Extension thread 2022 part III.. celebrations, crises and will it be finished for Christmas?!

[NewHouseNewMe]

3rd thread of 2022 - can't believe I'm still here!

Thanks @GardensandGrandDesigns not quite, tiling above the hob started, I didn't but enough tiles, 8 short, so need to buy another 40 to achieve 8 - so annoying. Still working on snagging list, however its slowly getting there

@BananaChunk the colour in the hall is Lick Paint, Greige 2 above the dado, White 2 below. Then its Rustoleum Steamed Milk in the kitchen, which is just lovely, looks white in some lights, but on a sunny morning, a really calming creamy milky white, which I could happily use in every room.

@MyBuggyIsOutToGetMe thanks, it took just shy of a year, and blood sweat and tears, still two rooms to decorate, and the garden front and back, but that will be when funds allow. Really hoping for next year, but may be 2024 at the rate I am going.

Today, I am hoping for the electrician, and then tomorrow a mattress delivery, and on Thursday a rug and the extra tiles!!

Hope today is a good day for everyone.

People who've had under-floor heating installed, how long did it take for the concrete/screed etc to dry, test for leaks etc?

Our screed has been 75 days and still not dry enough for wood floor yet! You can get more expensive quick drying screeds though.

@plumstone looks gorgeous!!!

Yikes 75 days?!

@RidingMyBike i was told six full weeks from the moment the screed was down, before the Amtico bloke would fit the flooring. During that time the heating had to be on at its lowest setting. Once the flooring was down, it had to stay on the lowest setting, for a couple of days, before I could turn it up.

Ok, thank you @plumstone we are going for Amtico too. Was it the quick-drying screed or the normal sort (says the woman who'd never even heard of screed before this month!)

I'm also hopeful that the screed drying time will overlap with the builders' fortnight off over Christmas.

Our screed went down this week. They've said it will be a month before we can lay flooring?
The plastering will be finished next week too so I can send my final measurements to Handmade kitchens of Christchurch.
I think we have about 5 weeks left, fingers crossed! That's purely as the bifolds take 4 weeks to be delivered

We had a moisture test this week and the reading was higher than 2 weeks before! But we have had the whole house plastered and that is a lot of water! Hired an industrial dehumidifier today so hopefully we are ready for next Friday!

Any news @Yellownotblue ?

@nomoneytreehere thank you for checking on me 💐. Most windows are being installed today, and the last two windows supposedly next week. We’ve identified an issue with the angle of the window that slipped and crashed, so the frame needs to be refitted before the glass goes in again. We’ve lined up a different company for the glass and installation so we have a plan B for when this company (which I would love to name and shame…) invariably lets us down again next week.

Meanwhile I’ve come down with a horrible flu bug, got fever and threw up on site this morning due to the dust 🤢.

On the bright side, we’ve got almost all the timber flooring installed, tiling has started in a bathroom, new porch is being built today, render is done at the back and progressing at the front, zinc cladding nearly complete, lighting fixtures are being bought, remaining appliances ordered, joiner lined up for all the rooms, internal doors have arrived (except some are damaged and will need to be replaced), and kitchen, scullery and utility fitting confirmed. It’s starting to look like we will be in the house before Christmas… I ordered my Christmas tree 🎄

Now if I could only find a front door, my stress levels would go down.

Been awol for a bit, nothing happening over half term here anyway.

scary about the window 😱 hope they resolve it with the new frame.

TO DO:

The hallway; open shelves for shoes and school bags


The original old sash window halfway up the stairs - waiting for it to come home, have been told it will be soon


Stripping back the old front door and oiling


Oiling 3 new doors


Security cameras - have a new number to contact

Patio glass balustrade put in (not ordered yet) - have sent details to the boss builder guy as the company need certain measurements now the tiling is done, boss guy is due to take final measurements soon…
Measurements done, have quite to approve for parts, then recommended to redo measurements before ordering glass - me to approve quote

Downstairs loo: pick a mirror. Long bare walls atm - thinking maybe a large wallpaper sort of mural thing?

Snaggling list of tiny things - mostly decoration - keep adding bits
Including:
Broken tile in upstairs bathroom to be repaired

Broken edge of tile in kitchen to be repaired


Deep clean post build, need to find a company

Im so stressed i can't even seem to really celebrate what has actually been done. It just all seems to take so very long and all costs so very much money.

Kitchen is semi fitted although there was a big fuck up on measurements. There seems to be a lot of putting in and taking out of units. And the sink has literally been in and out. But the worktop is fitted on tuesday thank god so they have a hard stop to the in and out.

Underfloor heating has been put on very low and the tin hat is finally off so i can see all the light in the rooflights in the bedrooms.

Having the tin hat removed is my dearest dream! I spend at least 15 minutes every day giving it death stares.

We had a really positive meeting yesterday with the builders, plumber and electrician. Finalised the kitchen and utility room designs which, by some miracle, have come in under budget(!). Those have now been ordered to be able to get to sale price which ends today!

Now I know we'll not be in by Christmas I'm wondering what else we can get in the sales around that time. We've already decided on some floor tiles that are half price under mid-December as we have room to store those at our rental house.

