Support thread for those crazy enough to be extending their homes this year!

[ilikeyoursleeves]

Hiya, after hijacking another thread about massive extensions (not massive erections LOL) there seems to be a few of us who are about to embark on building projects this year. So if you are one of them come join in so we can share all the excitement, nervousness and bewilderment at everything that needs done!

We are currently awaiting quotes from builders for a two storey side extension plus a single storey at the rear. We had our first quote in today which is £64k. Not sure if this is good or bad, it will be interesting to compare the quotes when they are all in. We are also awaiting planning permission but should get it fine as our house already has planning for the extension that came with the sale of the house (but we had to resubmit as we have changed it a bit). Awaiting a building warrant too.

I'm very excited but frankly crapping it re the costs as we are going to have to remortgage plus DS2 will start nursery so we will have 2 lots of chilcare costs too.

ARGH!!!

So I for one need my hand held throughout all this process I just keep thinking of the end product and hoping it will all be fine.

What's everyone else doing and when?

Well, the velux windows are in now. We have two of them, and although they look great from the inside of the loft room, from the outside the roof looks a a bit bowed now. I pointed this out today to the main builder and he says it's because the roof has shifted over time, so where they've put the flashings in for the veluxes, the tiles can't lie flat. I really don't like the way it looks and I've been up our street looking at other roofs with veluxes and none of them look like ours. . Any advice, anyone?

Been a while since I checked in, been manic week. Nice to see that people are getting on and things are going up.

We got some big news today. Started with builder coming round. We're getting our ideals but not finishing some rooms off so that we can afford it. Not sure I'm happy but at least we get the shell up

But the biggest news today is dh got offered a job this afternoon . All systems go on the extension now . You have no idea how relieved we are.

Hurrah, rebl!!!!!!!!!!! That is truly excellent news. Pass our MN congrats on to your dh, and have fun celebrating!

Sleeves, also excellent news re your new builder! He sounds brilliant. All that processing and decision making very much worth it, by the sound of it

vonny, good news that the Veluxes are in, but sorry you're not happy with the result - it does sound a bit worrying, I don't really understand the builder's point? Does it feel right to you, or are you worried they've botched something? Is it possible to get someone up there to give a second opinion, before its too late? Might just be one of those things, but I think I'd want it double checked. Sorry, wish I had something more constructive for you

Just checking back in, especially noting what sleeves has been going through. You've obviously got good instincts and I'm really glad things are now looking good. It's scary what we're all getting into, and the costs , so it is important to have a good working relationship with the people who are taking the sledgehammer to our homes and to whom we going to be handing over scary cheques.

We both like our builder and our kitchen designer, and they both understand what we want and seem enthusiastic about the project. We've not oblivious to the possibility of unknown problems occurring, given the age of this house.

We've now got the estimate from our kitchen designer (which I immediately handed over to my DH - he can do that adding up and percentage stuff in his head, I don't think he's ever owned a calculator). So far, the estimates look good and within the funds we have available. With a bit of luck, in the next couple of weeks we'll be getting to the "ooh the noise, ooh the dust" situation.

Congratulations Rebl & Mr Rebl!!! That must be such a weight off your mind. We are like you, we are aiming to get the shell up and won't have much left over but will gradually do the rooms up over the months / years (well, hopefully not years...). I forgot that the builders quote includes fitting of sanitaryware so if BIL gets us the bathroom & downstairs loo at trade prices that might only cost about £1-2k depending on how snazzy we want it (I think). Hmmmm, just thought that won't include tiling though. Anyway, then we need to do the floors and painting (we will decorate ourselves) and get a sofa and dining table. Do you think we could do all that for £5k? Yeeks. It will be lentils for the next few years but at least we will have lots of room!

So when are you planning on starting Rebl?

Vonny, I haven't a clue about what a velux should look like but if it doesn't look right (especially comapared to others in your street) I would get a second opinion if you can? If you are worried then it's prob best you investigate now so the builder can fix it?

Thanks everyone . We are just waiting for building regs which will take a maximum of another 3 weeks and then the builder recons to start in 5 - 6 weeks time. Went to the people who moved us today to get a quote for storage. Its all very real now. Was very impressed with their storage facility.

