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.

Thank you @4yearsnosleep !
I will start asking around. I'll have a look at the builders who've gotten in touch but I'll tread carefully.

We have a tiled roof! And windows and external doors!!

Our builders started today!

We’ve had another price through. This time much more along the lines of what I’d been thinking, I liked him too and a good friend used him for her extension and had only good things to say. Waiting on one other quote but think we may go with the one that came in today.

Cat sounds like good progress.

Hope day one went well MyName

That sounds like a no brainer @Thisgirlcancancan ! I'd always go for a recommendation if reasonable

@MyNameIsJane how was the first day?

I need to chase our builder to organise a time to run through everything. He said he's away 'early Jan' so when would be ok to chase? (It's like navigating dating dos and don'ts 🤣🤣)

@Catquest1 sounds like good progress.... pics? :)

@4yearsnosleep - it’s going well. The builders evicted some uninvited garden residents yesterday. (They found a rat’s nest- bleurgh!)

They’ve dug the ground so it’s flat outside including where we are planning to have a patio. I assume the digging down will start tomorrow.

I’m going to hope for no snow this year.

Hi - What sort of amount or percentage did you hold back on a big job until completion. I'm having my whole house re-done pretty much. Re-wiring, decorating, patio doors put in. Total cost about 30,000. I want to hold 3,000 back, the builder wants me to hold 1500 back. At the moment there is lots of work in progress, but nothing is actually finished (we are not living there). What do you think? AIBU to keep 3,000? Thanks.

@Kezia72 we had a payment plan from our builder with quite a detailed breakdown of how much each bit would cost. There was an initial small down payment and then we've had bills for each bit of the work once its completed.

It does mean that pretty much each week weve had a bill to pay but we've only paid what has actually been completed as we've gone along

Does that make sense? I think the first bill was for completing the foundations, then one for moving the drains, one for joists and steelwork, one for completion of brickwork etc.

@4yearsnosleep i will try and find some pbotos!

So sorry to have fallen of this thread totally. So many things were getting me down but we're almost there. Had the wrong kitchen doors delivered pre Christmas and only got those fitted last week, the worktop people called us 4 days before they were due to come and fit saying the quartz we had chosen was no longer in stock, so we had to postpone that and choose a new one. It was finally fitted today Sadly the plumber can't come until Friday to plumb in the tap and dishwasher! The snagging is nearly done but there's a few things that still need sorting.
Got our mattress coming next week so after a year we'll be back in a proper bed....yay
I hope everyone else is doing ok. Good luck to all those midway through or just starting. Hang on in there. It can be so frustrating at times. The hardest bit by far has been this end bit!

@bobkate it looks gorgeous!

Can I ask please the size of the room? I'm currently in the early planning stage of our extension and I just can't visualise it in the space we've got... I want a layout line yours.

It looks amazing @bobkate

@catquest1 - yes it makes sense. I am also paying weekly, which is OK, but he is now asking me to pay the final installment in two halves. I worked out the bit I want to hold back is about 7% of the final bill. There still seems like a lot to be done, and I more or less would have paid for it all, with still an enormous amount left to to - it seems to me! E.g. still got to remove one wall, put in bi-fold doors, lay a floor, install a kitchen, finish decorating.... I'm not quite ready to give him all the money minus 1500 just yet. But I want to check this is normal before I email him. Of course it is so important to keep good relations... Thanks, K

Thanks, its getting there. Just got to take the plunge and get some bits on the walls. I hate this bit, really crap at 'styling' a room or being decisive when it's such a clean wall!
elasticfantastic so it's roughly 10m x 6m. I will try to take some better pics during the day if you'd like

kezia72 if it was me I would hang onto more, given the amount left to do.

Thanks @bobkate. I think so too - now just trying to word it politely, yet firmly....

Bobkate that looks stunning! I wholeheartedly agree that the end bit is the worst and by far the hardest!

Definitely keep the £3000 back! You need to keep the builders on site and not tempted to start their next job

Looks wonderful Bobkate!

Can anyone tell me what sort of flooring they’ve got? How did you choose?

Ie concrete or chipboard? The actual structural floors.

Thank you

Thanks bax and my nameisjane

Our kitchen/living room thing is partly concrete and part suspended floor boards in the old part of the house.

Our builder is quiet again he said before Christmas that he'd come and go over the details 'in the New Year'. He's due to start in 3 weeks and I've called and left a message but no reply fingers crossed he's just busy with his current job.

Our extension floor will be concrete if it ever happens

Thanks both.

Hope your work starts soon. It’s the architect who seems to be dragging his heels here.

That looks fantastic Bobkate, really lovely! Our floor in living room is suspended floor boards in old part then block and beam as specified by building inspector I believe with cellotex over top then layer of screed. Someone lent us a dehumidifier and it’s interesting to see how much moisture it’s taking out. It’s amazing the difference in temperature of new room compared to old one, decent insulation makes huge difference.

Building inspector here Monday to check insulation in bedroom then builder can crack on with rest of plasterboard and plastering. Ensuite is now plastered.