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?

Welcome Brightwell! How exciting that you have started already! Sounds great, but your time scale seems quite long for a single storey extension? Maybe it's not but I'm worried now as we have been quoted 12 weeks (ish) for a double side extension plus a single storey one the same size as yours- eeeek!

What a pain re the neighbour, hopefully they will be fine for the rest of the built.

Mooki, that's good your DH calmed the neighbour down, some people are never happy though eh.

The single story extension shell will be finished hopefully in 2 weeks time.Then they're going to knock through!!! The rest of the work is moving & installing the kitchen, builder has told me today it's arriving next Wednesday, heaven knows where it's going to be stored.I'm having part of the garage converted to make a hallway & downstairs loo. He's also laying a new patio & doing the decorating.

Neighbour problems are on going...watch this space!

Ah I see, sounds like it's moving on quickly then. Fab!

I can't wait (I think....?) til ours gets started. We are still waiting for the mortgage to go through and for the building warrant, seems to be taking forever.

Ooooo just saw online that we have had our building warrant approved!

Now we just need to get this mortgage through, the cash in the bank and then off we go with lots of building advertures this summer!

(doesn't that sound all romantic? Let's hope it doesn't turn into building nightmares instead!)

ILYS - whoohoo congrats on the building warrant

brightwell - hello and welcome so exciting you are building already

Update from us: guy from council came round yesterday with his camera to do an initial assessment. Then neighbours who are closest to us came round last night to voice their concerns as they have had the "letter" so they are SO not happy despite me talking to one of them at the weekend and she was fine about it. Their main concern is there house will feel enclosed in and they will lose light to their garden (a bit in the morning) none in the evening. They asked why we weren't going the other way which does at first glance look like we have more room to do so but actually there isn't and access is a problem (we would have to rip down several external walls, every room upstairs would be disturbed and we would have to go through the fitted wardrobes and en-suite so major replumbing. Architect said no. They also had minor gripes about parking during the build which is nothing really and a tree close to our fence. Their main worry though was losing value in their house???!!!

Stress already!

Oh Sweetkitty what a total pain! Did you explain to them why you are building on that side? If they are so worried about losing value in their home, tell them that you have been advised (by someone, say your solicitor or estate agent or someone credible in the business, they'll never know) that the extension will actually improve the value of the houses due to improving the look of the street and it shows people want to stay in the area therefore it's an attractive place to live. That's what I keep hearing anyway and it was a neighbour here who said she thinks our extension will help to increase the value of the neighbouring properties.

I just got an email from our builder and he is going to come out next week some point to measure up for our french doors He is also onto the moving the elec meter job so that's good, things feel like they are moving a bit at last.

Wow, so much going on!

Sleeves, congrats on the go-ahead, thats great! Re the time frame, we were told 6-8 weeks for a one-story extension (34ft by 10ft), and a few smaller bits and pieces in other parts of the house. But it probably depends on the size of the building team, too?

Mooki and Bright, I'm so sorry re the neighbour problems...and you, Sweetkitty...sympathies: we had dreadful neighbour problems for weeks and weeks, I had to post about it daily just to keep my sanity. So much of it is just anxiety (irrational but understandable, I suppose) and once the works go ahead, it often settles down. Or so I was told, and it seems its true - our neighbours seem ok now (fingers crossed!). People just do hate change, don't they

Anyway, anything I can do/say to help, I will.

We're at a very exciting stage this week: screed going down on floor (all these new words I know now ), then French doors on Tuesday, last bits of plastering and tiling. I can't wait to see it without the tarpaulin over the veluxes and the wooden security panels in the door 'holes'!

Its time to start thinking about booking a painter/decorator, I think...and ordering a splashback. SO much to think about.

Exciting Elibean! Pray tell about the screed? Will we all know what that is in months to come? Your build seems to have progressed so quickly, when do you reckon it will be ready to move into?

We had folk over yesterday for a BBQ and dragged our tiny (extendable) kitchen table out to the garden, it was so great to be able to have room for everyone to sit about and get up without asking someone to move so they can squeeze out a door! We hardly ever have anyone up as we can't fit any more than about 6 people in our dining kitchen (inc us and the 2 kids), so I am sooooo looking forward to the new space in the extension so we can actually have a decent sized dining area- yippeee!

Lol, Sleeves, yes you will

Screed is stuff they put last into the floor layers (after rocks and insulation and that kind of stuff), I think its a fine cement and it needs time to dry before the final flooring can go on top of it. dh is worrying about this, because the flooring people are booked in for the 16th June (engineered oak boards, to match rest of downstairs) and has hired a dehumidifier to speed the drying process.

To think I didn't know my breeze blocks from my bricks a month ago, eh?!

I know just what you mean about wanting more dining space - one of the things I'm looking forward to is the space to have people over without feeling crowded! BBQ sounds nice...

