Considering the possibility of adding an extension to the rear of a newly purchased property. Haven’t really given it much thought apart from mocking up the attached image so just want to hear people’s thoughts on whether they think this would be feasible, or any other ideas they would have for adding an extension?
I've lived in my flat about 2 years now and built up enough savings again to think about renovations. Unfortunately I have NO IDEA where to start 😂
Can anyone explain the process to me like I was born yesterday?
I want to have the kitchen + bathroom redone, replace flooring + radiators throughout, move/add a couple of electrical outlets, redo all skirting/coving, and paint all the rooms.
Do I need to have all my design and fixtures/fittings decided before I speak to contractors?
I don't have the time to micromanage multiple trades - how do I find a tradesperson who can coordinate everything for me?
Would people recommend doing everything at once, or in sections? If sections, what order?
I don't have anyone in my local area who can give recommendations, so how can I check tradespeoples reviews / track record?
Thanks in advance!
Hi
I have a bedroom roughly 3.84m x 3.20m. Moths have ruined the carpet so I need to replace it but I’m on a very small budget. Any advice on the cheapest way to get this removed and replace? Happy to replace with wood if cheaper. I’m based in London.
Thank you
Family member considering buying. Thanks.
Looking at purchasing a new house and wondering what everyone’s thoughts would be on the current layout
For us we would want to do a single story extension at the family/dining area to open that space up with bifold doors and create a larger open plan area
Also another draw back is only one en-suite and a small box room (bedroom 4).
Welcome any thoughts or opinions on the current layout and/or any improvements you’d make
For me it's the house doors.
I really want to get my bathroom remodelled but I don't know where to start hiring a tradesman.
I sort of know what I want but I'm not entirely sure. I have some catalogues from various bathroom suppliers but do I need to pick out what I want first and then hire a tradesman, or get some in to give me quotes and see which suppliers they use?
Are they likely to design it or just give suggestions and expect me to pick out everything I want?
I always hate when I'm asked what my budget is because I have no idea, and don't want someone to try and rip me off if I give too high a price.
I've had a design done at B&Q but it was a bit crap, and not exactly what I like but I'm assuming that could be used as a jumping off point.
Hi all - we're first time buyers looking at a 3 bed end of terrace house.
We like the house but would like to extend it so there's more room for us to grow into, start a family, have friends over, etc.
Our ideal would be:
- full-width rear extension (garden is long so no issue) and adding a downstairs toilet and utility room (likely going into where the storage is but might also reduce space in the current sitting/dining room)
- add a loft conversion
- what else do you think we could do?
Our main question is how that would work given the layout with the bathroom, it feels like we aren't able to add stairs up to the loft without losing bedroom floor space but maybe that's just something we have to accept?
Would love any helpful thoughts for people doing this for the first time!
Thanks!
Dear all,
I've just bought a 2-bed maisonette, built in 1995 and has the original heaters - 2 are storage and 2 are electric. There is no gas to the property.
Apparently the heaters all work fine but I definitely want to replace them with modern, more energy efficient and nicer looking heaters. I'll need 4 in total.
My question is: how do I go about this? I've got a quote booked with Fischer heat, and I know there are other companies that can also quote for me, but I also know that there are online suppliers that you can just order rads from and then hire a qualified person to fit them (side question: do all electricians know how to do this or are there electric radiator-specific electricians?).
I can see that the bonus with a company like Fischer (or equivalent) is that they do it all for you and make everything simpler, but I'm not really sure what the best option is here and I don't want to spend stupid money if I don't have to! (don't worry, I'm absolutely not going to attempt to install them myself!)
Thanks!
Moved into a new house. Photo above of our Kitchen cabinet doors. Can't open the right hand side without opening the left door. Any ideas about type of door to replace this? Thank you.
We’re in the process of purchasing a house with the attached stairs which aren’t too toddler friendly. Do anyone have any experience of baby proofing these types of stairs without replacing them? Will obviously be adding baby gates, too. We’ll have a 3-year old and newborn on the way, so there will be several years of toddling ahead of us. Thanks!
Four years ago when I moved into this house, there was *a lot* of gravel/dust/stones inside this fitted wardrobe. I found it bizarre but cleaned it out and carried on as normal.
Today I heard crumbling/thudding sounds coming from the wardrobe, like debris falling. When I opened it, loads of sand and gritty material had fallen all over my belongings, including some large dark orange stones.
I’ve attached a photo of the top shelf. The pipes run through the wardrobe and there seems to be crumbling material around them. Where the pipes are, there is a gap on the shelf itself so the debris also fell through that.
