Houses

[Tommy G]

On 24/10/2025 at 00:20, Izzy said:

Three months into this renovation and I’m on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

A 50 year old house keeps throwing up surprises including needing the roof re felted and battened which we hadn’t  budged for.

The guys installing new boiler and rads discovered the whole place is on a 15mm single loop system which is dog shit so they’re pretty much replacing all pipes with 22mm and a return system which means digging all the floors up. Had 7 contractors in today as also getting new kitchen installed. Every room has had ceilings overboarded and re plastered so it’s a completely new skin.

Onto our seventh skip now (remember to factor those into the costs!) and trying to live without a sink, dishwasher, washing machine and heating is fvcking hard work.

Hopefully we’ll get there soon and then the joys of putting in new flooring and carpets and decorating everything.
It’s stressful and exhausting.

 

 

 

My condolences. We did it on our old house and moved out to parents as was just not practical to live there over the winter - it is really stressful and we had a 2yr old at the time, it is worth it in the end which I heard on loop throughout, you ALWAYS spend way more than you think. I think we budgeted 50k and spent 75k, that was 5 years ago so not sure what things would cost now, probably eye watering - key is to have a good black book, pay cash (sorry HMRC) and cut back on fancy stuff you’re Mrs is likely to suggest when you are finishing it off. 

[kenny]

 

 

3 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

Just wondering what the good people of FoxesTalk can share in terms of knowledge around house extensions. We have talked about it for years and are now pressing ahead. There was a debate about moving but we like where we are and it’s a more cost effective way of getting the bigger house we are after.

 

We are talking about a pretty simple 2 storey, side extension as the layout of the house lends itself very well to this.

 

The first thing we have discussed is that the space is about 8ft, just over. We don’t want to go to the boundary as we want the ability to have access to the rear and possibly bring the bins up and down. Downstairs should be fine as it is a bigger kitchen area at the back, utility space, bathroom and shallow garage storage space at the front which won’t be a problem. Upstairs requires 

more consideration about the use of space. The current small room is on that side at the front. If the upstairs has to be set back slightly, it’s a case of whether to bring that room wider with the set back consideration and annoying box thing from the stairs, or just have the new space as a further room but it would be quite a long and thin one. I imagine this is quite a normal consideration so wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

 

We have the architect coming next week. Most around here (Sheffield) seem to be big organisations so we have found a small, local father and son team who specialise in private home extensions which seems more suitable.

Builders wise, I have had three come round and spoken to them. Two are Checkatrade listed. The one who isn’t, was far more expensive and ruled out straight away. Of the other two, my preference is one based on how detailed the quote was, very itemised which I preferred. Honestly I wasn’t sure what else to go on. Both prices were reasonable, both had good write ups and I personally got a good feeling for both. 

I think I have a good grasp on the process. The next step being the architect coming and us putting the ideas into official plans (not the unofficial ones I drew up for the builders). 
 

I am just wondering if anyone has experience of a similar build where it comes to maximising space, particularly upstairs. 

A long thin bedroom the width of the garage is very common in extensions like this. As long as it's wide enough for a double bed plus bedside tables it's fine.

 

You end up splitting the room with walkthrough wardrobes often to an ensuite. There are loads of 1930s houses with a garage to the side that people want to extend over so it's a common problem your architect can help with.

 

I've never heard anything good about checkatrade fyi. Good builders don't need to be on it....

[ajthefox]

5 hours ago, LCFCJohn said:

Just wondering what the good people of FoxesTalk can share in terms of knowledge around house extensions. We have talked about it for years and are now pressing ahead. There was a debate about moving but we like where we are and it’s a more cost effective way of getting the bigger house we are after.

 

We are talking about a pretty simple 2 storey, side extension as the layout of the house lends itself very well to this.

 

The first thing we have discussed is that the space is about 8ft, just over. We don’t want to go to the boundary as we want the ability to have access to the rear and possibly bring the bins up and down. Downstairs should be fine as it is a bigger kitchen area at the back, utility space, bathroom and shallow garage storage space at the front which won’t be a problem. Upstairs requires 

more consideration about the use of space. The current small room is on that side at the front. If the upstairs has to be set back slightly, it’s a case of whether to bring that room wider with the set back consideration and annoying box thing from the stairs, or just have the new space as a further room but it would be quite a long and thin one. I imagine this is quite a normal consideration so wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

 

We have the architect coming next week. Most around here (Sheffield) seem to be big organisations so we have found a small, local father and son team who specialise in private home extensions which seems more suitable.

