London 1930s semi renovation
Discussion
Happy to e-mail you my (amateurish) spreadsheet if you'd like a proper costs breakdown. Should help with your estimating.
You can do this all a lot cheaper if you are willing to work yourself (see Croakey's thread, and Griffboy's for something truly inspirational). I did a lot of work on my current place myself, but am just too busy and have less inclination these days.
Loft conversion alone was £50k, to give you an idea of London builders' prices. That said, it was not the cheapest quote I got, but I liked the builder's work and attitude over the cheaper ones I got.
I source pretty much everything apart from building materials myself - bathroom suites, tiles, kitchen etc. We could have spent a lot more than this otherwise...
You can do this all a lot cheaper if you are willing to work yourself (see Croakey's thread, and Griffboy's for something truly inspirational). I did a lot of work on my current place myself, but am just too busy and have less inclination these days.
Loft conversion alone was £50k, to give you an idea of London builders' prices. That said, it was not the cheapest quote I got, but I liked the builder's work and attitude over the cheaper ones I got.
I source pretty much everything apart from building materials myself - bathroom suites, tiles, kitchen etc. We could have spent a lot more than this otherwise...
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 26th September 13:05
hardcastlephil said:
Harry it's looking great. The tiling looks like a good job - and some great colours.
Could I ask where the floor tiles in loft shower are from? I'd like something similar.
Cheers,
P
Mandarin Stone. They may not have many left as they were in the end of line sale...look on the site.Could I ask where the floor tiles in loft shower are from? I'd like something similar.
Cheers,
P
Edited by Harry Flashman on Wednesday 28th September 22:01
Have some more rubbish iPhone photos courtesy of Lady F. Hobs about to go in.
But problems due to moron electrician, who seems to have placed switch and double socket backboxes right above/next to the hotzone, where the splashback should be. And who has failed to turn up to work for a week, holding everything back. Common sense is utterly lacking - which is not what you want in the person wiring your house. I think he sent his apprentice in to do this bit, and the guy is completely brainless.
Honestly, the only problems I have had have been with my English plumber and electrician. The Polish dudes turn up at 8am every day and work hard. Our home-grown talent? Not so much.
hobs by baconrashers, on Flickr
Andrej templating for hob fitment, looking grumpy as usual. His work is genuinely excellent - OCD eye for detail and finish. Doesn't smile much, though. Is very cross with the electrician.
andrew hobb by baconrashers, on Flickr
But problems due to moron electrician, who seems to have placed switch and double socket backboxes right above/next to the hotzone, where the splashback should be. And who has failed to turn up to work for a week, holding everything back. Common sense is utterly lacking - which is not what you want in the person wiring your house. I think he sent his apprentice in to do this bit, and the guy is completely brainless.
Honestly, the only problems I have had have been with my English plumber and electrician. The Polish dudes turn up at 8am every day and work hard. Our home-grown talent? Not so much.
hobs by baconrashers, on FlickrAndrej templating for hob fitment, looking grumpy as usual. His work is genuinely excellent - OCD eye for detail and finish. Doesn't smile much, though. Is very cross with the electrician.
andrew hobb by baconrashers, on FlickrEdited by Harry Flashman on Monday 3rd October 13:37
Another vanity starts to go in. Main work is on finishing the kitchen and laying patio, as well as plastering reception rooms and preparing fireplaces for stoves. We think we're still about a month away, though. Once he guys are done inside, external rendering starts, and we start turning the white box into something decorated - the fun bit...
It's me, mainly. I'm obsessed with interior design and spend far too much time on it. Lady F will be responsible for colour schemes and soft furnishings etc - all the stuff that will be required to make this place a well designed home after the hardware goes in. But I doubt I'll be able to resist interfering...
Builders very happy after I brought them 400 Marlboro Lights back from a trip in the US last week. Many smiles this morning.
They smoke incessantly - though a little present would help motivate them. I let them smoke in the house as there are no soft furnishings, and it encourages them to work fag-in-hand rather than stand outside taking a break!
Internal smoking ban commences when carpets are fitted upstairs...
Builders very happy after I brought them 400 Marlboro Lights back from a trip in the US last week. Many smiles this morning.
They smoke incessantly - though a little present would help motivate them. I let them smoke in the house as there are no soft furnishings, and it encourages them to work fag-in-hand rather than stand outside taking a break!
Internal smoking ban commences when carpets are fitted upstairs...
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 17th October 22:04
I realise that updates are not very cohesive - once the place starts to look like a home I will do some before and after stuff. In the meantime, here is the slab of marble chosen for the kitchen island. It is a 3m x 1.8m piece, and the cool hoist thing in the warehouse gave me geeky thrills. The island will be 2.9m x 1.5m, and offcuts will be used to make up stands, and tops for the cisterns of the wall hung loos...
They had some seriously nice pieces of stone in this place (I have a real thing for natural materials like wood and stone - not such a fan of stone effect porcelain, engineered quartz, Corian etc). But the cost of some of the slabs I saw was pretty eyewatering. This particular marble was not awful - cheaper than engineered quartz or Corian, for example. Will need more care though.
They had some seriously nice pieces of stone in this place (I have a real thing for natural materials like wood and stone - not such a fan of stone effect porcelain, engineered quartz, Corian etc). But the cost of some of the slabs I saw was pretty eyewatering. This particular marble was not awful - cheaper than engineered quartz or Corian, for example. Will need more care though.