Great Rebl, that's not too long for you now!

Oooh, sounds like there'll be quite a lot of dust and activity on this thread by July! Good, I need the company

Cement for floor yesterday, haven't been to look today (did load of gardening there yesterday, weeds are threatening to take over).

We are going to have to lose the door that used to be the entrance to downstairs loo: the loo is now pushed back further, and will have a door (thankfully ) but the little teeny 'room' thats nearest the hall - between loo and hall, iyswim - will be our coat/shoe storage area and won't have a door. We are not the tidiest bunch, to say the least. Could look awful from the entrance, but maybe if we put in a floor to ceiling storage cupboard, with hanging space....? Do you think thats realistic? Any brilliant ideas for shoe/boot storage that works in RL?

Just bumping this for myself so it doesn;t drop off my threads i'm on

Nothing happening here...

Glad there is stuff going on elsewhere

vonny any news on your veluxes?

depending on where you live you should be looking at £100 per square metre.

sorry should have said £1000 psm.
sorry...............

ISNT We're going to speak with the main builder again on Monday. I posted pics of the roof on builders forum, and had a few replies with suggestions as to why it looks the way it does. On a happier note, first fix electrics are in, and the stairs arrive next week!

Did the people on the forum say it looked dodgy or did they agree with what your builder said?

hubby round here they do £1500psm I think

is that london prices then, 50% on top [sigh]

Elibean -re no door on your coat store: could a joiner not make a pair of two narrower doors that open a bit like doors on a wardorbe IYSWIM...so that you do not need to allow for a full single door sweep?

The people on the forum agreed with me, that it looks dodgy, and that the roofer hasn't trimmed the tiles properly to accommodate the flashing. I have no idea what that all means, but at least i know it's not just me being picky!

Vonny, I'm glad you got some feedback from people who know...well done for finding the right place to get it, I'd have been clueless! Hope your builder listens and doens't get defensive.

LittlePushka, I think thats what we'll do (sliding wardrobe type doors) over the actual coat store, which is immediately to the right of the doorway. The problem with having any sort of door on the doorway from the entrance hall is that literally 3-4ft in from it will be the door to the toilet....to the left of the doorway is the wall, and to the right of it, as I said, is the coat hanging space (which is about 2-3ft deep). Its hard to describe!

Glad the folk on the forum agreed with you that your tiles are dodgy vonny, hopefully your builder will recify the situation with no hassles.

elibean what about bi-fold doors? We have them on our wardrobes in the bedroom & in cupboard under the stairs and they are great for tight spaces. Have you looked at IKea for any storage options for the hall? What about the coats etc hanging on the wall of the hall itself (ie on show), not sure if you'd want them all out though?

No news from here, hoping to get a letter from the new builder next week sometime to confirm him taking us on. Only got a week left of mat leave so next week will be for me, but hey we need lots of £££££ for this damned house so I can't be forever!

Incidentally, anyone heard anything about sweetkitty? Hopefully baby Sweetkitty is here by now!

Thanks, Sleeves, good ideas too - will go look at IKea website, and bifold doors. DH's nephew-in-law (!) is a carpenter/joiner and has made the dds' fitted cupbaords already, is doing sitting room and study stuff and making us a sideboard...all at family rates So will ask him to make whatever we decide on.

We all went there today, to weed garden a bit, and its lovely seeing those walls up at either end, and the concrete part of the floor down. I can start to imagine it being real - even though the whole of ground floor is a building site, whereas it was all smart and renovated when we bought it

Sweetkitty, thinking of you!

Sleeves, good luck with builder this week and also with last week of mat leave...that is , bound to be, but I hope its a specially nice week.

Hello all
Got back from holiday yesterday and have been catching up on the thread in between washing, and unpacking etc.
Sounds like masses has been going on.

sleeves I can totally understand all your dilemmas. We've been going back and forth on all your concerns about can we afford it, do we really need to do this etc... for the last 18 months too. Good news that you feel much more confident about the new builder. Enjoy your last week of mat leave, and although it won't be fun going back to work at least you can think of it in terms of helping pay for your lovely new house.

