Extension 2020 part 2: pandemics, plaster & plumbing

[birdbrained]

Original thread: Extension / loft conversion thread 2020 www.mumsnet.com/Talk/property/3783237-extension-loft-conversion-thread-2020

Hopefully during the course of this thread the plaster will be in abundance, the windows will arrive and houses will be put back together...

Ignore my above post, wrong thread!

@mothergooseinnorthwest bet that was a relief, how is everything coming along now you're a couple more weeks in? We have walls up to head height now and scaffolding coming tomorrow but we've had a couple of minor issues with some missing details on the steels design which has held us up a bit.

However, I found out today that, despite the structural drawings saying otherwise, we have to have a pillar in the middle of the open plan kitchen/lounge/diner as the floorboards upstairs run widthways instead of lengthways and therefore the pillar free design doesn't work. I am gutted, and will probably have to shell out for the structural designs to be redone and this will no doubt mean a delay of two weeks or more.

A pillar isn't the end of the world really though is it? Maybe I'll grow to love it...?

Hello Everyone , feeling exasperated
And very confused with extension cost . Please can anyone advise if the cost quote from builder seems reasonable .builder had quoted approx 90k for rear extension 4m , first floor small bathroom ,new porch& ground floor refurb including new boiler mega flow system , electrics, plumbing, plastering & flooring of ground floor removal of chimney from living room . Biggish & locally reputed builder has quoted around 90k other builders quotes Quotes for the same job 68-72k . We are very confused as what is the real cost . Thanks in advance would really appreciate any inputs on costs to get a ball park figure if someone has done similar job recently .we
Live in Whitton london

@UptownFunkYouUp
Nice to hear about your progress. We have a side internal wall up to head hight so far but we are behind on ground work. No concrete on the new bit yet as we are back filling the old back room and kitchen( suspended timber floor) to make the whole open plan area subfloor unified for the underfloor heating to go on if that makes sense.

I am sorry to hear about the pillar, we are having something similar done but our builder said he could work with either layout of the floor boards. Just one way is harder than the other. Our middle wall is only three metres long though, maybe the length makes a big difference. Are you hiding the rsj in the floor structure?

That said, you can definitely work with a pillar in the middle, I have seen many with an island attached or a pantry hidden behind. It would also be a good place for plugs and switches. Or you can have exposed steel pillar and beam painted a nice colour, if you like that sort of industrial look.

Our builder is on three projects at the same time. I am not too optimistic about the timing. I was told no structural work before Christmas.

Shame your structural engineer didn’t do a proper job. Hope the delay is minor and it is all smooth sailing for you after this.

@Nina4881

Hi london is expensive. So our extension in manchester of a similar size probably doesn’t mean much. We are doing a single storey 4m by 5.8m rear extension, with underfloor heating and knock through into the old back room and kitchen. No other added bits like yours. Quotes ranged from about 40k to 68k.

I dont think there is a ‘real’ cost, even all our potential builders quoted according to the same drawings and specifications, the price can be different depending on how they source material and pay their subcontractors and of course how much profit they want to make. I think your quotes sound cheap in general for london to be honest.

Some low quotes may have not included everything, so do check. We have dealt with builders who couldn’t ‘find doors with magnifying glasses’ on drawings.

@UptownFunkYouUp Can you upload some current plans and mark where the new pillar is going? Maybe someone will have some spiffy design ideas for it?

@Nina4881 I think you need to get further breakdowns of cost, you don't want to accept one whose deliberately set the quote low to get the job only to inflate later. You're having quite a bit of work done and I'd be wary of the lowest of your quotes. You say a 4m extension but 4m x what? Is there anew kitchen involved at all?

Hi , thank you . Yes it’s a lot of work as we have moved in years ago and have not done anything in this 1930 property now we saved up for doing up the whole property . Now it’s just all going to be spent in doing first floor itself . Our extension is 4m x 5.7m . There is new kitchen will be open plan with second sitting room.Removal of chimney and putting a wall
To have separate
Sitting
Room
, downstairs small bathroom with shower included . The cost builder has quoted is 90k + out scope is 40 k included bifold , skylight , downstairs glazing , new main door , new bathroom and kitchen supply . All in all we might end up spending close to 140k just for getting downstairs renovated and extended . We were hoping to spend all that whole the whole house including loft 6 years ago .

Thank you so much for the ball park figure .ours is 4 m x 5.7 m extension . The company who is charging us 90 k highest of all is a local reputed company . But he has quoted us to high we think . But we know standard of work is good

@Loofah01 here is the floor plan. Would be good if others had any good ideas about how to incorporate the pillar as you suggest. Currently we are thinking of cladding it in a mirrored surface.

The kitchen island will be a touch narrower but longer, and the dining table will be rotated 90 degrees. The sofa will be a corner sofa.

