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

[Callmejudith]

New thread!

@nomoneytree haha deal, you bring the biscuits, I'll hopefully have a working Quooker for our coffee catch ups 😂

Hope your visit to HMKC went well. I'm really happy with the quality

@whataboutbob you've got such restraint not to peel the blue stuff 😂 Will look great with the work too you've chosen!

@GardensandGrandDesigns we've got wet ufh through kitchen, snug and utility. I think it was around £6k for 80sqft.

Whoop @Callmejudith!! Buy that lottery ticket!! Hope they get everything done.

An actual finished room!! 🤩 Still needs a good clean, but hurrah

@wonkylegs sorry I missed your pic - it’s looking good!

Hmm based on sq m maybe 6k is just one floor. Shit! Oh well, we need it with the heat pump so will have to dig deep.

Build starts in Apr. Had confirmation from the new builder 😁

@Callmejudith

Crikey - they turned up! Stunned!

Lock all the doors and don't let them out!

So it looks like the outside work is all done but the plasterer has gone awol. Our flooring guy is finishing the hallway tomorrow and Wednesday so have told DH to make sure the foreman knows the plasterer now can’t come until Thursday

@Callmejudith

So it looks like the outside work is all done but the plasterer has gone awol. Our flooring guy is finishing the hallway tomorrow and Wednesday so have told DH to make sure the foreman knows the plasterer now can’t come until Thursday

I lay £20 that plasterer turns up tomorrow

@PoshWatchShitShoes

An actual finished room!! 🤩 Still needs a good clean, but hurrah

Amazing space! Which room is this?

Just been told by our builders that they need to cut off the waste pipe from our downstairs bathroom to get the foundations sorted. It's earlier than we had hoped as this is the bathroom that mostly functions. We have an upstairs 'main' bathroom but the shower is just a hose (not fixed to the wall) over the wobbly unsealed bath. We will lose this in the next few weeks too so will be bathroomless We are determined to stay put (also don't have much choice) so we are looking at portable camping toilets for when we are home and will sort showers out with the neighbour and trips on the weekends to family (not near enough to be useful daily sadly) or leisure centre. Think we are a bit mad.....but it will all be worth it in the end....right?

@GardensandGrandDesigns

Hiya, has anyone installed underfloor heating throughout their house? Just looking at our quote and says 6k but I'm guessing that is just for one floor, not whole house?

Our original quote was about £6500 for UFH to the ground floor only. Had to remove due to budget. I don't think you need it on both floors though. A few rads upstairs and maybe electric in the bathroom might be enough.

@PoshWatchShitShoes whoop for the finished room!

@Sewfrickinamazeballs it will be worth it!! Dry shampoo is your friend

Yeah the builder confirmed it was only for upstairs so will get him to work out a price for both floors. We have an ASHP so it's our heating really as well as being comfortable. I had a cuppa at a friend's today and her heated flooring felt amazing!!

I've been hectic in the run up to the build starting properly so have been reading but not commenting. I am adoring seeing all the finished rooms and divine kitchens - they remind me why we're doing this to ourselves! I adore the pantry @sluj and would take great pleasure in filling it! @PoshWatchShitShoes your kitchen is looking awesome. It is HUGE though I admit that I'm having issues visualising the size mine will be when built so what do I know
@whataboutbob I'm another one who couldn't resist tearing off those blue protective film sheets!

So we finally start.. Is anyone else at the same (very early) stage or is it just me?

@Sewfrickinamazeballs - I feel your pain as a similar thing happened to us in a previous building project. Do you have bathrooms at work/school/college you can all use? When we got desperate, the adults showered at work and the kids did a lot of swimming!

This time we've moved out as I'm getting older and need fully functioning bathrooms.

Thanks @PoshWatchShitShoes it’s exciting. Was too scared to touch the units so the fitter can have the pleasure of peeling off the stickers!
Good luck tomorrow Judith. Let DH handle this from now on, sadly I suspect they will pay more attention to him.

@NewHouseNewMe

I've been hectic in the run up to the build starting properly so have been reading but not commenting. I am adoring seeing all the finished rooms and divine kitchens - they remind me why we're doing this to ourselves! I adore the pantry *@sluj and would take great pleasure in filling it! @PoshWatchShitShoes* your kitchen is looking awesome. It is HUGE though I admit that I'm having issues visualising the size mine will be when built so what do I know *@whataboutbob* I'm another one who couldn't resist tearing off those blue protective film sheets!

So we finally start.. Is anyone else at the same (very early) stage or is it just me?

We are only two weeks in to a 22 week build so barely started. Just have trenches filled with water at the moment as there was a lot of demolition to do.

Tip - buy the builders there own mugs. I got some cheapies from Sainsbury's as they are forever leaving them lying around outside.

We are almost 4 weeks in and it's chaos. The kitchen roof comes off tomorrow but most of the internal demolition is done apart from opening the chimney breast. The lads are very good but the dust is hideous and only having one toilet is causing some friction. We have one usable room downstairs and are eating a lot of takeaways and prepped stuff from mother in law. Doing my diet no good.

Still haven't found anyone for our solid surfaces but the builder has started looking for someone so I can stop stressing.

Part of the destruction. Keep finding random stuff buried in the house including coffee essence and very old fags!

@LimpLettice I remember that phase of holes and trenches and mess!! It's crazy how much stuff gets stripped back.

We're just ending week 20 of an 11-week renovation 😂 The end is finally in sight and it is worth it!!

@LimpLettice those pics are bringing back memories! Do you have those dust covers you stick on the doors? They are fab. Grrrr for the toilet situation though - annoying. I hated going to the loo when the builders were in the house.

Floor dude is in today, I am SO excited about having all the floor complete. Also got the new hallway rad in place, it's a beauty. Will take a pic later.

Hello

We're right at the start of our project (builders announced at the weekend they would be starting Tuesday but arrived first thing Monday and already annoyed the neighbours).

Couple of very silly questions.

How often do you offer your builders a hot drink?

And what is a reasonable working day?

Also pushing for for a rough schedule of work but this seems beyond them

All your projects are looking ace

We do have dust covers but in all honesty we are just shutting the doors upstairs and lounge and ignoring the rest til it's over. We have a roof and two external walls to come down before the worst is over and just trying to live with it!

It's the not the builders I mind, it's DH. It's a bloody Pavlovian response with him - whenever the bathroom is locked, he needs it. Every single time.

I don't. They have a kettle and refuse everything we offer in case it puts me out 😂. Had to force bacon rolls from Greggs on them this morning.

My lot arrive about 7.45 and have usually knocked of by 3.30 - 4. They take a couple of quick breaks for breakfast and lunch in that.

@OBface good luck!

We weren't living on site for the majority of time so I didn't get into offering drinks. I think I bought the builder a coffee once when I saw him in the coffee shop. We just left supplies and a kettle and mugs. They hardly touched them.

I would expect them to be on site from 8-3/4 with a quick lunch. If they are not turning up at 8 everyday make sure you get on that NOW otherwise they'll slack.

The schedule of work was a NIGHTMARE for us. In hindsight I wish I had pushed them for at least a plan for the current week and written that down and shared it. It would have saved a lot of stress.