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?

Which reminds me - we did double check our builder has insurance to cover all his workers and himself, as well as things going wrong: worth asking yours if he is covered on all fronts (though he almost certainly is, and apparently many labourers have their own insurance too).

Ah yes - also maybe ask him about insulation? We've asked ours to put a bit extra under the floors, for example.

Thanks Elibean for those things to ask the builder. Re insurance, do we also have to tell our own house insurer that we are having work done on the house?

Tdiddy re your earlier advice on a 50% contingency- can I ask, how on earth can a budget overrun so much? I am getting a bit worried as we don't really have any contingency by the time we decorate and furnish the place. Do people overrun on budget due to actual building / structural stuff or is it because they have expensive tastes and end up getting £30k kitchens with marble from outer space?

BTW forgot to say, my architect said that the party wall thing doesn't apply to us even though we are near next door's boundary. He said 'All that is required is that the internal lining on the wall is 15mm Gyproc ?Fireline? board rather than plasterboard to give the gable wall the appropriate fire rating.'

Whatever that means Anyway, at least we don't need the party thingy, phew.

Hello again
I can hardly keep up with all the posts but here goes at trying to catch up...
we've had a little bit of progress with our potential building works.
Got another quote today - still scarily expensivie but less than builder#1.
We can't possibly allow a 50% contingency so am getting very scared now

We're doing a north facing extension too, with 4 windows plus glass doors and a roof lantern. Spoke to some roof lantern people who said just make sure you have decent double glazing glass it should be fine.

Also planning for UFH in the kitchen/diner part.

We also thought about me being the project manager but realised it would be too much since neither of us have any experience of this kind of thing, so going for builders who will co-ordinate all the contractors. It means their quotes are a bit higher than we'd like but think it's the best option for us.

What has been the timescale from getting drawings done to building work starting for most people? Actually, I suppose this thread is full of people who haven't started building yet. Doh! Anyway, we've just been told about 4 months which seems ages to me.

said, its been four months for us - or should be (still waiting on party wall award ). Some of that was because we had to have surveys done on one side (other party wall, which is now done) and some of it was waiting for permitted development permission. Don't think it could have been any less than 3, at any rate. It does give you time to think about some of the details that you don't think of at the beginning - at least, it has me

sleeves, hurrah for no party wall needed (interesting, not sure why? Is it because you don't need deeper foundations than your neighbours, or have they already extended or something?) that will save you time and sanity!

Our loft certainly didn't come in at much more than the estimate, last year....not sure if same holds true for extensions.

Said, I think four months sounds like far too little, tbh, assuming you are talking about initial drawings to submit for planning permission. Not sure if it is the same everywhere but with our Council, there is an 8 week limit within which they are supposed to have approved your planning application (assuming that there are no major objections, problems etc) Then, you need to have the drawings done for building reg approval and that has a five week period for approval. You could already approach builders for quotes while waiting for the building reg approval but they may not be able to start for some time. I thought because of the credit crunch that waiting times would be reduced but the first builder who was recommended to us could not start until the end of the year. We are now waiting on a quote from someone who could do the work in June. Weeks seem to get eaten up very quickly in this whole extending process.

Said we met the architect in November last year to redo (existing) plans and that's us now at the stage of waiting on planning permission & the building warrant (both take 8-10 weeks here). Whilst waiting on planning we are getting quotes in from builders with the hopes of starting May / June, so all in all it takes at least 5-6 months I reckon.

Elibean, not sure about our foundations, we will be demolishing a tiny side extension to make space for the new extension so maybe we don't need to dig deep foundations cos they are already there? And yes next door have done an extension already, does that make a difference? Their extension is on the other side so not next to our boundary.

Re money & budget, I also asked my architect if we should haggle on the builders quotes and he said hell yeah! So hopefully we will at least get our velux window for free and a few £ off.

Hello, can I join please? We are hoping to extend this year and have just had a meeting with a builder to decide whether financially it's within the realms of possibility...

We're planning a second storey on the side over an existing extension which will be master bed/ dressing room/ ensuite, and then knocking a kitchen and downstairs bathroom into one and building a new extension up to the boundary, which will be downstairs loo and utility room on the side.

Builder thinks we'll have a struggle getting PP as it might make our house 'too imposing' for our street

So I might be needing some support later But for now, just marking my spot...planning to get the council round to have a look and give me an idea whether there is really an issue about being imposing or not - and if there is how we could modify our ideas so that we do get permission. Otherwise waiting for a draughtsman to contact me - am clear about what I want so not bothering with architect.

hi whoamireally your end result sounds really like what we are planning. We did the same, initially got a builder in to give a rough estimate so we could see if it was feasible. He estimated £50-55k and his detailed quote has just come in at £62.5k so quite a bit over!

Good idea of getting the council over, best to get their opinion first before you go through all the hassle and expanse of plans to then be knocked back. Has anyone else done something similar nearby?

Said we got planning permission just before Christmas and still haven't started yet. We're hoping to start in the next month or so but that's completely dependant on availability of our builders, so likely to be longer in reality. So from my limited experience, I would say 4 months is optimistic but probably doable with some luck and lots of pushing from you.

