Hello from Cambridge

[DeanAlan]

Hello BuildHub community,

 

We've just taken on a significant remodel and extension project in central Cambridge and wondering what on earth we've done!

Nothing good comes easy I keep reminding myself ?

 

It is a 1930s semi detached house with a large garden. We bought it with full planning approval for a large extension taking it from its small 86sqm to a good size 210sqm. We didn't intend to mess with the approved plans but the more we looked at them while the purchase went through the more we decided on a few small changes and before you know it we had to put in for a full application. We're pending that decision (should be mid Jan 2020) and are confident given it is actually slightly smaller overall and we've built up relationship with the neighbours and believe they have no objections.

 

At the moment I plan on taking main contractor and project manager responsibilities bringing in the trades myself. I also plan on doing some of the demolition and dogs body work myself.

 

I'm a software engineer by trade so hoping I'll be able to handle the home automation and become a source of advice in that domain going forward.

 

Nice to meet you all, thanks in advance for any advice you offer and good luck with any projects you are currently working on.

 

cheers,

-Dean

[Dreadnaught]

Welcome to BuildHub, @DeanAlan. I am in central Cambridge too. A new-build Bungalow near the river. I'm at the foundations stage still a long journey ahead. Feel free to touch and good luck with your project!

 

 

[Ferdinand]

Welcome.

 

So this is a good time to learn. Read some blogs here - very good experience on many.

 

Trades may be a struggle as there is a lot of work around aiui - especially with GHG work starting to ramp up.

 

F

[rh2205]

Welcome we are also Cambridge way. We know some people down the road who’ve been at it for 7 years now and still use a ladder to get upstairs, glad we entered their house before we started to understand they weren’t joking. Best advice the local structural engineer and neighbours gave us, go to a main contractor in this area and keep the work you do to a minimum unless you can rent for an unlimited time, earn rubbish money so working on it effectively pays or don’t mind a building site, they weren’t wrong. We found extension and remodel much harder to do without the main contractor as you can’t just buy in the structure like a new build (eg go to a timber frame company). Local construction is booming, and refurb is just more complicated all round, but we did initially try to get trades lined up over 6 months and our experience was difficult to say the least. It was a whole new floor and remodel totalling 220sqm so we were frustrated no builder would even do the main structural and extension part of the job. Our fall back was to hand it all over to someone bar some small bits as time is also money as they say, sure we will be in within 9 months like our builder promised so we are happy with our decision though it was not as planned. Fortunately the quality of the work has been good and reasonably priced, don’t think we’d of done it cheaper subcontracting going on what prices we did get early days (unless we’d done the work ourselves) and I’m certain it would of added a lot longer on timescales. Hopefully you are in it for the long haul and time is not your limiting factor. It’s worth saying even with this route we have done bits ourselves, demolished 10 walls, stripped house, pulled ceilings down, we are improving the air tightness ourselves sealing everything, installed the log burner and no doubt there will be other little bits so we probably still average 2 days a week on site between us just doing evenings and weekend mornings. Then the rest of weekend is for working out what’s happening next and making sure we are happy with the details. But this is not a stressful process and it’s good to see things happening quickly given there’s more man power. Certainly we have been shocked by just how much resource has been needed for this size property though if you’ve got a simple symmetric box it will be easier so good luck with the project ?

[DeanAlan]

@Dreadnaught, @Ferdinand and @rh2205 thanks for your comments - although a little scary.

 

Certainly seen the impact of GHG getting in my way re ASHP and EWI that I need.

I have good structural local structural engineer and 3C local building control are really helpful. I have a general builder, brickworker and groundworker lined up and access to roofers and first/second fix services (on paper anyway).

 

I'm not doing any of the 'build' myself beyond possibly replacement of existing ground floor rotten timber floor with solid floor and then other demolishing work. 

 

Understanding, organising and scheduling is sure to be a challenge. My head is already spinning.

 

I'll keep you all posted.

 

cheers,

- Dean