Extension Thread 2022....plaster, panic and pics

[Callmejudith]

Slightly naff title but I haven't had enough coffee yet

@PoshWatchShitShoes thank you! Only just arrived, it's 23.41 but looking great! I'll try my hardest to enjoy....just opened the champagne left for us.

@HopelessOptimistism congrats to you too! I'm trying to convince myself it will be easier whilst pregnant / with a non-mobile baby than with a toddler who wants to get involved!

We've just had our second quote back: they've been between £40-44k exc vat to a plaster finish. This includes removing a chimney breast in the current dining room, putting up a stud wall (you currently walk through the dining room to the kitchen; we're sectioning it off to make a home office) & moving the boiler too though. We've gone for some pricier options for the build itself - reclaimed or replica London stocks, pitched slate roof rather than flat etc - so it's probably a bit more than absolutely necessary.

I've not had any quotes for the kitchen units & fitting yet, but depending how tightly we can keep those costs down, we'd also like to replace the downstairs bathroom. If its out of budget I'll be learning to tile on mat leave

@MissFritton65 wow! Enjoy.

@PoshWatchShitShoes amazing! Looks warm too. I’m kind of worried that ours is cold. I mean it’s actually cold atm as the UFH isn’t on yet and it’s a big open unheated space.
But I’m worried it will feel cold, too modern almost.
Also stressing slightly about the finish in small areas, not sure how to point them out without looking too critical.

But in better news my Qettle tap went in today!
Made my first quick cup of tea 🎉👏

Will move the kettle off the counter tomorrow and try to rehome some other stuff as we seem to pile up dirty dishes too quickly for the counter top available near the dishwasher.

Have had to swap a full drawer below the sink for another U shaped one to allow for the tank but it seems to work.

Ah @AwkwardPaws27 @HopelessOptimistism

I did my first build through pregnancy. Swept the last of the dust up a week before the birth. My mum came round and shouted at the builders quite a bit. Cried like a baby at a ruined ready meal and washed up in the bath!

I am however 3/4s the way through a 12 week project with a 1 & 3 year old and frankly would rather do it pregnant. Having to get them out of the house most of the time due to dust and noise, all the toys alongside field kitchen and living space in our tiny new snug, laundry on the other side of the building site. Swings and roundabouts, innit?!

@LimpLettice thank you! I will definitely cry at some point

I've found some laundry services that collect, wash, dry and return so I'll definitely be taking advantage of those as we'll be washing machine-less for a good chunk of the work.

I haven’t had a microwave in the best part of a decade but we'll be buying one, & that plus the kettle should see us through hopefully, plus far too many takeaways, I'm sure!

I am worried about the dust - we had a chimney breast removed a few years ago and that was quite bad so I'm steeling myself for it. MIL has agreed to wash the baby clothes and store at hers until it settles (she's less than an hour away so if he arrives earlier they'll be ready). She did kindly offer for us to stay there but I'd really rather be at home - plus we have pets so can't just pack up and go easily.

@LivingInaBuildingSite I'm sure your kitchen will be warm and welcoming as soon as it's dressed!! A bit of personality makes the world of difference.

Also for snagging, it's fantastic to play good cop, bad cop with someone else. So I will say "my husband is concerned about x, he's asked me to find out if it's supposed to stay like this"... "I'm not sure how to explain xyz to my husband, he's going to be furious about the cost/time involved. What kind of workaround do we have?"etc.

The truth is that DH has barely been to site for the past 5 months and has no involvement (or much interest in the details)...but for any issues on site, he's defo the tricky one in the eye's of my builder 😂

Today's progress... I've ordered the blinds and curtains for the hallway, landing, guest bathroom and porch 👏

I've also bought more bits to fill shelves.

And done an Ikea order with a mini Kallax and hooks for under the stairs. I'm making a kids' storage cupboard for coats/hats/wellies/gloves etc. I might choose a wacky wallpaper for in there 😂

Just got our final quote (of 3) - £41,700 which is bang in the middle of the other two, & the builder we liked best. Going to discuss over the weekend but looks like it'll all be kicking off in late March, expected to take 8-10 weeks.

Baby is due on 3rd June

I doubt we'll have a functioning kitchen but hopefully it'll be plastered and watertight!

@PoshWatchShitShoes

Today's progress... I've ordered the blinds and curtains for the hallway, landing, guest bathroom and porch 👏

I've also bought more bits to fill shelves.