Forgot - we will move in after our holidays in August, officially, but will start doing stuff indoors at the house (as opposed to weeding, which I'm doing already!) before then, and start moving some things, getting curtains up etc in July. The kitchen will be fitted mid-July, so after that its live-able in...

...although there will be loads to do for ages after we move in. Not least, a loft extension, when we can afford it!

I was thinking we should move out as well but how and where???

Getting stressed about the whole thing already.

Neighbours are coming in tomorrow night to have "a chat" TBH I cannot see a way round it, they don't want us to build, we want to build, have already made some concessions to make it more friendly for them, moved the rear extension back by a metre, no windows at all on their side, pulled the front part of the extension back as well.

ILYS - I feel the same about our house it is just too small, the kitchen is tiny and the dining area part of the lounge just fits our table in, also when the girls are playing upstairs their is no floor space for them so if they take 2 toys out it looks a mess. I have also been getting very ruthless and throwing out a lot of clothes and toys as we have no storage space at all.

Sweetkitty you have my sympathy, I thought I was having neighbour problems. The woman next door is a SAHM and seems to think I need to notify her about everything the builders are doing.

I had hoped the kitchen would be knocked about, rebuilt & refitted while we're away on holiday. Builder seems to think it'll be done before then, we'll be moving in with my Dad for that part of the build. I can cope with not having a living room but not without a kitchen.

sweetkitty, do you have family you could camp with for the worst couple of weeks, just to take the edge of maybe?? Or is it possible for you to be on holiday for part of it? IME, its the kitchen part that is hard - washing up in the bath, etc. But even then, if you knew you were going to get a break from it maybe a week or two wouldn't be so awful?

Neighbours. Everyone with experience told me to go ahead and do what we'd be happy with and not worry too much: obviously, be considerate and polite, but not tie ourselves or our plans in knots to try and make them all happy. Thankfully, we took their advice: neither of our two new neighbours wanted us to build. One set (unattached) wanted us to build it smaller, thought it was monstrous, blanked us when we smiled hello, etc. They are now friendly as can be, and their other neighbours are building an extension twice the size of our 'monstrous' one

The other neighbour, an elderly lady on her own, was more troublesome in the sense that she refused to cooperate with party wall process - on the basis that she didn't want to 'cooperate' at all! She was polite-ish, just adamant. She even went to our (then) local MP to try and get planning law changed, so she could stop us. In the end, of course, she slowed us down but couldn't stop us. She then asked us to build the end wall in brick instead of render, etc etc and we conceded on points that didn't matter too much to us, in the name of future peace. Not heard a squeak from her since, she hides when we are around, I think she's a bit embarrassed - but thats fine.

Hopefully, this is serves to reassure you that as long as you have the planning permission you need, you are likely to end up ok with the neighbours no matter what they are saying now - people get very anxious about the unknown, then get ok once its done. Really, really understand the stress and hope it goes ok...and not too much of a hold-up...

Hello all

Latest is that architect is ready to submit building regs drawings so that's the next step on the horizon... I have really run out of excitement now and just want to get started...!

Really brilliant reading all of your updates, sorry to those having probs I'm sure we'll all get there in the end!

Are we all going to post snaps of the finished product?

(Mine will be around the same time as the olympics at this rate!!!)

Hi, I have just spent the entire evening reading mortgage papers and figuring out what we have to sign etc, think I have done it correctly (I hope) so I just need to get them signed by a witness (who hasn't actually witnessed us sign the stuff...) and send them all off tomorrow. Hopefully it will all go through fine. We have the mortgage anyway, it's just the formalities now which seem to be taking forever...

Sorry sweetkitty that you are having a nightmare with your neighbours, I hope they are OK once they get used to the idea of the extension happening. Good luck for tomorrow night.

ISNT good news your next stage is underway! Yes I will def be posting photos of the before / during / after house! Might take some pics of the house in it's pre-extension state soon so you can all see what I am on about...

Don't have any family to stay with so that is out of the question. Holiday would be nice but cannot see it happening due to money/school hols.

There's DP and I, the 3 DDs (5, 4 and almost 2), newborn DS oh and 3 cats!

Don't know how much neighbours can object really, they said they will feel really boxed in but surely if we are building on our land and not overlooking them they cannot object? We shall see.

Am so jealous of others moving onto the next stage it seems we are still at the very start.

