The House Projects Thread

[Jobbo]

Slightly surprised that this thread from the old forum hasn't been started on here yet. I've had some preliminary drawings through from our architect for our planned kitchen extension.

First, a photo of the back of the house before we bought it. It doesn't look terribly different from this yet, but the grass is obviously more yellow currently


And a couple of different designs for the extension:



I wasn't expecting to like the flat roof extension as much but I'm now torn. The unconnected glass box is a bit of a folly because I'd talked to him about extending out from the french windows on that side, so he's just chucked it in as an idea. Even though it wouldn't create any properly useful internal space, it has some merit as a feature on an otherwise flat side wall.

To be honest, while I like the extension designs I'm more excited about landscaping the garden at present. Probably due to the weather

[Rich B]

I’m due to kick off my next big project in October - it’s been pretty difficult planning it with the kiddie, but I can’t wait to kick it off! Updates will be on this thread....

[Jobbo]

I don't envy you doing it with a toddler (is that how old he'll be?) All the best; it'll be the middle of next year before we start the extension works.

Got to replace the bathroom suite more urgently now a teenager has put a hole in the ceramic washbasin

[Rich B]

I quite like a combination of the two options Jobs, I don’t like lantern type roof lights, but I prefer the white piers on that option.

Both look exactly what the house needs though!

[Rich B]

I don't envy you doing it with a toddler (is that how old he'll be?) All the best; it'll be the middle of next year before we start the extension works.

Got to replace the bathroom suite more urgently now a teenager has put a hole in the ceramic washbasin

we’re renting another house for the period (at scary big expense). No way we’d be able to live in it during the works - the whole downstairs is being ripped apart!

[Jobbo]

If you rent somewhere at, say, £1200 a month for 6 months that's £7,200. That's a drop in the ocean compared to the total cost of work, I'd imagine, and probably allows the work to be done more efficiently anyway, thus saving you money on the build. I'm surprised more people don't do it... though we aren't

Agree with your comments completely; generally I'd prefer not to go for a flat roof so the way the apex goes between the windows upstairs just seems appropriate. Any extension is going to hide the ugly jumble of windows on the rear elevation; we'll replace the glazing when the extension is done so it all ties in.

The white piers are definitely nicer than the brick ones, though I wonder if we can go more modern still by concealing the piers behind glass or having zinc cladding, perhaps. I don't want just glass in the extension, though- we need some wall space for the kitchen units to sit against. The extension as shown is about 24ft by 10ft, so it's not just to house a table.

[Rich B]

The biggest issue with renting is finding somewhere. Most landlords aren’t interested in advance booking a short let, they’d rather hold out for a longer term (and I’m not cool with leaving it until the last minute.) then you’ve got to set up all the utilities/etc....

Then there’s stuff like Airbnb which are possible but aren’t really set up for actually living in long term.

We’ve found a place that the owner lives abroad and rents her house out to people doing this sort of thing and then lives in it herself when she’s back over. It’s more than we’d want (4 bed) - but it’s nearby and will make it far less stressful. Not cheap though.

[GG.]

Think I'm a fan of option 2 as well. Seems to blend with the rest of the house better IMO.

[speedingfine]

First ever house project below, be gentle with me

Just finished preparing for a patio. 9 tonnes of MOT for the sub base gone in in total, the landscaper put the final two tonnes in today.

After removing the decking:

Previously there was decking on top of all that mud. Predictably it was rotten as a pear underneath with frogs, slugs etc loving their swampy haven.

Digging out completed thanks to mates, girlfriends and mates girlfriends (and yes I've now treated my railway sleepers):



Yes it does look like the house is built on sand, I'm trying not to think about it

Ten minutes ago. Unfortunately it's going to be NCP flat car park chic for a little while as we've got to save again to complete it:



Any advice on purchasing patio flags etc would be great. The paving expert website is very good, but stops short of recommending good cheap suppliers. Cotswold Stone is what we think we're after, shame it's expensive!

We saw this and liked it, but not at £40 per sq m: http://nationaltrustpaving.com/shop/bar ... lagstones/



EDIT - I like the flat roof one too Jobbo. Rich, more details, what are you doing to your downstairs (requote at will)

[Simon]

Slightly surprised that this thread from the old forum hasn't been started on here yet. I've had some preliminary drawings through from our architect for our planned kitchen extension.

First, a photo of the back of the house before we bought it. It doesn't look terribly different from this yet, but the grass is obviously more yellow currently


And a couple of different designs for the extension:



I wasn't expecting to like the flat roof extension as much but I'm now torn. The unconnected glass box is a bit of a folly because I'd talked to him about extending out from the french windows on that side, so he's just chucked it in as an idea. Even though it wouldn't create any properly useful internal space, it has some merit as a feature on an otherwise flat side wall.

