2023 reno support thread

[succulentlove]

Hi, just wondering if there are a few of us who are renovating in 2023 / expecting to start this year? Maybe a thread to chat would be nice?

We are maybe 50% of the way there- not extending but doing work on pretty much every surface of the house, adding in lots of glazing, moving the kitchen, removing chimneys etc.. A bit worried if we are spending too much given we are not adding square footage, just making better use of what is already there.

Hope to hear from others on their Reno journeys!

It is so hard keeping on top of waste and all the holes in floor and when they are getting sorted. I spended ages before moving in doing clean myself- massive Henry hover/ bins full and washing down floors. Each time was asking builders during day to move materials/ fill holes/ check elecs inside not live etc and all filled. My strong advice is to get ahead of holes in floor being filled and clear out the floor void. Dust and rubbish there is unpleasant but also traps dust in the house and in the case of waste wood offcuts increases risk of damp and mould and reduces ventilation. You have my sympathy, I found it hard and dirty work but easier to do myself as at least it's done and there isn't a nasty empty can of drink and elec wires/ nails/ sealant lids etc under bath. We are getting the roof on the extension next week currently and still waiting on the plumber. New radiators come out of the walls but want to paint skirts under before, have mostly done that but needs more. Airing cupboard virtually done, bathroom almost. It takes so long doesn't it to get to a finished state, we have had almost a full year and still not at the decoration stage. Finished for Christmas looks achievable though a rush. Trying to ignore state of garden and finish small outside painting jobs. Big one for me is sorting out current loft before it is broken. Mix of old lamps shouldn't have kept/ student stuff and then really sentimental and quite painful/ sensitive things. A renovation or move it such an emotional thing really and takes so much energy. We are all doing well, it won't all be perfect but at least we are trying and our future selves will be happy with us!

And…. they coughed and the news today they are delaying everything a week. FFS. There goes my contingency I had with the tenancy ending.

@ClematisBlue49 @Seaitoverthere sympathies with you both too.

@CountryCob I hear you. My decorators started in May…… and would have been done by now if the builders had got out of the bloody way!

@Littlemissweepy I am sorry that is pants. Trip to the loft this evening meant discovery that when a steel went in there pictures were smashed and the plumbers didn't even take their cut out disk of wood with them. Have managed to go through piles of student photos from 20 years ago and have now got a small envalope of nice ones after major emotional work clearing those of dead relatives etc. Clearing out rooms always makes me anxious as we have been here a while and in that time have lost a few people, finding their things when not ready for it/ expecting it is tough but it is important to do. I really hope everyone gets to move in soon Xx

Aw sounds tough. What have not emotional attachment atall to this house - bought it to gut it and change it so I haven’t had to deal
with those emotions over everything else. Our attic was floored as part of Reno and a couple of months ago we put some stuff up there. Omg the dust! It genuinely gets everywhere!!

@Littlemissweepy that sucks, I am sorry.
@CountryCob I am so sorry about your photos.

We have tiny entrances to our new loft and I’m not in a hurry to change them as don’t want to put stuff up there. There’s a load of stuff in boxes still in temporary house including stuff from my parents that I need to deal with. Am determined to get rid of clutter and not introduce more.

By the end of the week I want all the rubbish contained in one room, the DIY stuff In what little space is currently in garage and the drive gates started. Be good if electrician turned up again this week but not holding my breath.

Sympathy to everyone going through this. We are coming to the end but builders are plastering the old kitchen and the mess is awful. And the noise. Disasters have included a small flood, damage to a tile in next door.s kitchen. Three more days and then we are free of builders.

We then have to decorate, restore floor, electrics to be fitted and radiator to be installed. Hopefully still on target for end of October

Can I join? I’ve been following the thread for a few months, we bought our house in April and have been doing work ourselves since then (removing wallpaper, knocking down internal walls etc - absolutely no skill involved! 😂) while sorting out a project manager to deal with the proper work. We’re staying in our rental (which we’ve been in for a couple of years since moving to the area) while the work is being done, so are bankrupting ourselves paying both rent and mortgage!

The real work is due to start this month - removing the old and crappy insulation prior to re-insulating, before the windows and doors (ordered in June) arrive in October. There is also plumbing, rewiring, new flooring, new bathroom, new kitchen, and probably more which I’m wilfully forgetting for the time being!

