canalsiderenovation

Rethink definitely needed. This is our current floor plan (ignore the fact doors are missing on everything, we have been playing around with it and somehow managed to get rid of them!)

This is an old aerial picture of the bungalow, the issue is the weird configuration. The garages/shed can be demolished as there is space for a double garage at the end of the drive. The only proposed extension to the ground floor is where the veg plot is on the picture which would be a kitchen/diner. We could additionally extend where the garage/shed is and the other end of the house but it's such an odd shape (yes it was built like this)!

You have hit the nail on the head! We are both late 30's and since I left home I've always lived in bungalows and love them (aside from the fact they are always cold but decent heating will address this). My mum's going through so many knee issues at the moment, she's in her 60's and it got us both thinking. The argument re the balcony is one I've had with my OH since day 1, almost verbatim your point!

Well we had planned corrugated roof, 11 velux windows (for privacy no direct facing windows, balcony etc). All of this seems unnecessary if we can get what we want on a single storey. We have what seems like a hundred copies of floor plans and bits of paper everywhere, there's just something we are missing ?

We are about to pay building control but have put a stop on things. I confessed to my OH I was having a bit of a wobble with our plans (extension of ground floor of bungalow and second storey/upstairs). It's the upstairs I'm now questioning. OH confessed she was the same though she was always more keen on the second floor, balcony etc and perhaps budget wise a single storey is easier, things like we only wanted underfloor heating and no radiators. Although we did mention an upstairs to our architects we have always been open to a single storey and this was our brief initially. To give us the space we need I think it was easier to just put a second storey onto the bungalow although this then created more space than we actually need. Ironically although we got our plans passed the council did favour a single story extension initially as well. This does mean trying to go back to the drawing board and to try and work our new ideas, I mean we have the garden space to do it but we just don't know where to start as our bungalow is such a weird configuration anyway!

We have a house name and we really wanted a solid oak front door (initially thought about double doors) made and we liked the idea of the name being carved into the front door. That said we will have electric gates eventually so the house name will be on the gates/post

Is this any good https://www.nu-heat.co.uk/underfloor-heating/upstairs/

Try www.shuffs.co.uk I'm really impressed with the range of products generally (although they have a showroom near my parents).

I'd made enquiries with Sigma if there was a nearby showroom and whilst there isn't they did say that they distribute to a number of independent retailers under the brand Masterclass Kitchens. Whilst I suspect it would be much more expensive, it is useful if you want to go and view their products...

I'll check out Nolte. Thanks! Our builder will be fitting. From what I've read I don't believe Sigma have their own fitters and we would rather just use the joiner/builder on site. Actually no I used https://www.merchanthouseltd.co.uk/ It's a small company and at the time I paid over £500 less than anywhere else for my worktop and quartz fitting. That said I took an envelope of cash I'd been saving for and begged them to do it and I think they felt sorry for me in the end!

We want to find good quality kitchen cupboards and units. We will source worktop and appliances seperately as I've got some good contacts re granite and quartz worktops from when I had my previous house. Previously we had Wickes gloss which was fine but I found the cupboards (and pan draws especially) didn't particularly like the weight of the Le Creuset pans and generally the Blum hinges always needed tightening (think this was more to do with quality of the units as oppose to the units themselves). I've read favourable things about DIY Kitchens. I've stumbled across a company called https://www.sigma3.co.uk/our-showrooms which I think we're linked to County Kitchens. Has anyone heard of them? They have quite a few products we like the look of online.

@Bitpipe today we went to our local timber yard (actually we went looking at internal doors, but ended up on a right mission at umpteen places looking at doors, kitchens, bathrooms, skirting and a whole range of other stuff and have enough brochures to wallpaper the house now)! We ended up with about 10 different samples. We really like the profile you posted and seems to be the best budget option needing as least maintenance. It only came in 7ft lengths at our local timber yard but I'm sure it would come in longer lengths elsewhere. @Ferdinand @Barney12 @lizzie our little three foster kittens have gone now so I can't blame the dust on them anymore although the ecologist found signs of mice so perhaps it's them ? I think the fact we have our windows and doors open a lot (to air the house) and there is always agriculture activity in the fields nearby (maize, combine harvesters, hay etc) that this contributes as well.

Hi@AliG I love your fire! The stepped skirting is lovely but is my cleaning idea of hell! I do like the idea of the curved one posted by @Bitpipe. @Bitpipe do you have any pictures of your skirting?

Nope, we have an endless supply of seasoned wood currently as when we moved in bunkers were full and we have a wood too and a there were numerous felled trees. On the canal the cottages opposite are on solid fuel too (though again seasoned wood mainly, it's always available on the canal) and that's without the narrowboats going past so if I was worried on health risks I've picked the wrong house!. We will keep the wood burner but our main heating will be ASHP when the renovation is done.

That skirting looks pretty good (and cheap) and as you say avoids the dust. We currently have pencil skirting and it's terrible for dust (I think the wood burner makes dust worse and as it's our current only form of heating as the oil heating knackered last year we are using it a lot). I'm dreading winter as we basically need to move the bed etc into the living room and treat it like a studio in the hope we can manage til the renovation starts next year and we can find somewhere else to live!

At the moment we have a 24ft long lounge/living room (albeit with a stove in a true 1970's brick fireplace in the middle) and white skirting just over 3' high so quite small compared to the room size. Bigger skirting just equals more painting and IMO actually drawing attention too it! ? Have you gone for a maintenance free option? Any suggestions?

I'd not heard of shadow gaps, but with the OTT hoovering and mopping by the OH I can foresee issues to do away with skirting altogether (as much as I hate it), she's bad enough with the naff vinyl im the lounge and kitchen let alone hard floor throughout! Recessed is not something I'd seen though so will definitely look into that. The alternative would have to be something as maintenance free as possible, likely white we don't want oak and to have a particular wood shade.

Whilst cleaning my mum's house this week, it occurred to me how much I really hate skirting boards! Now granted my mum's are those fancy lots-of-annoying-groves-type which are a pain to dust and have yellowed slightly and we current have the basic kind, but I just hate skirting board generally. I know we are going to have to pick skirting boards are some point, but please no glossed skirting boards! What do people have? Do skirting boards ever look nice? Also, randomly at the same time I was thinking about underfloor heating and flooring. E.g. tiles or whatever and would this be put in before or after skirting? (I have no idea what what we will put on the floor - that's a whole new topic)!

Excel clad the company who manufacture the plastisol sheeting have said they can fold up a highline gutter from the same material as the sheeting which can be folded in various dimensions to suit our requirements so that could be an option.

? Thanks I'll take a look. Apparantly you can get RAL7016 uPVC guttering to match the cladding........

If we went for similar to the design above the handrail would be on the wall so descending would be on the side of my dominant (right) hand - good point though!

It looks really good, but when you are trying to get a king sized mattress up them it creates a whole range of issues!

On that pic I like couldn't you just have a handrail on the wall - but not on the other side and just have glass on the other side? Other half says people would still grab onto the glass. My argument is as it's only our room and the gym upstairs it would only be us going upstairs!

Had a spiral staircase in the last house. It was a nightmare! I'm actually quite pleased it's straight stairs but just can't see anything that jumps out at me...

Sorry I'm confused, what would look better?