About to start a 6-month extension build...

[AppropriateAdult]

... and moving in with the in-laws for the duration. Come join me on this wild ride!

@pashmina696 sounds like it’s all coming together for you now.

Most of our plastering has been done too, just the kitchen, living room and around the new front door left to do.

Kitchen needs two new windows fitted first and the living room needs the whole floor, including all the joists replaced.

We’re only paying for mist-coats and under-coats though, so it will be dh and I that do all the painting. Probably mostly me now, as dh starts his new job soon. At this point I am seriously tempted to just paint everywhere white and pick colours when we’ve lived with it for a while. I really want to move back in as soon as we possibly can, so I think that might be the quickest/easiest option.

Doors have been fairly easy, as they are all to match the original one over three 1930’s ones we already have, but I haven’t found the right hardware for them yet.

It’s all so time consuming though, choosing, then pricing everything and trying to make sure you’re not paying over the odds. I’ve found some products are literally hundreds of pounds different in price for the exact same item. Also, as we’ve had delays, some of the things I spent ages choosing and sourcing are now out of stock or on pre-order for late September, which is really frustrating.

Having started this thread back in January I haven't been back to post much, which I know is very poor etiquette - apologies Our build really stalled for several months in the early summer which was very dispiriting - it was largely manpower issues on the part of the builder, who had stretched himself too thin. Our initial completion date was to have been late August, then it was amended to end of September, but there's no way it's going to be finished by then. We're trying to be positive about it - the quality of the work is good and it's going to be worth it in the long run, but we're both thoroughly fed up of being out of our own house at this stage.

However, rear glazing is going in tomorrow, so that's something! I'm hoping things will pick up pace then, as there are some internal walls they haven't been able to build until this point because the rear doors have to be brought through the house. At this stage we've picked out pretty much all of the fittings we need - kitchen, sanitary ware, flooring - and are just waiting until the appropriate moment to order them.

@AppropriateAdult I have been ordering everything this past 2 weeks! And some things went out of stock ! If companies can hold things for you or reserve stock I would recommend doing that - I have all my bathroom stuff coming in this week and have mostly chosen things on relatively short lead times, some tiles for example it was 4 months - so I looked elsewhere! Can't wait for our doors to go in - should be this week as well 🤞🏻hope things continue to progress for you now - I also have a small and excellent team of builders so anticipate some things will take longer than planned but hoping to move out of the rental on time! We can't afford to stay there longer.

@AppropriateAdult No need to apologise, this renovation/extension lark is so all consuming of brain/time/energy, sometimes you just don’t want to think/talk about it anymore.

We have had frustrating delays caused by lack of boots on the ground too, but like you, the quality of work is great and we really didn’t want to fall out with our builders. It has been very hard going at times though.

We are, hopefully, on the home stretch now. Still a fair bit to do, but hopefully moving back in, at least upstairs at the end of September. We started in Apriland our builder initially told us 12 weeks! 😂. We didn’t believe that, but didn’t expect 6 months either. 🙄

I agree with @pashmina696. If you can order, check and store or get suppliers to hold stock, do it. We have been having exactly the same problems with things we chose and priced months ago going out of stock. The main piece for our bathroom, that we based the whole design on, is out of stock everywhere, even the manufacturer won’t have it back in until October now, which is too late. So, we have had choose and source an alternative that still meets the overall design. It’s been a real headache. Also, so many things have gone up significantly in price.

@pashmina696 Sounds like we are at similar stages. All my bathroom and en-suite bits are arriving this week. (Bath and showers arrived yesterday.) We have had to suddenly choose different ones, as the original choices are out of stock for the next month. I have found having to suddenly order so much stuff incredibly stressful. Not least of all watching our bank balance shrink dramatically in such short time.

After all my stress agonising over which tiles to buy, we have had to choose different tiles as well!