It feels like the house will never be ready to move into, but hopefully once the work starts it will move forward without too many issues (famous last words 😂).

@DuPainDuVinDuFromage I am sure you are very welcome, sounds like you have got lots done and a good plan. It does feel very slow doesn't it sometimes. @grannycake I hope your plastering is going well? Do you have your decoratind ideas in place? @Seaitoverthere thank you, maybe your electrician is on holiday somewhere with our plumber? More loft clearing today which remains a task I really find tricky. Decision to remove wooden floor joists in living room due to lack of ventilation in the original construction on that side. Inset log burner being installed tomorrow so have made room for that. Might try to hang some curtains today to make things nicer. Did set up home office a bit, not sure how that will go with carpeting but can't live out of boxes forever.

@CountryCob Plastering is progressing but the mess is indescribable. Two more days and it will be done. Plumber is here in 10 days to fit radiator and the electrician will connect up lights etc but the decorating will be down to us - the room is primarily for evenings so we're going for a dark shade of blue with some dusky pink in accessories. Looking for a Roman blind at the moment but I'm also sick of making all the decisions. I just want to sit a read a book in a quiet room

Thank you @CountryCob ! Good luck with your next steps (and the same to everyone else too!)

@grannycake it's such a messy destructive process you have my sympathy. The colour scheme sounds lovely, we are decorating ours too it helps me decide a bit what to do. This is my third renovation and I am never doing it again to my own home but it was the only real way to get what we wanted where we wanted it. I hope you get your quiet time with a book and no tradesmen/ decorating choices/ deliveries etc soon.....

Developments today... my builders have done a runner, leaving me with a half-finished project and significantly out of pocket. Oddly I feel better than I did yesterday, when I just suspected that was the case. Had the locks changed today, and Building Control are coming next week to assess what has been completed and what hasn't. The quality of the work has never been an issue on previous visits, so my assumption is that they had a cash flow problem, and I'm at the wrong end of it. We live and learn.

Assuming I can afford to restart the works, I will be hiring an independent Project Manager, as I can't face this alone anymore.

Any potential renovators out there, I'm told a Project Manager can ease the stress significantly and pay for themselves in terms of getting the best tradespeople at a reasonable rate.

@ClematisBlue49 I am so sorry to hear that, sending hugs. I do think a project manager can help lots and pay for themselves. Bless you Xxx

@ClematisBlue49 Oh what a nightmare for you. If we ever did this again (we are definitely not) a project manager would be an essential
@CountryCob Like you the only way we could do this was to do a lot ourselves (mostly DH execept for ordering, decisions, budget, sourcing stuff etc). Hopefully never again especially as the whole reason for this renovation is to future proof our house as we get older - we now have the possibility of a downstairs bedroom if it was ever needed. We didn't want to move as the location will be excellent as good public transport a few minutes away and shops literally next door. Thanks for listening to my rant - yesterday was a bad day but the end is getting nearer and to e honest when its just us doing it it's much calmer (and much less mess)

@ClematisBlue49 what, oh no!? What happened? So sorry!

@ClematisBlue49 , I am so sorry 🌷 Have building control been in ?

I have someone in today to do some packing for next week’s move. Meanwhile carpets going in at new house and doors all need trimming so plumber is kindly doing that . Not a fan of moving one bit.

Plastering broke me. We completed a loft conversion a couple of years ago and I was prepared for the dust, the mess and having to shift things round a bit come the break through to install the stairs. But when we got to the plastering, I was broken. That was messy. I remember not liking my plasterers much during those days. I thought they were being the messiest ever but looking at other people's projects, i think plastering is just a really messy dusty business.

Can I ask for some advice?

My 1930s terrace turns out to need much more work than needed.

The boiler is fault.

The toilet leaked into the ceiling below last week...so I am looking at having work done in the bathroom which I wasn't expecting.

Would you let your plumber source a new sink and toilet or is better to just buy that yourself and get them to only install?

Apparently the toilet was installed incorrectly before...this house has quite a bit of botched work apparently done by a previous owner who was a builder...

