Page 33 | Extension Thread 2021.....aka "where's the bloody builder?"

wonkylegs · 08/01/2022 12:39

@LimpLettice 👏 awesome bargjn hunting

PoshWatchShitShoes · 09/01/2022 11:28

That's a great bargain @LimpLettice 👏

PoshWatchShitShoes · 09/01/2022 11:29

I should head to site soon to see what's happening... I don't want to though. There's so much for them to get done!!

The cleaners are coming on Wednesday and the curtains are being rehung on Thursday!! They need to get all of their builder stuff and mess out of my house. I'm really at the end of my tether now on the delays!!!

Original poster

Callmejudith · 09/01/2022 14:12

@LimpLettice what a result!

@PoshWatchShitShoes when are you moving back?

OP posts:

LimpLettice · 09/01/2022 14:16

We are pretty close to the wire on budget so have been cruising for bargains for months. Drove from Herts to Battersea for a dual fuel range which had been used twice last month and saved about £400. Poor DH rolls his eyes an awful lot but every penny counts!

Wow @PoshWatchShitShoes it's exciting though!

LaBelleSausage · 09/01/2022 21:15

Oh dear. I got chocolate hobnobs in as they builders start on Wednesday.

Somehow I have just absent minded my eaten 4.

How is everyone else dealing with tea/coffee/refreshments?

Have you left them with a kettle and supplies or are you making drinks?

whenwillthedecoratingend · 09/01/2022 21:33

@LaBelleSausage I was lucky, my builder wouldn't accept drinks and snacks from me! Brought his own every day! When the plasterers came in I just put the kettle tea/coffee/sugar and a couple of biscuits on a camp table in with them where they were working and they just made their own

sluj · 09/01/2022 21:43

I offered our builders and tradesmen coffee and tea a few times every day but 50% of the time they didn't want anything. Never offered biscuits or cheese sandwiches but did offer mince pies at Christmas - didn't want any of those either. Very self sufficient 😅

LaBelleSausage · 09/01/2022 21:45

I'm hoping for self sufficiency really!

DM is the sort of person who does them bacon sandwiches every morning and is constantly brewing up and baking for any tradespeople she has but I'm sure that's not normal

WhereDoesThisToiletGo · 09/01/2022 22:03

While I still had a proper kitchen, I did a round of tea first thing, and offered only when I was making for myself.
Once thee kitchen went, I just left them kettle and mugs, tea and coffee in the utility and they did their own.
Top tip, sugar lumps much less messy than loose sugar.

The kitchen fitters were marvellous, so I fetched them bacon sarnies every day from local cafe.

LimpLettice · 10/01/2022 01:46

They've set up a field kitchen in my summer house. Kettle, cups and supplies. We only drink coffee but did offer tea but they drink plenty and prefer not to be bother me.

LondonNQT · 10/01/2022 06:26

Late the party but hoping I can join?

We’re due to move back in having gutted and extended our terrace - attic conversion, kitchen extension and rebuilding a side adjoining conservatory. Plumbing, wiring, bathrooms, kitchen - all new.

Oh and did I mention the newborn? You lot, of all people, will appreciate my pain. A particular low point for me was a morning at Topps Tiles at two weeks postpartum as all the tiles we had previously carefully chosen had sold out and were on lengthy delays.

Neighbour (with a history of being a pain) asked partner yesterday when we’d be sorting out our back garden as ‘it’s an eye sore’! It’s honestly tipped me over the edge. We’re going to be doing loads ourselves even once we’re back in. Painting, fitting bathrooms, architraves/skirting boards etc once back in, with said rather small child still a factor, but don’t worry pet - we’ll snap to the garden pronto so you don’t have to hurt your eyes looking at it!

onedayoranother · 10/01/2022 08:53

I make them tea if I'm making one, but I make it clear they are welcome to help themselves. I don't buy sandwiches or donuts - I've done that before and then I realised I was getting orders (vegetarian roll, Chelsea bun please)! Spending £10/day and that adds up!

Classicblunder · 10/01/2022 09:34

Day 1 of building work today!

Exhausted from clearing out the kitchen and dining room yesterday

So far ok - turned up on time and are keen to prioritise sorting the temporary kitchen for us which is great

They are being really annoying about the portaloo though - we said at our pre start meeting that we wanted the temporary wall to leave us our downstairs bathroom. Partly because with a recently potty trained 2 year old, not having a downstairs loo would be a pain and partly because we want to keep the bathroom as is and if we leave it entirely to the builders for 4 months, I worry it would not be in a good state by the end. They were clearly unhappy about it but we told them we wanted it.

Then this morning, they are all, well it would be expensive and wouldn't fit easily in your front garden...

Argh! What did others do?

