The builders are in.....share the ups and downs here.....

[nappyzonecantrunfortoffee]

Been as though a few of us have the builders in i thought we could share our fun and try and get through the mire together (even though pavlos stories scared me half to shit).

SO were getting an extension built and they started Wednesday - they seem canny and we have a digger in our garden, guinea pigs at the back of the garedn i have to risk life and limb for to get too to feed and mud - loads of mud - my wellies are caked in the stuff from my guinea pig feeding missions!

Our foundations are all dug out now and most excitingly a mixy truck load of cement was barrowed round the back in to them. Wheres everyone else at?

It is a lot of space but none of the rooms (apart from the kitchen) are very big so it's not as much as it sounds! I'll bung up a pic on my profile for a few mins. Hang on.

They are on there but both a bit gloomy! Will leave them up there until you say you've seen'em

wowzers! it looks complicated and oldy worldy . Is the big tall scaffy for some large chimney?

No, it's because our roof is pitched so high (chalet style) they had to put second set of scaffolding up to reach top of roof. The room nearest the end (where you can see bloke) is our bedroom, it will have floor to ceiling window so ceiling of room will go up to where the bloke's head is on the scaffolding. It is a bit crazy.

Oh no not crazy - fab-tastic and will be so worth it, its like something i see on grand designs and swoon at - id love to live in a property like that surrounded by fields but am scared of ufo's and ghosts and being more than 5 mins froma chinese takeaway . Best i stick to my new build type estate house

I've made you a mumsnet mate (and you cake) so you can see pics. Does that mean no-one else can? I've not done that before. Like to be anonymous but NEED to talk about extension, it's like therapy

Oh no, I have neighbours both sides you just can't see in the pic. It is fields out the front and we all have v. long gardens behind so very private. Also have chinese and indian who deliver and supermarket 6 mins away (have timed it!)

Have to say was v. scared first time dh went away though Garden is pitch black at night, will have security lighting when this is all finished.

You can see one neighbour's roof on left side of photo. Do you want to see what the view from bedroom will be?!

oo i dunno - dunno how to do that but am going to go play - i try to keep some annomyity but sadly i think i fail .

I think the next few weeks will be exciting for all and pray for good weather for all. Our forecast is snow until wednesday and then rain - i am desperate for the scafolders to come and remove the scaffy like they were supposed to before christmas but they havent yet because of safety also so my garden is still a major dump.

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

I think it's on there now - had to re-size.
Bl00dy hell nappy, just looked at your recent photo, it's practically finished

i wish! We are weathertight now but just a shell providing good shelter for my guinea pigs!

LOL! Well I'm sure it's worth the money to keep them sheltered

They have never had so much attention - im sure the builders are feedign them their butties as they have spurted in size

Hello.

Can i just book my space on this thread for the next few weeks, if that's ok?

Got any top tips for coping with building work going on in freezing cold weather?

Hello! just a few weeks or months?? , i have no idea about the cold thing as most of ours has not affected our internals yet - that fun starts on Monday so i need tips too . I woudl definitly invest in soem wellies though for when you go outside to view their handy work.

Hopefully just weeks! It's only a small project (replacing an existing conservatory with a proper extension, single storey) so I've been told, told, it won't be too bad. And then they're doing the kitchen as well.

The internal walls have already gone though so the builder is boarding up the two archways into the house, if that makes sense (it's in the corner of a L shape between the kitchen and the dining room). He assures us that his boards will provide more insulation than our current conservatory.

God I'm worried, there's snow forecast this week!!!

Ahhh it be right - you will be toastie , did you get some nice thick jumpers and socks for christmas and hats? [just in case]

Hi
Can I join this thread too? We just got planning permission granted for an extension and I found out I'm pregnant, and expecting dc2 in August Have been talking and planning extensions all year (bricks and kids) and assummed that the house would be sorted by the time DC 2 came along but didn't realise DH's swimmers were so healthy and we'd be so crap at deciding what to do on the house. Are we mad to expect to get it all done in time since we haven't got building drawings or a builder sorted or anything... Quite frankly I'm not really sure what we need to do next.
sorry, post is longer than I wanted but am v excited/scared about next this year
there'll be lots of questions from me if that's okay

Congratulations

Freezingmyarseoff, that's a very appropriate name!

How exciting all round! Congrats on number 2. Do you need to start with a builder, and then they would advise on timescale and drawings etc?

Thanks Nappy & Mary
Actually we spoke with some builders and they said they need building drawings before being able to give proper quotes, although they have given estimates of costs and timescales. The thing I'm wondering is when we can reasonably expect someone to start work, and how long it actually takes for the building drawings to be completed. The architect who helped us with planning permission will also do the drawings so hopefully he can shed some light on it tomorrow.

Hi Freezing, great name! Congratulations on DC2 and I hope the architect is helpful tomorrow. August seems possible ...

Carrot, I think I'm too late to see your pictures but your house sounds amazing. The floor to ceiling window sounds great.

Nappyzone I'm very of your pictures, it looks great. Please please send me your lovely builder when you've finished with him.

Mary - we've had no heating since mid-Nov so we're getting used to the cold. I've found that shutting internal doors as much as possible keeps bedrooms warmer. We try to keep the living room really warm all the time, it's somewhere that the builders don't go so its easier. I've also had to ask them to stop leaving the back door open. And I've been going to bed in a hoodie for the last few weeks

So the forecast for next week now reads - Monday sunny 0
Tues light snow showers 0
Weds sunny intervals -1
Thurs snow 0
Fri sunny -1
F8ck all happening here then . I'm wishing we'd never started this building lark.