Extension / loft conversion thread 2020

[missfliss]

Hello,

Thought I'd start a thread for 2020 extenders and converters.

Might be good for us each time say a bit about what works we have planned / are in the midst of if folks are happy to share some / al details.

Current house:
1970s semi with 2.5 (!) bedrooms on South Coast ( Sussex).
Single storey extension ( large kitchen / diner with bifolds) was completed in 2013.

Planned works
Loft conversion with full width rear dormer and small front dormer to create a new master bedroom with large bathroom.

Stage
Planning permission received, builder appointed to start in March

Costs
Build is £60k including VAT. Bathroom / decor extra.
It is a double dormer with aluminium sliding doors to rear and lots of pipe work due to siting the new bathroom at the opposite end to the existing bathroom below.
It's more than expected but we have non-standard plans and are doing the work to stay in the house for years as opposed to maximising profit to sell.

Reasons for doing work
An adult space to hide away and relax!
Also our son has additional needs and we may need to use au pairs in the future ( new room needed). As our son gets older he may need to live with us into adulthood

Plans
Attached

Next steps
Party wall agreement
Deciding on bathroom fittings / flooring within budget

What are everyones builders doing today? Mine emailed me last night to say they would have to stop but they had not seen the guidance people have helpfully posted here. I have sent it to them and to see if it changes their mind.

I am in 2 minds about this though. On one hand I dont want to put their guys at risk for either the virus or lack of nhs treatment for any accidents. On the other hand I don't think the labourers get paid if they don't work. Also rather selfishly I don't want to live with a house on acroprops and no kitchen sink and mess everywhere for next x months.

We are nearing the end of this phase of renovation so the house is in a pretty good state. I'm just waiting to see if the decorator comes. We had worktops templated yesterday and I'm wondering whether they will be fitted next week. We've been without a kitchen since early in the new year (and only a very basic one before that) so it would be really excellent if this could be finished. We have no hob and no kitchen sink... but I accept that we are much better off than most people

Gah. Builders are keen to keep going but the scaffolding company is not. So no hope of finishing the second floor or getting a roof on for awhile...

Builders are in and working as usual.
They will probably carry on as long they have supply?

Mines pausing, although here by himself to tidy up, not sure if I'll see him back soon or not!

Ours are saying all the builders merchants are now closed so no possibilty of getting the roof on. They might pop by to finish brickwork tomorrow if the lads are willing to work.

Mine has stopped we are water tight, well sort of, but his guys are worried and don’t want to continue. Frankly who can blame them.

I’m worried about our rent though, 6 months of this and we’ll be bankrupt.

My builders are here. Looks like merchants are currently seeking guidance as to what services they can provide. We are 2 weeks from being water tight so doing a lot of this today 🤞🤞🤞🙏🙏🙏 🙈😂

We are lucky as they are able to work 2m apart and all said they want to carry on

@crazydiamond222 I'd of thought it was a safety issue keeping the house on acropops but guess they wouldn't leave it like that if it was

Thankful it's not winter as my house would be very very difficult to heat if it was and they stopped.

Good luck everyone xx

Daily update said construction CAN continue as long as can work 2m apart. Yay!! 😁But.. . All suppliers seem to be stopping trading. Boo!! 😩😩

Ever the optimist I'm still hoping 🤞🙏🤞🙏

Rhica, this is what my builders said as well. They were trying to source materials yesterday but their usual suppliers were closed.
I'm a bit annoyed as I've already asked beginning of last week whether it would be wise to order more materials in now and make provisions for making the building site water tight.

Anyway. Let's wait and see. Nothing we can do now.

Jewsons seem to be running a delivery only service for trade customers. Ridgeons is closed.

Our builders are here today but not sure for how much longer. I suspect they will stop when the government finally gets round to putting in place support for the self employed.

We have builder (singular) on site today as they say for now they think it's acceptable to work so long as they have just one person on site and aren't in the house. Seems fair, but they'll run out of materials soon.

