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!

@RidingMyBike we're hoping to make a library wall in our study using bookcases, although Argos ones as the sizes are better. Did your friend paint them too?

Hi @Baxdream no, both sets of friends/relatives got the darkest wood colour of Billy bookcase (can't remember the name of the colour) and just used that.

@Yellownotblue I have all fingers and toes crossed that the windows fit ok and you can have a relaxing week particularly as you're ill!

Just popped into the house and the steels are there so hopefully progress this week!

@Littlessweepy hope they can do the inspection quickly. It's such a mare isn't it. I do feel like saying to some people, the more you complain unnecessarily, the more it delays and the longer the build takes!

So hopes and dreams for the week ahead...
Roof lights being refitted tomorrow
Hopefully flooring starts being laid on Friday if screed moisture levels are ok
1 last day of electrics
And if we see the carpenters turn up to do skirting that will be a bonus.
Hubby will continue mist coating the extension. Just ordered 10l of f&b school house white for the ceiling.

If we don't get good news from the bank I'm booking a flight and running away!

What does your week look like?

We have found a carpenter to fit the kitchen and flooring and he's reasonable! He comes recommended too 🤞🤞🤞

This week I hope for 2 things:
The extension is fully plastered
The gap for the doors is finished so they can order them

Most importantly we are away for a couple of days so we get a break from the dust, which will be nice!

Steel should be arriving this week to do the structural shoring up thing. I'm expecting that, plus the rest of the walls that are being constructed to be finished, and first fix electrics finished.

Week 2 of building work starting for us tomorrow. Week 1 they knocked down our old conservatory and prepped the back wall. Last week no work but we got our kitchen delivered. We ordered this early because of the Howdens sale on. We got a Matt blue kitchen which I'm now a bit worried about because I keep reading people moaning about keeping matt blue kitchens clean of fingerprints on social media 🤦‍♀️. It's handless too. Hopefully won't be that bad. Seeing it on gloss seemed worse to me.

I’m mostly hoping for activity on site after half term break.

Details tbc…

We have high hopes for this week. Kitchen worktops, a functioning washing machine, perhaps a hob and dishwasher, maybe sinks and taps? Perhaps skirting boards? Maybe snagging? Who knows, it’s all a mystery (apart from the worktops). I feel like I’m spinning the wheel on Game of Life 😂

@Littlessweepy and @NewHouseNewMe, sorry to hear that you have both reached points in the build that are really frustrating. Hopefully things start to move soon. Sweepy, fingers crossed that yours get signed off soon, and your neighbour is pacified.
Garden, those wardrobes look lovely. We will be converting our smallest bedroom into a walk in dressing room for us, so I’ll need lots of cheap but nice storage. Was hoping IKEA would do as I won’t have much budget for anything else.
Baxdream, enjoy your break.
We are entering week three. Ground works are done and signed off by BC. This week I’m hoping for external walls to be completed, and kitchen to be ordered.

You could have a dream week! Good luck!

Been feeling ill all weekend and I think it's stress. We are having a day in London today away from the house and we are taking the kids to the science museum and a nice meal somewhere. I need a day off. Hope we hear good news from the bank.

Gardens, I hope you have a lovely day, and manage to forget the house completely for a while. Fingers crossed you get good news from the bank soon.

No builders here today, so we are going to take the kids swimming and to meet friends for lunch, and then get ready for a friends Halloween party tonight.
Hopefully those of you with builders on-site see lots of progress.

Morning, so first guest of DF in the house has happened, Think he was quite impressed, however made a comment that the hooks on the back of the doors in the spare room and bathroom were too hight for him to reach - I knew he was short, but amazed me as to quite how short.

Got tiler back in this morning to finish off kitchen splash back, and am currently waiting for the chap doing the home report to finish up. This means I will be able to get an accurate valuation, and some correct insurance.

Spoken to the builder this morning, and yes I am definitely on the list of the things they need to do. Still no time frame as to when that will happen!!

This week, the carpet gets laid on the stairs and upstairs landing which I am really looking forward to. Need to order shelves for kitchen, and then hopefully I will stop spending money for a wee while. Think this year everyone will just get love and respect from me as a gift!!!

Soemeone up thread asked me about quick drying screed, no idea if that's what it was, however it was poured on a Friday and was good to walk on by the Monday morning. I just had to make sure that no-one was entering that part of the ground floor over the weekend it was poured.

@GardensandGrandDesigns , I hope you feel better today and have a great day out. It is so stressful - I’ve had physical symptoms I’m sure are linked.

I am just getting irritated as there is more to do than our builder is acknowledging, and they have clearly moved onto the next job, both physically and mentally. There were three days next week when we could have had somebody on site and nobody was there. The plumber was ill, but some of it is more general stuff like skirtings which aren’t dictated by plumbing. Or what was to be plumbed. I don’t think they’re really big enough to be running multiple jobs simultaneously. This was supposed to be ten weeks to a plaster finish, which was just about achieved but we are now on week 16 and if they just got their act together, the non-kitchen bits would be done in a week! (We are waiting for a couple of extra cabinets.)

