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

Oh, I haven't wrote a description of our plan.
Our house is a 1930s semi, galley kitchen, 2 reception rooms. It was extended a little bit in the 80s (1m, but it isn't quite enough to get a toilet under the stairs and to create a nice family kitchen diner. We are going to get rid of a leaking, useless conservatory (though nice to look at, full wood, no PVC, and I feel so bad as the previous previous owners were probably really proud of the addition), extending out another 2.something meters, knocking down the wall between kitchen and dining room. We will pinch a little bit of room from the current kitchen to get a loo underneath the stairs (710 x 1600, it will be cosy). In the hallway, opposite the loo room, we want to create a corner for coats and shoes as currently the entrance is just overflowing with stuff.
AND we need a new roof...
Not sure to how much it will all come to. I'm hoping to stay under 50k. Wish me good luck haha.

Interested for those already with builders appointed as we should have all our quotes in by the end of this week so we can make a decision...

What payment terms did you agree with your builder? Were these generic and set by the builder with no wriggle room or did anyone find it was more of a mutual agreement? We have all the funds just don't want to sell ourselves short payment stuff up front for the "just incase"

It's sad how stupidly excited I am about finally putting up the Rotary dryer that's been loitering in my garage for the last 15 years.
I bet the real Tiananmen Square doesn't have a Brabantia whirligig in the middle of it

Hope all those actively building have everything going to plan.

Does anyone know what happens if you need a party wall agreement but the neighbours are selling their house?

@bez91 don't pay lots up front !

Fees for plans /architects and a £5k deposit was paid up front and then everything else in stage payments on satisfactory completion of works.

Eg foundations -
signed off by building control
1st fix electrics / plumbing
steels signed off by bc
Etc

If they give you any nonsense re needing £ for materials, ignore it. They all have accounts at various suppliers with 30+ days payment terms. If they don't then chances are they have bad debts before so best avoided!

Hi all, I'm back. Dipped out last year due to a poorly child but she is almost back to being her cheeky self so we are back on it. Good news is my husband forgot to send the email to builders canceling the job as we were not sure we would be ready for the start date. As it it we are going to risk it and can now go ahead so are the next project. Start date march 1st. Very exciting and yet in a constant panic about everything.

Great to have you back @Slightlysurviving. I know that feeling. I just have to not think about it most of the time because it's so overwhelming!

Came back to this tonight!

@Slightlysurviving I remember that your little one was in hospital. I'm so glad she is on the mend.

@birdbrained OMG! someone's stolen your kitchen!

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo I know... I thought that step would be months away... makes me think of The Italian Job - you're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!

We've had a bit of a set back with our roof, inspector claimed the pitch was too shallow for our electric Veluxes so the roof came back off it's all fixed and passed again now.

@bananabunch119 roof came back off all sounds very casual and I'm sure it wasn't.
Is that a waste pipe hidden in your roof void? We've got one just like that!

Evening all, we have started clearing the site ourselves. Digger is in and we are motoring along. Embracing the mud with the kids today and we made a mud kitchen. It finally feels like we are making progress. We are ripping down the garage next weekend which I am actually quite looking forward to this. Each barrow of topsoil and every blister, I remind myself it's an extra £6k in the kitchen and bathroom pot. Our budget is super tight so it's all necessary. Hope all is going well for others, and if anyone has any pearls on how they saved a couple of quid would be appreciated.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo yes it's the soil pipe from bathroom above, a false ceiling is being built to hide it which is OK because now I can have a ducting out extractor above the island hob

Can you save on skip /disposal costs ? Is the topsoil going in skip or spread round garden ?
I saved on disposal costs by selling my old kitchen units.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo topsoil has been advised locally free to collect so a few people are coming to load up next Saturday. I did laugh when you mentioned selling the kitchen, this house was bought as a project I currently have a leaky sink, 1 cupboard and 1 drawer and 3 shelves made out of manky chipboard. I have a plank of wood balanced across the bin for worktop. I am dreaming of my temporary kitchen. I think we may build a couple of raised beds to save the costs of any skips. Using it in the garden is a great shout and I have a few spare scaffold boards in the garden already.

@bananabunch119 we took the opportunity to install some acoustic insulation in our dropped ceiling to reduce noise to bedroom above

Can I join please. Our 2 storey extension started on monday. We are extending our kitchen and having a new bedroom upstairs with a gable window and vaulted ceiling. Very excited atm as we have been planning this for 10 years!

Foundations are currently being dug. Just found out the need to go deeped than planned (3m in planned) due to clay soil and tree roots. Other problems by day 2 are the architects disappearing/dissolving company and the need to move a wall 4 inches as the architect forgot about the gas meter. Still feeling positive although a bit worried about the storms predicted at the weekend. Will need to make sure the builders secure the site.

Our conservatory is gone, site preparation well under way. Our dining room is boarded up and do you know what? It's still warmer in there compared to our kitchen with no heating and shitty back door.

Finally remembered what I've been meaning to ask. Has anyone bought a tambour door unit from an independent company. I'm using Wickes for my kitchen but want a tambour door for one cupboard and not entirely sure where to go as Wickes don't do them....

@Pashazade
I haven't used this company but have a look at this
eastcoastkitchens.co.uk/347-tambour-door-kits-stainless-steel

We are keeping our kitchen cupboards and will just add to them for our new kitchen.
But where should I keep all the content during the building phase?? All the pans and Tupperware (I'm going to sort this out anyway), cooking utensils... I have no clue...
I will take what I need for our makeshift kitchen (kettle, microwave, Thermomix), but can't store the rest as well in the rooms we will still have available.
Same for the understairs cupboard... We need to get things sorted in there anyway as it will become the downstairs toilet. We are planning on getting a cupboard for tools and things in the new kitchen, but I don't know where to put it in the meanwhile.

We also have a toddler, so I cannot really have lots of things around that are potentially dangerous for him.

Peach some of the storage places do tiny storage like big closet size, so that might work, if you really can't put anything in a shed or garage or the spare room....(assuming you have any of those available to you, most (non paper) stuff will survive providing the outdoor storage doesn't get wet inside)

I've put tools and paint and stuff in the small shed now. Christmas stuff can go in the loft.
Still have lots to do and haven't even started with the kitchen.
I might have to ask whether I can put kitchen stuff in the cabinets again once they are moved.

Lots of progress since last Friday. Our bifolds were put in today and I love them!