Is there a 2021 extension thread?

[Yellownotblue]

Just that really, I found it very informative (and exhilarating and at times heart breaking!) to read the 2020 extension threads. I couldn’t find a 2021 extension thread. Please can you direct me, or if there isn’t one, let’s start it! All welcome.

As for us - we’re awaiting PP for our extension and our architect said the work might start as early as March (ha! I’ll believe it when I see it). It’s a large extension and we will need to move out for about 9 months so I’m a bit flustered at the thought of moving out in 7 weeks’ time. We’re extending over the garage, in the garden and in the loft, and doing a shedload of other stuff from electrics to roofing and redecorating everything. We’re in SW London.

IndecentFeminist - exciting!

Whereabouts are you based?

Thank you for the thread!

I know what you mean FinallyHere. My Dh has minimal interest in any decisions and I'm scared of getting things wrong and spending years regretting that I chose x or y.
We are part way through our kitchen extension. Have moved out. I'm finding home schooling, the stress of work in this covid surge (we are both HCW), living with in laws and this project overwhelming!

Currently I'm still stuck on kitchen layout. Space isn't quite as big as I thought and architect's original kitchen idea doesn't give enough units nor space between island and table so have had complete redesign but I'm still worried about space around table.

Current challenge is I need to order sliding doors and no idea where to start! Does anyone have any recommendations please? We are in London.

I'm early stages but planning on using Maxlight for sliding doors, have had a couple of very good recommendations. All budget dependent of course!

I've been lurking a while too. We had our planning permission approved in October for our 3.1m x 8m rear single storey extension and have been getting our quotes from builders slowly drip through since. We've had Karen @ OnePlan help us with designing our new open plan kitchen/dining/living space plus the rest of our ground floor and itching to get started. Just waiting for another builder who's a friend of my OH to give us his quote.

I'm currently stuck on what roof windows to go for so we can get our structural engineer calcs finished.. Our architect had drawn up plans with 2 large roof lanterns (flat roof), but Karen came up with a lovely alternative of modular skylights which would be the same length as bi-folds (around 4.5m-5m) so I'm madly calling around companies to get quotes and see what our options are realising that there's not many companies out there that do them.

@OBface I'm also in the Midlands and our highest has been around £56k + VAT if we include UFH so quite a big difference although if you compare by per metre squared (25m2 vs 42m2) it's probably about same (£2.3k).

So I feel like things are coming together. I like the new builder, we have the money, I've found an AirBNB and a potential place for husband to go and work (don't ask why he can't work in the AirBNB). But I am SCARED due to potential lockdown, covid, brexit.

Don't know whether just to postpone to 2022 but on the other hand we could have a beautiful new kitchen by Summer 2021

Yes - brilliant - would love to have a place to chat extensions. We got PP for a side-return - we're a small victorian terrace in hove.

Just starting to look at kitchens, floors, internal doors etc.Think we've decided on external door/rooflights with Maxlight.

Can anyone point me in the direction of the 2020 thread?

Yes, we were starting to get nervous about somewhere to stay. But then remembered a friend who works abroad and not back until beginning of April, and she has kindly said we can stay in her house. No small offer with three kids and a dog! 😂

Rather jealous - just had our planning turned down again (single room onto top of the flat roof garage which is connected to the house). Contemplating going to appeal but really not sure we can deal with the agro. Particularly as the planning officer sends her verdict out two days before the deadline at 4:55 on Fridays, giving us the weekend to think, Monday to try and find a planning consultant for advice etc. And of course planning won't answer the phone or an email to ask in advance how things are.

@OBface sounds about right to me (sorry!). Hopefully you'll get some other quotes through soon so you can compare

We start our single storey, rear extension on Monday. Our biggest worry is the doors as we want the slide and turn style rather than bifold. I think we will have a boarded up hole for months

Can I join in please?

We are having a single storey extension, blocking up kitchen access and knocking down internal wall between dining room and kitchen and building out to incorporate bi folds, French doors and a sky lantern. We will be having a new kitchen too.

Wednesday will be two weeks since our extension started. So far, the foundations are in, the floor will be set tomorrow then I think knocking through existing downstairs wc and utility room and blocking off current outdoor access.

