Extension plans

[sally maclennane]

Building warrant is building regulations, yes? They are quite complicated, a lot of it wouldn't make a huge amount of sense to most people!

Yes, its all stuff about ventilation, materials etc

[Ella77]

I had my old kitchen spray painted and it worked fantastically. So if you go off dark blue, you can easily change it.

Do you know if they can spray over that sort of wood veneer stuff? (I'm not totally sure what mine are. They look like wood rather than vinyl but they might not be.)

Yes - that’s what mine was. I can recommend someone if you want. He was great.

Nearer the time, yes please. I have no concrete plans.

[sally maclennane]

I'm just using this thread as a way of recording my thoughts, and progress made.

The architects have applied for a building warrant, and appointed structural engineers. The engineers have asked for trial pits (2 large holes basically) to be dug, so they can see the foundations. We have had to get someone out to do this as the space where the extension is planned is concrete so there's no way we (realistically J!) could have dug there. I found a guy via a local FB page and called him to ask if he could do it - the place he needs to dig can be accessed via the side of the house without having to come indoors. It was a bad line but I thought I'd got the gist of it over. Then when he came out, he was asking about digging out the entire foundations! I hastily explained that it was just the trial pits we needed done. He said he could do me a quote for all the work but I said we weren't at that stage yet. I felt a bit bad in case he thought he was getting more work than I intended but we need a company who can project manage the whole thing, as well as doing internal remodelling including fitting a kitchen, patio doors and a shower room. He seems to be a one man band who does roofing, landscaping etc.

Anyway, he's here today and is taking ages to do the pits So I'd not be inclined to re employ him but it is just making me dread having builders round although to be fair, I am hoping not to be here when the actual work is being done (with any luck, I'll be back in the office by then). My mum keeps saying "you could get this guy to do X, and get A to do this, and B to do that" no matter how many times I tell her that I'm not project managing it, I'll pay for someone to do that, and for them to source all the other tradespeople!

This is the downside of having family in the building trade - we know lots of people who do different trades which is handy but coordinating all that, and getting them lined up in the right order is nigh on impossible! I did this when I renewed my kitchen in my flat, it saved me a lot of money but it took fecking ages as people mainly did it over weekends/evenings. I had a fridge in the hall for 6 months and I am not doing that again!

[nineseven]

She's a bit of a chunk (5kgs!) but I would hope less than a load of laundry. And yes, she does like being carried around in it.

Just wanted to bump this to retract my recommendation of the Addis folding laundry basket. One of the hinges snapped within three months and it can’t be used. It can’t even be fixed with superglue

[Cosmopolitan]

Oh bums. You'll be pleased to hear that I had entirely forgotten about it anyway.

[sally maclennane]

It's now two months since I applied for the building warrant and still no word, despite the fact that it's meant to take 20 days! I have chased it up with the architect already but still no joy. My friend at work emailed me on Friday to ask how I was getting on (she recommended the architect) Hers was due to start just before lockdown and now that construction is starting up again, her builder is coming in a few weeks to start. She told me that a friend of hers has been trying to get builders to give her a quote but they are all booked up until early next year as they have a backlog of work :eek:

I haven't been in touch with any builders yet as the architect advised waiting until I'd got the building warrant but now I'm wondering if I should start contacting them anyway. I had naively thought that they'd all be glad to get work but of course, the backlog thing makes sense.

If it's the start of next year, that will be a full year between applying for planning permission and the building work starting

[Starry]

That‘S frustrating Sal. Hopefully you can find someone good to do the work.

[Jupiter]

I feel your frustration. We were just about to apply for planning permission when everything kicked off. We are about to complete the application and our architect will submit it. We have resigned ourselves to not starting until next year. Our architect also advised us to start getting quotes based on the plans now.

[sally maclennane]

I'm going to make some calls this week, I figure it can't do any harm. I have draft plans and I can't see much changing, it's a really standard extension.

Good luck, Jupes!

[sally maclennane]

I have a builder

My friend's neighbour recommended her builder, and I looked him up online. He has good reviews and had done similar work to what we wanted. I contacted him and he came out on Monday to look at the house. We just got his quote in and it's reasonable and in the price bracket we expected. He isn't available for at least 12 weeks, so it would be an October start but hopefully it will be done by Christmas (he estimates 5 weeks from start to finish). So far, he has been good at communicating (lots of his reviews commented on this and it's a big deal to me) and although I'd rather they could start sooner, it's a good sign that he's not immediately available.

I had tried a couple of other companies but one said they were fully booked until next year, and the other 2 haven't responded at all so I'm just sticking with this guy.

[Glint]

Great news, Sal. Finding and liking a builder is an achievement in itself!

[Rosa]

Sounds good, sally!

[Pippedydeadeye]

Great stuff, Sal!

[happyhighlandcoo]

That's exciting, Christmas dinner with loads more space. Will you need another tree for the new space?

[sally maclennane]

Great news, Sal. Finding and liking a builder is an achievement in itself!

I know, I feel like my work here is done

HHC, nope, one tree in a house is plenty (I'm not a fan of Christmas really) but I do love fairy lights so there will be lots of those!

He suggested getting the biggest skylights we can have which I'm thrilled about as I really want it to be as light as possible.

[Kenickie]

That's so exciting, Sal!

[Jupiter]

Exciting, Sal! Our planning application was submitted by the architect this morning. Eight weeks for a decision.

[Duophonic]

Exciting! The skylights sounds fabulous.

[sally maclennane]

Keeping everything crossed for you, Jupiter! I chased the architect again this week and he chased the building warrant and finally got a decision from them - all good, apart from a couple of minor points that he (architect) will resolve.

I have made a list of things that we (I ) need to decide on:

• kitchen units & worktops
  utility room units & worktops
  sinks & taps (kitchen & utility)
  shower, wc & basin
  lights (all 3 rooms)
  tiling (bathroom and kitchen splashback)
  flooring (all 3 rooms)
  paint (all 3 rooms)
  doors (all 3 rooms)
  applicances - fridge freezer, hob, oven, washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher
  sockets

Have I missed anything? The new rooms will be kitchen, utility & shower room.

[bramblerose]

Storage units in the shower room?

All sounds exciting stuff!