Home Extension Thread 2019

[4yearsnosleep]

Time to start another extension thread. 2019 for lots of newcomers and hopefully lots of finishers too!

We're Day 5 of builders on site and have a roof framed. V excited about the big velux

I feel your pain Hoppahouse, still a lot of painting here but I’ve run out of steam. That Crown price great price, I use screwfix new plaster paint which is more but you don’t need to dilute and civerage when dry is excellent. Bought a Wooster Pelican paint kettle and liners which has been invaluable for bits and pieces.

Cover a liner with cling film and have several on the go that just put into main paint kettle when needed. Magnet holds paint brush in place when you use a mini roller then roller clips on top whilst using paint brush. Makes things like doors much quicker.

We're still at the planning stage (as opposed to the Planning stage) and the one thing I am dreading is being without a proper kitchen for weeks on end. Original plan was just to do the kitchen and leave utility alone (apart from putting in extra cupboards from the old kitchen)
But I think if we do go for underfloor heating, the utility is going to have to come out too.
I can cope without proper cooking facilities for weeks, but no washing machine?
There's no laundrette within 15 miles, and although we have a very Good relationship with neighbours, I'm not sure I can ask them can I chuck my knickers in their machine

I'm worried that I am going to make bad decisions based on trying to minimise the disruption, when this extra disruption is what is going to make the final outcome so much better.
Did anyone else have this dilemma?
I think I could cope with it, but my husband hates the house being "messed with"
We normally get any decorating done by professionals when we are away on holiday for this reason.

God, finding a decent husband was easier than choosing a builder.

Don’t worry about the washing machine, that can be in a temporary place plumbed in and then just taken out for a day here and there asneeded. It’s a pain for the builders but they cope.

We found that things were done in stages and the builders were able to organise things for us to prevent too much disruption.
For us, the first month was digging the foundations and building the walls and structure outside. The washing machine was moved out of the utility and in to the kitchen during this stage. After that, we lost half the kitchen and they boarded up the wall. We had two drawer units, a chipboard worktop and portable oven/hob & microwave like this for around a month 😬. The last stage we ended up with the drawer units and cookers were in the hall.
We just this week moved the old kitchen units in to the utility and the kitchen has been semi-installed. We're using the utility as a kitchen at the moment until the quartz is installed.

That's reassuring.
Shows how important The Builder (capital letters essential) is, I'm relying on him to have all these ideas about the actual logistics of living round a build as well as the build itself.
I'm OK about not having a kitchen for a while, we have a decent Dining room that I intend to set up with the little miicrowave /oven from old kitchen , kettle and ikea portable induction hob, and the fridge freezer, we'll live on baked potatoes and casseroles.
And washing up bowl

Got an email from the builder this weekend asking if he can start the work a week earlier and confirming that they will do the full loft build first before doing the kitchen extension. It’s all good as long as we get planning permission and do the detailed planning at top speed! I am pleased that they’re doing it that way around as it gives us space to move the toys currently in the living room up to the new bedroom to make space in the living room for the temporary kitchen set up! 🤦🏼‍♀️

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo You'll be amazed what you can cope with and what the builders can muddle together for you. We started in Nov and finished last week and we didn't really go any time without kitchen facilities or washing machine - a few days here and there, but the builders gave us warning so we could plan. They are so used to building around family life!!

Our planning permission has been granted almost 4 weeks ahead of schedule! I’m completely flabbergasted, I had totally prepared myself for it going longer than the 8 weeks and having to delay everything. Am trying now to frantically rearrange the structural engineer to do the site visit earlier than planned!

I think I just met THE ONE. Everyone pray for me that he gets back to me with a price and that we can afford it. Please

My ratio of people getting back to me is about 1/10 so I really really hope he is one of the 1s.

The one that I hope is THE ONE just got back to me.
God, its like waiting for a second date when you're 15 again...

The good thing is due to a Council cock up when our house was first built, they forgot to remove Permitted development rights from the property as a condition of planning permission. All our neighbours on the estate don't have permitted development rights, as they obviously didn't want big houses getting bigger unchecked.

Now this is why I have my BIL project managing our build. (He’s a sparky so is doing part of the build and arranging with his contacts to complete their specialist areas.)

I’ve said I don’t want him to do it cheap (he provides for my sis and nephews after all) but I know he will do the job well and is reliable.

Wish I had the luxury

Can I join please? I'm 7 weeks in to a side extension, garden levelling/new patio/fake grass/new fencing and a garage conversion which will be slightly extended out to become my new orangery living room!

I'll be honest I'm finding the whole process very stressful, it seems to be taking forever! We had a gas mains pipe that had to be removed which took 2-3 weeks and lots of stress. The builder estimated 8 weeks for the whole lot and we are nowhere near at the 7 week mark.

