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

Looks exciting @birdbrained!
Is that a front extension or a porch? Remind me what your plans are?
I'm missing having burly blokes round the place so I'm currently getting quotes to have rotten decking at the far end of the garden replaced.... . All done by email and photographs

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo this is the porch but we are also extending a staircase width out the side then at the back is a double kitchen/diner plus bedroom extension.

So reeling a bit of my excitement back in the builder hopes to have materials next week...

Its official Travis perkins has reopened. We a were lucky we have been able to continue the last 3 weeks but now it's all full steam ahead 😬 although still can't get our doors and windows. Hope every one else's project picks up again soon

@Rhica woo hoo!
We have roofers next week apparently and possibly a plumber!

Our builder uses Covers builders merchants and he is hopeful they will follow Travis Perkins and start to open up.
At this moment in time I would just be happy to have a useable garden!

Ohhh that is wonderful news, (seriously never thought I'd be excited about a builders merchant opening!) looking forward to seeing my builder again hopefully, from the appropriate distance 😉, assuming he is feeling brave enough to get supplies!

Plaster shortage scan issue for us now :(

@Loofah01 we had issues with getting plaster too, only just managed to scrape enough together!

Currently waiting for doors, veluxs and our bifolds to get the the house weather tight, and we still don't have an estimated date for when those suppliers will be open again (already cut so not like we can go elsewhere!) It's proving very frustrating. We've got everywhere plastered and up to second fix, but not weather tight and no kitchen! I'll be so relieved when this is all finished...

I assumed plastering supplies would be OK. I hope so we have plasterers booked in for a week Monday 🙈 I'm hoping now most merchants are open the window suppliers will follow suit. I think the government issued extra guidance to encourage more to open as actually they were never told to shut. Especially now construction has restarted in other countries such as Spain.

Trying to decide on colour for the extension. We are having a dark blue kitchen so an off white seems the most sensible for the walls but we haven't got white in any room so not sure I want white. Ah back to making decisions 😳😳

British Gypsum are doing a limited re-opening from 27th but prioritising NHS etc. New plaster might not filter through for a few weeks... Our builders have been offered some out of date stuff which is apparently OK to use but harder for the plasterer to work with. Frankly I don't know if that's true!

@Rhica we've got a white kitchen with a dark blue island and painted the walls Natural Calico. It's not a cold white definitely slightly warm but not yellow or creamy.
Spent months choosing it then the builder said he always uses that colour if the client has no idea what to use. So apparently its Builder's Beige!

Need a pallet of multifinish plaster. We are kinda stuck without it and refuse to pay black market prices.

Hi all, sounds promising that some of you have some movement on your projects albeit slow! Ours is likely to begin within the next 3 weeks (supposed to start week lockdown began)

My only worry is that I live on a small cul-de-sac of 9 houses, most people over 80 and another family with school children. First part will be demolition and we're going to be the most hated people in the town with all the noise with everyone at home. Can't say no to the builders but I am going to be "that neighbour" 🙈

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo thanks for the tip. Might see if I can source some samples but sounds perfect 😊

Progress! Kind of.
Roofers due in this week to tile dormer and roof.
Plumber in tomorrow to do first fix plumbing.
All we need now is some flipping plaster ...

@missfliss Plaster it's what almost all builders are after, there's going to be a rush so hope your builders have good connections. Although British Gypsum started back up yesterday, rumours are that decent supply won;t be until early June... It's crippled my build :(

@Loofah01 I'm not expecting our builders to be any quicker at getting supplies than anyone else.

There is still a lot they can do

Windows, roof, stairs, plasterboarding.

Will just have to go with it for now.

There's plenty of loo roll in the shops now.
What about a layer of toilet tissue papier mache in lieu of plaster?

Definitely. Bog roll papier-mâché finish

Tres chic

Well our builders/ builder is having a duvet day and hiding from the rain. Don't blame him to be honest, just hope he is back tomorrow when it's supposed to be brighter. Anyone used Victorian plumbing? Looking for old fashioned toilet ( no push valves) that doesn't stick too far out in to the room and they have a couple but never ordered from them before.

Have just ordered stuff for two bathrooms and a WC from there so hope it's OK!

Oh you will have to let me know how you find them. We have 2 bathrooms and a WC to order for which will be ££ so don't want to get it wrong. Although whatever it's like it will be better than the hole we have been living with for the last year... Finally a heated toilet room with a window I can shut. I am still very relieved the winter just gone was so mild, we would have had very chilly cheeks otherwise.

Big delivery of the good stuff yesterday - PLASTER!! Plasterer starts Tuesday :)

@Loofah01 yay 👏👏. I'm extra excited for you as it is selfishly a good sign for me with our plasterers next week

I know this is really precious but the 🤬 plumber keeps using the upstairs loo. We have a downstairs loo that everyone else is happy to use but not the plumber. Am I beinng over the top in thinking this is rude and to ask him not to use it? It's not like he leaves it "clean".

Apart from anything else I'm trying to keep coronavirus risk to a minimum so don't want ppl in my house as much as possible. But also, it invades my privacy a little as I don't want to bump into him everyday and I'm in the throes of never ending morning sickness and a clean available toilet is kinda important to me right now

Sorry for rant post and totally get this is unimportant but just want to unload 🙈