The existing front section of the garage, along with the porch overhang, will be demolished. The front door will be removed and the internal hallway extended, with a new front door put in place as part of the new build. An extension will be built outwards to approximately 12ft from the main house elevation and will run across from the side of the front kitchen window to the right hand corner of the house. The section to the right of the photo will become the new lodge. When complete this room will measure approximately in excess of 12ft x 12ft. The room adds value to the property as it could be used as an office facility, a dining room or another bedroom.
For myself, the purpose of the build is to offer a 'lodge' that has improved temperature controls and better sound insulation than the wooden building that I currently use as a séance room.
The build began on July 29th 2013 and was expected to take eight weeks. After the main build there would be some internal fittings and decoration to be completed. The intention is for the new lodge to be opened on my birthday, October 6th. Due to the build over-running this was not possible however.
I offer daily reports of the building process...follow the links for each week...
Chris Di Nucci
THE BUILDERS...where we began....
We went to the web site of the Federation of Master
Builders and contacted six builders from the site.
Four of the six responded promptly. All four sent someone to see us and each offered free quotes for the job. Two offered quotes that we considered to be unrealistic (one being too low to be taken seriously, the other too high to be affordable). Of the two quotes that we considered acceptable, one came from the firm that I had personally 'liked the best when we met' ...and they had assured us that they offered good site management, which I considered to be of value. Therefore we pursued their references and visited a build that they were currently undertaking. Finally contracts were signed and the agreement to proceed was set for the proposed eight week build.
This blog offers my personal experience of the work as it was undertaken, and includes my personal opinion of the workmen themselves. My report will also include apparent irrelevances...which I trust will ensure that no-one falls asleep during the reading! The link to this blog was not shown to the builders until the middle of the second week of them working. 'Big Bird' then became an avid follower.
AT THE END OF IT ALL...the build took ten weeks.
I started this blog as a personal record of the building of my house extension. There have been a lot of hits on the site and a lot more interest shown that I'd expected. Quite a few people have contacted me as a result, with some of these being clearly interested in finding our builder for their own projects.
I'd like to say that this blog describes my personal experience and offers my point of view and no-one else's. All building projects are disruptive and messy and inevitably delays do occur within the process. At the end of the day the proof of the pudding is in the eating and when the build is complete the results speak for themselves. If you are planning to have an extension built then you must expect ups and downs...and make realistic adjustments to your expectations so that the reality of it all doesn't drive you mad.
Four of the six responded promptly. All four sent someone to see us and each offered free quotes for the job. Two offered quotes that we considered to be unrealistic (one being too low to be taken seriously, the other too high to be affordable). Of the two quotes that we considered acceptable, one came from the firm that I had personally 'liked the best when we met' ...and they had assured us that they offered good site management, which I considered to be of value. Therefore we pursued their references and visited a build that they were currently undertaking. Finally contracts were signed and the agreement to proceed was set for the proposed eight week build.
This blog offers my personal experience of the work as it was undertaken, and includes my personal opinion of the workmen themselves. My report will also include apparent irrelevances...which I trust will ensure that no-one falls asleep during the reading! The link to this blog was not shown to the builders until the middle of the second week of them working. 'Big Bird' then became an avid follower.
AT THE END OF IT ALL...the build took ten weeks.
I started this blog as a personal record of the building of my house extension. There have been a lot of hits on the site and a lot more interest shown that I'd expected. Quite a few people have contacted me as a result, with some of these being clearly interested in finding our builder for their own projects.
I'd like to say that this blog describes my personal experience and offers my point of view and no-one else's. All building projects are disruptive and messy and inevitably delays do occur within the process. At the end of the day the proof of the pudding is in the eating and when the build is complete the results speak for themselves. If you are planning to have an extension built then you must expect ups and downs...and make realistic adjustments to your expectations so that the reality of it all doesn't drive you mad.
Full details (a daily record of the build) are published here for the interested to read at leisure.
However, for those that are simply looking to find a builder, and are not interested in great detail...I offer
this short resume of the firm I employed.
When it came to the quoted cost of this build, the price of the
build in its entirety was agreed and the outcome of the costs matched this
agreement. The firm did not
skimp on materials or cut corners. They
did not argue over small alterations, nor did they charge extra for small items added. They provided all that I wanted. They did the job for the agreed cost with no
messing about when it came to agreed finances.
The build itself was estimated to take eight weeks. In fact it ran for ten weeks. I had hoped that it would be completed ‘on time’…and
still feel that it could have been on time if site management had been more
efficient. However, the firm is
expanding due to increased demand and therefore the overseeing management
became stretched.
The workmen were easy to get along with
and they worked together and co-operated as efficiently as ants. Many of the builders have a great deal of experience and are
‘old school’ trained. Young ones add to
the mix. I can’t fault the builders (although I personally found 'Grover' to be a little tiresome)…all
of them deserve credit.
Looking at the completed build the workmanship is excellent. The roof is beautifully finished. The brick laying is exceptionally precise and neat. Finally, the work has increased the value of my property beyond the cost of the build.
