motorbird83

Anyone who would recognise this would have been there. I can't see how this exposes the person anymore that was already the case. That someone is showing concern might bring home to the person how serious an issue this is and push them to get the help they need.

Agree-- I would really encourage you to consider this as breast milk's impact on premature babies is much more significant than healthy full-term babies :) Jellybeanz Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > King's always need milk for premature babies and > other vulnerable babies :) worthwhile cause and > lot less hassle than couriering!!

It?s expensive. A good rule of thumb is 1,500 psm so for an extension this size the pure construction costs would be 45k excluding VAT. Other things that are probably included in your quote: 1. Fees: architect fees for planning drawings, measurement surveys, engineer drawings, building control plans and fees etc will be between 5k and 10k (depending if you use a fully qualified architect or if you get the builder to use his in house design team). 2. New windows and doors: if you want velux windows, and basic bifold doors add around another 4-5k for that 3. The quote might also include some of the new electrical fittings (LV spot lights, facings for electrical sockets and switches, etc). Depending on what they are assuming, add another 2k 4. Do you need to move your boiler? Did you say you want to install a loo under the stairs? And 1k for moving the boiler (more if you need to replace it) and 2k for the under stairs loo Other costs not included in a typical quote for a builder but should be part of you budget is; 1. Cost of new flooring throughout (not just the new space but integrating it with the old). The installation costs should be in the quote but not supplying the floor. Without know the final size of your rear room post extension its hard to guess what this will be but assume a minimum of 30 psm 2. Do you want underfloor heating? For an extension that size, that will be an addition 2k at least for a water-fed system and will be on top of the basic spec that 1,500psm mentioned above 3. The cost of any fancy lights you want (under cabinet lighting, over counter lighting etc) 4. The cost of a new kitchen (assuming you are getting a new kitchen). Total budget for all the extras, 20k would be pretty middle of the road spec. So I?d budget a minimum all in of 85k for something that large. That?s assuming no new manhole needs to be done with Thameswater, and no garden work (your garden will be ruined post-extension).

Miacis-- are you talking about their attainment levels when they were admitted to the school or once the started sitting GCSEs / A-levels? Obviously, looking at attainment levels once the school has started educating the children wouldn't indicate anything about the admission policy but rather would reflect how well the school is educating its pupils. Do you have any links?

Old Villa

I am in private sector and it's as srisky says. You have to repay a portion if you don't come back

Intex, they have proposed distance as the crow flies. As most schools operate banding combined with distance, it's better that any new school does the same otherwise the banding doesn't work as effectively. I believe DofE have specific guidance / recommendation on this

I liked Lucas and it seemed to be doing very well. Sounds like it's more a personal decision of the business owner. It's a shame as it's my favourite place for breakfast

The plans look great. What will be the last screening time on the weekends and weekdays out of curiosity? I imagine the cinema will really bring additional business to the various restaurants etc in the area. Regarding the LLW - please stop hijacking every thread about the cinema to talk about this. As others have side it would be totally hypocritical and unfair to single out this specific business for criticism / boycott when virtually no London businesses currently pay the LLW.

That sounds great!

Agree with Ianr

I should say that I think all the ED primaries are good, particularly Bessemer. I just wanted to be near the park, transport and any if the good primary schools. To get the park and transport, the only primaries possible are Goodrich and Heber which are both good but not necessarily any better than others. If you aren't interested in being close to Dulwich park (I run most mornings there) then I would not make being close to Heber a specific priority at all as long as you are near a primary school.

I live 10 min to Dulwich Park and 10 min to the station and am in catchment (100m) of Heber- had all your same priorities! We would probably just get in to Goodrich and for secondary we are within a mile walking of the Charter so would stand a reasonable chance of getting in there too. I am on Pellatt rd and it's much closer to the station than it seems if you use Melbourne grove as a short cut. I think Pellatt and the surrounding roads are close to everything: the gym, NorthX rd market, the high street, both Dulwich and Peckam Rye parks, Dulwich Village and the new Picture House cinema. The big downside is virtually all of the houses In my and the surrounding streets have tiny gardens. It was a compromise we decided we could live with for the schools, park, high street and transport links. If you have to have a decent garden a handful on Landcroft rd do but only one came up during our one year search and we were massively outbid. Good luck! ETA: using crystal palace rd to get to the park is usually faster from my bit of ED