(we are actually started talking to our architect last February but we took ages to decide the exact layout we wanted)

Hello, I'm joining in too please.

We have had plans submitted by a structural engineer supplied by our builder for permission for a two storey extension to the side replacing an existing garage and a single storey futility room to the rear.

We got three quotes from about 65 to 75k in Cambridge, excluding final finshes and bathroom fixtures and fittings.

I have a schedule of works and prices and timescales but haven't actually signed anything yet (panics as have paid £1000 for plans and submissions).

There's no knocking through except a single door through to the (new, huge, ours all ours) bedroom on the upper floor so everything is crossed that the house will still be livable in throughout. I'm not holding out much hope that it will hapen quickly though.

Good luck to everyoe,

Thanks all re timescales. Bummer. We have had builders' quotes though and think we know who we're going to pick so we're up to that bit. And really doubt planning permission will be refused (lots of similar and varied extensions on road) as not intending to extend to the boundary. So, summer holiday time.

Hi mooki, yours sounds similar to mine too. We are getting rid of our existing garage and utility shoebox room to make way for a 2 storey side extension, we have had similar quotes to you too. We are knocking through to our new master bedroom but also downstairs through current external wall to make big kitchen diner thing. When are you starting your building work?

Hello ilikeyoursleeves, the council allocated a reference number to the plans on the 31st March, but I'm assuming the full 8 week wait, so would hope beginning of June.

We're in a 1960s end terrace: the back of the house already has a single storey extension to the kitchen, living room and downstairs loo, that was done before we moved in, so the utility room will just be a bit tacked on to the end of that.

The room replacing the garage downstairs will be a work studio for my husband so we'll just keep the existing internal entrance to the garage.

We're going to go for a vaulted ceiling in the bedroom/ensuite upstairs with 3 velux windows and I think the ensuite will be a shower and sink at one end of the room rather than an entirely seperate bit.

At the moment, the boiler and washing machine are in the garage, meaning the utility room will have to be built first in order to have somewhere to move them into once the garage (which contains asbestos) is knocked down....

We have just had our boiler moved as the utility room (where it was) will be knocked down in the building work. Our washing machine and dryer are also in that room so I'm hoping the washer can be temorarily plumbed into our cupboard under the stairs until the new utility room is made. There are so many things to plan before building work even starts!

Asbestos is dodgy eh? Don't know much about it but that sounds good you will be getting rid of it when your garage is gone.

ilikeyoursleeves at your quote - our 'ballpark' figure is 20-30k! Although, since our ground floor side extension is mostly already there maybe that reduces the cost a bit. When is your work starting? All quite exciting isn't it! Our draughtsman is coming tomorrow for an initial chat - should be able to get a better idea then of whether it's doable or not.

Mooki Love the idea of a futility room - I feel like that when tackling the washing mountain too

whoami wow yours is quite a bit lower but I'd imagine because you have the foundations and ground floor already there it should be about half our quote, I am most jealous. Hopefully we will be able to start work end May / June ish (?) but it all depends on getting the building warrant and when the builder is available. He is on his easter hols this week so will chat with him next week.

We had the structural engineer round this morning. Seems that we need 2 very large steels in our loft if we want to do the loft conversion. Needless to say its swayed our decision firmly to no on that one!

Anyone know if the date that the planning office say that a decision should be made to is a date they have to stick to? Just wondering really as we should hear by Monday if they have to stick to it. Getting very excited .

Going to Howdens tomorrow to get our kitchen designed . I love doing that sort of thing. So much more interesting than the structural engineer who was interested in the direction of the floor joists and which walls are weight bearing (I know far more important than my kitchen design but sooooo much more boring!).

Ooh our application has finally got on to the council website.

Why they have to scan in documents that were originally produced electronically, I don't know.

Elibean- i think that you should try to sign contract with builder even if it is not very detailed as it is best to have something to refer to. In practice, contract or no contract, disputes with builders are usually very messy. Contract brings clarity on both sides so I am sure he will be fine with it. But once he gets stuck in then there is an element of symbiosis- you are in it together so don't screw him and he doesn't screw you, iykwim

ilikeyoursleeves - whatever payment schedule you agree make sure that you leave enough cash in the job and try to get a retention/deferral for snags at the end. Builders lose interest once they have sucked the money out of the job naturally.

ilikeyoursleeves - 50pc might be an exaggeration for most people but my job had a lot of scope creep + old house means that you encounter unforeseen things that need to be fixed.

rebl I know I get excited by all the finishing touches too. What kind of kitchen are you getting? We aren't getting a new kitchen, boooooo. I'd love to but we don't really need to touch it since the extension will be at the other end of the kitchen to where the appliances are. Our priority is to get the actual extension up and then in a few years when the childcare costs disappear we might get a new kitchen... We are getting a fabby big ensuite though so I am fantasising about that- it will be nearly double the size of our current bathroom! And I will finally be able to stretch out the bath hooray!

tdiddy what do you mean re retention fund? Is that the same as a contingency?