No obvious water dripping and the pipes don’t currently seem wet.
Does anyone know what this might be?
TIA
Hi,
Not strictly DIY but wondered if anyone had any experience. Looking to install low profile retrofit wet ufh into the kitchen, diner and trying to manage floor height build up and flooring.
We are keen to have glued lvt. Ufh company have specified that boards are 20mm, 10mm screed/self leveller on top and then ready for lvt (2mm?).
Flooring companies seem keen to lay their own 'finishing' screed which would add to this build up further.
How do people manage this, do you get ufh/builders to leave the finish deliberately low accommodating for the fact floorers will lay more? Or is there floorers out there that will lay directly. Seems counterintuitive to do something twice.
Also, there will be a c.10mm transition between hallway and kitchen, ideally the floor would run throughout. Can lvt installers transition with a steady slope?
It has come time to replace old treated timber decking, and I have been gathering quotes. One builder says to go composite, other says to go hardwood. Both agree cost is about the same. Any experiences?
I am concerned that I am terrible at home maintenance as it is and wood would require me to get my act together (I’m currently disabled and who knows about the future). On the other hand, the composite decking I’ve seen (my neighbour) looks like tacky plastic, and I don’t think that’s my vibe. Help a woman decide!
I know rain can be an issue. The chimney on my house is not used at all, but needs fixing. Could it wait a few months (until September) or does it look urgent? I actually don't know how long it's been like this, only just noticed.
Hello - just looking for ideas / views on our plans.
We’re in a three bed end of terrace and looking to make the downstairs space work better for us by remodelling and having a very small extension as the current layout (to the left) doesn’t work.
The kitchen area on the proposed layout will be about 4.6m x 3.5m and the diner section 3.2m x 3.6m, with large doors onto our south facing garden.
We don’t plan on being here forever - the next 4-5 years - so we don’t want to go wild. For example, we don’t plan on extending all the way down because there’s a chimney stack in the proposed diner that will add extra expense to remove etc. The main aim is to have a better kitchen/diner space for the medium term and also have a downstairs bathroom for guests.
I would also like banquette seating in the diner but can’t quite work out if that will look right unless we have cupboards extending out.
Any thoughts/comments very welcome!
I have fallen in love with this house but I need to be sensible about how much it could cost to put right. I have zero experience of renovating, can anyone tell what is wrong just from the pictures and advise on costs? Im in Wales https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/88280832#/?channel=RES_BUY
I've had a series of online quotes from Heatable/Boxt/iHeat and so on, but only managed to get one actual local trade to come and quote for a new boiler.
The local guy has come in much cheaper (£4,200 compared to £4,350 - £5,600 online) but I've not had a second cost on the shower yet and honestly trying to arrange it is becoming a headache when I work full time and can't always be at home all day for someone to pop in.
Quote received from local guy:
Guarantee is 2 years on plumbing, 5 years on the boiler.
Quoted price is inclusive of VAT.
Does this seem reasonable? Are there any other questions I should be asking him?
Re uploaded to add better before pic!
I am desperate to get some more flow with my home, at the moment it feels like there is so much wasted space and no real fluid movement to the house 🫠
The first image (with the highlighted text) is the current floor plan. The “sitting room” is hardly used as the main sitting area is the front living room and the kitchen is desperate for an upgrade.
The other also attached image is what I would love to do, I’ve broken down the changes below:
- moved the doorway that leads into the back of the house, block up the current doorway to instead have an open archway to what is the current sitting room.
-the current sitting room to become the dining space, no real changes here other than cosmetic.
- the current dining room to become the kitchen. Now I feel like this is where it becomes a bit of a pipe dream. The current dining room has the door with access to the garden- which I would love to block up and turn into a window, moving the back door to around the corner instead. The bathroom is directly above the current dining room and the water waste pipe runs directly outside this (hope to be window) so I’m hoping that a sink would easily transition to be in this position. Then it would just be sorting the gas for the stove and of course kitchen units.
-finally id love for the current kitchen to become a utility/downstairs wc. This is something that would be the cherry on the top and not my number one priority but how i feel the space would best utilised.
Now nor me or my partner are traders, we dont mind a bit of work but a lot of this would work would need some professional input.
Without feeling too much like Kirsty and Phil, do I follow my dreams and get renovating to make this our perfect space or do we crack on with some minimal updating jobs, stick the house on the market and find something that doesn’t involve so much work!
Thanks reddit!!