What did you do well?

[neversay]

So many excellent suggestions, thank you all.

During the internal renovation I put in a cheap kitchen from http://www.diy-kitchens.com which was excellent. I would use them again when remodelling and reuse the carcasses. The biggest problem was the cooker hood. I shopped around to get a rated one with low decibels, but they must have got the extraction rate and decibel figures the wrong way around.

Good points on the glazing and thermal gain. The thermal calcs for cold weather must account for wet loop UFH. You are right on the problems of bi-folds, and I was cosidering just one large solid pane for the main view onto the garden, with sliding - or now french (as suggested) in the other half. That means we need to nail our furniture layout ahead of time just to be sure.

This made me reflect on the project. Instead we had a new kitchen. And paying the £20k bill for this made me realise that to achieve the quality of extension I was planning would probably have ended up costing me north of 80k!bSo I decided to accept Mrs H’s view and instead of building, invested the 80k in shares (which have now grown to more than 240k!)

@Howard, this is a very astute contribution. As you may have sensed, I'm approaching the project with some trepidation given what is at stake. I mentioned workload and bereavement as reasons for a delay, add to that kids (9 and 13), a new dog, an elderly mother with failing health and an uncertain economic and business outlook. As such, the prospect of such a large undertaking right now is unsettling.

Option 1- Extension. Our 9 year-old is outgrowing a box-room and it would make a big difference to a crucial time of family life, plus offer a home office. The costs of moving to a larger property would mean moving from an area that is hard to beat. The kids have friends here and even the fixer-upper properties fetch a premium. I'm young enough (late 40s) to still have the borrowing power and it would be transferring from 'cash' to 'asset' columns on my spreadsheet.

Option 2 - Invest. We could pay off our mortgage tomorrow, make further investments and have liquidity and security. Our 50s would be a case of low stress work-life balance achieving a suitable threshold for FIRE balanced with the kids University and housing expenses (inheritances that would be ringfenced for the kids). That is a more tempting option as I'm not materialistic, but we'll have a teenage son caged in a small box-room.

Option 3 - Small Extension. We build a smaller single-storey wrap-around for 2/3rd of the cost, same mess, less appeal for future buyers, but we sleep at night. Change our house name to 'halfway house'.

Congratulations to those who got a house in the right area that was big enough for your needs first time around. Lesson learned!

N.

[Charlottesquare]

From experience with my employer,a property company, the secret is to plan everything before you start, be sure it is what you want and then do not change your mind about parts or change design or spec during the build.

We ran heavily over budget on one project because one of our directors (an architect) kept varying things, like deciding he wanted a wrought iron metal/glass canopy over an existing loading platform and having a bespoke metal spiral stair built up the five floors rather than the simpler off the shelf one in the original spec (block of 27 flats), then the light fittings in stairs/corridors got changed, looked wonderful but the required bulbs cost us a fortune over the next 15 odd years we let out the flats.

Another build we did in 95 was the opposite, spec totally sorted at front end, virtually fixed price contract, little in the way of contract additions, came in very close to budget with no real issues . (34 flat conversion of an industrial building)

Now the first project was excellent, it really turned out well, but the extra costs , with some other variations, took an initial £800k budget (1996/97) to £1.2 million and if we had not had rising house prices at the time things might have been problematic.

So do not rush, pore over the design, cover everything, decide quality of fittings etc and then ponder what you have decided for another month or two before you contract to do any construction would be my tip.

[johnhemming]

On a really minor point I put in a PIR switch in the porch which I was very pleased with in terms of reducing the hassle of finding keys in the dark whilst carrying things.

I had a problem in that somehow the switch had the line on one section of the consumer board and the neutral on the other section so when it switched on it blew the elcb. Because I have not wired houses for about 40 years I did not think of this problem and it caused a lot of confusion. However, I am great fan of having the PIR switch. Wiring it was a bit of a hassle because of having to put a capacitor into the ceiling rose. However, I count it as something done well.

[Charlottesquare]

On a really minor point I put in a PIR switch in the porch which I was very pleased with in terms of reducing the hassle of finding keys in the dark whilst carrying things.