@Startingagainandagain sounds like work but good you are taking leaks seriously. You can ask your plumber if they have any shops they have a discount with and you can review their ranges or for recommendations. I buy our stuff like that in as I want control over design- prefer a sink cupboard for storeage etc. The plumbers got the radiators but only after I have chosen the design. Today we are having bathroom finished and some radiators in. Little bit of decorating and got chimney lined and new logburner this week. Roof timbers went on despite worst weather this year! Final kitchen discussions led to discovery they hadn't really recorded our preferences properly but that was caught in time. Ordered a rug today and desperately want carpets back but that isn't happening for a couple of months. Found some carpet off cuts in loft which is now cleared so have added them upstairs for now in the rooms without carpet. Only island lights left to order, master bedroom faulty and need to be returned. Garden trading finally sent their order through for bathroom bits. Slightly seeing light at end of possible tunnel.@Seaitoverthere moving is not fun. My husband sent me a photo of myself outside our house during one of the 4 moves this summer with the caption 'hoe p*seed off do you look' and he was right. Hope it's going ok

Thanks @Seaitoverthere , and to others who have expressed sympathy.

Yes, Building Control have been round and were sympathetic and helpful. They have visited quite a few times so there was nothing alarming except for the extension roof. Builders told me it was water-tight, but this was clearly a lie as there are actual holes, and it's leaking throughout after the weather in the past few days.

I've found a project manager who will help me with the next steps, which is a relief.

I'm going to look into legal action to try to get some of my money back. But the loss has put me substantially over budget. Things I was told were paid for, actually weren't, so I will have to compromise on finishes, and maybe do the interior painting myself - that's pretty much all I'm capable of DIY-wise. My worry now is that the roof will need to be redone from scratch if they have bodged it.

The last week or so has been very difficult indeed, but in truth, the previous 8 months were spent consumed with worry over various issues, and, towards the end, the delays and excuses, and the impact on my mental and physical health has been great. In some ways I feel stronger now that the worst has happened.

I'm now thinking about temporary accommodation, as I suspect it will be several months before I can think of moving in. I had a mad idea to buy a flat rather than rent, as it would be cheaper for me (no mortgage), and no storage fees. But I'm probably not thinking straight right now.

In case it isn't clear by now - I am never doing this again!

@ClematisBlue49 it sounds like you have coped extraordinarily well in the circumstances. Hopefully the roof can be rescued, I am glad building control have been helpful and you have a PM. You will never have to do this again once it is done, take care of yourself Xxx

@CountryCob what a nightmare. Very pleased you have a project manager now. I have come to them conclusion unless you are extremely lucky with your builder someone needs to be onsite the majority of the time to watch what is being done. I can see where you are coming from with buying a flat but won’t it take time to get one through and what would you do with it after you move?

I was where we are now with the packing guy today whilst builder at Kew house and carpet going in and was under the impression builder was trimming doors. Got round late afternoon to find all doors off upstairs including bathroom which also has a door into DS’s bedroom . We move in Tuesday and builder not back till Thursday.

With DH’s help he got bathroom doors on before he left which were the 2 he had trimmed. Neighbour kindly lending us tools as who knows which box ours are in and DH and DS going over to see if they can get doors on our bedroom and DS’s bedroom. I’ve just been washing curtains and have decided never again. Hoping to be able to get back to sleep.

OMG @ClematisBlue49 . What a nightmare you are dealing with. Bastard builders! it's so difficult having to trust your precious home with expensive tradespeople. When the majority are decent and honest and take pride in their workmanship but there is a small minority that just want the cash and couldn't care less if the job is done to a high standard. How are we, as clients, supposed to be able to differentiate? Hopefully the new PM will help mitigate some of the problems.

We're lucky with our plasterers, they are so tidy and clean you honestly see no evidence of them anywhere when they leave except a bit of dust settles in the room they have done for a day or two. They even mop any hard floors. When they did an upstairs job they put stuff like plastic clingfilm on the hall and stair carpets even though I said not to bother and I'd be happy with just my own dustsheets as the carpets would be being taken up before long anyway.
@CountryCob, we have had to clean out our underfloor- so much crap you wouldn't believe. DH has crawled under the floors and dragged up bucket after bucket of it- bricks, old mortar, general soily stuff, old wiring, old central heating pipes, all sorts- and sheets of plastic over it all- in theory put in to block damp, in practice creating it. He's done most of the rooms now, but what a horrible job. It's now much drier and cleaner under there- no more than the slight clamminess you'd expect from any underfloor (he's cleaned out all the blocked vents and piled-up cavities as well).