So far the retaining wall has been built (not quite finished), fittings dug and concrete in, small part of outside wall built, pipe removed and half of garage knocked down. Is this a normal amount of progress?!

I'm doing this as a single mum to 3 kids with no outside help and I'm worried the builder is taking the piss!

update from the poached extension nerve centre: got 3 sets of quotes/estimates it's a mix) in
The company we really liked has a quoted 2k more than the cheapest - and its good and detailed- almost turnkey solution (we get the kitchen fitter and flooring sorted).

Next best (they seem to get a lot of repeat work) seem good but more of a 'we just build it well' rather than builders who know how to get the most out of the space if you see what i mean?

The last lot looked good but when all the missing items added in were much more expensive, so we've ruled them out.

Have just asked for the favourite to give us a guide for all of the xtras i'd like to include - but we are already at over £100k (including 15% contingency and furniture). gulp. still good value as stamp duty is minimum £50k+++ where we live if we were to move. yikes.

does 15% contingency seem enough to you lot? what other questions should I ask?

Eek @WorrisomeHeart that's so exciting!! Hope you can arrange structural engineer soon! so when is your potential start date??

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo @ThanksDriver god it really is like dating isn't it 😂 like eagerly awaiting a text and then he dumps you or something. Been waiting for emails and then you open them up and the quote is just so disappointing!

@NonTraditionalFeelings that's very exciting! But sorry to hear you feel like your builder is taking the piss. Has he said it's been normal progress? Do you think it's just 2-3 weeks behind because of the gas mains? Why was it all stressful- were going to have to get ours moved too I think so dreading it!

@lightlypoached I hope 15% is enough! We've only got 10% 😭

I think I want to go with my favourite, but he's also the cheapest and I'm wary of this. But he was the nicest and most interested in the project, gave loads of advice and his quote is really detailed in comparison to others. I've always just heard, don't go for the cheapest! What do you think?

Ha ha... Dating stage here too...
Two guys have given quotes and we have asked them to revise and get back with what best they can do to reduce quote. Fingers crossed, one of those will be the ONE !
It is so hard to compare their quotes too, as one gives shell only quote and the other shell + everything else. Their shell bit seems to be similar but I don't know what would be cost for everything else if we go with shell only guy.

Thanks avocuddl SE has been rearranged to end of next week and loft is due to start on 3 June! I had a minor middle of the night freak out last night because it’s all seeming like a very real juggernaut that is unstoppable. Daft really given we’ve waited 5 years to do this - it’s almost like that pre-labour hysteria when you realise that the bump will become a baby! 😂

I went for the builder that I felt most comfortable with and who spent the most time at the house, and gave the most detailed quote. I would say you are very lucky that your fave happens to be the cheapest as well!! Just make sure there aren’t too many hidden extras not included in his quote.

I am worried about our lack of contingency - we have the bulk of the funds (£135k yuck) but I am fully expecting to have to live with a shell in the loft for a while.

nontraditional welcome!! That sounds super stressful - was the gas work anticipated? What does the builder say when you challenge him about the lack of progress?

lightlypoached yay for decent quote response!! Have you asked about insurance etc?

avocuddl,
I am dithering between more interested and not so much keen guy. What if most interest guy has some cashflow issues. Why is he interested in our project.

We only had 10% contingency in the bank = as in clear funds we could access. We also had a clear credit card with £10k balance for emergencies, but we worked hard to try and only spend the 10%.
We have spent about 11%(!!) and actually haven't needed the credit card, as we managed to continue to save the same amount each month as we had been doing up until the start of the project.

For those of you at quote stage - do try and negotiate. These are first round offers - it's like buying a car!
Our original quote with our favourite builder £130k(inc vat) without flooring an kitchen - I got him down to £92k(inc vat) with kitchen and flooring.
This wasn't all pure reductions - we also decided not to do the bathroom at this stage, and not to do the front porch.
I suppose what I'm say is don't be disheartened if quotes are high - they will be happy to chat through options and ways to maybe reduce costs.
Also - make sure you see estate agents before going ahead. They are really helpful in letting you know what people are looking for and what puts people off. eg the entrance to our utility was in one place, and 3 estates agents told us to move it - which we did! We have no intention of moving yet, but it's nice to get feedback on whether its all worth it in the long run. This isn't our forever home.

@NonTraditionalFeelings
It's hard to say whether this is good progress or not lots as lots of work happens that we can't see. FWIW we started 5 weeks ago and have the roof rafters in. Bricklayers back today to Fill in the gaps around the rafters then they're done. Roofers could start tomorrow but not sure when they are. We're having a single storey extension to rear. This involved removing a large raised conservatory.