I had a problem in that somehow the switch had the line on one section of the consumer board and the neutral on the other section so when it switched on it blew the elcb. Because I have not wired houses for about 40 years I did not think of this problem and it caused a lot of confusion. However, I am great fan of having the PIR switch. Wiring it was a bit of a hassle because of having to put a capacitor into the ceiling rose. However, I count it as something done well.

We have stick on solar ones outside our front door and also on the wall down the side path to the back garden, avoids all wiring and they give enough light to work out which key is which.

[richlist]

An alternative consideration that requires no additional wiring are dusk to dawn light bulbs.

[genou]

I had a problem in that somehow the switch had the line on one section of the consumer board and the neutral on the other section so when it switched on it blew the elcb. Because I have not wired houses for about 40 years I did not think of this problem and it caused a lot of confusion.

This is well off topic, but anyway. Moved into an Edinburgh flat round about when you did your last wiring job. Sockets would fail intermittently, and then fix themselves. After a bit of thought realised that the failures were all on re-purposed electric radiator feeds. Yup, the thermostat was still in circuit and they would go dead when the flat was up to temp with the new wet radiators.

[csearle]

On a really minor point I put in a PIR switch in the porch which I was very pleased with in terms of reducing the hassle of finding keys in the dark whilst carrying things.

I had a problem in that somehow the switch had the line on one section of the consumer board and the neutral on the other section so when it switched on it blew the elcb. Because I have not wired houses for about 40 years I did not think of this problem and it caused a lot of confusion. However, I am great fan of having the PIR switch. Wiring it was a bit of a hassle because of having to put a capacitor into the ceiling rose. However, I count it as something done well.

Very out of date. ELCBs have been deprecated for decades. Capacitors in ceiling roses? No. The only place capacitors come into things these days is when changing the power factor at industrial locations where much inductive machinery is in use or in BT master points. C.

[johnhemming]

Perhaps it is an RCD then. It detects current leakage by comparing line to neutral. However, I am pretty certain the thing I had to put in was a capacitor to keep some form of current flowing when the light was off.

[Howard]

Reflecting on your options, I understand that you might decide to build an extension. Can I add some further comments which I hope are helpful.

Drinks at our neighbours were fun and we did admire their finished building work! A couple of features are worth mentioning. They have marble tiles running through most of the downstairs which reminded Mrs H and me of the advice we had when we upgraded our kitchen. We were advised to run matching tiles through all the family areas of the house as “it gives an air of spaciousness”. This certainly worked beautifully for our neighbours as there was no obvious “join” to indicate an extension.

However, what I couldn’t understand was their decision to have underfloor heating installed. Two reasons: this caused a huge amount of disruption and some problems with floor levels and, in cost terms, will never pay back.

Noting your comment about installing Eco Heating It might be worth considering an aircon inverter system for heating. It avoids having to run water pipes under the floor for a wet system.

You may know more about modern heating systems than me, but it might be helpful to comment that we had air conditioning installed in a bedroom and our family room last year. On hot days, it has been delightful to be able to bring the temperature down a couple of degrees, particularly at night. I have been amazed at how cheap it is to run (and sad enough to measure this by checking the meter when running it on a very hot day). It has added no more than £15 to our annual electricity bill and this includes using it occasionally as background heating in our family room when it seemed unnecessary to heat the whole house with central heating. I’m not exaggerating to suggest that replacing six halogen downlights in the kitchen with (brighter but dimmable) LEDs has saved more electricity in a year than the aircon uses.

And I guess it wouldn’t be that expensive to fit. (My system was fitted in a day and the fairly large external inverter was easy to camouflage in a wooden frame).

Finally, can I back up Charlottesquare’s comment: “From experience with my employer,a property company, the secret is to plan everything before you start, be sure it is what you want and then do not change your mind about parts or change design or spec during the build.”

Some time ago I was involved in a committee which managed the fundraising and construction of a major public building. The project manager was a retired CEO of a construction company. He ruled the design with a “rod of iron”. Everything down to the last door handle was specified in writing because he said he’d made a lot of money in his career from clients changing their minds during construction. To our pleasant surprise the building was completed on time and on budget thanks to his persistence.

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

Howard

[MyNameIsUrl]

...replacing the staircase...

