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.

hello all! I can finally join this thread having been on buyers/sellers thread for ages!

we moved in yesterday to a complete doer upper. Sellers left loads of stuff in the house and garden (how kind of them!) so we will probably need a skip. Haven't even started unpacking and back at work today unfortunately.

we are going to need to completely renovate the house - it's a terraced property on 3 floors. Central heating put in afterwards so all the pipes outside the walls, 3 separate boilers, one on each floor as they must have installed them before you could get megaflo type technology (they are all decades old), every floor covered in hideous carpet.

I have lived in a house while renovating it before - dp has not and less than 24 hours in, I can see he is already struggling. We haven't even started the plans yet (will need to rebuild 2 extensions they did 40 odd years ago that are totally substandard - plastic roofs and single brick walls, plus a potential side extension). He already wants to do the floors because he hates the carpets so much but it would be a total waste of money at this point!

architect is on leave this week so we will start the plans next week

we're planning on doing this over 18-24 months with the delays in getting builders/materials/planning - we're in a conservation area and a building of townscape merit so it could take a fair few months to get it through planning once we submit!

have enjoyed reading all your plans - may post some layouts and ask your opinions as we're divided on where we can put things like a downstairs loo!

Welcome @StrongArm sounds super exciting! our house was a total fixer upper when we moved in 11 years ago and we've just done things super slowly over time. I have lived with a kitchen I detest for that long and I have to keep that in mind when I am tearing my hair out with this current extension. Definitely post pics.

Can I finally join????
Getting our loft converted with a separate bathroom.
We booked the company at the beginning of the year and there were so many delays in the start date due to covid and a difficult neighbour.
Neighbour originally wouldn't agree to the party wall agreement as she has an issue with the company we're using and started quoting that she wouldn't give us permission to use them.
After explaining that we didn't need her permission of which company we're using and the party wall was to protect her property she started shouting at me on my doorstep! 😬
Anyway, scaffolding has gone up and the roof has been taken off, we're away for the week on holiday and had a message from the builders yesterday that the neighbour started screaming and shouting at them from her garden.
Then a call from a friend who is feeding our fish that the same neighbour pretty much pounced on her as she was leaving our house and started screaming at her in the street.
I can see that she is going to add so much stress to this, argh!
I think she has a personal problem with the owner of the company as she's worked for them before, we tried to explain that we did our research and know plenty of people that have used them and have been happy but she still isn't happy.
Phew, abit of a rant there!

Welcome @shash1982

We have a horrid neighbour too who tried to do the same with the party wall - except that they are renting so didn't have a leg to stand on. The owner of the house hates them too so was delighted to sign the party wall. Since we have started the build she's not said anything to me but has been rude to the builders on many occasions. I've just told them to ignore her. So stressful though.

Thanks @callmejudith

That's what we're going to do, just ignore, ignore, ignore! It just adds more stress though doesn't it?
Unfortunately she owns her house.
On a positive note, the steels are in & the timber has arrived!

We bought this house 4 years ago and have been slowly renovating it but this is the first extension. So excited!

Oh definitely, I dread getting a text from her!

Thanks @Callmejudith.

It would be good to know at the end of your project whether you would recommend your builders; I'll PM you at that point, if that's ok?

Congratulations @StrongArm on your property completion!

I am straddling both buyers/sellers and here at the same time, as my purchase is taking ages but I need something to look forward to and plan for i.e. my project.

Looking forward to hearing about your journey!

@Starseeking right now I would definitely not recommend them. That may change if they end up doing an incredible job but right now the fact that they have gone completely off plan with the steels is making me hate them more and more each minute.

We have a meeting with the owner of the building company at the house tomorrow at 10am. I've told DH he needs to go full bad cop as I'm useless at it.

Though DH is also pissing me off because he's become completely fixated that the floor level of the extension is not the same as the current patio. I feel like we have bigger fish to fry!

A Good start to the build. Timber delivery has arrived but no builders! They've left it on the pavement as he's a new driver and can't get it into the drive. I'm not even meant to be here this morning!

Nooooooo Rhubarb! We had a similar start and I was in despair. Hope you got hold of the builder.

