You see the kitchen extension we want is too big to be done under the allowed 50sqr mtrs of 'permitted development', so we would have to apply for planning permission.

If we then come back at a later date to do the loft we couldn't use 'permitted development' as we've already modified the house, so would have to apply for planning permission for that.

The thing is, if you apply for planning permission for the loft they will grant permission for a much smaller dormer (the box bit) so much so it's not necessarily worth doing. BUT, do the loft first under 'permitted development' and you can have a massive dormer... and then apply for the kitchen and it apparently is all fine.

Still with me?

The one we chose says they are a small family outfit using no subcontractors and although small they say they have 10 crews and do around 100 loft conversions a year.

Their sales pitch was rather good and explained the way they can meet their impressive 3 to 4 week start to finish time was that they don't use subcontractors and have their own specialist teams where one follows the other, all knowing their jobs well.

In addition to this, they have had a cancellation and have a crew ready to start next week...

We asked a few more questions, to which they came back with all the right answers, and we had a think. They could start on the 5th March, finish by 30th March ("3 - 4" weeks means 4... not 3!), have the bathroom extras installed by another, and as we're off on holiday for 2 weeks on the 12th April, we could have it all decorated then.

So, if we went with this company.... by the time we came back from Aus it'd all be super. :)

It sounded great - we wanted to say 'yes'. Thing was, we said yes when we were on a skiing holiday and they needed to get the architects in. No problem, our neighbour could let him in and they could do the plans when  we were away ready to start on the Monday after our return.

Seems to be all falling into place - GREAT! We sent an email to confirm a go and wired the initial deposit over.

Note: I'm not going to name the company nor use the people's real names in this. I'm calling the Managing Director "John" and the Project Manager "Frank", so if you know of an MD of a loft company called John, it's not the guy I'm talking about!!  

We've seen other loft extensions in the road and have seen stairs we definitely don't want and stairs we do. Basically, the ones we do should look like the original staircase. To the salesman I was very insistent on the stairs we want, yet the guide plans/contract showed them roughly as something we didn't want. I queried that and insisted that they were how we stated, the reply was "it's okay" and as they would be made to our specification, we could have what we want. Great! Only the plans showed precisely what we do not want:

Seeing the steel in there like that does make me think it's rather high. I would have expected it to be sunk lower as if it is that height then the room's height will be restricted. Anyway the chap is coming round tonight to discuss the interior design and layout, so I'll ask him then.

• Stairs - the plans are not what we want
• Macerator - we say no, plans say yes
• I guess the council said "yes"... can I have the paper work please
• Windows completely wrong in the plan - eeek!
• So about this permit you were going to apply for for the skip that you haven't...
• Why haven't your company replied to my email about the stairs & macerator or 2 days ago.

Frank comes round in the evening, our project manager. We went through where the agreement was and what the plans say and he came to the conclusion that yes, there's been a disconnect. He thinks it's best to get the architect back in and go through the differences with him and confirm what the customer wants.

Specifically:

• Dormer doors / windows - completely different
• Stairs - completely different
• Placement of emergency exit window - no-one knows.

Regarding the macerator, he acknowledged how much we don't want one, but pointed out he wasn't a plumber so we needed the plumber to work it through.

Overall we're happy with the meeting

He tells me 'no problem' and provides the following schedule:

• Architect will be there Friday
• Stair man will be there Friday
• Frank will be there Friday
• Builders will be there Friday

Looking good

A few hours later I call my builder, Pete, who's been to have a look. He's rather concerned that they seem to be intending to put the steels in without padstones (padstones are like lintels for girders. They spread the load among more bricks than what the steel would sit on on its own.) He also notes that the council's structure survey would normally come and inspect before finishing these off (so they can see it's done properly). I ask the question to the Project Manager (Frank) who calls me back and tells me padstones are on their way and once in so would the surveyor. Be there Monday.

Sounds good, but the fact the builders then left made me suspicious. Were they going to put the steels in without? They assured me not.

Also, a phone call tells me that the stair man will now not be here until Monday. Architect not here until Monday, Frank not here until Monday. Hmm..

On a brighter note, Frank tells me the plumber finds a way to not need a macerator!

The stair man arrives - says that what we want can be done. Good news.

I ask for the headroom measurements in the bathroom. "Don't know." I ask for the width and length and roof angle. "Don't know." I ask again saying I need 2.1 height in the room. Am told it's likely to be 1.6m. Woah! Far too short. I'm worried, concerned. I want, no insist, on amended drawings with measurements to know what I'm going to get. Being told they're not available, but "the builders could show me as they're building it" is also worrying. I advise I'll call John (the MD). All I want is a drawing to ensure that what I'll get is what I think I'll get.

In the meantime, worried little me calls the council. Council tell me they don't have a notice of works going ahead under permitted development rights, but do have an application at my address for full planning permission. They also tell me it'll be 8 weeks, that I shouldn't start until approved and I legally need to tell them work has commenced... and once they do they'll write to me and tell me they can insist it is reversed. Their advice? Stop!

He says there's a mix up at the council and if perhaps the wrong form has been submitted, then they will correct that, and they'll do it tomorrow.

Good news. He also says he'll have the amended plans submitted to me by fax so I can see the amendments.. and also that they are on schedule. A reassuring conversation, but I do wait to see...
 