The previous owner of my house used an 'ideas' architect and put in a wider staircase than normal - about 1.4m wide. The stairs are also shallower than usual, and the whole effect is one of great spaciousness, a real feature of the house. Obviously it needs to be a big house to carry it off, which is what yours sounds like it will be after the work is done.

[PrincessB]

I've reflected a bit too. I won't cover the same ground as Howard and his excellent post.

We did our three bedroom cottage up in stages.

When bought, there was large upstairs bathroom which meant the third bedroom was little more than a box room.
Stage one was to rip out the bathroom and replace with a very small toilet which is little larger than the cubical you'll find in an office loo. Slimline washbasin, a mirrored cabinet on the off-chance anyone wants to shave in there, a bit of hidden storage for the loo rolls and bleach and thats it.

Downsizing the bathroom means we now have three good sized bedrooms rather than two and a half.

Stage two was the downstairs extension which gave enough space to put in a proper bathroom in the old dining room next to the utility area.
I know it can be seen as a bit common to have the bathroom downstairs but it is spacious, and being next to the utility area and washing machine means you shower and chuck the used towel straight in. There's a cupboard outside so fresh towels come out of the dryer and are hidden away ready for next time.

On reflection, I wish I'd gone a bit further and turned the downstairs bathroom into a proper wetroom which would make it feel more 'cool' and less CH. It works really well but as ever, once you've done something like this, you have time to work out where it could have been even better.

You could consider remodeling the upstairs of your house to see if some tweaking might negate the need for a double storey extension. You can get a workable toilet, washbasin and shower into 3 feet by 9 feet room - Add in some tweaking to reduce the upstairs hallspace to the minimum and you might find the bedrooms are large enough for the office and the kid to have a larger room.

Depends on the house and how much washing space you want upstairs but it might be worth consideration.

Regards,

B.

[neversay]

Reflecting on your options, I understand that you might decide to build an extension. Can I add some further comments which I hope are helpful. [...] However, what I couldn’t understand was their decision to have underfloor heating installed. Two reasons: this caused a huge amount of disruption and some problems with floor levels and, in cost terms, will never pay back.

It's a good point with level and through-flooring. In our case the replacement of the floors were nessesitated due to the original ones being 'burst' due to sulphate attack in the concrete. As the floors needed replacing it only cost just over £1k to add the loop and manifold. The result has been tremendous with constant and consistent ambient temperature, with no hot and cold spots, low running costs, and extra space due to the lack of radiators. While we added the extra ports ready for the extension, it will be a challenge to get the levels and thermals correct. Which is a concern.

Noting your comment about installing Eco Heating It might be worth considering an aircon inverter system for heating. It avoids having to run water pipes under the floor for a wet system.

Very interesting, I need to look into this some more. While wet loop did the existing downstairs, we still have radiators upstairs. I'm not sure whether the aircon inverter systems can be grafted into our present house and layout. I don't suppose you have any sample names of vendors?

You may know more about modern heating systems than me, but it might be helpful to comment that we had air conditioning installed in a bedroom and our family room last year.

That sounds ideal. Again, I'd be interested in names of any vendors if you have them?

Finally, can I back up Charlottesquare’s comment: “From experience with my employer,a property company, the secret is to plan everything before you start, be sure it is what you want and then do not change your mind about parts or change design or spec during the build.”

@Charlotesquare and you are quite right. This thread has given me some good ideas to add to the list. I want to nail down every decision well ahead of time along with a bill of materials and detailed room by room, trade by trade plans. I'll give the "rod of iron" approach a try.

The previous owner of my house used an 'ideas' architect and put in a wider staircase than normal - about 1.4m wide. The stairs are also shallower than usual, and the whole effect is one of great spaciousness, a real feature of the house. Obviously it needs to be a big house to carry it off, which is what yours sounds like it will be after the work is done.

I like the concept of an 'ideas architect' for the reasons I mentioned earlier. We wanted the architect to explore alternatives, not just come up with a 3D rendering of one design that didn't work.

As for the stairs, sadly nothing as grand. Our old creaky staircase has to be moved to allow an extra step width on the landing, so we actually lose space at the bottom. The removal of a stair cupboard and some joists will fix another problem with headroom though. It still won't be a big house at the end of this work, but it should be a very functional and liveable one. I hope!

