How do I bathroom / kitchen / extension? etc.

Finished without a mirror over the basin! Are you so hideous you’d rather not see yourself of a morning?!

Ha, there will be a mirror, just the 2nd fit is finally finished. Bit I am also too hideous for mirror.

Is that an integrated electric toothbrush charger?

Yeah, I had no idea they existed until the spark told me about them, it has a shaver socket in it as well.

Voila. Buried deep in my ‘to buy for house’ list from a while back.

it’s a total budget of their quote + ~40%

Yikes, that's getting a bit spendy! Budget isn't really limited (golf club), but value is a definitely a consideration.

For context, the flat is currently 60sqm, of which the living room plus bedrooms is 35. By my reckoning I'd be adding another 30sqm of actual living space, which seems huge.

Wanna do mine for that plz?

Will get you 2 x Fortitude mince pies to sweeten the deal

Have you any idea about whether you'll be OK for planning permission for the second room? Haringey used to be a bit picky about that for some reason.

Looking at mine from 2018 I paid:
£3k party wall
£900 building control
£300 extra electrics
£3k for bathroom (suite, tiles and tiling - the guy Dan James recommended for tiling was very good)
£1.5k carpets
£3k decorating (including all the existing hallway)

On the pediment, it makes a really nice space and helps to make the room a lot brighter (assuming you're getting velux on both sides) but we very, very rarely used the space in part due to the low ceiling (yours may be better if they're adding it in but anyone taller than 5'4" had to stoop in mine) and also it's just a strange shaped space. Have a think about what you would use it for and how much you value the storage space.

I had a good look around Haringey's planning site and saw several nearby examples of flats with similar conversions. There are also some with roof terraces in the same space.

I'd wondered about the second room and roof terrace, which there doesn't appear to be any precedence for. Dan James dismissed the idea immediately, but the bloke from Creative Spaces seemed to think there was nothing to be lost by trying. Have anecdotal suggestions that planning may be more sympathetic to upper flats wanting outside space these days.

Was aware that your place had the pediment, remember the sale photos. Nextdoor do too so I'm hoping to get a nosey sometime.

Yeah easy bruv. One pie per 40 hour week seems pretty good to me

Thanks, I'm definitely getting one of these.

🤝

That little valve by the drainpipe. Anyone got any ideas of what it is? Should I give it some twists and see what comes out?

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Central heating drain point?

Looks like a heating drain cock, weird place for it.

Yeah I’m also hoping it’s the drain point. Couldn’t find one on the system inside the flat. We have no rads on exterior walls. Weird place or total genius. Heating drains straight into the outside gutter.

Thanks friend. 🙏🏾

Exterior drain point is the dream!!!! No more running dodgy hosepipes across the dining room out the patio doors.

Just sitting there all nonchalant. I only noticed it yesterday for the first time.

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Nah I dont mean it like that, I mean right behind or beside the drain must have be abastard to drill also seems high but it might be because the floors high as you usually put it at the lowest point so it all drains.

If you have the time to commit to it - with your skillz- you could defo design it in a way that you DIY elements. If you accepted timber frame construction and some kind of cladding externally you avoid messy specialist stuff like brickwork. But I'd reckon you'd need a careful plan from the outset on who does what when and it would be a massive commitment time / stress wise. Doing any decorating (paint) is an easy save of a few grand - but again time...

Yeah, I get you. It does look like it was drilled from the outside in too. It looks like there is just enough clearance for the bit to have gone past the drain. Maybe, given the look of the exterior (nice old sandstone?) it was done to be as discreet as possible? And also yes, I would assume floors higher than ground level.

Any savvy shoppers have and leads on where to find the best value, discounted January sale bathroom suites?

I know I've asked for similar before but the choice is just overwhelming.

Bifold doors, talk to me.

Not got a massive opening (oo er), 2.4m if we can get the soil stack shifted across, so was looking for doors that either have a fanlight (right word?) above or are c2.4m tall as opposed to the standard 2.1m - but struggling to find something OTP… any leads?

Usual caveat in that we’re not talking megabucks here, 2-3k would be optimal (also keeping an eye out on ebay for second hand bargains)

edit: also thinking given the size, might be worth sticking to french-style doors that have a slimmer frame like these - look easier/cheaper to spec a specific size too

Have a look at slideandfold.co.uk