Another bungalow loft extension build...
Discussion
I've been watching grand designs for as long as I can remember, and finally after years of hard work we are now in a position to try and afford to do something I've wanted to do for a long time.
We moved into our current house a few years ago, this is our 'final' house. After a few years of tight belts and having nearly cleared 1/4 of the mortgage we've decided to stop overpaying and actually spend the money on something more exciting than a bank balance.
So this weekend the architect has produced his first drawings, essentially adding new 1st floor bed rooms and moving a stair case downstairs with a new entrance hall way/gable - all the cladded bits are new.
On the grand scale of things this is a small project, but having done nothing more than put up a shed this is a BIG project for us
I suspect next few months will be slow as we are now moving to the planning and building regs part. I don't think the build will start for another 8 months, but the final result should be good.
I'll keep this thread updated as time goes, as well as rough costs.
Currently as Nov 2019: £2.5k in architect fees/survey.
We moved into our current house a few years ago, this is our 'final' house. After a few years of tight belts and having nearly cleared 1/4 of the mortgage we've decided to stop overpaying and actually spend the money on something more exciting than a bank balance.
So this weekend the architect has produced his first drawings, essentially adding new 1st floor bed rooms and moving a stair case downstairs with a new entrance hall way/gable - all the cladded bits are new.
On the grand scale of things this is a small project, but having done nothing more than put up a shed this is a BIG project for us
I suspect next few months will be slow as we are now moving to the planning and building regs part. I don't think the build will start for another 8 months, but the final result should be good.
I'll keep this thread updated as time goes, as well as rough costs.
Currently as Nov 2019: £2.5k in architect fees/survey.
Edited by gangzoom on Wednesday 13th November 02:25
Edited by gangzoom on Friday 15th December 17:58
Virtually all the work is upstairs, with downstairs mainly *just* focused on making a new staircase leading to a double height hallwall entrance/gallery landing. No new rooms been added at all.
Upstairs is all new with two new bedrooms added, family bathroom, and walk in wardrobe for the master, replacing an existing dormer bedroom and box room.
Its a big space and a crazy spend for just technically just adding one extra bedroom and bathroom on paper, but life is for living, and we are treating this as project as a home first rather than investment product.
Upstairs is all new with two new bedrooms added, family bathroom, and walk in wardrobe for the master, replacing an existing dormer bedroom and box room.
Its a big space and a crazy spend for just technically just adding one extra bedroom and bathroom on paper, but life is for living, and we are treating this as project as a home first rather than investment product
.Out of interest, when bungalows round here have had an extension built on top, they seem to cover the building in scaffolding and plastic then take the roof off.
How long does the roof actually stay off as the plastic round the scaffolding doesn't seem very waterproof to me. Do they build everything up then 'quickly' do the roof over a few days? What if it rains and isn't the house freezing whilst this is going on.
Daft questions maybe but I have always wondered...
How long does the roof actually stay off as the plastic round the scaffolding doesn't seem very waterproof to me. Do they build everything up then 'quickly' do the roof over a few days? What if it rains and isn't the house freezing whilst this is going on.
Daft questions maybe but I have always wondered...
.KTF said:
Out of interest, when bungalows round here have had an extension built on top, they seem to cover the building in scaffolding and plastic then take the roof off.
How long does the roof actually stay off as the plastic round the scaffolding doesn't seem very waterproof to me. Do they build everything up then 'quickly' do the roof over a few days? What if it rains and isn't the house freezing whilst this is going on.
Daft questions maybe but I have always wondered...
Had mine up for over a year, and use them lots at work. The monarflex is strong stuff, and if built well, they rarely leak. Wind is the biggest issue.How long does the roof actually stay off as the plastic round the scaffolding doesn't seem very waterproof to me. Do they build everything up then 'quickly' do the roof over a few days? What if it rains and isn't the house freezing whilst this is going on.
Daft questions maybe but I have always wondered...
Getting the final architect/construction drawings today (plus the bill ).
Just checked my old emails, first contact was back in September 2019, so best part of 8 months to go from initial idea to paper plans with planning permission, the TV programs makes things look so easy!!