They are saying it would be approx £2000 to have it in the road due to fees or £1000 to find a spot in our garden - feels quite expensive but on the other hand ..

whenwillthedecoratingend · 10/01/2022 09:45

I didn't even consider a portAloo as just assumed builders would use our bathroom but on first day of build they had one delivered for them to use so that they wouldn't have to come through the house to use our bathroom. It's just on the driveway. Although having since had that conversation with a tradesman friend I believe they are expensive to hire.

LimpLettice · 10/01/2022 09:45

My builders were going to put one in (no cost, they said it's for their benefit not ours) but they haven't bothered. They go for breakfast at ten, and lunch at 12.30 and knock off at 4, so assume they are making use of the MaccyDs etc but also all live v locally which is partly why I chose them.

whenwillthedecoratingend · 10/01/2022 09:46

They must have absorbed the cost into their quote as they haven't charged me for it.

Classicblunder · 10/01/2022 09:54

@whenwillthedecoratingend

I didn't even consider a portAloo as just assumed builders would use our bathroom but on first day of build they had one delivered for them to use so that they wouldn't have to come through the house to use our bathroom. It's just on the driveway. Although having since had that conversation with a tradesman friend I believe they are expensive to hire.

I was quite against them coming through the house because we have a toddler so didn't want them leaving the front door open - so for us it was either on "our side" or theirs.

We insisted on a written quote from the office which turns out to be £700 which is I think probably worth it.

I think, to be honest, there is a part of me that is a bit petty and doesn't want to be bounced into it - it annoys me that we had a conversation about it which they are now trying to back track from

wonkylegs · 10/01/2022 10:00

@LaBelleSausage
I work from home so when I break for a coffee I offer to make them a hot drink too.
I've been a bit more frequent this week to defrost the poor tiler who was cutting outside as it was snowing.
Don't do biscuits as my gannets (sorry kids) demolish packets of them as soon as they cross the threshold.

Portaloos can be a tricky subject often an issue on jobs - some builders are happy without, some clients are happy without.
They can be very expensive as the hire cost includes them being emptied on a regular basis across the builds plus insurance - this will also affect where they are put on a property as they need access to empty them. Insurance is because they are often a target for vandalism. I recommend clients get them on certain jobs but don't bother on others.

We didn't have one for ours but we have easy dirty access from outside to our downstairs loo but in the whole build time only one tradesman has used it (solar panel fitter).

GardensandGrandDesigns · 10/01/2022 10:26

Just checked our quote and portaloo is listed at £1300.

PoshWatchShitShoes · 10/01/2022 10:38

We had a portaloo for a short period when the downstairs cloakroom they were using was taken out of action... then it disappeared as soon as my upstairs bathrooms were finished!! So I found builder wee all over the floor in my new bathroom. I handed the foreman a bottle of Cif and told him where to find the cloth. No more issues since, but they're using the kids' toilet now instead of mine 😆

PoshWatchShitShoes · 10/01/2022 10:41

Currently freezing my ass off working in one of the finished bedrooms. Heating is going back on tomorrow apparently!! It's been off for 4.5 months, so hopefully no issues.

The carpet fitters and electricians are here today.

The foreman is MIA!! The main builder (owner) is due here at 1pm, so I'm going to make him stay till more shit is done. They all work quicker when he's here, so he just needs to stay here till everything is finished.

I was supposed to pay a stage payment of £9k last week and another this week and I'm not paying either yet!!

PoshWatchShitShoes · 10/01/2022 10:45

Welcome to those just joining the thread 👋

I gave my builders my kettle, lots of mugs and a ton of tea bags and sugar when they started. They make their own tea. I'm not convinced they wash the cups properly, so I don't drink anything here!! I'm going to bin it all after. The kettle somehow has dried plaster on it 😂 So definitely don't leave anything you treasure.

@LondonNQT well done getting through reno works with a new baby!! I've got 2 little ones and it's tough keeping them away from site

niki26 · 10/01/2022 10:46

Are your carpet fitters ok with the no heating @PoshWatchShitShoes ?! Do you remember our nightmare when the carpet fitter walked in and said it was too cold to fit carpets! We had to gradually put the heating on over the course of a week and then he came back and did them. He ended up finishing them on Christmas Eve!

Classicblunder · 10/01/2022 11:05

@PoshWatchShitShoes

We had a portaloo for a short period when the downstairs cloakroom they were using was taken out of action... then it disappeared as soon as my upstairs bathrooms were finished!! So I found builder wee all over the floor in my new bathroom. I handed the foreman a bottle of Cif and told him where to find the cloth. No more issues since, but they're using the kids' toilet now instead of mine 😆

Oh no!

Yeah for me the issue is that if we give them the downstairs loo, we won't be able to access it to clean it and I am sceptical (possibly unfairly) that they will clean it