Biggest shock was finding out we couldn’t keep our original quarry tiles without significant extra work/costs. We have had to choose LVT with just a couple of day’s notice and as our worktops are oak and obviously not oiled/finished yet, we had no colour comparison to make sure the worktops and floor go together well. I didn’t want LVT, as quarry tiles would have lasted another 100 years with little to no maintenance and they were an original feature, but we just can’t afford to throw any more time or money at this now.

Thanks @Driverpicksthemusic - I'm sorry to hear you've had similar delays, but it's nice to know you truly understand!

We've sent a slightly snotty email to our builder tonight outlining our dissatisfaction with how things are going (and cc'ing our architect who is overseeing the build) - we're both generally quite relaxed and easygoing, which I think has maybe led him to believe that we won't make a fuss if he prioritises other jobs over ours. Time to start making a little bit of a fuss...

@AppropriateAdult Fingers crossed your email does the trick.

This evening’s report from our builder was positive. Lots of progress today, drainage issue sorted, the bath is in and apparently they are on track to fit the rest of the sanitary-ware as it arrives over the next few days.

Dh and I had a bit of a comedy moment when a bizarre glitch sent a tracking notice for our vanity unit and a few other bits with an expected delivery date of Christmas Day! Thankfully that was easy to ignore, given the full tracking link showed our pallet being loaded onto a truck for delivery at the nearest depot at 9.00 pm tonight.

Back to shuttling dd back and forth to school from PIL’s from tomorrow. Can’t believe we are still here at the start of a new school year, really hope things keep moving and we are back home so she can start walking to and from again by the end of September.

After such great progress we are nearly finished with our loft conversion but builders are now doing annoying things. First off, the main builder is now busy so not on site and has been sending only one labourer - fine we thought as only painting to do and other bits n bobs. But he stupidly locked himself out my house whilst we were all out and instead of waiting for us to return he put the ladder up and climbed into our dormer window! This would have been fine except now our window rebounds open and it feels 'loose'. These windows weren't cheap, absolutely loved them as they are french window dormers and he's ruined it.
What on earth are my rights? Shall I withhold the last payment until they sort it out? We did tell him and he said it's rectified but upon checking it's still the same.

My bathroom tiling starts next week, I had a tap problem. First taps wouldn't work in a wall so have had to order different (more expensive!) ones that will work in a wall, and they wanted everything on site so we won't have any delays... have been told a date we have to be out of our rental, which is about a week before our builders want us back but it's 6 weeks away and hopefully plenty of time to get everything prepared so at the very least we have a staircase! But agree watching the bank balance go down and having to buy so many things is difficult!!!! I am feeling more settled about all the decisions as have now made so many, and there isn't many left! Door handles and matching sockets is next on my list if anyone has any suggestions please?

@pashmina696 We need door handles, well actually doorknobs, too. I have been trying to find some that are close to the originals without being ridiculously expensive, but the only ones I can find that are similar I don’t like. I also need to sort smaller things like toilet roll holders and towel rails and I still haven’t found a light I like for the en-suite. It’s quite a masculine room now, as I ended up agreeing to dh’s choices in there, so I’d quite like to soften it with something more feminine if I can.

Fingers crossed for everything coming together ready for you to move back in when you need to vacate your rental.

I’ve been over and checked our bathroom fittings today, as they were all (bar the bath/shower panel) delivered yesterday. I am so relieved that I still loved them all, but less delighted that I had to do it on my own and have put my back out lifting the vanity unit and basin.

The bath has already been fitted and I absolutely love it. It was the one thing I dug my heels in about, as it was more expensive than most straight baths, but I love the design and it is both reinforced for having the shower over and insulated to keep the bath water warm longer. It looks lovely and deep and the taps look gorgeous now they’re fitted too.

Dd and I painted some paint samples onto the bedroom walls today as well and she finally started to get excited about planning her room and getting it ready to move back into. She was delighted to discover the usb socket next to her where her bed goes and was even quite excited about the less interesting (for a teenager) new kitchen and bathroom.

