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

Plenty of emotions to go through before that stage @bez91! Finishing stages is the hardest for me and entailing finding hidden reserves of cash to get the results we want; still won;t get there tbh but some things can be scrimped on and will be re-done when cash flow isn't in shock

Ouch @bez91 we had an issue with non existent bats so spent £3k and 16 weeks proving we didn't have an issue so I feel your pain. Good news is several months down the line, and now we are properly moving forward, it doesn't matter and has stopped irritating me. I am sure when this is done you will know it was worth it too.

Kitchen is now in production so no more changes allowed... Was just thinking last night I might alter it. Again. Delivery on 1June.

@Loofah01 hopefully this is the worst of the emotions ha! Great news on your kitchen! I sure I'll be same. I find it hard to choose between different options 🙈

@Slightlydustcovered bloody bats! Feel for you I've had quite a bit of involvement with the "Bat protection league" overseeing cavity wall insulation projects for social housing and it's a very drawn out process! I'm sure it's easier to forget about the cost the further along you get and can see it coming together!

Still no fecking plaster here !

Builder now thinks beginning of June (!)

FFS

Having a down few days when it feels like nothing happening

Anyone else grumpy and ranty?

I know it's a bit first world

Oh I've got a right nark on! Fucking builders 'forgot' to mention tiles weren't in the quote, just the adhesives and fitting... Anyway have ordered those myself.
Now having dilemma on worktops (created a new thread on that) as what we had planned to have is apparently shite.
Oh, and the kids are being antsy so generally a shouty day

@missfliss That is really frustrating when you were so close to finishing. Fingers crossed you don't have to wait until June. Is it worth trying one of the diy places instead of the builders merchants?

@loofah01 That is rubbish, I guess at least you found out about the workshops before they were fitted.

Building work has been going slowly here, finally on to the roof timbers. Bit of a rubbish day otherwise though as had a £500 bill for car repairs and developed a sore throat and have convinced myself it is the start of covid.

Has anyone been having a better week? At least the weather looks nice for the next week.

So nice to hear projects are on the move again 👏

Just had our screed but in today (builders only just finished!). Can anyone tell me how their extensions progressed from here as I can remember what builder said. Sure he said skirting next week. Then kitchen week after. Then painting. Haven't ordered kitchen yet so panicking a little.

Doors and windows are coming a week today - delayed due to coronavirus

Floor screed? That takes about 4 weeks to dry out properly; then floor then kitchen install... Wall plastering can happen straightaway and faster to Detroit for joinery 2nd fix (skirting boards included).

If you haven't ordered the kitchen yet then it won't be happening in 2 weeks anyway!

We had plastering done first--not sure if this was always the plan or coronavirus changing our order. We must have quick drying screed as don't think we have to wait that long.

Getting kitchen from a trade supplier and it's a stock kitchen so will only be a week lead time. Of course this was what we were told pre coronavirus 😳

Will speak to builder Monday. Hate not knowing the plan

Actually confused myself as he said floor before skirting but def won't be dry enough for floor next week. Need to stop guessing 😂

We must have quick drying screed as don't think we have to wait that long.
You can walk on it the next day but to lay flooring on it and kitchen cabinet fitting, it needs to fully go off or moisture will travel into floor / kitchen unit etc
Skirting should be fine in any event :)

Ah OK. Good to know thanks

well onwards to another week folks.

Wishing you all luck!

Things I am waiting for that would help progress:

1. the last few roof tiles
2. Juliet balcony rail
3. Front dormer window
4. Farrow & Ball to get paint to the Bath place (having a painted tub)
5. The marble worktops so that the vanity unit I ordered in March can progress and get delivered
6. Plaster
7. Plasterboard
8. Fabric samples for curtains
9. Crosswater bath taps ordered 5 weeks ago...
10. External plumbing
11. Quotes for decorating, tiling and a couple of extras

some progress on any of these things would be soo welcome.

Fingers crossed for you all!

I we have all the supplies we need... windows 2nd week June, plaster is continuing today, kitchen delivery 1st June. Have to decide on who's doing the flooring and get that ordered but otherwise I think we're in good shape. (gives nervous cough)

Well we have been stuck for a week waiting on delivery, only timber so not sure what the issue is. Feeling like at this rate it will be dragging on forever. Grumble grumble.

Quotes for the worktops are coming in now... Ouch.

After last weeks flurry of activity we too are now waiting on supplies. Roofing I guess but more importantly windows - these haven't even been ordered yet. Trying to press ahead with other decisions so it feels like we're making progress!

Christ how much to bloody front doors cost? Just got a quote for a solidor one and it over a grand!!

@birdbrained endurance doors area slightly cheaper option than solidor

Need a husband rant. Haggled a 15k kitchen down to 6k (in frame slab doors) but he wants the shaker kitchen because it 1k cheaper 🙄. I was happy for shaker when the price difference was huge. But now such a bargain! Going to have to keep working on him...

Helmesley is a shaker and in frame option...

I went nuts when I first went to DIY kitchens as it was so damn cheap after the other quotes we'd had. Nothing was out of bounds! Rest of build has made anything with monetary value evaporate so happy we went to the DIY place and saved some £££ in the first place now.

Plasterers are going great guns over last two days, so much so that I can actually go in over the weekend and....paint! Shit just got real lol

Oh where from @Rhica my finger is poised on my DIY kitchens order but our builder thinks there will be lots of deals out there.

In frustrating news the builder is really struggling on plaster. One place told him it could be September he's saying he's ignoring that idea for now...

@Loofah so so jealous on the plaster

@birdbrained - September?!?

God I hope not.

Latest I heard was June for ours - but that was far from a guarantee.

So flipping frustrating.

@birdbrained quote from magnet trade. He said we got extra discount on the shaker kitchen (Winchester I think ) but was same as price as original quote done in February. But the Newbury which is what we are going with has more than halved and no on par with DIYkitchens. And can be delivered in 2 weeks 😬

@Loofah01 we have the same taste. That's what we were originally going to go with