Extension thread 2022 part II...demolition, delays and decisions, decisions, decisions

[Sewfrickinamazeballs]

Hi! New thread!

If anyone else is looking for it... it turned out to be a bit of a nightmare finding unoccupied house insurance. The comparison sites say they provide comparison, then it runs out in the detail the insurers won't cover more than 30 or 60 days unoccupied.

I eventually found my way to Towergate Insurance who found me a policy that would cover 3, 6, 9 or 12 months unoccupied including any building work so I also now don't have to look for any separate renovation insurance.

@Yellownotblue, oh no. That sounds so stressful. I really hope it’s just a delay, and not that they’ve done a runner with your money. Sending hopeful vibes.

@RidingMyBike thanks for that as I think we will need it too!

@Yellownotblue sending vibes of solidarity. Our glazing is in but we have a great big threshold when its meant to be flush. Havent even told dh yet as im so fucking stressed by everything.

The electrican issue has put us back weeks and the pm is bejng a bit of an arse. Our roofer doesnt seem to want to finish the roof and I'm not sure that we actually have enough money to finish the build as no one has kept me apraised of costs.

🙁@nomoneytreehere that sounds even more stressful than our clusterfuck... I hope you are okay.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes - I don’t know if good vibes are a thing, but clearly you all sent loads my way and we seem to have had a breakthrough today.

The glazing supplier has re-emerged with grovelling apologies, produced the drawings we’ve been waiting for since late July, and promised windows will be delivered in three weeks. Apparently they’ve just been really busy but the combined pressure of my awesome project manager, and arse of an architect, means they’ve pulled their finger out and decided to deliver.

Meanwhile we’ve got another a/c contractor lined up next week, and our other glazing contractors (there’s three different ones, now I understand why it’s good not to put all eggs in the same basket) have started delivering our massive skylights and they look awesome.

The cladding looks great, the staircase matches our specification, and I’m starting to breathe again.

What a rollercoaster this is.

@Yellownotblue so glad the windows company were just slow and not bankrupt! I held my breadth on our first company for a whole year; the 2nd was a breeze in comparison.
August was always going to be a write off for us as the builders go away for much of the month. It’s been frustrating but we knew that when we signed up. That said, the 2nd fix plumbing is under way and the 2nd fix electrics starts next week.
We are now revisiting some decisions: we hate the bedroom paint colour and are changing some light details. It’s not ideal but better now than when everything is finished.
we are now seeing what we’ve left too late: carpets, front door, wooden floors, curtains, wardrobes, furniture. It’ll be finished but a shell!
Loved seeing all the photos above and also @Sewfrickinamazeballs finished place. Hoping we’ll be close in 2 more months!

Hellooo, sorry I’m brand new here so will read back through but just wondering with the state of things if it would be stupid to go ahead with our long awaited extension at the mo? What do you think? We have most of the money in cash to do what we want (well, all of it if you don’t count contingency!). We have planning permission. Waiting for structural engineer drawings. We have our awesome builder who has done loads of work for us already without us spending a penny (site visits etc). Are people putting on hold their extensions, and therefore it would be a good time for us to go for it? We have waited through covid(first lot of planning permission took 6 months due to covid backlog and then we ended up getting a new architect so new planning permission needed). Materials prices soared and last I heard they’re on their way down? But who knows - hopefully some of you 😄 DH keeps saying we’ll have our extension for next Xmas but we’ve already been here 2 years having got on with extension plans as soon as we moved in so I’m not so confident!

@MassiveSalad22 Hi, welcome. Based on the availability of tradesmen where I live, most people are still renovating and decorating. They’re all flat out.
I would say that if you need it done, then go ahead. But prices are rising so it’s a tough call.

@MassiveSalad22 we are in this position too at the moment. About to confirm builders for a November start, have the cash after remortgaging (but only just enough for what we’ve calculated at today’s prices), full house renovation and two storey rear extension. House is falling apart and difficult to live in, so we don’t want to wait. But am nervous about prices rising, material prices already high and not sure what we’d do if glazing, bathrooms, flooring prices etc rise too. It’s nervewracking!

@MassiveSalad22 , we decided to go for it. Partly as our builder had had a cancellation. We had the funding in place and have seen prices rise a lot since we started the process so we decided we just had to get on with it. My thinking was probably influenced around it being a summer build as well. But when we have hesitated and delayed the decision (we first started drawing up plans almost four years ago), always for very good reasons, the price has always increased by the time we’ve been in a position to revisit.

We're having to go for it as we can't move into the house until it's been done! Others still seem to be going ahead - in between quotation visit and actually receiving quote the builder had booked in another six weeks' worth of work so we're looking at starting at the earliest in mid-October (originally hoping for early Sept).

We are going to say we're happy to take a cancellation slot though!

Thanks for the replies! We are desperate to do it really, will have to move in a couple of years otherwise anyway and we’re in such a good location at the mo! So exciting!! But we’re also very naive haha.

