Independent builder vs specialist extension company like BuildTeam
gus powell
5 years ago
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gus powell
5 years agoRelated Discussions
What windows should we choose?
Comments (56)Hi Folks. The windows are in and I love them. I chose black slim profile aluminium chamfered profile. I've been delaying posting a picture because, as you can see the front drive isn't done yet so the house isn't set off very well in its surroundings. To be clear, the windows we replaced were already Everest replacement windows from the late 70's early 80's I'd guess. The only original glazing we had being external Crittal doors that were ffffreezing, so they have gone and the Crittal stained glass windows by the front door and chimney breast, which we've kept, though they need painting black to match the new windows. We haven't replaced all the other non-original windows, but will aim to do so over the years, when the cash flow improves. I managed to persuade my husband to at least agree to all the first floor front elevation windows being replaced, so now they are all the same when you view the house from the street. The windows of a brick built sun room, front right, that you can partly see, are probably going to be removed, to make that area part of the garden rather than the house. One thing I would say is that we are having a bit of trouble with condensation on the outside of the new windows, which was unexpected and made me quite miserable at first. It turns out we're a bit unlucky, it's a known, but not extremely common, issue with such good thermal insulation in modern double glazing and it depends on the aspect of your house and the dew point. Our front elevation is west and exposed, so cold in the morning resulting in condensation and our view being foggy until the air temperature rises. I've attached a poor photo to show a mild version of what I mean, it can be a lot denser and we have far reaching views from the upstairs windows, so disappointing. But I've got over it. The main plus point is that the rooms with new replacement windows are so much warmer than the ones which still have the old ill fitting wood and aluminium windows. I'm also really pleased that we chose the windows to be black on the inside too. A neighbour up the road has black on the outside, white on the inside and I think it looks really odd when the windows are open. Finally, all the houses on our road are completely different, so there is no uniting feature that ties them together, our windows couldn't clash with the windows in the other houses as they are all individuals, though I suppose you could say they are all clashing, but as we are fortunate enough to be in a big plot with the houses set well apart I don't get that sense. Thanks for looking and all the advice. It was really helpful....See MoreLeaking shower disaster -help
Comments (6)Hi there, sorry to hear about the problems you've had. Ashton's have given good advice, and the flex-seals are a good option to reduce your risks of leaks further. I too would be interested to know what tray you used? The quality of trays can vary hugely, and over the years we've narrowed down what we use to a few suppliers we trust. It is not until you come to fit or, indeed, still later that you find that "bargain" was actually an expensive mistake. I'd echo mayfly's advice too - by splitting all the elements of your bathroom (different products from different suppliers, different builders/tilers etc), you leave yourself open to escalating problems with everyone blaming everyone else. If you go to a single independent, they'll put together a package based on products and tradesmen they trust, and if anything goes wrong you only have to deal with one company, and they'll normally move heaven and earth to fix it. And their tradesmen & suppliers will move heaven and earth to sort it too - they won't want to risk losing all that repeat trade where they might walk away from a single difficult job. It might look as though the up front price is a little higher than doing it all yourself, but when things go awry you may find it is a false economy. I hope you get the problem sorted and good luck with the kitchen too!...See MoreAdvice please! House purchase, extension and renovation
Comments (29)I'd agree with both angm47 & man about the house. Before we bought our current property, we were set on buying a house & had people in to give us quotes on work, etc but then discovered the property had mundic & we had to pull out. Fortunately, we hadn't spent anything. Where we are now, we had plans to extend but once we'd lived in it, our ideas changed. Although we've still extended, it's completely different to what we'd initially thought we'd do....See MoreTrue handless kitchen - recommendations please
Comments (29)Hello Billy, thanks for your kind comments! Yes it does look amazing :-). Yes, I'm having all Siemens appliances, the kitchen shop gets a good deal on that brand so I thought I'd go for it, otherwise I would probably have gone for Bosch or Neff if sourcing appliances myself. Miele would have been out of my budget. The ovens you see are 1 Siemens self cleaning combination microwave/oven and 1 combination full steam/oven. I think some new models are out already and if they are out, it means you can get the older model for a cheaper price, which is great unless there is a must have function in the new model you can't do without and the current Siemens ovens do look good anyway. If you've already decided on the brand, design and the shop, you can still ask for a discount, in fact most of the independent shops I went to did offer some discount when I asked ( not much discount but better than nothing ). Yes, having an extension built ( approx. 5.5m x3m ) with pitched roof, 3 velux and sliding doors ( as in picture ), the shell has been built, steels in etc now waiting for 1st fix for electrician. Btw, I don't mean to be nosey into your kitchen design but do you really need 4 ovens? I know we always see them in glossy magazines/photos and it does look good, I also wanted 4 ovens too for the look but then decided it was pointless if I didn't need to use 4 ovens and you would save some money too. On your island ( if you have space ), you could consider an overhang of the worktop on the opposite side of the sink so people could sit there, as I've heard from people with islands that when guests come over, everyone hangs around the island and those that don't have an overhang wish they did. You can chat with your guests whilst cooking/ preparing. If you have older kids and want to get them involved, they can sit on that side and perhaps help prepare too :-). That's my vision for my kitchen anyway :-)....See Moregus powell
5 years ago
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