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!

We are still having a mare

Neighbours have been trespassing on our property, stalking us on LinkedIn and causing such massive delays I have to wonder what their endgame is.

If we hadn't done this building work, it's v likely these extensions would have fallen down in the next 12 months. All we are doing is rebuilding what was there in a better way.

The architect has had to formally warn them off the property because they keep coming and snooping inside. They have refused our builders permission to lay protective sheets over their roof so we can rebuild a wall and not cause them dust. We are already paying for cleaners every week and we've now had to pay them for the party wall (which they built on our side of the property decades ago).

Because of this, the structural work that should have been finished in November is still not done so that means the entire house will be open to the elements all Xmas as they will clock off next week. Bricklayer can't do the lower walls as apparently it's now too cold for the mortar to set.

We are away for Xmas but I'm seriously tempted to try and set up cameras because I'm so worried they will deliberately cause damage then claim it was not built safely.

Sounds awful spotonmybot. I am also at war with my neighbor over this project and finding it hard to be civil. Luckily we have moved out so I have blocked her number to she can howl into an echo chamber and I’ll never know 😳. I do worry how it will escalate as we have months and months to go yet.

Sounds like you have been more than reasonable. Weekly cleaning etc.

Cameras might be a good investment for you, the trespassing is ridiculous!

Feeling sad - just had a property alert come up for the local area, I never unsubscribed after we'd bought. Looks like someone ran out of money mid-extension and is having to sell. It's described as a 'project house'. And there are pics of an extension with not much more than a floor and walls.

That is sad @RidingMyBike

sorry to hear about neighbour woes, ours were minor and now forgotten, I think.

our old window came back today, yey! 🎉

it looks great, paintwork needs touching up a bit and there’s a sign saying do not open so not sure what that’s about.

only major job left is the glass to come for the patio railings, assume it won’t happen this week but you never know.

snagging to be done next year, sigh.

Pleased that some of you were actually done by Christmas!

Builders finished up today for 2 weeks and we are now in week 18, week 7 of us being out the house.

We are still in the “looks a lot worse before it gets better” zone. Most of the internal structural stuff is done, walls knocked down that need to come down and holes punched into walls where new doorways are going in.
Steels mostly in for those. Still nothing beyond foundations on the kitchen extension, knock through into the original house and the new internal walls and old doorways to be bricked up - all in the New Year.

2023 will be the year we finally get our proper home🤞

Hi all, hope everyone is getting on well! It was our builders last day today. It felt real when they took the skip away. We are not finished completely as the carpets don't get fitted until Jan and we are doing all of the painting ourselves. Here's an update on our snug. It is tiny and north facing but basically a cinema room so we are going DARK! This is just the undercoat.

Meant builders sign not skip!

Love the colour @GardensandGrandDesigns. we have gone for something similar for the family / tv room. Must be great to see the back of the builders.

It feels bloody fantastic! 🤣🤣🤣

Builders finished for Christmas yesterday - house is beginning to look like a house with the walls mostly finished, windows in and the ceilings done. New staircase has gone in. The plasterers decided to work between Christmas and New Year so I need to go out and get more teabags and biscuits for them!

Think they will then be ready for the UFH and screed as soon as they restart properly in January although I'm a bit worried about how long that'll take to dry. The bathroom and kitchen stuff are both in storage waiting to be installed.

Is there time for all that to happen in January?!

Here we are in a new year and none of us in by Christmas!

How are the houses looking? We've just been out to choose door handles and check Amtico colours for the bathroom.

The plasterers worked between Christmas and New Year and seemed to get a lot done but we need the builder to let us know timelines for the rest of the project!

Happy New Year all!

My house still looks like an uninhabitable dangerous dirty mess but may 2023 be the year it is a sparkling new dream home 🤞🤞🤞🤞

Builders not back until the 9th.

Project over the break was radiators. We were given the BTUs needed for each room and picked and sized our radiators, and went up to house to check all the measurements and positioning vs other furniture etc. created a mega spreadsheet. Now for the builder and designer to check it all and make sure it all fits with plumbing plans etc.

I also need an updated project plan. Am pretty sure none of the activities that were supposed to finish by Xmas actually are yet and feel like the Summer in ny new home is slipping away 🙁.

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a lovely, peaceful Christmas break.
We had a complete cessation of work over Christmas so nothing is happening here. Hopefully the roof light and aluminium sliders have arrived because we need them installed before we can knock through, and start on the internal works. I’m hoping for a mad flurry of activity from Monday.
We’ve been crunching the numbers, and working out what we can do with the money we have, as, given the interest rate hikes, we don’t want to extend borrowing any further. We had anticipated doing a bit more internal redecoration, but upgrading windows, and the kitchen, and getting the back landscaped, has eaten into our money, and so redecoration and custom cabinetry in the dressing room will have to wait. We are going to repaint and reuse some of our old kitchen cabinets, and sink, taps et cetera in the utility instead of buying a new one.
How is everyone else getting on?

HNY all! Here’s to lots of fast progress this year!

To Do List:

The original old sash window halfway up the stairs - back, installed, still haven’t risked opening it yet, not sure if I can?