paddykelly Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- I understand that as more families have moved in to > this particular neighbourhood there is obviously > more pressure on places. It does seem however > that this could have been predicated and it seems > to reflect a bigger failing within the education > policy. Both a national level, especially with > the free schools and how few places are being > taken up for those by (obviously) sceptical > parents, as well as at the local level. The > system from my point of view does not seem to work > very well. > > I'm curious how other parents will be voting in > the local elections with this in mind? There does > seem to be a lot of finger pointing amongst > politicians but surely all the main political > parties have now had a chance to make a difference > and the education system still seems to be a mess Didn't someone already confirm that all the 60 Harris free school places have been taken and they are now operating a waiting list? I am really sorry for the parents that didn't get any of their choices but with 80 percent of parents getting their FIRST coice and 96 percent getting one of their top 6 it's a bit harsh to suggest the system if failing and their is no choice. Via the expansion of Ivedale being led by the council, the new Harris free school primary in ED organised by James B and the council working with Dulwich Hamlet to open a new primary in Peckham I think all our local councillors are very proactive and doing a great job! Renta and James both deserve a lot of praise in my book!

I'm curious what are the most significant factors preventing the supply of new homes in London? Supply for sale of existing stock is reducing for demographic reasons- people living longer, less people wanting to move out of London when they have kids etc which means the number of homes for sale is quite low despite the uptick in demand. In these circumstances one would anticipate house building to increase but London's house building isn't keeping a pace with population growth in the city. For those more familiar with the issues, what specifically in planning law, land distribution, funding, etc is causing this situation?

DaveR Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > BTW, has anybody actually paid ?1 million yet for > a 'normal' ED house? Yep: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=42438371&sale=50402987&country=england http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=39909598&sale=50172515&country=england This last one is also pretty close and given these properties would have gone under offer back in late summer, I imagine many extended 4-bed terraces could now fetch ?1m http://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/detailMatching.html?prop=40926643&sale=50668643&country=england

They were only on a temp lease. The owner of the shop is looking to redevelop the site I think.

This is great news!

Buy the flat as it sounds like it will give you everything you need. Flat conversions often aren't great but large flats are wonderful. I agree with PeckhamRye. A house isn't the be all and end all. I know lots of people who happily choose to live in large flats rather than houses. Its quite normal really in most big cities.

Hi Montassa: We didn't go with full service architectural service as such. We worked with a local architect who was willing to work on an hourly rate. After that, we used her for the valuations of the builders work (on an hourly rate) but not full project management. However, project managing the build ourselves has been very time consuming. However, for us it was worth it as it saved us 8k to do it this way. We have been renting as our house was totally gutted. There was no way we could have lived in it and it has made the entire process much less stressful and has allowed work to proceed more quickly. One of things we did to minimise unexpected surprises before we bought the house/ started the work included doing the following survey: drainage survey, structural survey (including exposing the foundations for the engineer before he did the drawings for building control), we had the electrics tested and did a damp and timber survey. In total it probably cost us 1k but is the best money we spent. It meant that everything that was wrong with the house was included in the original contract. It also meant that the engineers drawings were very accurate and that no work had to be redone because a drain wasn't were the builder was expecting if you know what I mean. We have had our kitchen custom made by a carpenter in Essex (so much cheaper than the big brands) and its fully bespoke and solid wood that has been hand painted in F&B paint. They do any style you want including quite modern kitchens and you can have them design every detail. They are called Handmade Kitchens and our kitchen only cost 7k with quite a lot of units / larders etc. We are getting our worktops from Affordable Granite-- we used them for our flat before and they were great. Sometimes the customer service can be slow but the installation and after care was great and they are again cheaper than going through the high street retailers and offer granite and the major quartz brands. For bathrooms, we used both Albion and Aston Matthews. While Albion's items are really beautiful, the customer service has been appalling. Aston Matthews on the other hand are the best company we've worked with. Before we placed our order they asked if we had architect plans and checked that everything we wanted could be installed without items interfering with each other. When we had to make a couple of changes later down the road, their service again was flawless and really went above and beyond. I really can't recommend them highly enough and the quality of their stock is really great. The quality of our builders work has been great but I wouldn't recommend him as there have been some unnecessary delays that were totally due to him being disorganised and he's been very poor at communication. We got bifold doors from Sunfold which so far have been great. One of the panes shattered unexpectedly and they dealt with it immediately and fairly. They also kept to their timetable for installation (with some nagging). However, its really important to be really clear with their sales people as there was some confusion with our order. All in all, glazing is supposed to be a nightmare part of the build but for us was relatively easy. We replaced the 1950's casement windows the previous owner had installed with new double glazed timber sash windows from Sash Restoration. We had used them for some work on our flat before and they did a good job this time-- though we had to get them to pay for some remedial work following the installation. Still, given that their sash windows are 1.5k per new sash with hardwood frames fully painted including installation, they are a bargain compared to people like Bespoke on Lordship Lane who charge 2.5k per sash! We sourced our wood flooring from Natural Wood Flooring Company in Wandsworth-- great customer service and really knowledgeable staff and interesting selection. We used Casa on Bellenden Road for reclaimed radiators as well as new fireplaces and a wood burning stove. Our lighting has been sourced from all over the place! PM if you want more details. Good luck! montassa Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Hi motorbird83 - your logic sounds spot on. > > i assume you went full services with the > architect? did you go for one main contractor or > various sub-contractors? > would be interested in your experiences.. > > did you also move out - as a total refurb sounds > like hell... our plan is similar but i have > budgeted in a 6 month rental to ease the > disruption to missus and kids... > > interested to know about your experiences with > architects, builders etc.. also suppliers for > kitchens, bathrooms etc.. PM me if easier than > sharing publicly > > appreciate it