No real mess so far, we are bringing mud in from outside, but nothing dusty at the moment.

So exciting to have something to look forward to... builder anticipates 3 months all in... he’s fitting our new magnet kitchen for us too.

Good luck everyone!

Had a big chat with DH over the weekend and we've agreed to postpone starting. Disappointed in some ways but we've waited 11 years to do this kitchen we can wait another 6 months

@CaurnieBred

We start our single storey, rear extension on Monday. Our biggest worry is the doors as we want the slide and turn style rather than bifold. I think we will have a boarded up hole for months

We are looking at big delay for doors and a boarded up gap for weeks too! Want sliding doors but long lead time. And astonishingly expensive!

What a great thread! We are mid extension now.
About 1/3 of the house was unused (1960s extension thats just bizarre and blocked view of garden. Another 1/3 was v cold and draughty.

The extension has been knocked down (wasn't supposed to be but turns out it was v poor quality and no insulation so not up to regulations) and will be rebuilt in same footprint with a utility and living/dining room with a large glass sliding doors, plus roof lantern and a "study" but don't actually know what we will use it for as none of need a study right now! (I'd love indoor swing and slide 😁...for the kids, obv...)

The cold draughty 1/3 is becoming a well insulated "granny annexe".

Garden getting drainage put in (clay soil) and a new patio.

Remaining 1/3 (kitchen, bathroom and living room) were done a few years ago and upstairs a few years before that. So once this is finished the whole house will be done. Can't wait!

For those worried about kitchen look for a combi microwave oven and a plug in hot plate.

I'd love to be a bona fide member of this group. We had a single storey approx 12m squared extension several years ago and are looking to build on top to accommodate a bathroom and enlarge the smallest bedroom. We haven't yet engaged an architect/surveyor but considered it at several points during last year.

Is anyone here having a timber framed extension? We're wondering if that might be a more cost effective way to achieve it,

Ooo yay to 2021!

We put our single storey front extension planning in back in October 2020... neighbour has paid for a whopper of a 9 page document from a fancy surveyor as an objection which went live 10 days after the neighbour consultation expiry... annoying much.
Don't think we're going to get it as front extensions seem pretty hard to come by (we have a 25m driveway but are semidetached).

Luckily got building regs in for a back single storey extension, just waiting on the stupid party wall agreement to go through.
As soon as that's awarded, we're good to go!

I think we are miles behind most of you guys, but lovely to see some people making progress. Especially at the moment.
I have drawn ours about a million times, just waiting on an architect fee for first stage.
Think ours is likely to be a two storey box off the back and side. We are in a 1950's semi. Fairly sure ours might need to happen in two stages.
Obsessed with kitchens right now.

We are 2 weeks into our loft conversion with 2 dormers. Me and the girls have moved out to my parents empty house while hubby stays home to work and manage the build. Hoping to be able to move back in a couple of weeks as by then all the downstairs work will be completed.

Really stressful choosing bathrooms and tiles without being allowed to go to showrooms but getting there

To those who are considering Maxlight doors - they are extremely expensive! Have a look at Sunflex or Shuco instead.

Well, footings are dug. Concrete was supposed to come today but will now be tomorrow.

Slight issue on how far we are coming in from adjoining neighbours as it turns out the fence is not quite at 90° so we have had to come in slightly more than planned so we still have ladder access up to the roof. Our deeds show boundary as being 90° but at some point before we moved in it seems to have moved . . .

Hi Miami81 - I'm also slightly obsessed with kitchens, I've had to cut myself off by limiting use of Pinterest and Instagram on my phone to 30 minutes per day.

I'm not there yet but will also need to find an architect to work with in the next few weeks. I'm drawn to very high-end practices but not sure they'd be interested in my very average suburban semi! And a budget that I started off thinking was quite generous but my spreadsheet is telling me otherwise...

@HouseyHouse21 ha ha my high end taste is genuinely gonna be the killer for my budget.
I just keep trying to remind myself that the space is the most important thing, if I have to redo the kitchen units in 5-7 years time to get the killer one I want I am ok with that!!
I am in the industry but not anything useful like an architect or structures person so I am just accepting that I will have to trust some other professionals to get what I want. And that's scary
My spreadsheet is already carnage