A house that backs on to our garden started building a full length dormer extension about 5 weeks ago. This gave us some ideas and we've got an architect drawing up plans for us now, I had a few questions that I was hoping to find answers to.
- Finding a builder - The architect has estimated the build cost at about £40k (he's done three of these exact extensions previously). He's got a preferred builder he has pointed us too but I'd like to get other quotes. What's the best way to find someone for work like this? I don't know anyone who has had an extension built and I've not had the best luck finding people online before, the only builder I've used who has been any good doesn't do projects that size.
- Working days - The extension behind has had people working 8-4 6 days a week as well as a few hours on Sundays. One of our neighbours apparently lost it yesterday and went round screaming at the builder. We've currently got a fairly good relationship with the neighbours, if we asked the builders to restrict working hours at the weekend would it cost us more money?
- We've been thinking about adding air conditioning as the heat is an epilepsy trigger and know someone who could do this. If we had this put in during the build phase and arranged it ourselves is it likely to cause us a problem with the builder?
- It looks like we may need to move out for a few weeks during the build. Where do people typically go for a short period like that? I'd assumed we wouldn't need to as a lot of the work seems to have been done to the one behind before they've broken through but the homeowners haven't been there at all.
