Vex's Late 70's Semi - Extension and Remodel thread
Discussion
So, Finally we start! Late 70's Semi - Extension and Remodel Thread.
Having lived in our house for 13 years and with two growing daughters the time came to move or build. We love where we live and nothing for sale over the past 3 years would give us what we want, let alone cost us £30k just to move! So build it was.
Then we had two years of trying to find a builder, one was lined up but had a site accident, others would come but quotes were high or so woolly I could drive a coach through it. (I work on the edges of the construction industry)
Finally a friend who has been a builder / policeman has left the force and come back to building trade. So we met Saturday, agreed a price and he has started today as his first project! So exciting!!!!
What are we doing?
Single storey extension to the front to create a 12ft sq play / study room for our girls.
Convert garage into office for me and plant / utility room
Knock out cloaks to create a new front door entrance, lobby & porch
Create new cloaks in old utility
Open kitchen dinner into living room, with sliding glass door
Loads of lighting control, hidden cinema system, music and lighting
Funky led lighting outside and in
Garden music and new side fence and gates
Should be about 3months work and will keep this all updated with photos and details as we go.
Here is a photo of the front of the house as is. Mazda going into storage, skip there because we had to panic clear out the garage!!!! Lol.
Will post plans up later as well.
Woohoo, we've started!!!!
V.
Having lived in our house for 13 years and with two growing daughters the time came to move or build. We love where we live and nothing for sale over the past 3 years would give us what we want, let alone cost us £30k just to move! So build it was.
Then we had two years of trying to find a builder, one was lined up but had a site accident, others would come but quotes were high or so woolly I could drive a coach through it. (I work on the edges of the construction industry)
Finally a friend who has been a builder / policeman has left the force and come back to building trade. So we met Saturday, agreed a price and he has started today as his first project! So exciting!!!!
What are we doing?
Single storey extension to the front to create a 12ft sq play / study room for our girls.
Convert garage into office for me and plant / utility room
Knock out cloaks to create a new front door entrance, lobby & porch
Create new cloaks in old utility
Open kitchen dinner into living room, with sliding glass door
Loads of lighting control, hidden cinema system, music and lighting
Funky led lighting outside and in
Garden music and new side fence and gates
Should be about 3months work and will keep this all updated with photos and details as we go.
Here is a photo of the front of the house as is. Mazda going into storage, skip there because we had to panic clear out the garage!!!! Lol.
Will post plans up later as well.
Woohoo, we've started!!!!
V.
Edited by VEX on Monday 16th November 11:55
Rako is going to be our friend. We have the downstairs done already, so it should be simple to add the up stairs as we change the circuits around.
Then I have three different RGB LED Tapes planned, all of which should be easy to wire and design in as they are either in the loft or in the new build.
OOooo, maybe make that 4! You'll have to see where it goes!
V.
Then I have three different RGB LED Tapes planned, all of which should be easy to wire and design in as they are either in the loft or in the new build.
OOooo, maybe make that 4! You'll have to see where it goes!
V.
We have an option to change all the windows at the front, obviously new ones at the bottom, but the top three could easily be added to the project.
What are peoples thoughts on the Georgian Bars, or even a colour change? Our new front door is a big heavy mid grey one. So one thought it to use that colour.
Or should we just stick with white? Clear or Georgian Bars?
What are peoples thoughts on the Georgian Bars, or even a colour change? Our new front door is a big heavy mid grey one. So one thought it to use that colour.
Or should we just stick with white? Clear or Georgian Bars?
I think different coloured windows give you a great opportunity to transform the look of the house for very little extra cost.
We've got grey frames without bars (would look like a prison!) and will be having a modern oak front door. The old frames were white with Georgian bar. We'll be the only house on our fairly large 00's estate with non-white windows
IMO a grey door only works with white frames...
There's a company down south called back to front - you might find some inspiration there.
We've got grey frames without bars (would look like a prison!) and will be having a modern oak front door. The old frames were white with Georgian bar. We'll be the only house on our fairly large 00's estate with non-white windows
IMO a grey door only works with white frames...
There's a company down south called back to front - you might find some inspiration there.
I guess the windows will depend on your viewpoint regarding the neighbours houses. I would avoid having frames that were too different from the others on the street (assuming they are all the same/identical and it is a row of houses), particularly the attached neighbours.
That said, we've just completed a renovation to a 60's house and changed the windows from 'rotten wood white' per the rest of the street to Anthracite aluminium so I am not exactly practicing what I preach here! Difference being that we needed to change the size and shape of the original 1.7mtr square windows anyway so they were going to look different anyway, and there aren't many houses on the street, all of which have been changed one way or another. We've gone for dark grey windows, dark grey door frame and oak door. Matches well.
That said, we've just completed a renovation to a 60's house and changed the windows from 'rotten wood white' per the rest of the street to Anthracite aluminium so I am not exactly practicing what I preach here! Difference being that we needed to change the size and shape of the original 1.7mtr square windows anyway so they were going to look different anyway, and there aren't many houses on the street, all of which have been changed one way or another. We've gone for dark grey windows, dark grey door frame and oak door. Matches well.
Liking Toxic's grey windows.
There is also a semi in our local town that has gone with grey frames, so I'll grab some photos of that for comment and a show and tell to the wife.
The other side of the coin says don't rock the boat, grey will be out of fashion in a couple of years then how crap with your house look!
Anyone vinyl wrapped window before! now there's an idea.
V.
There is also a semi in our local town that has gone with grey frames, so I'll grab some photos of that for comment and a show and tell to the wife.
The other side of the coin says don't rock the boat, grey will be out of fashion in a couple of years then how crap with your house look!
Anyone vinyl wrapped window before! now there's an idea.
V.
sleepezy said:
Can't get a close up of the door until the weekend (if you want one) but this shows the door, frame and windows (and garage door to boot!)
Helpful, thanks, looks great. Good to see how it gels with the white soffits etc. A before shot would be interesting.Don't wish to derail your thread VEX but I hope you find the discussion about doors helpful.
I wasn't sure wether to go for grey, white or wood frame with the oak door. I was planning on one like the above without the sidelights. The door sets come with oak frames so I think that's the way I'll go.
The other question is do you match the front to back?
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