And done an Ikea order with a mini Kallax and hooks for under the stairs. I'm making a kids' storage cupboard for coats/hats/wellies/gloves etc. I might choose a wacky wallpaper for in there 😂

Sounds like your in fun stage now. Gives me hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks @PoshWatchShitShoes I will do that, it just worries me that I might point out something that can’t easily be replaced or fixed.

Having to start thinking about the pantry now.

So we are slicing the old kitchen into a downstairs loo (have made it a bit wider to allow for bigger blokes not to feel closed in as they walk to the loo), then another slice for a pantry.

More of a ‘step in’ than a ‘walk in’ as will be quite shallow. But very long.

Works out about 3m long inside but less than 1m deep. Hopefully it’ll still make sense. 2 pocket doors in the middle of the long side. Have spent many hours online looking at photos of other peoples.

And then need to start proper planning of the utility/laundry….

I bought a plant stand. We have a wobbly sink standing alone in a dusty room, open stud walls and no ceilings, I have just made a salad on a dirty draining board, but I have a very pretty plant stand for my calathea. 😂

Loving this thread.
We are at the beginning of wanting to extend, in West London, can anyone recommend a suitable architect for a loft conversion and side/rear extension.

Squad goals @LimpLettice!! Decorative bits for everyone 😂👏

@Hexagonmum I really don't rate my architect, but once you've got plans, my builder is awesome and they're based in West London. PM me if you'd like the details.

@LivingInaBuildingSite my pantry dimensions are really similar 320x105, but with door at right hand end. How are you designing it? Can’t come up with anything cleverer than shallow worktop with cupboards and shelves combo for underneath and open shelving above. It’s got low ceilings as part of it is under our stair landing.

Spoke to iq glass yesterday and quoted 19k for this style sliding doors. Shit that's expensive.

Also went to a quartz showroom and quoted 4k for kitchen and utility which seems much more reasonable.

I wonder if I could ask opinions please? We are building a first floor on top of half the width of an existing kitchen extension (Edwardian semi). The current extension has two big velux roof windows for light, obviously we will lose one and plan to make the other bigger and replace with either a light well or a lantern. I’m a bit worried about the lack of symmetry in the room and that because only half has a window in the ceiling it will look odd, but we will badly need the light. I love a lantern (but prefer traditional not frameless), but wonder if the unobtrusive light well will look better? We currently have a 4.5m depth by 5.5m wide ground floor extension (south facing) and will building out 3m by 3m on the East facing side so the window would be in the roof on the west side (thinking 2m by 1.5m). Grateful for any thoughts, thank you.

@Gardensandgranddesigns

We got 3 doors, 5 metres of sliding door Air 600s for about £5k. We chose them because they have a sort of rubber seal over the bottom slider rails so they don't get bunged up with dust and cat hair. Pet hate of mine. They are fantastic. Not particularly thin framed but the seal thing was more important to me and there is still more than enough glass. £9k is very expensive, keep looking.

@GardensandGrandDesigns have you tried first folding sliding doors? We had a reasonable quote from them (but may not be as big as what you are looking at).

We got ours from first folding and they were awful to deal with and I’m still chasing for them to finish a bit before I pay them. Avoid! @Martinisarebetterdirty

Oh no! Thank you @Callmejudith! Can anyone recommend a window company (we are West London) please?

[quote sluj]@Gardensandgranddesigns

We got 3 doors, 5 metres of sliding door Air 600s for about £5k. We chose them because they have a sort of rubber seal over the bottom slider rails so they don't get bunged up with dust and cat hair. Pet hate of mine. They are fantastic. Not particularly thin framed but the seal thing was more important to me and there is still more than enough glass. £9k is very expensive, keep looking.[/quote]
That sounds good, which company did you use?

@Callmejudith

We got ours from first folding and they were awful to deal with and I’m still chasing for them to finish a bit before I pay them. Avoid! *@Martinisarebetterdirty*

Will avoid those thanks!

We’re in W3!

Some composite decking samples arrived today, trying to find one as close as possible to our kitchen floor so we can get the all one room effect. Also had a builder round to quote for the garden work - fingers crossed it’s not extortionate

@GardensandGrandDesigns
Unfortunately our company went bankrupt just after they installed them. They keep popping up as new companies in Hoddesdon but I really wouldn't recommend them. The doors themselves are easily available from other local companies though.

Hi everyone. So lovely to see progress for those of you nearing the end. Planner has indicated our planning will be approved so am in the final nail biting days. We have actually decided we want to swap things around a bit so are going to need to go
back with some amendments but I don't want to rock the boat and risk having the whole thing refused.

@PoshWatchShitShoes did you get a quote for quartz from hmkd trade person?