And the more I look, the more I feel like some of it has been rushed. Things like the plastering not being smooth in the new bit - there are some really obvious creases in the middle of one wall and bumpy bits. Then I wonder if I’m being unreasonable. But some of the new plastering is more uneven than some of the stuff in the original house.

Just to keep us on our toes, the boiler has also become a diva and stopped producing hot water for no obvious reason.🙄

So I cried in yo sushi today when the bank confirmed money has all gone through and we can finish the build now! Such a HUGE relief!

All the roof lights were reinstalled while we had a jolly in London as well and they've clearly done lots on the snagging list. It's been quite a surprising start to the week! Miracles can happen...

@GardensandGrandDesigns , that’s brilliant news! Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for you.

My week started well as the washing machine is now temporarily plumbed in. Then the kitchen worktop people rang to say they may have to push back the fit to Wednesday…

We have also discovered we will need to replace a radiator with a narrower one as the one in the utility room is going to get bashed every time we open the washing machine, and when we finally get an integrated machine we won’t be able to fully open the door. I am gearing up for a sticky conversation with our builder as I expect him to simply sort it out without billing us (given that at no point has anyone asked me to comment on radiator dimensions and he had the plans for the utility well in advance). I have a feeling he will expect us to pay for it….

@GardensandGrandDesigns that’s very good news so hopefully it’s not long until it’s all totally done!
@MyBuggyIsOutToGetMe we are at the exact stage.. Worktops going in but still tonnes of plumbing work to be done. The plumbers got hot and cold the wrong way around everywhere and have been bashing holes in since. Tomorrow we are due electricians, kitchen people, plumber, and a guy to hang curtain poles and shower doors. And I won’t be here to witness the chaos..

Yay glad you enjoyed your day in London @GardensandGrandDesigns. Nice to switch off for at least a short while?!

@NewHouseNewMe how did you find the curtain pole man? We need a load of new ones (and some blinds) but I'm not sure what to do as want someone to put the poles up but don't want them to supply curtains as we're reusing as many as possible from our old house. I could just buy curtain poles and ask the builders to put them up but I'm not feeling confident about measuring as three of the windows are bays. I have found a local company, husband and wife team, she makes curtains and blinds, he installs, so possibly they're worth approaching?

Yay Gardens, thats fab news! Hopefully that helps ease some of the symptoms you’ve been having.

MyBuggy, I hope your builder sucks it up and sorts it. What do you think the difference will cost?
NewHouse, sounds like a productive day is planned. Fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.
Nothing much happening here, the kitchen designers came today and measured up as best they could, given the internal walls are still up. The design will be fine in the space, and it was good to have them physically show me where the island would go as I was finding it hard to visualise. The only change is that two cabinets had to be changed from 450mm to 500mm, just for symmetry around a window, but they’ve agreed to change that free of charge. It’s the first ££ we’ve saved on the project after overspending on everything else 😬.

@GardensandGrandDesigns congratulations that's great news - and hope you enjoyed it - I was there for 9 and although I still get to go back for work, I miss it.

@RidingMyBike I went local for curtains and poles, it may be worth asking if they can adapt what you have to fit the new windows, if you are buying the poles, and paying for install, they may be able to use your own material, especially if you indicate you would use them again,

Got my kitchen tiling finished yesterday - no idea what type of grout I had bought, but it kept shrinking into the gaps, so about three layers of grout were needed. really annoyed my tiler but he just kept applying it, with much muttering under his breath. Last of the ordering done yesterday, which are four shelves for the kitchen, and then that's it - the purse is closed till next year.

Builder called yesterday and he is allegedly coming today to do some steps that are needed under the doorways in the extension and my fireplace tiles.

I may also have a bonfire as there is no rain and no wind, and it would get rid of a lot of cardboard and rubbish. Still no joy with my plumber, but I spoke to his office yesterday and they know they still need to finish!!!!

Hope everyone has a smooth and stress free day!!

@RidingMyBike I just looked for a DIY guy with good recommendations on MyBuilder and so far have used him for ikea wardrobes, a bed, poles and a few bits. I am also reusing curtains for a few rooms as we are here and want some put up asap so we can sleep properly!

Lots of kitchen stuff done today but shower doors didn’t fit because of a mistake with timing. Two steps forward and all that.

All go go go here, it's all very unexpected! Roofer here tomorrow, plasterer and builder. We're doing painting every day to get ready for the floor too.

We've paid most of our invoices now so wondering what % you are all holding back at the end before you get building regs certificate, snagging etc? Is 10% standard?

Thanks!

We seem to be in the hitting problems and costing more money phase at the moment. The man who owned this before us seems to have taken every shortcut possible (he was a builder) and when my (fantastic) builder is finding them he obviously wants to do them properly to put them right. Safe to say money is draining away here!
Our equally fantastic bathroom guys are a bit delayed too, I just want one room finished, apparently it doesn’t work like that 😄
Sounds like everyone is making good progress, here’s to being vaguely habitable by Christmas!