Will be contacting builders next week, expecting at least another 6 weeks+ before we actually get any initial tenders back, so looking like it'll be close to 12 months from initial start before we sign any formal contracts and pencil in a build date. COVID hasn't actually slowed anything down, these just take time.
Total spend so far just over £10K.
).Just checked my old emails, first contact was back in September 2019, so best part of 8 months to go from initial idea to paper plans with planning permission, the TV programs makes things look so easy!!
Will be contacting builders next week, expecting at least another 6 weeks+ before we actually get any initial tenders back, so looking like it'll be close to 12 months from initial start before we sign any formal contracts and pencil in a build date. COVID hasn't actually slowed anything down, these just take time.
Total spend so far just over £10K.
shalmaneser said:
Can we see the floorplan? Looks great from the renderings.
Changing floorplans has been the biggest design issue we've had. The main focus of the build apart from adding ensuite bedroom upstairs (bog standard stuff), is the change we are now making to the kitchen and entrance hall.The final design now has a 'view through the house' as you enter the front door, via double glazed doors into the kitchen and than double doors into the garden all aligned.
The kitchen and entrance hall are now both double height with a open void above each space, with an open landing containing a seating area/study overlooking half the kitchen.
Separating the kitchen and entrance hall is going to be a set of stairs and open corridor which leads to the upstairs rooms. From the corridor you can look down into the kitchen (and garden), entrance hall, and up into the sky (via skylights). If the builders can pull this area off, I think it'll quickly become my favourite part of the house.
We are lucky in that the house is not lacking in accommodation space overall so had room to play. We could have just put another upstairs bedroom/bathroom in place of the void over the kitchen but I think this final design so much more exciting. It'll make the entrance hall/kitchen the centre of the house, where as currently now the entrance is dark/dingy and not at all inviting.
gangzoom said:
paulrockliffe said:
8 months? We lost 8 months to a bat survey! That sounds quick to me.
The TV programs all make it look like its done in day, quite excited and anxious about the next bit, if we can get building work started next year this time I would be impressed.....gangzoom said:
Getting the final architect/construction drawings today (plus the bill ).
Just checked my old emails, first contact was back in September 2019, so best part of 8 months to go from initial idea to paper plans with planning permission, the TV programs makes things look so easy!!
Will be contacting builders next week, expecting at least another 6 weeks+ before we actually get any initial tenders back, so looking like it'll be close to 12 months from initial start before we sign any formal contracts and pencil in a build date. COVID hasn't actually slowed anything down, these just take time.
Total spend so far just over £10K.
Pretty much like for like with our project, a good architect is expansive, but worth it for the difference they make in design. Good luck with the quotes, even with a detailed schedule of works for the architect for them to bid against we still ended up with over £200k in difference between top and bottom quotes ).Just checked my old emails, first contact was back in September 2019, so best part of 8 months to go from initial idea to paper plans with planning permission, the TV programs makes things look so easy!!
Will be contacting builders next week, expecting at least another 6 weeks+ before we actually get any initial tenders back, so looking like it'll be close to 12 months from initial start before we sign any formal contracts and pencil in a build date. COVID hasn't actually slowed anything down, these just take time.
Total spend so far just over £10K.
^Thanks, we made a list of 4 builders as recommended by the architect and friends last night so will call them next week.
Am been realistic with budgets and timings. Our daughter just turned 4, if we can get the build finished before she turns 6 I would be happy.
We are also lucky to have rent free accommodation we can move into as soon as the builders start, but it's close enough to be able to pop in every day to check on progress. So not having us on site, but very close by may help things speed along.
Financials will be stretched for a while, saving up for longer would help but than we would be lossing time which is precious, add in essentially below inflation additonal mortgage borrowing at present I much rather we just on with it.
Am been realistic with budgets and timings. Our daughter just turned 4, if we can get the build finished before she turns 6 I would be happy.
We are also lucky to have rent free accommodation we can move into as soon as the builders start, but it's close enough to be able to pop in every day to check on progress. So not having us on site, but very close by may help things speed along.
Financials will be stretched for a while, saving up for longer would help but than we would be lossing time which is precious, add in essentially below inflation additonal mortgage borrowing at present I much rather we just on with it.
Edited by gangzoom on Saturday 23 May 06:04
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