We were on site for 2 hours this morning. Bloody hell. We have decided to keep the offending beam where it is and it will be boxed in. We are both happy with what the finished look will be. We've realised that the area where the main kitchen will be will have a really high ceiling (3.1m) because it's in the original dining room. Need to think about how we make the most of that.

we gave up this morning and ripped the 40 year old manky rug off the floorboards in our upstairs bedroom because dp was actually getting ill from the dust! floorboards are in an ok condition - i won't say good but not horrific. Very sun stained (obviously had a different sized rug before this one!). Hopefully we will sleep better tonight. Getting slightly concerned we haven't chosen the best bedroom for us. Really tricky as none really have en suites and they are all much of a muchness in size.

also now worried about the soil stack. We have one (if you think of a standard london terrace) that goes out the back where the terrace extends into the garden. So it goes down the side of that and into its own little drainage bit

at the front of the house is an old lead down pipe that we share with the neighbour that takes both rainwater and waste water - wouldn't be approved now by building control but has obviously been there for donkey's years. Have realised now that the toilet at the front is not connected to the soil stack - it's one of those saniflo things. This is only concerning as I was hoping to put an ensuite in our bedroom as at the moment, the bathroom next to it doesn't have a loo (and now I can see why!). It will be way too far from the soil stack at the back to run a pipe and I can't see planning/building control allowing one at the front (nor would I want one really) so tbh, it may be back to the drawing board for our imagined plans as the position of the bathrooms will now dictate everything else I think!

@RhubarbCrumbled glad you have timber at least! when i was driving round the motorway I saw loads of lorries stacked with it so supply must be easing somewhat!

The builders turned up just as they were finishing unloading. Apparently the delivery guys never arrive that early! Anyway all is well and going to plan now. They're easy to get on with and I'm still glad I chose this firm.

Today they break through the roof and into the loft! Exciting times!

Exciting Rhubarb!

Strongarm we have a saniflo in our loft en-suite and I absolutely hate it. It just churns away for ages.

I’m seriously thinking about getting a lighting designer in. I’m so worried about mucking it up.

Hi all,

Currently planing an extension, single storey. I've posted on here previously.

We have had one quote and would like to gauge peoples advice as to whether this is right as we think it's a "I don't want the job" price.

We have a terrace house, single storey extension is within permitted development. 3m out and about 5m across.
It would also include taking out a chimney breast from current dining room. Opening up the back of the house. Installing a downstairs loo. Building internal walls for a utility room. Quote includes installing kitchen, installing flooring though out.
It came in at 68,000!

We were hoping to spend max £60,000 inc kitchen!

We struggling to get anyone else to come quote!!!

@cancancan Sounds about right to me. We are in an expensive build area though. About £70k for very similar without kitchen or kitchen fitting. 3 big steels to hold up back of house.

Glass is expensive at the moment if you are having lots of glazing. You'll need a decent amount of steel if you are taking a chimney breast out.

Not sure what you based your pricing on. We used contacts from the architectural technician to get builders in to tender.

Does that include the cost of the kitchen, flooring and the downstairs loo or just the labour costs to fit it all?

£68k doesn't sound unreasonable

we did a similar extension (bit larger, whole room redone in the end was 9x3 but the extension itself was 6x2) but ended up having to redo the whole back of the house at the same time and then redoing all the flooring/windows, also included new kitchen/utility room/boiler/3 steels and ours was £92k in late 2018/early 2019

@Callmejudith they are horrible aren't they! the planning guy we spoke to is on holiday till next week so will ask him when he is back what our options are!

we are struggling to get a roofer to come out and look at the leaking roof which is really job 1!

Cancancan that sounds about right to me too

@FourTeaFallOut no the quote did not inc a kitchen, flooring, toilet fittings etc

We spoke with our architect about our budget when he first came round to talk over the plans. And he said it should be fine.

If that is the cost then I'm not sure we can go ahead 😥

@cancancan it's been mentioned on several threads that unfortunately architects seem out of touch with current prices. Our architect told us £150k was a decent budget for our work; our builder is charging us £220k to second fix so have a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, flooring and decorating costs on top. The builder we are using is excellent but also one of the cheaper quotes we had!

I think it's a lot although I know that there are places in the country where this would be a typical quote. I'd get a couple of quotes and see how this one is placed.

We will be getting more quotes eventually, but I just want to prepared for bad news!

We've got £65000 plus a 10% contingency....which with a quote of £68,000 and no kitchen etc we can't really afford it!