Edited by Harry Flashman on Monday 17th October 22:07
Decided against marble in the end as it is fragile and takes a stain easily. So a 3m slab of beautifully patterned granite went in today. Really pretty in the flesh with lovely lava swirls. Dark finish gives a different look to the kitchen, so decoration of the room needs to be replanned...
Good question. It's a personal preference, really. I prefer natural materials to re-constituted materials: so I tend to prefer the patterns in natural stone to that in Silestone and similar. So standard quartz work surfaces do nothing for me, despite being very practical. Also, they cost the same as natural stone anyway.
Silestone do a Carrara marble effect work surface, which would have been perfect as I like the look of white marble. But when I saw it up close, I could see the difference between it and the real thing easily. And that would have bothered me endlessly. And no reconstituted stone I saw can recreate the stunning, detailed lava swirls in the piece we installed. It is like having a natural piece of art as the focus of your kitchen, frankly.
A lot of the tiling in the house is stone - the entrance way is white marble/grey limestone chequer, the kitchen is tumbled limestone, and one of the bathrooms is also a marble/limnestone chequer. One of the sinks is made from a single piece of travertine, and whilst the parquet floors are engineered as this allows better stability, they come with a thick oak layer of 8mm, so I can sand/refinish them over the years, like a natural wood floor. The hearths for the fireplaces are slate.
Natural materials need more care - it is true that porcelain floor tiles and silestone work surfaces are zero maintenance, whereas stone needs cleaning and resealing every so often. But I far prefer being surrounded by the natural stuff.
I also think than natural materials, properly done (so no gloss black galaxy granite floor tiles, for example) tend to be pretty timeless and trend-proof. In terms of kitchen surfaces, for example, Corian was all the rage for a while. It now looks a but tired and dated, and Silestone is the new thing. Wood and stone have never really been "on-trend", but they are never really "off-trend" either. And I want a house that will age well. Things like kitchen cabinet doors can be repainted, but floors and work surfaces have to go the distance!
Silestone do a Carrara marble effect work surface, which would have been perfect as I like the look of white marble. But when I saw it up close, I could see the difference between it and the real thing easily. And that would have bothered me endlessly. And no reconstituted stone I saw can recreate the stunning, detailed lava swirls in the piece we installed. It is like having a natural piece of art as the focus of your kitchen, frankly.
A lot of the tiling in the house is stone - the entrance way is white marble/grey limestone chequer, the kitchen is tumbled limestone, and one of the bathrooms is also a marble/limnestone chequer. One of the sinks is made from a single piece of travertine, and whilst the parquet floors are engineered as this allows better stability, they come with a thick oak layer of 8mm, so I can sand/refinish them over the years, like a natural wood floor. The hearths for the fireplaces are slate.
Natural materials need more care - it is true that porcelain floor tiles and silestone work surfaces are zero maintenance, whereas stone needs cleaning and resealing every so often. But I far prefer being surrounded by the natural stuff.
I also think than natural materials, properly done (so no gloss black galaxy granite floor tiles, for example) tend to be pretty timeless and trend-proof. In terms of kitchen surfaces, for example, Corian was all the rage for a while. It now looks a but tired and dated, and Silestone is the new thing. Wood and stone have never really been "on-trend", but they are never really "off-trend" either. And I want a house that will age well. Things like kitchen cabinet doors can be repainted, but floors and work surfaces have to go the distance!
Edited by Harry Flashman on Tuesday 15th November 12:33
I like it - I have two of those (have them in my flat too). Up close, they are a lacquered raw metal finish, and look quite beautiful. Big things too, at over 2m tall.
Also, sticking it on that stub wall got it away from a main wall, giving space for a sofa.
I do wonder if I should have got them in white, though - less controversial. I love the bare metal, but not everyone will!
Also, sticking it on that stub wall got it away from a main wall, giving space for a sofa.
I do wonder if I should have got them in white, though - less controversial. I love the bare metal, but not everyone will!
I bought them from Mr Central Heating for my flat, where they sit against stripped brick walls and look absolutely superb. They are great value for what they are, compared to most "designer" rads, and beautifully built. They are made by a British company called Revive.
I have some normal high efficiency double panel rads in the upstairs bedrooms - being more efficient they give you more heat out of a smaller package. But all the common areas in the house have these raw metal jobs, as they look so good.
I have some normal high efficiency double panel rads in the upstairs bedrooms - being more efficient they give you more heat out of a smaller package. But all the common areas in the house have these raw metal jobs, as they look so good.
Many doors, much storage. I would have preferred some open shelving to lighten it all up a bit, but Lady F vetoed this and wanted many cupboards and drawers for maximum storage. The kitchen is a bit heavy on units, but there is a ridiculous amount of space to stash stuff, so I went along with it.
To be fair, when I did the kitchen in my current place 8 years ago (photo below), I also had a lot of cupboards installed . Aesthetic compromise, but it has been very useful.
To be fair, when I did the kitchen in my current place 8 years ago (photo below), I also had a lot of cupboards installed . Aesthetic compromise, but it has been very useful.
Kitchen is beginning to look useable - almost done and ready for decorating. There is still a lot to do - interior design to make cold, empty rooms look like part of a home..
Entrance hall floor tiles - limestone and marble, and the natural materials (a theme throughout the house) look nice.
Entrance hall floor tiles - limestone and marble, and the natural materials (a theme throughout the house) look nice.
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