@MassiveSalad22 , we are also pushing on and getting the work done. We have the money sitting ready to go, and are waiting on a firm start date (hopefully end oct). My thinking is that high inflation is going to eat away at the funds, the longer we wait, the less far the money will stretch. We plan on being here for a long time, so it makes sense to have the house as perfect for us as possible.

Just wanted to say that we would give bestheating.com the best feedback during our renovation. In total we bought 9 radiators from them and had to return, exchanged 5, delivery was on time, great communication, full refund were all at ease, one radiator was bought 3 months when it was returned(but all of them were non-open, return due to wrong size, not suitable).
Victorianplumbing was great as well, one toilet pan was broken and they sent a replacement straight away. I am still having a problem with one of the bath tap(hot water wasnt working properly, only dripping), although, so far happy about most of thing. Except delivery fee for an exchange was excessive, £80 for an item(while best heating was £30).

It is really at the end of our project. Might be lurking back and forth again and hopefully to come back when we have the fund needed for kitchen work but indeed I’d say its worth it for us too. It really is worth the stress and the cost.

@SheriffCallie inflation looks like it is here to stay for the moment. We are trying to get finished as quickly as possible as labour is so high already ot is not going up as much as materials. We are just about watertight now so i am buying buying buying. Try and get your expensive stuff ordered.

@Newhome321 congratulations getting to the end! 🎉

@MassiveSalad22 we are also cracking on, yes our timing hasn’t been amazing, but I think it will keep getting worse for a while before it gets better. Also bought most things and paid deposits on things like kitchen and carpentry and locked prices in. Biggest unknown will be materials. When we re-roofed, our slate went up 50% from quote to when they were actually purchased 8 months later :(

Back from holiday and just catching up. Love the photos of progress.

so, they didn’t email me at all over the two weeks but progress has been happening.

• the tiler has started tiling the patio and looks good so far
• some silicon sealant done in the extension, but not finished
• the under stairs area has been opened up and started on, looks good so far
• matching flooring for the hallway found and laid in the downstairs loo and small area outside the loo, happy with that. And the loo put back in too.
• some rendering done for around the patio walls.

Still small snagging things not done and a few bigger things to finish but we are nearly there.

TO DO:

The hallway; change the wall into open shelves for shoes and school bags and sort flooring and hooks; Started

The original old sash window halfway up the stairs - waiting for the glass

Fireplace repair - September

painting - going to say done ✅ as only a few small snagging areas left

last electrics - New Ethernet cable for DS1’s Xbox upstairs and maybe some other internetty type wiring to finish - think they may have done this? Haven’t checked with the electrician

stripping back the old front door and oiling

oiling 3 new doors

security cameras - waiting for alarm company advice - going to ask around a bit more

patio to be tiled - started

patio glass balustrade put in (not ordered yet)

decide on loo roll holder, towel rail, mirror for downstairs loo. Long bare walls atm - maybe lots of artwork as have loads of framed stuff to put somewhere?

extra flooring to match hallway to go under the stairs & the downstairs loo - done ✅

+last bit of bespoke coving to match original - ordered due this week - not here?

Broken tile in upstairs bathroom to be repaired

Snagging list of tiny things - already started on

deep clean post build, need to find a company

whatever else I haven’t thought of yet…

Morning all, this week I'm mostly praying that some plasterboard goes on the walls so the house vaguely resembles home and not as much of a wreck! Think this is week 20 or 21. I'm incredibly stressed at the moment and if school doesn't start soon I might have a breakdown! 4 of us still in 1 Hotel room and no holiday clubs running anymore 😳☹️ I'm definitely at the peak stress stage of the build.

Hang in there gardens! It will really start to take shape with the plasterboards.

Week 2 here and the buildings are demolished now but a lull today whilst we wait on skip 6 being emptied and the machinery to come and dig up the concrete floor of the old buildings and dig the foundations. Anticipating much noise when that starts.

And still no portaloo….

Hi gardens also at plastering stage. Think it make it start to
Look like home again. Also at peak stress mainly because i am so worried about money. And the economy.

I hear you! Money is a big stress. I think about it every night for hours before I fall asleep. Hubby did site visit this morning and still need to pad out walls and do the ducting (should have done it weeks ago!) so no plasterboard today. Now to entertain the kids and pretend I'm not a misery!!

Arrrgggh and now the plasterer has gone awol. The stress is real.

Oh no @nomoneytreehere why can't things just happen when they are meant to!!

Oh no @nomoneytreehere , I feel your stress! hopefully it’s just a personal emergency and they will re emerge tomorrow.

I just watched the new Grand Designs and I’ve never felt this much sympathy towards self builders, struggling with trades going awol.

Ooh I need to catch up on grand designs today although I feel like a living walking episode of it! Did they get pregnant mid build whilst living in a caravan?