Rebl that's fab about your DH's new job

Vonny good luck with sorting out the velux windows

Elibean glad all is going well with your build. I can't remember have you moved out for the build, or not moved in yet because you recently bought it? Are you renting? Just asking because we need to sort out how to manage during the build and whether to move out or not etc

ISNT If it's any consolation our quotes are in the same range as yours it's pretty scary isn't it?

News from here is that we finally got our last quote in and amazingly its the cheapest one of them all. We've got to find out when they can start but we're really pleased since we preferred them to all the others anyway. I can't speak to them until tomorrow but I have lots of questions for them, including how to reduce the cost as much as possible. We're also had a freak out at how much everything is, once you include it all. We were thinking of moving out for the build but don't think we can pay rent afterall, unless we don't mind not having a kitchen.

Sorry not to name check everyone else.
Best go and put another wash on before this turns into a boring novel....

Hiya FMAO where were you on holiday? Feeling nice and relaxed now? That's good that your fave builder is the cheapest, good luck in getting the price down even further. I didn't haggle with our new builder as he agreed to add in 2 velux windows and extend our decking area for no extra charge. I was going to get more quotes in but he was a similar price to bodge the builder and our architect said it was a really good price anyway. My mate who is currently using him said he was their lowest quote as well.

Not got much planned this week, DS2 is having a few hours at nursery to settle in so I'm going to get some new work clothes when both boys are in one morning. I have barely bought anything for 3 years re work clothes! Need to keep the spending in check though, I am panicking about the state of this 'government' and the economy and that our mortgage will shoot up (we have a fixed rate for the extension money but still have a variable rate for our original mortgage ARGH). Believe it or not, DH and I had yet another talk re cancelling the extension this morning but we are just going to go ahead. Hmmm, lentils for tea again. Only 4 years to go til no childcare costs!

vonny have you spoken to your builder yet?

Welcome back, FMAO We haven't moved in yet, recently bought it and are renting anyway...figured we'd stretch to a couple of extra months' rent (turned into nearer 6 months, though!). Neighbours two doors down from new house are also planning a big extension and refurb: they are moving out for the worst of the work. What are your pros and cons? Apart from cost?

The builder is preparing to knock back of the house off today (remaining wall)

Just checking in

Not a lot going on here - waiting on building regs drawings from architect, have mortgage offer (phew!), waiting for quote from builder which is a week and a half overdue - I don't think he's going to bother obviously not interested.

Good news on your quote fmao elibean blimey that's exciting

vonny good luck with your builder

and sleeves you and your DH need to stop vacillating!

Elibean
About moving out, cost (of course) is the main factor. My parents who live about 1 hour away have offered for us to stay with them, but we're a bit unsure because it means a much longer drive to work for DH, and moving away from CM for DD, and our network of friends here. We get on well with them, but it might drive us (& them) mad after a few weeks. Plus I want to be close by to keep a good eye on the build etc.
The alternative is to rent around here but we don't really want to commit to a 6 month rental, (although aware that in reality it might take that long).
We're thinking of trying to stay put for as long as possible and only move out for a couple of months of the worst of it. Not sure if we're being realistic or not.

Have fun shopping Sleeves

We didn't plan on any holidays this year due to the build but since DH had to go away on business and got free flights for him, and massively discounted hotel due to his work we thought we had better make the most of it. Plus had a bit of a shit year so far, so really needed a break. We went to Mauritius I'm definately freezing now we're back!

Sorry ladies been MIA baby Jacob was born last Weds 5th May 8lbs 5ozs, 3 hr labour after induction for the dreaded SPD. He's utterly gorgeous.

No news on extension front, have to talk to neighbours this week not looking forward to it really. Also had my Dad up visiting and showed him the plans as he's been in the building trade 30 odd years, he was impressed by the size etc and agrees that not moving any bathrooms is a good idea but went on and on about the house being squashed up against the neighbours and it's such a shame it's not 10 feet the other way!

congratulations!

3 hours!

Aw new baby