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!

Love seeing everyone’s pictures, I went for a very boring white kitchen but had lived with a yellowish one for a while and couldn’t decide on a colour I liked - generally I end up with white; walls, kitchen, etc. as I can’t commit lol.

Sympathies for those in the dust stage, we are almost out of it but I daren’t say that out loud as I’m sure someone will find a way to make more as soon as I do!

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 steps to be tiled - nearly done, tiler has Covid

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…

Downstairs loo: pick a mirror. Long bare walls atm - thinking maybe a large wallpaper sort of mural thing? Needs a shorter tap for the basin, has been ordered.

+last bit of bespoke coving & 2 ceiling roses to match original - coming not sure on timings

Broken tile in upstairs bathroom to be repaired
broken edge of tile in kitchen to be repaired

Snagging list of tiny things - mostly decoration, to be done after coving

deep clean post build, need to find a company

I have a shower and the wallpaper in the bathroom is finally finished!!! just need a bath, but that will be next week!!!! Electrician isn't appear, but called to say 7:30am tomorrow, if he is not here by then I will cry!!

Hopefully my skip will be gone next week, builder is coming in next week, to do bits and bobs, and have a conversation about pointing - my life is so exciting!!! Need my plumber back to discuss piping and my vanity unit - the discussion could go either way.

I would love a company to do the deep clean @LivingInaBuildingSite however right now if I can do it myself and save the cash, then it'll be a diy job!!

Little kitchen update 😁😁😁
Also the pine delight we had before.

@RidingMyBike exciting for start date :).

Loving all the photos, what stunning transformations!

Newbie here.

Only just instructed a structural engineer and about to pick a builder, 23sq metre single extension, how long does it take approx? Is it worth it in the end?

@GardensandGrandDesigns , fantastic transformation!

Things are also progressing at the Yellow house. Here’s a sneak peek of the internal window and staircase…

Love that window it looks huge @Yellownotblue

We're currently 4 weeks into a double garage conversion. We've been through a large double storey extension previously so aren't new to this.
They broke through this week so we're at the difficult stage but this is easy compared to last time. That isn't to say our downstairs is almost unliveable 😂

@Yellownotblue that's space and window will be amazing!!

Electricians have just left, I have island lights, and kitchen wall lights and the wifi booster works!! I forgot to get them to install the light mirror in my room - however they are back next week for the TV - so all good.

This afternoon I am expecting my pipes for the bath, which I hope will arrive before the plumber so I can get the bathroom finished and give it a good clean, which I am really looking forward to, have bought fancy pants bath oil to indulge myself with once its all complete!

You so deserve it @plumstone enjoy!

@ManicMonday007 , welcome! Our extension is a little smaller than what you’re planning, around 18 square metres but with about 6 square metres internally to be converted from a galley kitchen into a loo and downstairs utility.

Ours began in mid-July. It is now built to a plaster finish, as of maybe a week ago, and they’ve begun the kitchen fitting. They said 10 weeks to a plaster finish and I think ultimately it’ll have been about 12. But there are quite a few bits left to do. They expect us to be finished within the next couple of weeks (although we will still have floors to sort and waiting for kitchen worktops).

It depends on how many people your builder has working for him. Our extension was built by two guys until the specialised trades started coming in. Obviously if he’d had six labourers on the job, it would have gone up quicker! The foundations to roof level work took about six weeks.

@plumstone , that sounds like great progress! My highlight is that we now have a functioning oven so we can have baked or grilled food this weekend for the first time since mid-August! We have a mostly fitted kitchen and utility (no worktops) but are at that stage where the entire downstairs is a pit.

Sounds like lots of progress happening.

Nothing building wise here, but the old chest freezer got collected by a homeless charity which means I can start reclaiming the front room that has been a chameleon of a room for years.
Started off empty when we moved in, then a playroom (full of crap!), in recent times it’s been a temporary kitchen, dining room, etc.
currently a dumping ground for anything that hasn’t found a home.

Am loving coming home to a skip-free front though!

I dream of the day we don't have a skip on the drive! Must be so good @LivingInaBuildingSite

The builders are here this afternoon for the first time this week removing all their crap in the back garden which will be joyous!

