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.

Early morning site meeting today. We seem to have holes in every floor, wall and ceiling!!

Our builders are amazing though. So pleased with how quickly they're working.

Pissed off that our architect got a really important measurement wrong by 20cm on the plans!! We've had to rework a big picture window and make it smaller 😭

The main builder thinks they'll be finished in 6 weeks!! 🤞 Then we'll have 3 weeks of decorating before time to put up the Christmas tree 👏

@LivingInABuildingSite Thank you for link. These are the exact doors I want. They don't need to be fire doors either as we are in a bungalow so not required for Building regulations. I will ask our builder to see if he has a Magnet trade account as there is no price on them in the link.

@MissFritton65 Thank you for the link. They do have the door I'm looking for so I will compare the price with other places.

@Callmejudith that is why I am asking about doors here. I figured that we are all building new rooms and spaces so doors will have been looked into by others. When I put 1930s doors into Google lots of websites with very reasonable prices but I don't know many of these companies. Best to go on recommendation.

On our loft conversion, our Carpenter has started on the dormer construction and I think I also spotted the first stud wall up. Looking at the progress he is building all the bits around the staircase opening first and then he will continue with the rest. I think we shall be discussing window positions later on today.

Our loft stairs should go in next week. New kitchen should be ready to move into end of next week….then they’ll knock out old kitchen, put 8n back door and downstairs loo….finish off paving in back garden (right by back gate has been mud bath in rain for a year now….waiting for last bit of drains). And they’ll all bugger off!

Good progress @PoshWatchShitShoes

They are knocking through!

Whooop! Take pics

FFS. I saw one of the builders this morning in the coffee shop, bought him a coffee, came back to the house and he is nowhere to be seen! The plasterer was also supposed to be here today. Nothing. I have told DH to call the foreman and be bad cop I just cannot handle it. To think we were supposed to be moving back into today. I hate hate hate hate HATE my builders.

In better news I have made excellent progress sorting out DS bedroom which was previously holding all our crap. I have resigned myself that we need to move back in next week and just live in the upstairs of the house.

So many of you are making good progress - yay!
@Notyetthere I bought 1930s fire doors from online door store. They were really heavy doors and a good price.

Our builders haven’t shown today and haven’t responded to my text 🤦‍♀️

Any sign of them @Terracedtardis

Someone turned up here about an hour ago. I've been on work calls and now have to do the school run so now idea what's going on down there.

This is our new dining room looking towards the downstairs toilet, utility room and my office. The second photo to going to be the new dining room doorway; it was the downstairs toilet previously.

@Callmejudith Not a word from them! I’m so annoyed because when my husband spoke to them on Tuesday he said they needed to communicate with us as we were getting fed up of chasing them. Now this!

The roof guy didn’t appear in the heavy rain this morning which didn’t surprise me. Boss called and said he wouldn’t be coming because of the weather.

Then the labourer guy doing concrete floor at the back said the roof guy got all his tools nicked last night 😱 so wondering if that was the main reason.

Will wait to see what happens on Monday. Means delaying the surveyor for measuring the side skylight and back door. Which is edging ever closer to Christmas shut down before they can be fitted.

Deep breaths.

Meanwhile, a cupboard had to come out of the ever-decaying kitchen to move a pipe. Cleaning products (too many of!) all over the place now.

@LivingOnABuildingSite it's so hard when everything that happens impacts on everything else! Our single storey roof can't be done because the scaffolding is in obstructing it but the scaffolding can't come down until the roof is finished which is being hampered by the weather.

Now DH is getting on my nerves. He has been so useless throughout this build and now wants to go all guns blazing which I know will mean the builder will just down tools and leave us high and dry

Sorry ranting yet again. DH stormed out to the house this morning. I just spoke to him and he said one guy is there. I asked him if he checked what he was doing today and he said “I just said hello”. I am surrounded by uselessness.

@Callmejudith that sounds super stressful. Where are you staying at the moment?

I'm beginning to think ours will never happen. We are desperate for quotes but got two that varied by hundreds of thousands (no joke) and finally pulled in the architect to help. I hope we get some quotes back via that process. I notice the builders prefer "fluid" type quotes that can't pin them down so don't like the architects quote format!

We’re in a flat about 10 mins drive from home. It’s fine but I’m sick of the drive back and forth and not having my stuff. We move back into the house next Friday. We’ll have to just live upstairs but we now have the spare room which we can use to store everything and have a temp kitchen.

Our next major milestone is 15th October for the kitchen delivery with install starting on 18th. Before then we need the velux installed, the roof finished, the floor levelled and screeded and the walls where the units will be plastered and painted. If the builders could actually turn up I don’t see how that’s not achievable.

@NewHouseNewMe it’s amazing isn’t it how wildly the quotes vary. Hopefully the architect will help.

The foreman turned up while DH was at the house and DH said he really laid it out to him how upset and stressed we both are by the lack of communication and no shows. DH said he really laid it on thick. Praying this may be the push we need to get this thing done. I have zero faith in them though.

Hope your DH's pep talk works with the foreman @Callmejudith!!

Our kitchen is being delivered on 18th October too 👏

So much for our builders to do before then!!

Haha @PoshWatchShitShoes I will tell our crap builders that they’re in a race with your good builders.

What’s on your list of stuff to be done?

Also any tips for a temporary kitchen? It’s only 2.5 weeks. I have a plug in cool box, kettle, toaster, microwave. Sink will be in the bathroom. We can use our neighbour’s fridge/freezer which is great.

Trying to think of decent food I can do without an oven

@Callmejudith an instant pot could help in a temporary kitchen for real food. I’ve also seen plug in frying pans and counter top plug in ovens

A Ninja Foodie will fry, slow cook, bake, roast and even dehydrate. I bought mine months ago for a build that hasn't started