Start of next week is all about floor screeds, levelling compounds and replacing joists, then the fitter is back for the bathroom and en-suite at the end of the week. Tiles and flooring are on target for delivery, I think, on Thursday, so it’s all starting to come together.

Oh - and the chimney sweep is coming Wednesday to clean all the chimneys so the builder can finish opening up the kitchen one for the range to go into and sorting the fireplace in the living room.

Building inspector came on Friday too and said they only need to come back for the final sign off now.

Sorry for the long post, such a lot going on all at once at the moment!

@Driverpicksthemusic sounds like everything is coming together now!

I am earnestly awaiting the arrival of the tiler and plumber to get my bathrooms done so hopefully they made it to me today - plasterboarding everywhere else is continuing... deciding on doors and handles too - it's difficult to match them unless you know the brand I am looking at lusso stone ones that come in packs but open to other suggestions on brassware

@pashmina696 Everything has arrived for the bathroom and en-suite now and the bathroom has been self-levelled ready for the floor to go down.

Deliveries have literally fried my brain over the past couple of weeks, tracking is a joke, even if they send a link, 9/10 times it doesn’t work. I had two different sources sending me tracking for one delivery today and neither said who the delivery was from or an eta! We only managed to work it out after it had arrived. That’s the last of the big/pallet deliveries done now though, thank goodness!

Still have the brassware for the toilet room to come, but that’s just two standard parcel deliveries.

To be honest my fittings have come from all over the place. I find what I like, google lens it, then check out the brands, then the cheapest sellers/stores for each item on trustpilot and put them all on a spreadsheet to compare price, delivery cost and delivery lead times. It’s headache inducing, but worth it, as I’ve saved us a fortune.

I have consistently found smaller, less well known companies are much better at customer service than big names though. I bought a hard to find item from a small trade shop in Scotland the other day and they called as soon as my order landed, just as a courtesy call, to confirm it was in stock and when they expected it to be delivered. Conversely I emailed a big brand bathroom place over a week ago and they only replied today. Too late, I had already bought the item I was enquiring about elsewhere.

The only bits we have left to plasterboard are the external kitchen wall and kitchen and living room ceilings. Boarding is going ahead, but our plasterer has just had a minor operation, so that will probably hold things up a bit.

Chimney sweep has done his bit today, so both fireplaces can be opened up now.

The place is absolute chaos, as they are having to store everything that needs to be fitted and it’s not a big house, even with the extension, which is frustrating for everyone. My new kitchen is in my bedroom, the bathroom is in the living room and the ensuite in the second bedroom. With all the tools etc as well, there is not a lot of space.

Builder is still saying end of September for us to get back in and live upstairs. Bathrooms and toilet room should be done. The bedrooms are all done, bar the new radiators being attached (which I think is happening early next week) but the kitchen won’t be fitted and the living room may still need plastering. I need to get in and paint upstairs asap, so I can order carpets for upstairs and the hall/stair/landing before we move back.

Dh starts his new job tomorrow, so it’s all going to be down to me (although it’s all been down to me right the way through really). He may have to stay at his parent’s house for a bit longer than dd and I, as his new job is hybrid and his home office hasn’t been built yet! I don’t think he can wfh while home is still full of builders.

Yes.. I had 2 towels rads left at 7.30am by my bins... got the notification at 4.30am..!! Spent a while looking for 2 external lights which I had definitely ordered and found they had been packed in 2nd delivery box and were stacked amongst bathroom stuff! Massive massive box arrived with absolutely no tracking emails or texts and that had 2 bathroom mirrors in... my wallpaper arrived in 3 days with no tracking when I was told 2 weeks! I have sourced some things but most of my bathroom stuff I have ordered through an independent local shop who have price matched loads for me. I have a furniture shop emailing me asking when I want the furniture I ordered for October .... (October...!) but the storage is about to become interesting unless the tiler starts soon as my ground floor needs emptying to screed and tile!