Security cameras - have a new number to contact

Patio glass balustrade - just waiting for glass to arrive and be installed

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

I keep adding bits
Including:
Broken tile in upstairs bathroom to be repaired

Broken edge of tile in kitchen to be repaired

couple of broken kitchen bits/edges of shelves type thing
downstairs loo seat seems to have come loose?

door seal of bifold door is loose

touching up edges of storage area once builders have moved their stuff out

tidying up random piles of crap in the back garden - old bits of tiles mostly I think?

Deep clean post build, need to find a company - have a recommendation, not contacted yet, may wait until Jan and post Christmas mess

We made it in for Christmas so my good luck thread name actually worked 😘
We’ve still got lots to do but it’s small stuff at this point like safety glass, decoration, security and furniture.
Hang in there - it will fly in and is SO WORTH IT!! But totally finished is a nirvana state I can only dream of..!

Ah congrats @NewHouseNewMe , that’s fab news. Any photos?

Apparently the kitchen install is starting this week! Still no idea of UFH timelines though. But we've been asked for paint colours as they want to do initial painting too to seal the plaster.

HNY All! @NewHouseNewMe its such a good feeling isn't it, just living in the project, and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Everything back to normal here, but I have learnt that the reasonably decent 5ft artificial tree that I have had for about 17 years, looks stupidly small in my extension. So have treated myself to a pre lit 7ft Balsam Hill number in their sale. This has spurred me on to get the joiner back in this week, to talk about shelving and cupboards either side of the chimney breast, which I need done before March, when the painters are back in.

My sitting room, needs to be completed for the end of the summer, as I want a real fire good to go for 1st October. I have also learnt that I need to get a window covering for the kitchen, the cold snap we had before Christmas would have been easier dealt with if the wall of glass could have been covered. Also want a curtain/roman blind for the hall window.

Hope everyone is all ready for projects finishing in 2023!!!

We are still waiting on our kitchen installation date, so frustrating as they close for two weeks over Christmas. Apart from a few bits that we need to do ourselves we are done apart from that. Hopefully they will reply to my email today.

@plumstone interesting you say that about the glass doors being cold. What are you thinking of doing for window coverings? I am
abit worried about being cold in Winter and we’ll have 2x 3 m glass doors on 2 opposite walls. Having integrated blinds so shade isn’t a problem. I was thinking about voiles - think that will do eff-all for warmth but better for softness and not looking at 2 black spaces in the dark, but then big thermal curtains will change the look a lot. Dilemmas!

@Littlemissweepy I have decided that I will go for some thermal curtains, I have two windows (one at each side of the wall) and then a set of crittal doors in the middle - there is wall space between the end of each window and the start of the doors where I am hoping the curtains will sit when not drawn, therefore there will be no change to the light. The main issue is not actually the warmth, the room is well insulated, however with a vaulted ceiling and floor tiles it needs some "softening" as its very "hard and echo-y" at the moment.

I refused to add any window coverings when I was decorating, as I wanted to really live in the space for a while to ensure that window coverings were really needed - they are.

I have spoken to a couple of people about panels and voiles, and really agree with you that they add softness but nothing for warmth. Which I get, my space isn't ever cold, just echo-y!! you are right though, its a dilemma, which could be expensive if I add something and I don't like it!!!

Our gas bill has gone through the roof and the house isn't particularly warm in spite of the £££ we spent on insulation. Roll on spring. December's gas was over
£500. I think we will also have to put up some kind of curtain in the kitchen but i haven't worked it out yet. I'm guessing heavier curtains for winter and panels for summer maybe.

I'm waiting for the plumber to come back as I don't understand our ufh at all - it seems to come on randomly and nothing at all to do with the thermostat. The electrican was an idiot though so i think maybe it has been wired up wrong. Yesterday none of the radiators upstairs would come on.

We still have loads of decoration to do and 3 ensuites to be tiled and fitted but it is so nice to be home.

Positives i am loving having 2 dishwashers in the kitchen and my laundry room is epic.

Outside literally looks like a scrapheap. Budget is long spent....

£500!!!! Oh my goodness! I really hope you get your heating sorted out! Now we have insulated to the hills we are finding the heat pump really good which was one of our main objectives with the build.

We are finished apart from carpet which comes next week. We have one faulty light but we are done and I'm so happy with the space. I pinch myself every time I go into our kitchen diner it's fab 😁 We are painting bedrooms at the mo and pushing ourselves creatively with the Pokémon room 🤣 our little boy will be so happy though!

Happy new year all!
Sounds like many of you are nearly done or getting closer which must be exciting.

We've been without a proper kitchen and washing machine since before Christmas. Thank goodness for microwaves, air fryers and family nearby!

The underfloor heating has been put down in our extension and they've been working on the floor tiles this week. Hopefully next week they can start on the kitchen installation. Our shower room looks absolutely tiny!

Someone was asking covering for bi-folds. We've not gone for integrated blinds. I saw some blinds from Dunelm which would work and were really reasonable - maybe £50. I'll see if I can find the link if anyone is interested.

Sudden massive flurry of activity but we've now got kitchen and utility room cupboards etc installed - had no idea this was happening this week. It's taken 3 days, along with some painting!