To be honest, while I like the extension designs I'm more excited about landscaping the garden at present. Probably due to the weather

What's the thinking behind that glass box on the side? Is it just a greenhouse to heat up and soak heat into the house on hot days?

I'm a little further behind the rest of you. Currently working out if we'll stay or move to something bigger in the next 5 years, despite me thinking this place was a 'keeper' when I bought it.

If we stay I'll demolish the conservatory, push the back wall out a couple of meters to make a bigger kitchen / diner, push the lounge wall back 1m (into the now enlarged kitchen) to make the lounge bigger, and build a big downstairs office in the side return behind the garage for my piano, desk, sofa etc. That'll be a 20ft room if we do it. Alternatively we move to something bigger, but we'd need another £150k to move to something bigger, pay moving costs, stamp duty etc etc. Not so fun thinking about that cost.

[Jobbo]

The glass box was his idea based on me mentioning that I’d pondered turning the sliding patio doors into a bay window.

Air con may be part of this extension!

[Simon]

Ah! FWIW I prefer option 1. It feels more 'in keeping' with the rest of the house, and TBH flat roofs aren't really my bag (since having a couple of dormers in my last house).

[IanF]

I prefer option 2; I think it fits in with your garage(?) better.

I’m desperately looking for a new house, it has become a battle as no one, bar me, wants to leave Ascot. I may have to wait another two years now due my son’s A-Levels. Bizarrely, when I show what we could buy if I stayed full-time to retirement, they all say yes, but it’s a scary mortgage when I’m the sole earner, and I don’t want to work forever.

Quick fix would be a lottery win, anyone got next week’s numbers? Probably easier to buy a new family, but I still like the one I have.

[Rich B]

We bought this 1930s semi that had been extended over the years, but no one had really considered what each extension actually offered, so it’s effectively a series of medium sized rooms and a weird corridor that don’t really work.

My intention is and always was to knock the rear 3 rooms and a corridor into one large L-shaped open plan kitchen/diner (with 6m wide glass doors to the garden), add a utility room, then close off the front room into a proper little front room.



I’ve made it far more complicated by insisting that all the steels (of which there are many, including a 7.5m monster weighing over a tonne) are hidden in the ceiling because I hate boxing in. (Excuse the proposed drawing, it was done ages ago on my phone!)

[Rich B]

I prefer option 2; I think it fits in with your garage(?) better.

I’m desperately looking for a new house, it has become a battle as no one, bar me, wants to leave Ascot. I may have to wait another two years now due my son’s A-Levels. Bizarrely, when I show what we could buy if I stayed full-time to retirement, they all say yes, but it’s a scary mortgage when I’m the sole earner, and I don’t want to work forever.

Quick fix would be a lottery win, anyone got next week’s numbers? Probably easier to buy a new family, but I still like the one I have.

yeah, you definitely need a lottery win, I mean, would you even be able to keep your Ferrari if you retired early!!?

[IanF]

I prefer option 2; I think it fits in with your garage(?) better.

I’m desperately looking for a new house, it has become a battle as no one, bar me, wants to leave Ascot. I may have to wait another two years now due my son’s A-Levels. Bizarrely, when I show what we could buy if I stayed full-time to retirement, they all say yes, but it’s a scary mortgage when I’m the sole earner, and I don’t want to work forever.

Quick fix would be a lottery win, anyone got next week’s numbers? Probably easier to buy a new family, but I still like the one I have.

yeah, you definitely need a lottery win, I mean, would you even be able to keep your Ferrari if you retired early!!?

Cunt!

[DeskJockey]

I prefer option one with the white too.

@Rich: what is the plan for the front room? Seems out of character with the bigger room behind it.

[Rich B]

I prefer option one with the white too.

@Rich: what is the plan for the front room? Seems out of character with the bigger room behind it.

yep, thats kind of the point - it’s a smaller separate space that can be whatever it wants to be when whoever doesn’t want to be in the big room.

[DeskJockey]

I prefer option one with the white too.

@Rich: what is the plan for the front room? Seems out of character with the bigger room behind it.

yep, thats kind of the point - it’s a smaller separate space that can be whatever it wants to be when whoever doesn’t want to be in the big room.

I can see that working.

[speedingfine]

I prefer option one with the white too.

@Rich: what is the plan for the front room? Seems out of character with the bigger room behind it.

yep, thats kind of the point - it’s a smaller separate space that can be whatever it wants to be when whoever doesn’t want to be in the big room.

I can see that working.

Panic room away from the kids