Sweetkitty could you investigate doing some house sitting? Perhaps there are some people are going away for a long holiday or sabbatical type thing. Might be bit of a long shot but I have heard of this. Cats might need to go into a cattery but it would be cheaper than having to rent.
Or another option might be to move into a short term holiday let for 2 or 3 weeks for the worst of it. Obviously this means extra cost but if you do it during the low season, you may be able to negiogiate (sp). Guess it depends on where you live as to whether that option is available.
Keep asking around with friends and acquaintances, (even toddler groups, local church, school) etc. You might be surprised at the opportunities that come up

I second Elibean's advice to go ahead with what works best for you not your neighbours. If you're going to the whole expense and upheaval of a house extension, you've got to get it right for yourselves not someone else. Sounds like you're approaching the whole thing sensibly by talking and listening to them. If they have real objections then planning will take them into account and ask for you change. Good luck for tonight.

Sleeves fingers crossed for the mortgage application

ISNT y y pictures is a great idea. That reminds me I had better get snapping away on the pre-extension house. It's always good to be able to look back and see what improvements you've made.

Not a huge amount going on here except I seem to be spending all my time and energy into thinking about what I need to do but not actually doing any of it

Hope everyone else's building is going well

Well that's the conveyencer stuff sent off and I came home to a letter from the mortgage company saying congrats we are giving you a whole loada dosh . Looks like we will get the money the start of July which works out well for a mid July start. Still not heard from the builder although he did email last week to say he is onto the elec company re moving the meter and will come over soon to measure up for our French Doors.

Sweetkitty we are sort of similar to you in that we are staying put during the build (although we have 2 children and 3 cats less than you...). It's going to be so cramped as we are losing our hall, utility room and only storage cupboard to make way for the new build, but I keep thinking it will be worth it. Has your neighbour been over yet? How'd it go? I remember Elibean having an utter nightmare with her neighbour so hopefully yours will calm down soon enough.

Can I ask how much folk are budgeting for internal costs? A few of us have mentioned the extnesion cost but I assume that's just the build? We will only have £8-9k left over after we pay the builder and I am fretting that that will pay for hee haw. We need to buy sanitaryware for a bathroom, the downstairs loo, flooring throughout the extension, paint all walls, new table, chairs & sofa, TV (hopefully), blinds / curtains, fence, wardrobe and probably other things I've not thought of. Do you thinks that is doable on £8k?!

The builders are finishing the brick work today, weather permiting will be starting on the roof tomorrow. They lost 2 days this week due to heavy rain. At the moment it looks bigger than I imagined, I can't visual it complete.

Neighbours came over and in effect we are at a stalemate, they don't want us to build it, we want to build it! There main concern is they have taken "advice" and have been told if we build that close to their property it will lower it's value as it will look semi detached. There's going to be 1.5m gap between the buildings. They said they could deal with the light thing but the lowering of value they cannot.

Don't know if this is true or not as when you look at a lot of new builds they are very close together. Also I showed them the plans and why we cannot go out the other side and that we have already made concessions and pulled the building in a bit so it doesn't look as squashed. A friend who used to work for the council said that most neighbours object and unless we are directly overlooking them lack of sunlight and lowering of value is not a good enough objection.

So where we are is we decided to go with what the council decide i.e. if they say no then we move, if they say yes then we build. If we do get the go ahead we will offer to pay to monobloc the neighbours drive at the same time as ours as a sweetener.

ILYS - why hey looks like things are moving for you

brightwell - yours sounds so exciting a roof!

ILYS - part of my thinking is that the girls bedroom isn't being touched so that will be ok I guess. Ours is but was thinking if the builders could get one of the other bedrooms to habitable condition before they move our bedroom wall/window that would be ok. Same with the kitchen, I am wondering if they could fit the utility room sink and plumb it for the washing machine before they rip out the existing kitchen I could probably live with it. Guess it's questions for the builders.

Yes go with what the council say.

They may have rules about the distance between the properties, but they certainly won't be taking any notice of possible impacts on property values The light thing isn't as strict as I thought it was either.

I think you will be fine TBH. have you had a look on their website all the rules should be there.

I've come to find the builders have....tidied up the garden,(it's still a building site) set out & cleaned the garden furniture, put the garden brolly up and picked up last weekends empty wine bottle that I must have forgotten about.

I thought the rule was you had to stay 500mm away from your neighbours boundary which we are doing.

Is it just a case of hard luck that your house is crammed up against ours?

Sweetkitty, we are building 25cm away from our neighbours boundary!!! There is a fence between our properties and we are building 25cm from this, then there is about only a meter ish to their house beyond this fence. We have PP and no party wall stuff was needed so don't think you need to be 500mm away? I'm sure I've had this converstation somewhere on this thread already as others thought I needed party wall agreement?

Anyhoo, just wanted to say that I think you are entitled to build close and FWIW our house will be pretty near next door too. Our neighbours have done the extension we are about to do, with the same distance between them and their neighbours on their other side, and they certainly don't look squashed or a semi.

Could you get some estate agents in to advise you and the neighbours that it may not affect the value of their house? In which case they may feel more at ease?

brightwell your builders sound fab!!!!! Any pics?