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

Exciting progress @bananabunch119 . We are moving out this weekend in preparation for the work starting next week. Nervous and excited!

@bananabunch119 I think that breezeblock actually makes everything look smaller, so it will look even bigger when it's finished!

We're currently getting new patio laid across the back, replacing stupidly small one. I "might" have overcompensated as it looks huge!

The under floor heating is in !

Good progress @lightlypoached
Love your Crittal windows

There is nothing nicer than walking on a heated floor. Looking good @lightlypoached

That looks great lightlypoached, is it water piped or electric? I'm sure I should be able to tell by just looking but haven't done that much research yet and I'm currently wondering if I've under budgeted for the underfloor!

@Pashazade it's water as electric is fiendishly expensive to run !

We've got 48sqm and it's cost just under £4K for supply and install

Flooring and screeding (above and below it) are extra

Brilliant I haven't underestimated! Possibly more luck than judgement 😁

Love the windows @lightlypoached !

We've got the builder coming tomorrow to go over exactly what we want and start dates etc.

Anything you'd recommend asking/ clarifying?

@cupoftea84 Write an outline spec of the work - doesn't need to be technical, just Size of extension, any internal walls that need to be removed.
Then you need a check list of what is included or not- Heating, any plumbing changes, electrics (inc how many sockets - this makes a big difference). Plastering? Decorating? Does his price include removal of all debris, skip, portaloo?
It's the only way you can compare quotes.
Ask about his insurance.

Hello can I join 🙋🏼‍♀️

Current house:
1960s semi with 3 bedrooms (one of which is very small) in Derbyshire

Planned works
2 storey side extension on top of where garage is to side of property at present to include a 4th bedroom, extending bedroom 3 and relocating the bathroom and single storey rear extension to the kitchen which will step down so we are more level with the garden.
Also downstairs utility room and shower room. Work will include taking part of the existing kitchen down as part of it is already an small extension 🤦🏼‍♀️

Stage
Planning permission received, plans all shared just awaiting prices 😬

Costs
Expecting everything inc decorating, flooring etc to come in around 100k, the build will be less (I hope!)

Reasons for doing work
Hoping for a second child sometime soon and didn't want to put them in a box room, it also means family that live away can stay.

Plans
Attached, existing floor plan in yellow but what will be the utility/shower room and garden store is currently the garage

Next steps
Awaiting quotes and completing some prep work ourselves. Our planning stipulates we need to extend the driveway to allow for another car so we'll do some work ourselves!

Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress

It strikes me that the cost of building seems to have ramped up in recent years. Our last lot of work was in 2013 and was a rear extension with bifolds. Cost including kitchen, wooden flooring, new boiler and bathroom refurb / knock through was £48k.

This loft is costing £60k excluding bathroom.
In fairness it isn't quite 'standard' what we are doing up there regarding dormers / plumbing / aluminium sliding doors etc.

Seeing people's costs here sort of confirms my theory I think!

Flooring finally going down. Couldn't resist putting an armchair in there just to see what it looks like and to help work out what size /configuration of seating to do.

The disappearance of the main builder is now over and he's apparently coming tomorrow to assess the final jobs. We sent a snotogrram to the project manager yesterday so hopefully they will now step up and finish. Stressful !

Flooring looks good @lightlypoached 👍

Day 1 for our build today. Thought they were just going to mark things out but the patio has been ripped up and garden wall demolished! Feeling anxious but also excited... slightly surreal to be started after planning this for 4 years...

Today we officially wrapped up Main Build as Beardy Boss Builder finally sent us the itemised Extras bill which we have paid. No nasty surprises, in fact it was what he "guestimated" excluding the extras from the electrician, but his final figure actually included the electrics extras.
External patio work progressing nicely. We decided not to use main Builder for this but are using a patio specialist recommended by a friend.
After completing The World's Smallest Extension, we are now doing World's Most Disproportionate Sized Patio which is 7 times the size of the tiny extension!
It has already been nicknamed Tiananmen Square.

@birdbrained It's quite frightening how quickly they can demolish stuff!

Have you moved into your rental three doors down yet? I think that might be the cleverest move ever. You're practically living on site, but not quite. Totally brilliant!

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo we moved most of our stuff at the weekend. Although still lots to clear out. I walked 11km that day despite the houses being 30m apart. Feels like the right decision even though stomaching the extra rent and bills is tough. A bit strange not to be going home to our house though!

Question for all you experienced posters - when did you finalise and order your kitchen in the build process? How much lead time should I factor in if buying from e.g. DIY Kitchens?

Kitchen - I had the plan pretty much nailed before builders even broke ground but we were putting new kitchen in the same place as the old one so could measure up easily.
Obviously if your kitchen is going in the new space it has to be later.
My kitchen supplier booked a date with the factory for a manufacturing slot a couple of months in advance but yours may work to a shorter lead time.
(we ended up delaying kitchen by 3 weeks becuase of building changes but this wasn't a problem)

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo. how lovely to have a GIANT patio .
@birdbrained re kitchen we had pretty much designed before the build too. but please learn from our mistake and pay for your kitchen by credit card. our supplier went bust and we lost 1000s.

on a lighter note the rubbish builders came back today (to do the pointing for a 3rd time - it was so shit before) and finally cleared the rubbish they had left everywhere - unfortunately including the old quartz worktop and sink that we had just sold on ebay FFS the one time they do what is asked of them (ie clear the rubbish) they do it straight away and take everything.

@lightlypoached So annoying. Mine did something similar- threw out the plinths from the utility room that were going to be replaced after the floor went down.
Honestly, if your builders are as crap as they sound, I would deduct the price you had agreed for that quartz from their bill. Wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't thrown it out but had put it in their van to sell themselves.

Ok team - kitchen plans attached
Please help! Very welcome to thoughts and suggestions....

Lots more action on site today, most of the digging done. Has exposed an ageing water pipe though which the builder suggests we replace... Day 2 and first contingency cost - yah!

@birdbrained I like that plan. What's in the little hidden bit on the far left apart from the fridge?