Waiting on news from the architect about contractual implications - under the JCT they have to notify us if the work is going to be delayed (which I imagine it will be!) but we're not 100% sure who's liable for the increased costs. Really hoping the builders are as we really can't afford to foot the bill for weeks of delay. Anyone heard from their architect/builders/project managers on this?

Really hoping the builders are as we really can't afford to foot the bill for weeks of delay. Anyone heard from their architect/builders/project managers on this?

Unless your builder in insured I'm thinking this could send them out of business. I'm worried about exactly the same thing, but I'm going to try and see if we can have a sensible conversation.

I'd be interested to know what you get as an answer.

Can I ask what kind of issues you feel would lead to increased costs for delays?
I'm not anticipating any for our loft as payment is attached to deliverables rather than a day rate.
I may be naive so I just wondered !

We are in rented:

£1500pcm
Council tax £219pcm
WiFi at both - our choice though so could cut
Electric at both

Rent of plant - not our issue but adds their costs
Rent of scaffolding - their issue, but it’s unwanted costs against our job

That’s ignoring the wages of their employed staff.

I’m concerned for them and very concerned for us. 6 months will eat up our contingency and more.

It’s a small 2.5 bed place with 4 of us in and 2 WFH. The cost of the divorce if this last too long will run into thousands

So we are 1 week on and all the excavations and footings are in and our garden is a mess. They have now downed tools as can't get materials and obviously worried about their insurance covering them. We obviously have a signed agreement and installment payments at each stage (fixed price) but I wonder what these delays mean for us. I hope this lockdown doesn't last for a long time!

@missfliss - things like scaffolding or diggers having to be hired for longer for one thing. We have a digger sitting in our garden which will likely do nothing for the next couple of weeks. I think they cost about £250/week to hire.

There's also the issue that they may just not be able to keep going without extra money - if they came to us and said "we need an extra £4000 to do it or we're going to go bankrupt" that puts us in a very difficult position!

We're on a deliverable based rate as well. There seems to be provision in the contract for them charging extra if the Employer (us) makes changes or asks them to stop work, but not clear if that applies if the government tell them to stop work.

We were told the rate for the scaffolding is the same whatever the duration as the main cost is the erection/dismantling. Our building firm seems to subcontract the work and if the lads don't work I don't think they get paid.

@crazydiamond222 that’s reassuring!

We've stopped too. Our builder came today to tidy up and put all his stuff away.
He could have done a bit more outside but he couldn't get any supplies. He also said its best to stop now as he didn't want to go any further, knock through and Leave us without a kitchen.
Really sad about it but also totally understand.

I'm worried about surge in demand for electrician/plumbers/plasters etc causing increased cost when daily life resumes. I can't see them adding extra costs on while not working and would hope the rental companies would waiver them as well but who knows.

My builder said some suppliers reopened today but can't get a delivery until next Friday. So not banking on them continuing after this week 😩 Although hoping for another week to get us water tight.

On plus side plumber is coming back tomorrow to plumb in washing machine not ready for it yet but will help us out massively until this is all over.

Ooh this had made me feel more positive
www.travisperkins.co.uk/content/covid-19

Travis perkins will supply for residential now for certain circumstances. Hoping not being water tight would count as critical infrastructure 😬

Hello all, seems a mix of builders stopping or staying and materials are a big issue! Ours are here as two brick layers who can stay far apart and we have all the bricks and cement, they have to drive here in two separate vans though so puts their costs up, but guess we will be covering that.

At least they can still work as I know they want to, hopefully we will hear this week about help for the self employed.
We are due scaffolding in two weeks I think so don’t know if that will happen or if putting it up can even be done within the social distancing rules? So we will have half an extension and then a pause I think!
Knock through is obviously a big no no as that means people indoors and I don’t think we could manage that with the children now being home schooled.

The travis Perkins news is good!

Well our builders are soldiering on for now. Steels are in! Not sure they will be able to do much beyond this week though without more scaffolding.