It definitely sounds like we are going through very similar things at the moment.

I feel very unsettled too. That feeling that we are so close now, yet there is still so much to do. I start to feel hopeful then, when I visit the site, I instantly feel hopeless again.

Can’t wait to just settle back into our home and not think about anything diy or decor related for a VERY long time, if ever!

Yes 100% - I was really stressed at the start of the summer as had so many decisions to make and felt overwhelmed- most of these decisions are made now and everything pretty much has arrived or is scheduled... but we have to be back in in a few weeks, my rental has new tenants agreed and there is still so much to do! Builders assure me we are now approaching a quick stage where a lot will happen - apparently tiler arrives next week so I am looking forward to seeing the tiles, scaffolding will be down soon too 😬 I am not looking forward to packing again either!!

How is it going @pashmina696?

I am just about to head over to the house with dh to move some furniture, as the builders want to access the wall behind it. All a bit odd, considering they have been moving stuff around constantly right the way through, but suddenly can’t shift this stuff, even though - apparently - it’s holding things up.

Next week, I ‘think’ all the radiators are going on and the new heating system is having it’s final test. Then it should be all set up and ready to go. Also, hopefully, the new consumer board is being set up this week, so at that point I should be able to get in and start the endless cleaning cycle to reduce the dust, so I can start painting upstairs and order some carpets to be fitted.

Downstairs is still chaos, but the tiler and bathroom fitter are due next week and the floors have been levelled in the bathroom and ensuite, so we may actually have both hot water and working bathrooms by next weekend. (Although I may have just jinxed myself typing that!)

Hope things are going ok with your work and are still on track for you to move back in.

Exciting! My radiators upstairs are in and downstairs is now mostly plasterboarded so anticipate that next week we will see a lot of progress - they need to start replumbing the downstairs before we are at testing stage - I have ordered the carpet for upstairs and hope the good weather comes back to help dry paint and plaster!

I am very excited about the tiles....😂

Best of luck with the furniture moving - we are out of space for any more of that!!!!

Sadly, I am not as excited about our tiles as you are about yours. They’re fine, but not what I really wanted, as a combination of the ones we wanted being sold out everywhere and the panic relating to dh’s redundancy impacting budget decisions meant we essentially went with plan B. I do think they suit the styles of the rooms though and I am excited about the sanitary-ware. I was so relieved that I still loved them as much when they were delivered as when I originally chose them.

The furniture moving was precisely because we are out of space. Dh and I have been playing furniture Jenga, trying to shift it all into one bedroom so they can finish the electrics and connect the radiator in the back bedroom. We managed it, but only just.

My kitchen is almost completely boarded, just another layer of fireproof board over the beams and one relatively short stretch of external wall to do now.

Everywhere was a lot tidier when we went into today. (Well everywhere except the living room, which is a complete nightmare.) I’ve lost track of exactly who is coming in when, as dh didn’t forward me the last couple of updates, but I think we have the plumber and plasterer at the beginning of the week, then the bathroom fitter/tiler from Wednesday.

I am swinging between hopeful that at least dd and I will be back in in a couple of weeks and thinking there is no way that it’s ever going to happen. Poor dh has had to listen to me getting more and more stressed about it today. I want to be back home, but at the same time, the thought of going back to living on site while the builders are still there doesn’t exactly fill me with joy. At least dd can start walking to and from school though. Driving 60 miles plus a day through the rush hour and school run traffic is exhausting.

@pashmina696 hope your works are nearly done?

Ours ve moved on a lot since Monday. Last night’s update photos actually looked more like a home having some work done than a total building site.

The bathroom has been fitted, bar the shower screen. Ensuite has also been fitted, again, except the glass. (I think they are leaving the glass packaged until they have stopped banging about to reduce the risk of breaking them.) Flooring is down in both, but tiling still to do.