Builders wise, I have had three come round and spoken to them. Two are Checkatrade listed. The one who isn’t, was far more expensive and ruled out straight away. Of the other two, my preference is one based on how detailed the quote was, very itemised which I preferred. Honestly I wasn’t sure what else to go on. Both prices were reasonable, both had good write ups and I personally got a good feeling for both. 

I think I have a good grasp on the process. The next step being the architect coming and us putting the ideas into official plans (not the unofficial ones I drew up for the builders). 
 

I am just wondering if anyone has experience of a similar build where it comes to maximising space, particularly upstairs. 

A good sign imo.

 

More documentation/itemisation of costs is generally better as it means there is less grey area for potential disputes to arise.

 

I would still suggest getting 3 companies to price formally when you've got proposals from your architect because pricing off whatever you've done is likely to include a lot of assumptions and is unlikely to be apples to apples. Also comparing just 2 quotes can be very difficult if there is a sizeable variation between them.

[Grebfromgrebland]

In my experience of checkatrade is the wild west of cowboys for things like electrics and plumbing and roofing.

 

It's not to say that there aren't decent trades on there but you might as well use Google or ask around for recommendations.

[UniFox21]

16 hours ago, Izzy said:

That’s exactly what the guys doing my place said so it’s reassuring to hear you say the same.

 

The old pipes in the kitchen are also being replaced as part of the new one going in plus new pipes for washing machine, new outside tap etc.

 

It all looks very complicated from where I’m stood but you guys make it look easy. Big respect for what you do. 

Would advise whilst they're digging everything up to have them check for lead pipes on your inlet

[The Year Of The Fox]

42 minutes ago, UniFox21 said:

Would advise whilst they're digging everything up to have them check for lead pipes on your inlet

A bit of lead didn’t hurt anyone 

[HighPeakFox]

On 25/10/2025 at 15:38, The Year Of The Fox said:

A bit of lead didn’t hurt anyone 

Beethoven disagrees. 

[Fox92]

It's been a long process but we're finally picking our keys up this afternoon. Our first house. Managed to rent and save and now get a true place of our own.

[Izzy]

3 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

It's been a long process but we're finally picking our keys up this afternoon. Our first house. Managed to rent and save and now get a true place of our own.

Congratulations mate, wonderful news. Nothing like having your own gaff 

[Happy Fox]

Moved to my new home last week in Glenfield, it has been a whirlwind trying to get the house ready. But bit by bit, but the neighbours are really nice and friendly. 

[NJFox]

More of a curious question than anything else, but what are the going rates for a bathroom demo and rebuild? We're paying the equivalent of just over £10,000 for a project starting this week.

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, NJFox said:

More of a curious question than anything else, but what are the going rates for a bathroom demo and rebuild? We're paying the equivalent of just over £10,000 for a project starting this week.

We’re having our bathroom done next week after they’ve finished the kitchen.

Overboarding ceiling, complete strip out, re plaster, new window, bath/shower, floor, WC, basin, heated towel rail, extractor fan, everything really.

Total just shy of £9k 

[Tommy G]

14 hours ago, Izzy said:

We’re having our bathroom done next week after they’ve finished the kitchen.

Overboarding ceiling, complete strip out, re plaster, new window, bath/shower, floor, WC, basin, heated towel rail, extractor fan, everything really.

Total just shy of £9k 

Got a decent deal there at 2025 prices. 

[Tommy G]

15 hours ago, Izzy said:

We’re having our bathroom done next week after they’ve finished the kitchen.

Overboarding ceiling, complete strip out, re plaster, new window, bath/shower, floor, WC, basin, heated towel rail, extractor fan, everything really.

Total just shy of £9k 

Pics when its done...

[NJFox]

20 hours ago, Izzy said:

We’re having our bathroom done next week after they’ve finished the kitchen.

Overboarding ceiling, complete strip out, re plaster, new window, bath/shower, floor, WC, basin, heated towel rail, extractor fan, everything really.

Total just shy of £9k 

Similar scope for us. Gutting the whole room and replacing it all. Still feels like a lot, even though it's surely a bargain by current standards.

[Happy Fox]

Getting my downstairs toilet room renovated to include a shower unit next year January time, my plumber is really good and it’s going to cost approx 3.5 - 4k happy with that price as he will also be putting in a new electric radiator as well as moving the toilet and sink. 

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, NJFox said:

Similar scope for us. Gutting the whole room and replacing it all. Still feels like a lot, even though it's surely a bargain by current standards.

As long as you’re happy with the end results, that’s the main thing.

