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Anyone ever had an extension?
- Thread starter Urchin
- Start date
We had ours finished about 18 months ago and we are really pleased with it now, but boy oh boy was it a stressful experience.
My advice is to find ways to destress that don't involve shouting at workmen, they don't seem to like it much!
Make sure you agree a fixed price up front not an estimate and if they want to alter anything you have to agree how much it costs before they do the work. We largely did that, although there was still stuff at the end we had to negotiate on because the extra cost hadn't been made clear. Put everything in writing no matter how much of a pain it seems or how nice your builder seems at the start and how he tells you that he doesn't bother with contracts.
Get references and take them up of previous work.
Take their timescale estimate and double or treble it.
Buy some cheap mugs that you don't mind getting trashed and throwing away at the end. They'll get covered in mud and plaster and god knows what else and you'll never want to drink out of them. Supply them with tea, coffee and biscuits. Don't be surprised if you come home and find you have no milk left for your own tea.
Put dust sheets down on anything you don't want to have muck and plaster walked into and then put extra dust sheets on top of them including the route to the nearest toilet because they won't take their boots off!
Get your main builder to supply and deal with sub contractors/specialists like the plumber and electrician so that you don't have to.
Set yourself a budget and stick to it (or build yourself a nice contingency into it). Include everything on it including small things that you think don't cost much like fixtures and fittings.
Be absolutely clear on who can and can't have access to your home when you are not around or they are not supervised by your main builder.
Keep telling yourself it will soon be over
My advice is to find ways to destress that don't involve shouting at workmen, they don't seem to like it much!
Make sure you agree a fixed price up front not an estimate and if they want to alter anything you have to agree how much it costs before they do the work. We largely did that, although there was still stuff at the end we had to negotiate on because the extra cost hadn't been made clear. Put everything in writing no matter how much of a pain it seems or how nice your builder seems at the start and how he tells you that he doesn't bother with contracts.
Get references and take them up of previous work.
Take their timescale estimate and double or treble it.
Buy some cheap mugs that you don't mind getting trashed and throwing away at the end. They'll get covered in mud and plaster and god knows what else and you'll never want to drink out of them. Supply them with tea, coffee and biscuits. Don't be surprised if you come home and find you have no milk left for your own tea.
Put dust sheets down on anything you don't want to have muck and plaster walked into and then put extra dust sheets on top of them including the route to the nearest toilet because they won't take their boots off!
Get your main builder to supply and deal with sub contractors/specialists like the plumber and electrician so that you don't have to.
Set yourself a budget and stick to it (or build yourself a nice contingency into it). Include everything on it including small things that you think don't cost much like fixtures and fittings.
Be absolutely clear on who can and can't have access to your home when you are not around or they are not supervised by your main builder.
Keep telling yourself it will soon be over
OH is meant to complete urchin said:We're going to extend
Has anyone ever had one and do you have any advice to pass on?
Anything you wished you'd have done differently?
Pack your bags and go on a long holiday somewhere nice and hot, drink cocktails, eat loads of food cooked by someone else & come back when its finished
Very sound advice from everyone so far!
I had my house extended four years ago - it goes out to the back, out to the side, even further back off the new side, and upwards over the side! Basically it doubled the total amount of floor space, so it was a pretty mammoth task and I'm sure I lost a fair amount of hair and sanity during the process
My hints/tips/fond memories are:-
They told me it would take two months(!) but it took a year;
We drew up a schedule of payments (ie they got paid in instalments after completing certain stages of the job) which eliminated any argument over when they should receive money;
The conservatory fitters knocked plaster off an inside wall three times (which the plasterer then re-did three times) in order to try and fix a leaking window. They also replaced seven huge roof panels which also leaked, only to find out that they didn't need to - they had fitted the wrong thickness of gasket (that black trim that holds the glass against the plastic);
Be prepared for an argument with your whingeing neighbours when the builders bring their own bright blue portaloo and stick it slap bang in the middle of your front garden;
Be prepared for an argument with your whingeing neighbours over the amount of noise that the said builders produce (banging, sawing, drilling, knocking, music, singing!);
Be prepared for an argument with your whingeing neighbours when they claim that their drive has sunk because of the work you're having done (and your own drive hasn't budged an inch) - when you know full well that the crack they have 'discovered' has been there for years;
Brick dust - you cannot escape it! It's almost greasy and it gleefully sinks into the deepest part of your carpets and hides from your vacuum cleaner. Budget now for your 'post-extension' spangly new Dyson;
Pamper your workmen If you're nice to them, they're really nice back! (I had to get on with them as they were here for so long 
)
Good luck - I don't envy you one bit
I had my house extended four years ago - it goes out to the back, out to the side, even further back off the new side, and upwards over the side! Basically it doubled the total amount of floor space, so it was a pretty mammoth task and I'm sure I lost a fair amount of hair and sanity during the process
My hints/tips/fond memories are:-
They told me it would take two months(!) but it took a year;
We drew up a schedule of payments (ie they got paid in instalments after completing certain stages of the job) which eliminated any argument over when they should receive money;
The conservatory fitters knocked plaster off an inside wall three times (which the plasterer then re-did three times) in order to try and fix a leaking window. They also replaced seven huge roof panels which also leaked, only to find out that they didn't need to - they had fitted the wrong thickness of gasket (that black trim that holds the glass against the plastic);
Be prepared for an argument with your whingeing neighbours when the builders bring their own bright blue portaloo and stick it slap bang in the middle of your front garden;
Be prepared for an argument with your whingeing neighbours over the amount of noise that the said builders produce (banging, sawing, drilling, knocking, music, singing!);
Be prepared for an argument with your whingeing neighbours when they claim that their drive has sunk because of the work you're having done (and your own drive hasn't budged an inch) - when you know full well that the crack they have 'discovered' has been there for years;
Brick dust - you cannot escape it! It's almost greasy and it gleefully sinks into the deepest part of your carpets and hides from your vacuum cleaner. Budget now for your 'post-extension' spangly new Dyson
;Pamper your workmen
If you're nice to them, they're really nice back! (I had to get on with them as they were here for so long )Good luck - I don't envy you one bit
I thought this was about hair extension when i read the title..but anyway lol.
We have been thinking of buying a plot of land and building our own house, so let me know how the extension goes and how stressfull it is.
GOOD LUCK!
We have been thinking of buying a plot of land and building our own house, so let me know how the extension goes and how stressfull it is.
GOOD LUCK!
FFS!!!! 