I know- I said if / if you can help it. If the only option is between 2m above / 2.3 below after lowering it, I agree that would be the right thing probably. However, I wouldn't go below 2.4m on the first floor if the loft could be 2.1m without dropping the ceiling further.

As long as you have at least 2.1m in the loft, I wouldn't bother lower the ceilings on the first floor unless you plan to make the loft room your master bedroom. Even then, don't go below 2.4m on the first floor if you can help it. Personally, we are staying on the first floor and using the loft room for kids so the low ceiling height doesn't really matter that much.

It doesn't have to be that bad. We are near the end of a 6 month renovation that included a gut refurb, ground floor extension and loft conversion. Overall, we are only 4 weeks behind schedule and 4% over budget. However, we spent a lot on specialist surveys before we bought including having a structural engineer visit so we had a very good idea of what we were dealing with which meant the budget was realistic from the outset. The two best things we did were agree a very detailed scope of works with our architect and builder. That way there was no doubt about what was and what wasn't included in the contract. We also have paid in arrears and our architect has valued all work done before we pay so we aren't ever in a position where we have paid for more work than has been done. Also, we have held back a 5% retention for 6 months to deal with any issues that arise. This assures they don't cut corners and are incentivised to stay on the job. You might be past the point of being able to do these things but if not, definitely do. The only other thing that helped was picking everything we wanted (sinks, taps, kitchen etc) well in advance of things starting-- we made all those decisions while waiting for planning permission. Once the build has started, you'll be so busy the stress of doing it then will be awful. No matter what you do its very stressful and we didn't live in it as the work was too extensive. You have to be very organised-- that's the most important thing and stay on top of what's going on. Last tip: make all of your decisions now-- last minute changes are expensive and lead to delays and frustrate your builder. Changing your mind is what derails a lot of projects and budgets. Good luck!

Wow, I am really surprised by the responses. I agree keeping furniture options neutral is a good isea.

In an ideal world, I'd love to have a combined kitchen-diner-family room and a separate adult lounge to escape to. Unfortunately, even post extension, that's not entirely possible. We are about to buy furniture for our new house and I am trying to figure out the best way to use the rooms we have. We have a small front room that is connected via double doors to the 2nd reception room which when open makes it feel much larger. The 2nd reception room has been connected to the new kitchen extension via a recessed sliding door so you can easily get between them but its not totally open plan to the kitchen. The kitchen extension is large enough to either have a dining table or have a family room leading into the garden. It also has an island with counter seating. Our options are: A. Popular English kitchen-diner and have the 2nd reception room as a study or play room- if a play room, I'd keep the lounge doors closed all the time which would make the lounge feel tiny. B. More typical American kitchen-family room leading on to the garden. The 2nd reception room would be our dining room connected to the kitchen but not fully open plan. What would you do and why? Thanks!