Possibly the appliances we need? Wonder if Amtico has a sale

@Yellownotblue , I hope you feel better soon. Theres so many bugs going round at the min but frustrating to be sick when you feel like you need to be alert and focused. Fingers crossed the second install goes well, and the window stays in there. Sounds like everything else is progressing really well so that’s an upside.
@LivingInaBuildingSite , do the builders down tools at half term? Our half term has just started, and I was hoping that they’d carry on, and we’d be here to watch the work. The builders are young and child-free so I was assuming they wouldn’t want the time off, but I should probably message the foreman and check. Your to-do list sounds like you are on the home straight?
@nomoneytreehere , that’s really stressful about the kitchen, as it’s such a big expense. Who fucked up the measurements? Hopefully it’s all installed and gorgeous v soon, and the to and fro-ing of components is soon a distant memory.
@RidingMyBike , we are similar to you in that we won’t be in by Xmas, aiming for end Jan for kitchen install, so we are hoping to snap up a few furniture bargains in the sales. We need dining table, chairs and bar stools (industrial style). And a sofa or sofas, we can’t decide on best configuration in the living area. So if anyone sees any bargains, let me know.
@GardensandGrandDesigns , praying to
the dehumidifing gods for you. Hopefully all ready for Friday.

I'm also getting stressed at the lack of progress. Our architect, who has more holidays than anyone I've ever met who is gainfully employed, is away for half term and the builders seem to be doing sweet fa. The builder promised to call Dp on Friday for a catch up but didn't bother so we've not paid for the kitchen (which will sit in storage for a few months). They are v quick to get hold of us when it's payment time but less forthcoming when we need something from them. They are really good builders but there just seems to be delay after delay. I reckon we are now nearly a month behind and we are only 2 months into a 6-7 months build which isn't great.

House is still a shell. Steels aren't in and the new joists haven't been installed where they need to go. I was really hoping the structural work would have been finished by now but without the steels/joists we are a fair way off. Argh!

Also the Airbnb we are in just gets worse and worse. The lights haven't been working most of the week and we're on our 3rd electrician call out and they stay hours trying to fix it. The heating didn't work so we've had 2 plumber visits. I feel like my life is dominated by workmen who get nowhere fast!

@SheriffCallie - our builders are contracted to do lots of school work so they mostly disappear in school holidays to work on them. I knew that when we started so it’s not a surprise but time passing so quickly does catch me out. Means we only have 6/7weeks until the end of term and Christmas holidays.
which seems long enough to finish what’s left but time in builders world seems to be different to mine!!

we really should be done for Christmas, there are other jobs we are not contemplating starting, like the driveway, or our bedroom for eg. And they are all being pushed way further back as we’ve lost enthusiasm, and money!

At a standstill here and now having to deal with a planning enforcement notice as neighbors (I am beginning to hate the woman) has complained that the building is taller than has been approved. It isn’t FFS. So an inspection needs to happen.

Found a rental, hope to get in weekend after next. Been packing up house. Place looks a mess. No work has meaningfully happened for a month and can’t progress until we move (apparently, even though as we not beyond foundations on extension and garden room - if planning don’t insist we tear it down - is breeze blocks only, no roof).

I hope to be finished by next summer.

Oh my @Littlessweepy thst sounds bad. Any idea how long it’ll be before the inspection? It sounds v frustrating.

I’m utterly fed up with workmen who don’t come or do shit jobs or insist on more payment to do the job they promised us. I’ve had the kitchen people come to do bits they forgot and had still forgotten the right parts so need to come again, leaky radiators destroying the carpets and no cooking or kitchen washing despite having a fake kitchen. The place looks like a bomb site still.

I am at the end of my tether basically.

Argh these builds are a nightmare and so are the neighbours @Littlemissweepy

Clicked too soon! Our neighbours have asked us to get a decorator to repaint their lounge wall even though the before pics showed they had paint flaking.

@NewHouseNewMe you sound like me! I completely agree with every sentence you wrote.

Our builder hates my husband because he wants everything done properly and makes them re do things if not done by manufacturers instructions etc. It's pretty bad atmosphere at the moment and the bank still haven't sent our next lot of borrowing so I doubt we will see a builder until we pay them again! Fair enough. Survey was all ok it's just taking sooo long.

Also we took a trip to IKEA yesterday as I was thinking about bookcases etc. I've seen some amazing IKEA hacks on Pinterest but I was surprised at how poor the quality was. It was terrible! Think we will save for longer!! Did find a very comfy office chair so will order those and wardrobes for the kids.

We have Ikea bookcases that have survived 3 or 4 house moves. They're beginning to show signs of wear with the latest move but we haven't had any problems with them.

I also know two people who've used them as hacks to create a library room in their home. One Victorian look-alike . They both look great.

@NewHouseNewMe who knows, our builder has asked them when they are available to visit site and so far no response... Sorry you and others are at the end of your rope. It’s all so stressful when loaded on top of an already stressful life.

ikea Pax wardrobes have been great for us. We all have them, although I am upgrading the master bedroom wardrobes to bespoke, the kids are sticking with their PAX and our decorator is painting them.