[neversay]

I've reflected a bit too. I won't cover the same ground as Howard and his excellent post.
...
On reflection, I wish I'd gone a bit further and turned the downstairs bathroom into a proper wetroom which would make it feel more 'cool' and less CH. It works really well but as ever, once you've done something like this, you have time to work out where it could have been even better.

You could consider remodeling the upstairs of your house to see if some tweaking might negate the need for a double storey extension. You can get a workable toilet, washbasin and shower into 3 feet by 9 feet room - Add in some tweaking to reduce the upstairs hallspace to the minimum and you might find the bedrooms are large enough for the office and the kid to have a larger room.

Depends on the house and how much washing space you want upstairs but it might be worth consideration.

Regards,

B.

Thanks B. The configuration is detached with two large rooms downstairs (kitchen, lounge) with large bedrooms directly above. The Hallway upstairs has a box room at the front and family bathroom at the back. As well as replacing floors, our phase one knocked through the existing small kitchen into what was the large room at the back. The rear extension would push this out again.

The side extension would lead off from the bottom of the stairs to a corridor with utility room, wet room (as you suggest!) and garden/office room. From the landing would be a lobby into a large East-West master bedroom with en-suite and Juliet balcony.

I got a bit carried away with the description there and may upload some plans (if I can remember how the hosting works). My main point is that the options for remodelling are sadly limited, although I bet you and the experts here would see much that I'm missing.

[dspp]

I got a bit carried away with the description there and may upload some plans (if I can remember how the hosting works).

Just take a photo, then use imgur to host the jpg and the img button to put them on the TLF post.

regards, dspp

[Howard]

Very interesting, I need to look into this some more. While wet loop did the existing downstairs, we still have radiators upstairs. I'm not sure whether the aircon inverter systems can be grafted into our present house and layout. I don't suppose you have any sample names of vendors?

You may know more about modern heating systems than me, but it might be helpful to comment that we had air conditioning installed in a bedroom and our family room last year.

That sounds ideal. Again, I'd be interested in names of any vendors if you have them?

The aircon system I chose uses two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries SRK20ZS-S premium wall units powered by an SCM40ZS - S Multi outdoor unit. I chose this specification after visiting an aircon showroom and listening to several units in operation. They are easily available and the internal units look upmarket compared with some others. On the lowest fan speed (which is more than adequate for keeping a medium sized room cool/warm) the units are whisper quiet. (This may not be a recommendation, but a year ago I attended a reception on the terrace of the House of Lords and was pleased to see that the aircon wall units were the same brand as mine! They too were very effective on a hot summer’s day).

By the way, I am glad that I didn’t purchase a wifi control option. The systems controls using a remote are more than adequate with all sorts of timer possibilities. And the units are so powerful on a higher fan setting that one can literally watch the reading on a room thermometer drop or rise in seconds. I can’t see a need to set the system remotely by smartphone.

regards

Howard

[neversay]

The aircon system I chose uses two Mitsubishi Heavy Industries SRK20ZS-S premium wall units powered by an SCM40ZS - S Multi outdoor unit. I chose this specification after visiting an aircon showroom and listening to several units in operation. They are easily available and the internal units look upmarket compared with some others. On the lowest fan speed (which is more than adequate for keeping a medium sized room cool/warm) the units are whisper quiet. (This may not be a recommendation, but a year ago I attended a reception on the terrace of the House of Lords and was pleased to see that the aircon wall units were the same brand as mine! They too were very effective on a hot summer’s day).

By the way, I am glad that I didn’t purchase a wifi control option. The systems controls using a remote are more than adequate with all sorts of timer possibilities. And the units are so powerful on a higher fan setting that one can literally watch the reading on a room thermometer drop or rise in seconds. I can’t see a need to set the system remotely by smartphone.

regards

Howard

That's a great tip. I can see them here https://www.orionairsales.co.uk/mitsubi ... 1686-p.asp and very reasonable pricing. I can see that working well for our master bedroom and garden room/office (which would have a sliding partition with the rest of the rear extension. Super.

Just take a photo, then use imgur to host the jpg and the img button to put them on the TLF post.

regards, dspp

That's it imgur. I will tidy up my sketches and upload when I can. Thanks!