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.

Definitely wouldn't pay 50% up front! That would've been about 50k for us 😱

Only a 6-8 week project and £30000.

Lucky you Bax you are living the dream!!!
With regards to payments - we are the same as 4years - only paying in installements as the work is completed. No way would we pay 50% upfront.
Work is really powering on. Talking about 1st fix electrics in the next couple of weeks - that means more decision making. Where to put plugs, lighting, aaaggh. Haven't even decided on the flooring or the kitchen. Note to all those still in planning stages...if you are crap at decision making ( like me ) don't leave it otherwise blind panic sets in!
I think my issue is that I'm so worried about getting it 'wrong' as it's such a huge, huge outlay of money, and not something we would be able to remedy if 6 months down the line we decide we've made the wrong decision.

I was warned by a builder to not pay a deposit as it means the builder already has cash flow issues.

I'm the opposite; I've planned everything to the nth degree; bought the kitchen in January 🤣

4years what a pain re the extra £700. If it makes you feel any better I'm not at all convinced our architect has the skills to design something buildable and am anticipating drama at building regs stage.

bax that is glorious! Lovely to see how worth it it is in the end.

I am also a complete control freak and ready to plan kitchens, plug sockets, floors etc the microsecond we get planning sorted. Which is NEVER going to happen because my architect is such a shower of shit. Apparently Thursday was wildly optimistic, and he is going to 'try' to get the rear elevations done by Friday. I am now flapping about how he is ever going to get through the paperwork required for planning and am preparing to do it all more or less myself, even though he is submitting it. I have completely lost faith in him, but can't afford (time or money) to start again with someone else. Can not wait to dump him the second we have planning and then building regs permission though!

@Hopefully what a never ending nightmare! I'm guessing it's only him, no company to take your issues to. It's such a daunting project to take on when there are so many cowboys out there. I was watching the Watchdog type program and a builder completely collapsed a house and just folded his company so he wasn't liable and started up a new company even managed to get his FMB accreditation back just by lying on the form which makes their endorsement rather pointless. When I was hunting for a builder I was checking them against companies house and so many of them had dissolved their company and started a new one. It's mad that there's not more protection!

We only paid a 1k deposit and then instalments when work was done.

We passed our final building inspection last week

Not quite living the dream as need flooring in new shower room and kitchen yet.

Money run out and we still need/want carpets in 2 bedrooms and painted. New front door and hallway painted. Will have to save up and take a few years to do all this boooo!

Right, time I stopped lurking and joined the thread! We're planning a single storey extension for kitchen/diner and converting old kitchen to utility/downstairs loo. Planning granted, detailed drawings into building control, and just starting the process of getting quotes - scary!

Can I just ask for your 'must-ask' questions to builders when getting quotes? Never done anything like this before

Congratulations to all those at or near the end, must be a great feeling!

So our shell is done and roof is on. They break through tomorrow to cut in the new Windows in the flat roof. Next week they will start breaking down internal walls and start the reconfiguring of downstairs.
We have our storage container from today so it's all systems go all of a sudden!
We think we have finalised our kitchen design I'll post some pics as I'd welcome any thoughts!!!

Hi all

@AmazingGrace16 sounds like you are really cracking on!

@SpaceBergerac we asked our builder about timescales, payment terms incl. retention , insurance, what similar work he had done (and went and saw some), hours of work, toilet facilities (they have a portaloo)

We are on week 6 - Our main roof is done and this week they have been demolishing the old extension. He reckons the shell of the new extension will be done in 3-4 weeks time!!

Great updates 🙌🏼

I asked much the same as has already been suggested

Threesocks - thanks, that's really helpful! Sounds like plenty of progress on yours, exciting times!

@Hopefully, could you speak to your insurance company to see whether you have any recourse if he has gone under (which by the sounds of it your original builder has)? Our policy covers us for that and for the legal costs of fighting in court if they take our money and fail to deliver. Not sure if you told your insurance you were doing building work though? If not then it may be best not to open that can of worms as you clearly don’t need any more headaches.

We are paying in fortnightly installements, nothing up front and in fact I think we are behind on what we should have paid by this stage as they’ve not invoiced that frequently. Work ticking along - currently no ceilings/floors anywhere as they’re replacing all the joists so we just have a huge hollow shell with walls at the moment. They’re also working on the new roof which is great although it means I have to climb a ladder from the front door all the way to the chimney every time I go round there!!

Am currently stressing about the list of things I need to supply within the next few days... electrical plan, radiator plan (I need to choose them first!), window design, bathroom plans and staircase design. I’ve also just been told that most of the European tile factories close down in July and August so if we don’t get those orders in sharpish we may struggle to get hold of any tiles we want over the summer (not that we know what we want yet!). Hot humid sleepless nights aren’t helping. I’m doing a lot of late night fretting then waking up to discover I’ve added umpteen useless images to my Pinterest boards.

Good news here. The new structural engineer/building control/project manager has decided that I get to keep my existing kitchen until the knock through (about 6 weeks) whereas everyone else wanted to dig the footings straight off which meant no kitchen from start to finish! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

I've come home today to find some roof trusses! We're not quite ready for them (blockwork still to be finished and steels to be delivered) but it shows it can't be that far away.

I got the first quote today , surprisingly 'cheap' .. looking forward to the next ones !!

May I join? *waves
Have planning permission for back & rear kitchen diner extension (victorian semi), have a quoute from builders that we like (the others never got back to us afte initial site meeting ), went to Howdens today, DH dragging his feet about actually contracting the builder. I'm bricking it/excited/working my arse off to pay for it all ...

@VanellopeVonSchweetz99 have you chosen a Howdens kitchen ?

Very likely yes.

Had an appointment with Wren but cancelled after a spontaneous visit to the showroom (v swanky and 50 staff members doing fuck all?) + negative feedback from friends & neighbours.

I need to look at the brochure , I think wren will charge along for a howdens type kitchen .

We have Howdens and love it

Good to know!

Seems to be more signs of things happening this week and promise of final steel installation next week. Stud walls going up on the upper floors ready for first fix electrics and plumbing... hoping to see some progress on next visit on Wednesday. Hope everyone is at least enjoying the dry weather!