fingers and toes crossed for us all

We have back doors...I repeat, we have back doors

Needless to say, not without a hiccup. They were meant to be painted grey inside and out but have come grey outside and white inside. They have said they will respray them in situ for us, but now I wonder if grey inside will be too much? What do you all reckon? We also have interior doors and handles! Roll on the finish line

Wow @bobkate they look good! I like the white internally-what’s your overall interior design vibe going to be?

They are lovely @bobkate I like the white inside personally, but it will depend on what your decoration plans are!