Hardly anything happening here, bad weather meant I had 2 guys for 1 day and then nothing. If they only work in dry, still conditions they’ll never be done. Foundations done and some breeze blocks started, it’s been 7 weeks so 10 weeks to plaster finish is definitely not going to be the case on this project!

hi to new faces on thread :)

@MyMyBuggyIsOutToGetMe
Thanks for your reply. Was it horrendous or did it go pretty quick really? Would you start before Christmas given the chance or hold off until March time? I can't decide what to do for the best!

@ManicMonday007 , I’ll be honest - I’d start in spring. I wouldn’t want the back of the house off before March! Our downstairs was starting to get very cold until the doors went in.

Horrendous - maybe a bit strong. But it has been very disruptive. We’re about 7 weeks into no kitchen. There is stuff everywhere. The dust is everywhere. No running water downstairs. It’s manageable but I cannot wait for it to be done! It has gone quickly, and we were able to at least get the kids out of the way for chunks of the holidays.

@ManicMonday007 I'll say differently and start as soon as you can whenever that date is. Given the price volatility and labour shortages if you have a date in hand go for that. Also, it will be rubbish and disruptive any time of year - of course the cold is an added challenge but it's pretty rubbish regardless so the sooner you start the sooner you will finish. That's my tuppence worth anyway.

Loving the transformations @plumstone @GardensandGrandDesigns @Yellownotblue it really does make such a big difference on the way you live too.

We have a very similar situation with the hallway @LivingInaBuildingSite can't wait for the storage/closet unit to go in so we can finally start sifting through the big mound of stuff that has accumulated there. It's the same situation in the garage too, but we still have some plumbing to do in there so can't get that organised yet.

If it was me @ManicMonday007 I wouldn't start before Xmas but I love Xmas and have young kids but would be happy to start in Jan and just get it over and done with. We started mid Apr and it is cold whenever your house is not water tight! If you're not as bothered about Xmas then just rip the plaster off and go for it. We are coming up to our 6 month build anniversary and it all went really fast until week 19 then 2 weeks of misery and then it just transformed and time is just flying again even with squatting upstairs.

Personally I would avoid the summer. I know you don't have to worry about the weather as much but the thought of losing my house during that period would irritate me.
My last extension was September to May.
This one will be September to December and then the kitchen will go in in January (we are awaiting a HKOC kitchen) although we don't lose our old kitchen as that is being changed to a utility at a later date
So to answer your question, go for a start date asap

I think it depends on how old your kids are and how long the build is projected to last.

With teens who need to let themselves in and out and be alone in the house, I would say do the harder part (exposed walls, lots of builders etc) in the long days of March-October.
If your kids are younger so always accompanied, or you’re living off site , I’d start straight away.

Now we’re living here again, we are at that hugely annoying time of having lots of tiny jobs to do but workmen missing in action! So close and yet so far..

@ManicMonday007 I agree with @CameliaLeaf - the sooner the better. Prices are escalating and labour shortages as well as supply chain problems are a real issue.

We were lucky that we haven’t had to live on site - we moved out to a rental for the duration of the work. Living in would not have been an option for us, given the nature of the work - but I would totally recommend it if you can afford it. It has made our lives bearable and we are under much less stress.

Morning all, shall we have a game of will the plasterer turn up today 🫤
I really hope so because I've only got 2 weeks until my wood floor arrives and I need the moisture to dry out!

What are everyone else's hopes for this week?

Thanks for all your replies, I think I'm going to bite the bullet and just get started ASAP, sooner starter sooner finished eh!

Excited but scared too haha.

Hope you all have a good week!

Morning all!! Painters and plumbers are due at any minute. The painters don't know it yet, but there will be a third coat on the stairs, as I managed to nick and scrape rather a lot of the stair paint while moving boxes this week.

Highlight of the weekend was my new TV arrived, thought it would be far too big for the space 55inches, however it actually looks ok. Went for a sky glass, as they had a 3 month discount, also the delivery guys were fantastic, put it in the correct place, set it all up, and took away all the packaging - I was very impressed.

I'd definitely start as soon as you can, there is never a "good" time to do this type of thing. I also lived somewhere else, as I couldn't live in it due to the amount of work and dust. I was also told that it would finish quicker if I could actually leave the premises.

Plumber has just arrived, really hoping my shower room is finished this week. Pain in the arse having to go upstairs every time I need the loo!!

Hope everyone has a great week!