on the roadside and manually carried to the site during the build until work on the main driveway was completed.


CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS


ARCHITECT


Tim Hatton at Carve Architecture


www.carvearchitecture.co.uk


STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Darren Hubbard at Hubbard Associates www.hubbardassociates.co.uk


GROUND SOURCE HEATING


Go Eco Renewables www.goecorenewables.co.uk


WINDOWS Eurocell


www.eurocell.co.uk


ROOF WINDOWS Roof-maker


www.roof-maker.co.uk


VINYL FLOORING Spectra


www.buyspectra.com


KITCHEN Howdens


www.howdens.com september/october 2019


The level of this drive – to the front of the house – had to be raised and levelled to compensate for the high water table and allow for external pipes for ground source heating, which cost £10,000 and was organised with help from Go Eco Renewables.


Although the cost had been allowed for in the initial estimates, there were many other costs which sent the overall budget spiralling out of control.


“We realised, too late, that a series of incremental smaller costs soon started to escalate into one big cost which we had neither planned nor budgeted for,” admits Tom. “If we had to offer advice to anyone doing something similar, it would be to work out an overall budget from the outset and get a full breakdown of the costs in writing. I would resist the temptation to agree to additions that the builder suggests, given the relative small cost. We got taken up in the spirit of ‘while the builders are here and it’s a good price for this addition, let’s just get them to do it’ without thinking how we were actually going to pay back the additional debt this got us into.” In the end they sold two investment rental properties to pay off their bank loans. “There has to be a bit of flexibility, but we took a lot of risks, paying for rent and mortgage at the same time without thinking about how we would pay off these extra costs. We probably wouldn’t have done it if we had worked it out


properly beforehand.”


That said, they are both delighted with the results.


Cost issues aside, they finally moved in May 2018 once the £5,000 kitchen from Howdens was installed, bathroom fittings were in and floors coverings laid.


“We had a few problems to begin with, including a significant leak through the ceiling when we switched on the water,” says Carly. “Something hadn’t been capped properly and water came pouring into the extension.” The couple also came up with some ingenious ideas to prevent other problems in the future – like photographing everything throughout the project.


“We even took drone pictures of the trenches for the ground source energy pipes being laid so that we knew where they were if we ever needed to access them,” says Tom. “It was a very steep learning curve and we have learned a huge amount along the way, but there is very little we would change. The extension has totally transformed the way we live and we love the direct link to the outdoors.” Carly and Tom still have a lot to do – especially in the garden – but now they are finally in and enjoying the benefits of the house they have no regrets about taking on the renovation.


“Had we known then what we know now, we would probably not be living here,” says Carly. “But it was definitely the right thing to do in the end. Thanks to Tim and his vision, it has lived up to all our expectations.” 


www.sbhonline.co.uk 53


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