Help! Builders are starting extension on Monday - any advice on keeping them happy & me sane?

[Rindercella]

We are having a single storey extension built at the back of our house, fairly small but will come off both the kitchen and dining room. It is expected that the work will take 6-8 weeks to complete. The builders start on Monday. Does anyone have any worldly words of advice to impart? At the moment, I can't imagine what it's going to be like to have loads of people around the house all day and all the noise/mess they're bound to make. Also I have a 13 month DD who is walking and into everything. How the heck am I going to keep her safe during all of this?

I am eally looking forward to having my lovely new room completed, just not looking forward to the actual building work!

nothing "girly" about offering a cup of coffee imo

basic manners

you'll soon find out if it's appreciated or not

Tea and coffee compulsory every two hours or they disappear off in their van for weeks.
They will have a store 3 miles away that they will visit constantly. It will have a v old fashioned name like Pelleys or Gromits. It sells grout and spirit levels (called levels) and stuff like that at the front but in the back there is a room full of nubile husseys serving drinks and choc biscuits. Also hammocks, a bar, several terrier type dogs, and a very large screen telly showing Sky Sport. There is no phone signal in there. There is a long stay facility also and an escape tunnel so householders cannot stake it out.
I know all about builders, ours just finished today.
They said 4 months and it has been 14...
Oh and at least one will get long term ill, one will get pregnant, one will win the lottery and leave, one will say they are not in it for the money. All will fall out however, and all will agree Rogue Traders is the best tv ever made and give you a second by second account of every episode every day.
Sometimes they stop work to go in cruises.

it's not "getting them on your side" it's a group of adults working together for a common goal.

If you have your hackles raised from the start you'll never get on.

because sometimes lala your builder happens to be your best friend's DH (and soon to be godfather of your youngest child) and does things at a reduced price for you (and even orders dishwashers at trade price for you when yours need replacing........and come and plumb it in for you for free )

I couldn't be offering tea and coffee every day for 16 weeks, sorry (that's how long our extension took). Luckily, our builders brought their own, so it was no biggie.

I didn't mean it was 'girly' to offer tea, btw- I just know, from experience, that a lot (not all, but a ^lot) of builders don't actually take women (especially SAHMs with tots around their feet) that seriously, so I try to be polite but firm and not get too pally - that's all. Need to keep them ever so slightly on their toes, ime. Maybe I am just a cynical old mooch.

agree I only made coffee if I was in at the time,otherwise they made it themselves

ggirl, no offence, but we have obviously had really different experiences with builders.

We have had some complete cowboys...some great tradesmen who still would have taken the piss ever so slightly if we'd have given them the leeway...and a couple of true professionals who were an absolute pleasure and have become friends (liek yours). The fab workmen have beeb few and far between, though, and we are no novices in the whole house-renovation game, trust me.

I agree - no point in being negative or rude, though. Just realistic and businesslike.

i agree with hifi and lala. this is a business transaction. you are paying them to provide a service, not running a cafe.

put out basic supplies for them to make tea and coffee, a starter of tea and coffee and an occassional package of biscuits, a portaloo and leave them to it.

they're there to do a job.

LOL @ how British builders expect so much.

my folks have a group of Mexican builders in for months and at the end of the day, you couldn't tell they'd been there except for everything being covered up.

ditto friends of ours who used Polish or German builders.

make sure you have a solicitor look over teh contract if you can.

just finished having kitchen extension built. Estimated 5 weeks, took 3 months. Sorry but you should expect that. We put a kettle in the garage for them to use. In the end they started bringing own cups.

To be honest I would try and be out for the day as much as poss.

Have a designated place for fag butts. Why do they all smoke!!!!!!

Hassle but worth it.

Hmmm. We were told 8-10 weeks (we got 5 quotes - 6-8 weeks was most optimistic, but nobody said it would take longer than 12 weeks). Took 16 weeks (kitchen).

Different builders - estimated a 1-2 weeks for bathroom. Took 4 weeks.

Different guys, again. Estimated 2 weeks for decorating. Took 4 weeks.

Always err on the side of pessimism , then you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Arrggghhh. Fag butts. Right, plant pot with some soil in should solve that one.

DH & I have just discussed the loo issue and have agreed to get them to bring portaloo. Also agreed to give them a kettle, some dodgy old mugs starter packs of tea coffee and sugar & let them get on with making their own. I will buy a big packet of biscuits at the beginning of each week as a gesture.

Bugger...am nervous about it all now. Going to be hell isn't it.

Yep - fairly hellish. But it will be worth it

The last year has been hideously stressful (completely renovated our whole house) but now it's almost all done - so worth it.

i have had a lot of building work

i provided a kettke mugs spoons sugar tea and coffee and milk in the context of the build not as huge expense but left it in the utlity room for them to make themselves

ditto had a loo minus seat ny backdoor that they had sole use of...if possible a portaloo propvided by them is good

keep a site diary with days they are on site and for how long

take an interest and check the work regularly

dont assume anything will be done how you want it by magic..so before plumbing and electrics go in make sure they are putting things exactly where you want them

specify absolutely everything or you will be disappointed

think about what you want beforehand..doors/floors/door handles/tiles

on windows are handles white goil aluminium etc

it is quite possibly to end up with the cheapest mismatched stuff if you dont foresee them putting something in

even things like radiators may not be where you imagined or look like you imagined if you havent actually discussed it and worked it out with the builders

rea;lly if it was just tea and coffee it would be a breeze

i suspect you might get caught in the done by xmas trap

i reckon you will be pushing it

weather and other customers wanting things done by christmas cause problems with schedules

Rinder, can I ask how much your extension is costing as that's the sort of extension we want when we move?

guidelines on what they can come into main area of the hosue - ie for tea, bathroom etc - ideally if you can better that they ahve their own cups etc as uptomyeyes suggests and a portaloo fi there is room.

agree terms of payment etc in advance etc

make sure that you discuss with them/agree in adavnce on stuff like acceess to property , dealing with neigboursr

that said we've just had our bathroom done starting when dd was 3 weeks old and not had any real problems (apart from it taking ages but they did say it would)...

Ok, I am quite impressed. 5 of the building team turned up at 8.30 this morning, another 2 coming a bit later. So that's a good start.

We're talking with the main guy a little later, where we will discuss things like the portaloo, etc. Payment terms have already been agreed and thankfully they seem pretty switched on about potential neighbour issues (I said my next door neighbour has kindly said we could use one of her parking spaces during the day & guy said, oh we already have put signs on our vehicles to say we're working at #xx so people will know where to come if there's a problem).

Fingers crossed this will all go smoothly!!!

Nikos, it's coming in at just under £22k. That includes all plumbing, wiring, plastering, flooring, etc., but not decorating.

Thank you all so much for your advice. I have my list ready for this afternoon!