We’ve stuck with the same builder to project manage our complete house renovation and we’ll probably spend about £110k when our initial budget was £80k

But we trust him and his work is of a high standard.
Could maybe have shopped around and saved a few grand here and there but I live by the saying “buy cheap, buy twice” so happy to pay a bit more for good quality.

 

 

[dsr-burnley]

On 30/10/2025 at 16:10, Izzy said:

As long as you’re happy with the end results, that’s the main thing.

We’ve stuck with the same builder to project manage our complete house renovation and we’ll probably spend about £110k when our initial budget was £80k

But we trust him and his work is of a high standard.
Could maybe have shopped around and saved a few grand here and there but I live by the saying “buy cheap, buy twice” so happy to pay a bit more for good quality.

 

 

Absolutely true.  My parents did up our house in 1984, total cost about £20k for everything, which was expensive then though it wouldn't be now.  But apart from a new fridge, it's all still there. (Though I doubt anyone would sell you windows that last 40 years nowadays. The firm that provided ours has gone bust, presumably because of lack of returning customers!)

[Wymsey]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/local-news/madness-small-leicestershire-village-could-10613777

 

[Big Dave]

On 25/10/2025 at 06:04, LCFCJohn said:

Just wondering what the good people of FoxesTalk can share in terms of knowledge around house extensions. We have talked about it for years and are now pressing ahead. There was a debate about moving but we like where we are and it’s a more cost effective way of getting the bigger house we are after.

 

We are talking about a pretty simple 2 storey, side extension as the layout of the house lends itself very well to this.

 

The first thing we have discussed is that the space is about 8ft, just over. We don’t want to go to the boundary as we want the ability to have access to the rear and possibly bring the bins up and down. Downstairs should be fine as it is a bigger kitchen area at the back, utility space, bathroom and shallow garage storage space at the front which won’t be a problem. Upstairs requires 

more consideration about the use of space. The current small room is on that side at the front. If the upstairs has to be set back slightly, it’s a case of whether to bring that room wider with the set back consideration and annoying box thing from the stairs, or just have the new space as a further room but it would be quite a long and thin one. I imagine this is quite a normal consideration so wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

 

We have the architect coming next week. Most around here (Sheffield) seem to be big organisations so we have found a small, local father and son team who specialise in private home extensions which seems more suitable.

Builders wise, I have had three come round and spoken to them. Two are Checkatrade listed. The one who isn’t, was far more expensive and ruled out straight away. Of the other two, my preference is one based on how detailed the quote was, very itemised which I preferred. Honestly I wasn’t sure what else to go on. Both prices were reasonable, both had good write ups and I personally got a good feeling for both. 

I think I have a good grasp on the process. The next step being the architect coming and us putting the ideas into official plans (not the unofficial ones I drew up for the builders). 
 

I am just wondering if anyone has experience of a similar build where it comes to maximising space, particularly upstairs. 

Our previous house that we move into had a side extension in place using the full width of the plot of land.

It had a passageway to the side, front to back. We used it as storage - fitted loads in there with shelving along the length and still plenty of space to get through with lawnmowers, bikes etc.

The garage was converted to a snug / living room, and to the rear of that became a kitchen extension and utility room.

The full width meant we had a massive master bedroom upstairs in the extension, with the front box room converted to an en-suite.

I can understand why you may not want to go to the full boundary, but from living with it, would definitely recommend it. 

 

[The Year Of The Fox]

On 29/10/2025 at 17:36, NJFox said:

More of a curious question than anything else, but what are the going rates for a bathroom demo and rebuild? We're paying the equivalent of just over £10,000 for a project starting this week.

Depends on the materials you’re using as well as how much tilings involved

[kenny]

https://archive.ph/yoWyh

 

Interesting article suggesting UK housing isn't as expensive as we would think relative to other countries. I suspect if London and the SE were considered alone it would be different

[CornwallFox]

Anybody pulled out of a house purchase after paying for surveys etc. Can you sell them on to the next buyer? I know solicitors sell on their searches, though no idea if they keep all the money.

[FoyleFox]

12 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Anybody pulled out of a house purchase after paying for surveys etc. Can you sell them on to the next buyer? I know solicitors sell on their searches, though no idea if they keep all the money.

Usually it depends on the timescales, some reports and surveys etc have a limited shelf life. 

[ajthefox]

22 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

Anybody pulled out of a house purchase after paying for surveys etc. Can you sell them on to the next buyer? I know solicitors sell on their searches, though no idea if they keep all the money.

I haven't been in that position but I'm pretty sure you cannot legally sell their report - it simply isn't yours to sell.

 

I'd expect somewhere in the report there will be some vague disclaimer about circumstancial/restricted use and passing info on without their consent which would cover this.