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

We have a gap in the shape of a window! At last feeling like we are making progress.

@Yubaba how wide is your extension? I’m trying to gauge what space I need for our table and yours looks spot on.

@intheningnangnong it’s 3125mm widthways across the back but that’s from the outside walls.

Weirdly I have actually had to ask for an invoice! Can't believe it's taking so long for the latest invoice to turn up so expecting the builder to add all sorts to it

Just had the final teeny bit of plastering done and they've managed to plaster in the ducting that everyone was at pains to say was essential around the mains cables and must be accessible at all times... Take off the front of the ducting now and the wall will fall away. You just can't get the staff these days.

Rumors of a 'big push' this week... and maybe windows? Not holding my breath though...

Had another decorator round, recommended by the builder, and he has given us a very low quote. Too good to be true? Anyone else paint everything white due to decision fatigue?

Fingers crossed for a week of windows, plaster and final flourishes for everyone!

Meant to say we had the worlds biggest shower tray delivered last week. It is enormous... holding my breath until I see it in-situ...

@birdbrained How big is big? I’m intrigued!

Very outing picture if anyone on here knows me but the outside of our house/extension almost looks 'finished'!

Kitchen arriving tomorrow and hopefully downstairs utility/toilet will be completed this week!
Hopefully not much longer left for us now.

@birdbrained we are painting everything white (apart from one wall in utility room). My husband is a painter decorator and he said we will probably have to re do it again next year as the plaster will probably crack and the walls will expand etc.

Hello everyone, looking for sympathy and any tips on how to get through this

We started building work a few weeks before lockdown. We bought a probate property so quite a lot needed doing, new kitchen, bathrooms, fairly major reconfiguration of the ground floor. We are currently marooned upstairs at the moment so not ideal.

My plan was that we would be able to visit friends at weekends and we would be at work during the week and the kids be at school so would only be affected during the summer..........so none of that happened!

I have to say after more than 4 months of building, home working and home schooling I am feeling just knackered and tired of it all. I know it will be brilliant when it's done but that's probably going to be October at the earliest. Any advice on how to keep positive and keep the family going (my children are 8 & 5). Thanks in advance

@Kateguide I feel your pain. We did a build when I had a small baby and it was very hard. So horrible that this time we have moved out.
Last time I just kept telling myself that people live in corrugated tin shacks, on rubbish dumps, and open sewers around the world, and they have to cope. Keep it real, stay calm and look at the positives. I know it’s really difficult (home schooling almost pushed me over the edge), but think of what you will have once this is done. Good luck!

@birdbrained we are going with white I think. I just can’t think any more!

@Kateguide just keep powering through! Little things will h appen that will tilt you toward despair then some other little thing will tilt you the other way. As long as people don;t keep saying 'it will be worth it' then you won;t go insane - it's the one thing that set me off! All very well saying it if you're not living through it!

Planning on decorating the hallways on weds but looking to pay someone to come in and sort out all the doorways, I just can't face it!

No sodding windows until mid August. And the expensive patio doors we paid a premium for so they arrived sooner still won't be ready until mid September. Grrrr AND the delivery from Victorian Plumbing has suddenly been delayed until end of August despite the items being in stock when I ordered... feeling a bit deflated today...

Massive shower tray is 1200x1200 mm

Hope others are having better Mondays!

@birdbrained oooh which company did you order your tray from? We are thinking of a 1200 x 1200.

I hated delays @birdbrained, then they didn't seem so bad as there was always some other bollocks to replace the anger! Did you register for a trade account? They split my order and the delayed items just came a bit later; as it happens it was nowhere near as long as they said it would be so it may not be as long a wait as you think

our en-suite shower tray is 1400x900 which is plenty big enough!

painter started today...of course am now cacking myself that the paint colours will look crap, and I'm frantically googling pictures of said paint colours in real life.

we've been quite brave colourwise i think...

@missfliss show us some colour! Would be great to see it.

Yes to colour!
By the time we got to the decorating stage, I had had it with decision making, so opted for Builders Beige

Just a quick update from me... Not sure if anyone remembers.

We are still without a kitchen (since middle of Feb), built is ongoing, but slow slow slow. We still have weeks where the builders hardly turn up and I can't believe that a built that started beginning of February and was scheduled for 14 weeks max is still not finished. I don't think I have anything on hand against the builders, they will blame it all on Covid.
What annoys me most is the absolute non talking to us and how unorganised everything is. Electrician said on a Friday we must get outside lights in by Monday THE LATEST. Everywhere was still kind of closed and it was too early for us to go to a shop that's not a supermarket for essentials. So I picked lights from Amazon in a rush (I'm happy with them, but I would have liked to shop around a little). They are still in boxes and he hasn't put them up. This was maybe 2 months ago.
We are now waiting for a plumber for 3 weeks. Apparently he is booked in for this week. I've not seen him yet. Or anyone of the builders for the past 2 weeks.

So frustrated. As the weeks are going by, my mental health is so so bad. We are still working from home and looking after a toddler in a ruined house. Washing dishes in the bath and cooking meals in a bedroom.

I really could cry.

@birdbrained

No sodding windows until mid August. And the expensive patio doors we paid a premium for so they arrived sooner still won't be ready until mid September. Grrrr AND the delivery from Victorian Plumbing has suddenly been delayed until end of August despite the items being in stock when I ordered... feeling a bit deflated today...

Massive shower tray is 1200x1200 mm

Hope others are having better Mondays!

Just reading back and seeing this post. Also no luck with Victorian plumbing here. Ordered early in July, was promised to arrive within 10 working days. Last update is delivery 3rd of August. If there are more delays, I'll cancel the order. Worst thing is that they don't even send an email/text for the update, but you need to manually check on their website. So annoyed.

I'll post some colour pics too tomorrow when the bold tanzanite blue goes on a feature wall where the bed will be- the other walls are 'shadow white' ( in pics) showing the chalk pink linen curtains.

Bathroom is ecru and oval room blue.

Hallway is going to be very bold... striped carpet, dark grey bannisters and a mustardy yellow paint.

@Peachi82 I do remember you. I am so so sorry to hear that. We were lucky that our building firm was very small and only one job at a time. I'm so sorry to hear your woes, poor communication is the worst.

This wall ( bare plaster) is going to be this bold blue ( scared!)

We've nearly filled this thread up! So have started a new one:

Extension 2020 part 2: pandemics, plaster & plumbing www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3980672-extension-2020-part-2-pandemics-plaster-plumbing

@Peachi82 so sorry for your building woes. Interesting to hear someone else struggling with Victorian plumbing. I've ordered from about 5 different bathroom shops and they're the only ones not to have come through yet. Can also sympathise with the mental health, my anxiety is up and down, when I talk to my counsellor she is like - global pandemic, working full time, from home, with children AND a building project!!! It's no wonder really... deep breaths...

Thanks @birdbrained

Hi is anyone finding it difficult to get hold of flooring? Amtico, Firmfit, karndean? Finding it difficult just to get a box. We've had 4 cancelled orders