Kitchen is boarded and plastered, all but one wall, which I think is being done today. I think next on the agenda is finishing the fireplace knock-out for the cooker, then starting to fit the kitchen units.

We now have power upstairs, but there has been a problem arranging a date for the plumber to come back, so the boiler won’t be on line until the week after next.

Unfortunately the ground floor bedroom and dining room both need re-screeding as a result of the very hot weather the day the screed was delivered originally and the dining room will then need self-levelling before the flooring can go down.

Living room joists, floorboards and skirtings also still need to be replaced, as they were waiting to move the things that are being stored in there into the kitchen temporarily while they do it, so I ‘think’ that might be next week.

Dh and I are planning to visit a local family-run carpet shop on Saturday morning to try and get all the carpets sorted in one go. They can’t be fitted until the final gas test is done on the boiler though, as the plumber will need access to the pipework under the floorboards, just-in-case. Then we’ll head over to the house to start painting upstairs.

Finally feels like we may actually be able to move back in soon. Although it’s still going to be a while until our home is a builder-free zone!

Dd was really upset last night because all the commuting back and forth to PIL’s is not giving her enough time to do her homework and when we are back there she is exhausted as it’s such a long day. It’s her GCSE year too, so we need to be back in asap, so she can settle into a study routine.

Then, once they’ve finished inside, they need to do a serious site clean-up (the place is an absolute mess at the moment) do the small amount of landscaping that was included in the quote and build dh’s home office up the garden.

@Driverpicksthemusic sadly not close yet but things are progressing well - bedrooms are being painted, and the last bits of skirting and flooring are being done jn my bedroom and then that can be painted as well - I still have an absent tiler... and a lot of tiling! There is so much to do downstairs but that has started - waiting on the plumber coming back as well... the homework expectations of exam years make this very challenging for teens but it won't be long until they are settled in their new bedrooms!! That what I am telling myself... I have booked my move back as we have to leave the rental but right now it's not looking ideal...but I can't stress about things that aren't within my control!!! Good luck with everything this week.

@Driverpicksthemusic and @pashmina696 sorry about things not moving quickly enough, and the effect on the teens. Honestly for me I think being in sooner was better, as each evening after the kids have gone to bed, we can do a good couple hours work.

The downside is we have been in for weeks, and we still don't have a finished place. There seems to be never ending sorting, cleaning, painting, drilling, sewing, ordering more stuff, moving it around etc..... Got my downstairs loo being done right now, then hopefully utility room will be sorted. It's currently a massive dumping ground

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 unfortunately as we are in the midst of a full rewire and replumb and also the stairs are gone we can't move in as there is no water connected or staircase and some stuff needs to happen to finish the electrics too.. and all the bedrooms are currently being painted! It won't be much longer but it needs quite a few things to happen to get it ready enough!

Yes I am not looking forward to that part - the sorting and cleaning... and cleaning and organising...!!

@pashmina696 how long have you got left on your rental?

Fingers crossed it gets done soon! Our stairs were remarkably quick to put in, I thought it'd be a huge job, but took just 3-4 days including attaching all of the spindles, and putting a beam and wall in upstairs. Hopefully it'll be the same for yours

Just under 5 weeks - and the stairs are ordered now and should take 4-5 days to put in - but the floor needs to be ready first!

Decision fatigue has set in here. Went to order our carpets today and found myself unable to make any decisions. We need carpet for four bedrooms, the living room and the hall/stairs/landing and it just felt overwhelming. Panic chose a couple of options just to get a ballpark quote, then went to look at a local shop that has lots of remnants, but no joy. The only one we are definite about is the one dd picked for her room. Maybe I should get her to choose them all!

Oh and the electrician has fitted the light we chose for outside the front door and We both really hate it now it’s up! So that hasn’t helped our confidence for all the choices we have still got to make.

Hope you are having a better weekend than we are.