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 great missfliss. Can I ask are you having a juliet balcony upstairs and if so where are you sourcing it? We are having sliding doors in our bedroom and need some sort of balustrade.

@missfliss I do like your dormer "patio doors" but your son looks unimpressed. Is that because he's not getting the new room as his bedroom? I'm assuming it's going to be yours?

@missfliss I feel excited looking at yours! It’s been like torture whilst they’ve stopped our project.

Are you having it decorated or will you need to do it?

@weepingwillow22 we are having powder coated aluminium rails. I can ask my builder where sourcing from if you like?

Glass was very £££ for the width (3.5m) and also because we get the evening sun up there and seagulls I wanted a) breeze so that I can essentially sunbathe on the bed in the evenings! And b) something easy to clean.

The doors are configured so that either one can open to give good airflow

@BruceAndNosh yes son is underwhelmed and a bit jealous! Kids eh!

@Bristolbitsandbobs expecting to decorate ourselves but have asked for a quote from builders contact. Hope yours gets going soon

Thanks.

I’m only asking as that always seems to be the most transformational bit and I have a love hate with decorating. It won’t be long

Our builder is returning Monday... I bloody hope he does.

Our builder is due to return Monday too. We will lose our kitchen and a bedroom!
Might as well throw our lives into complete chaos!!

@missfliss If you wouldn't mind asking that would be great, many thanks. It looks like a lovely bright space. I have similar plans to lie in bed with the doors wide open. Hopefully we will not get too many birds flying in

I love those terrazzo style tiles, @birdbrained - where are they from?

Hoping I might get my windows and doors soon after the announcement this evening 🤞

Stairs are going in as we speak and dormer being tiled too :-)

Just need windows and plaster now (!)

We were just getting ready to confirm builder before lockdown...is it madness to think about ploughing on with an extension in this climate or better to get started before further economic downturn? We're certainly not planning to move anytime in the next 10+ years so less concerned about return on investment.

It's a side extension so for the most part we'd be completely distant from the builders until it came to the knockthrough ( which is only one doorway anyway)

If your work and finances are rock solid, I’d go for it. However I would NOT be paying anything up front. If you do you could be subsidising their cash flow. If they can’t finance it, I don’t think their business is strong enough. A tough thing to say, but co’s and builders going bust is not unlikely. I also include material payments in that. You could pay for materials directly to help with cash flow. Only pay on delivery, maybe not possible for bespoke items, but then use a credit card.

@spidershuffle mandarin stone. They've got a great selection.

@birdbrained Thanks, will take a look!

Seems like the need to have chosen tiles is a long way off for us at the moment - we have a large trench in the garden (rendering it unusable) and have had no work taking place on our kitchen extension for 6 weeks now. Original plan was to be in finished mid-Summer, now have everything crossed to be done for Christmas!

Those windows look beautiful, @missfliss So exciting to be getting so close!

@Inabarunderthesea definitely get on with it. More people will be looking at extending over moving now so competition for builders will go up

@weepingwillow22 the builder sources rails from his steels manufacturer - they are called prefab steel in portslade. I expect there is an equivalent near you?

Stairs went in today and dormer is nearly tiled :-)

Our builders were on site today. Yey! Hopefully it will keep going.

@missfliss stairs are a big moment. I like your bannisters too

Thanks Bristol - those are actually the old ones and being replaced soon x

Oh I like the plain spindles and oak handrail! What are you having?

Thanks MissFliss I will check with our steel supplier. Our roof steels went in today with a big crane, it was very exciting....

Roof steels

I'm not really sure to be honest! Just new matching spindles - the continuation wasn't possible with the existing. We are actually thinking of painting black (!) to go with a new striped hall carpet - see pics below