[quote UptownFunkYouUp]@Loofah01 here is the floor plan. Would be good if others had any good ideas about how to incorporate the pillar as you suggest. Currently we are thinking of cladding it in a mirrored surface.

The kitchen island will be a touch narrower but longer, and the dining table will be rotated 90 degrees. The sofa will be a corner sofa.

[/quote]
Oh that is awkward positioning! I was hoping to incorporate the pillar into either the island or a peninsular but you'd have to swap the kitchen area to the other side for that by the looks of it.
www.google.com/search?q=kitchen+with+pillar+in+the+middle&rlz=1C1CHBD_en-GBGB756GB756&sxsrf=ALeKk00jbca9TmemCAobZlaK5lFnjfsIGw:1607339485470&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwit08GY3rvtAhXykIsKHRYdAFEQ_AUoAXoECBMQAw&biw=1920&bih=937

@UptownFunkYouUp it is not really in the way of anything, so it could be a really easy or hard one to work with. What’s the dimension of the pillar?

We have a few minor issues these couple of weeks, the drawings marked the existing ceiling as 2.5m whilst in reality is 2.7.

The extension will only be 2.5m in height internally as is it PD and eaves cannot be over 3m. We will have to put a suspended ceiling in the old backroom and kitchen and loose 20cm height to creat a continuous look.

Keep thinking maybe I should have gone for a full planning permission in the first place. But 2,5m is still tall enough, right? I am only 5’3 anyway.

Standard height is 2.4m, ours are 2.5 and it all feels very roomy!

Ours in our 10 year old new build are only 2.35, it'll be fine!

I don't know the dimensions of the pillar yet, I'm imagining something like 40cm square but I've no idea tbh. The fun has continued with issues with the steel designs for the last few days which means it's all been ifs, buts and maybes but my builder texted me yesterday to say it's now all sorted and he's going to explain our actual options tomorrow. Just want to get back on with it again now!

Hi all, hope you are all cracking on with your builds. We are almost done, as in builders have gone and we are spending every spare moment tiling, plumbing, painting etc. Progress is slow but steady this weekend we finished the utility floor, stone tiles off a selling site ( is better than I expected). Next big job is to sort out the boot nook, I want to clad the entire back wall in left over flooring planks but not sure if it's one of those things that is better in a photo.

I feel much better about the ceiling height now. Thanks for the responses. Also I don’t have to strip the awful wallpaper off the ceiling this Christmas any more.

@UptownFunkYouUp hope you have good news from your builder tomorrow! Our progress isn’t great either due to the rainy days. Even though the builders came one dry Saturday to catch up, I am still not too optimistic about reaching wall plate height before Christmas as planned.

@Slightlydustcovered I dread and look forward to the day we will have to do all the tiling and flooring and painting to add finishing touches. You are nearing the end now!

I found the decorating as painful as watching the builders! We have a small issue with our build, after moving in in July there has been a touch of damp smack in the middle of the house. After months of haranguing the builder is digging a hole and sending someone under the house! It's exactly where an old sewer pipe was supposed to be rermoved but no-one seems very sure if it was or not... Getting hold of the bastards is tough when they're only outstanding a small amount so if you can set aside a large amount as a final payment after snagging.

@Loofah01 that's a good point we have still held back 20% and it's agreed that this won't be handed over until we have checked for snags and building control have fully signed it off. It's very useful to have something worth chasing for as builders are very keen to push building control as well as us.

I hope your damp is an easy fix.

It's not lol. Presumably that's why I've been chasing them for months to come and sort it; instead they send different people around who all same the same thing - it's damp. Well no shit. Now please fuck off and come back with a plan!
Our final payment is about 15k so not a massive incentive for fixing difficult problems when they have other work on the go. Ah well, we live and learn

Well I would have thought £15 k would have been enough of a chunk of their profit they would be keener to see it through. Just shows how complicated survival of any large project can be. I'm still slightly surprised I'm not divorced yet 😂

Ours used a QS too. Unfortunately in him trying to cut costs it was a northern based QS that he had never used and the prices were WAY off the actual for the South East; luckily this became the builders issue and not mine but whereas at the start of the project freebies and changes were happily included, by the middle everything became an argument.

I have finally finished the floor of the utility, so many pipes to tile around. Which is slightly frustrating as most are then hidden anyway.
We are painting the base coat in the WC (door in the picture) green tonight.

Lovely floor @Slightlydustcovered
We have some windows, and some plaster, but feels like miles to go. We have been out of the house for nearly 10 months now and it’s driving me nuts!

Good to see everyone's updates. We finally got our building control sign off last week after a 4 month battle with our builder's electrican to get him to finish off second fix. We just have a bit of decorating and snagging left inside but are now starting to landscape the garden which has turned into a moat with all the heavy rain.

Our BC inspector just mooched about for 15 minutes and said 'yeah it's fine'. Think he gives the nod to our builder rather a lot...