I didn't mention about the padstones, which were supposed to be here today, as I don't know if they are here waiting or have been delayed further, but it would be insulting to again imply that they weren't going to use them. I'll note their use (or lack of) but don't think it's necessary to say something that is likely to offend.

Whether the steels are sitting on padstones (load spreading devices) has been of concern. When I spoke to them about this last Friday they assured me they would be using padstones and these are arriving on Monday. Well it's Tuesday, and they don't appear to have been used.

• They said they would fax through the plans today - they haven't
• They said they would sort the planning problems and confirm in writing - they haven't
• They said they would use padstones that'd ben arriving on Monday - they haven't

Concerned? Yes. I have no plans confirming what I'm going to get, I have no evidence of permission to do the work, I have no indication that the building surveyor will sign it off and I am not convinced that the main structure has not been put in right.

Frank is coming round tomorrow morning, and I have the day off work. His answers to the above will be interesting. We're so concerned by the padstones we're tempted to ask them to stop.. .but we have no roof.

:(
 

Speaking to Pete and showing him the steel images. With knowledge of this type of building he advises me that the building inspectors will not approve this. I've also asked over at an internet forum, where I've made some contacts for people in the industry. Everyone is coming up with the same statements, that these steel girders need engineering bricks or padstones. Consistency is good!

Speaking further to Pete I tell him of my concern that I have no roof. If I go in to the head guy with all guns blazing I may annoy them enough that the builders get a phone call to leave site... as I'm told we'll sort it out in the court. He agrees - I need a softer, and more strategic approach. A roof is important.

When talking to Pete later I have a further surprise... when "the stair man" was here on Monday, they said that it was impossible to do what I wanted with the stairs (yeah, after the salesman saying "absolutely", "noooo problem", "of course"! Jeez.. I'm starting to feel like a mug writing this!). Pete didn't like that answer so took them to his own house to show them what he had (which was identical to what I wanted)!  Thanks to Pete, but FFS... shouldn't be necessary should it?

So, now I wait for Frank. Don't know what I'm going to say, but I NEED A ROOF, so no biting !

Before he gets here, the post arrives - containing 2 items from the council saying 1) we acknowledge your planning submission, and 2) please pay us some money. Well, at least they have record of something going on!

Frank shows up and we go through the points I wish to discuss:

• The placement of the steels without padstones or engineering bricks,
• the building surveyor sign off,
• the authority to amend the house (planning permission) and
• the actual sizes (height) of what'll be delivered.

I'm advised that 'padstones' are a generic term and the steels are on pressure plates, in this instance the pressure plates are like padstones. To my concern that they appear to not be big enough to cover more than a few bricks, I'm told they are correct.

Whilst bearing in mind that I have some contacts who are in this industry and from viewing the pictures are of the opinion these are quite wrong, I am not an expert, so we come to some middle ground - agreeing to book the council's building control surveyor to come and inspect them himself. A phone call to the building control department made the booking for tomorrow morning. He will either say "yes, ok" or "no, please change" - once we have his decision we can go from there.

We then call the council on a conference phone and ensure that the plans are lodged. Apparently they are, but it's a bit of a funny. The plans are lodged with building control. If you want to play it safe, building control want 8 weeks to check the plans are aligned to the rules. As we haven't given them 8 weeks, we have had the default warning... which is what will happen if you're flouting them (ie. you will be forced to amend them). Now, this isn't necessarily a problem (it seems) as the building inspector will attend site at 3 points: when the main structure is in (steels), when the dormer is up and roof is on, and when it's all finished. Part of his inspections will be that the works are conforming. So, if there was something that doesn't conform, it would be highlighted way before the 8 weeks. Once we have a certificate stating the building conforms and is fit to use, we can then apply for a certificate of lawfulness. It's these two that are needed when I come to sell.

Final point - sizes. I prepared a list of what sizes I wish to know (there are none on the plans). The builder simply measures all of them and tells me.

Easy.

It will be quite interesting to find out what the building inspector says. From what I've been told, he will not sign them off, and I can see why. If this is the case, then I need to have further chats to understand how they intend to correct the situation, which in all fairness they should be given a chance to do.

Final thing was he asked for the next stage payment, which I said I would wire over.

However I think it's reasonable to hold on to this until the inspector clears the last stage's work... which is booked for tomorrow morning

Finally Frank said I needed to get the bathroom units in as they would be ready to install them next week.

The steels were not quite right and the bearing plates needed changing, but it's not the end of the world to resolve and they're doing this.

He also wanted some additional firewalls and some strapping to the gable end.

Overall, nothing to worry about

I went to my favourite bathroom shop today and bought a trendy sink & toilet (which I'll probably hate in a few years when it's no longer trendy!!), a high quality shower enclosure with aqua boards and a 5 jet shower.

Should be very nice :)

Apparently the stairs can't go in because there's a radiator in the way and there's a problem getting a plumber... so the stairs won't go in.

He said he's having real problems getting a plumber and I thought of Pete. I asked him how much it had to be moved and was told 'by a metre'. I then expressed further concern that that landing is only a meter long (in that space) and as the stairs were supposed to be on the edge, not on that meter, I was again concerned what I was going to get.

He said he would clarify and in the meantime I gave him a number of a local plumber I've used before.
 

He had a call, asking him to price the job.

Asked what the job is and was told to speak to me as I had the plans. He let himself in, (he has keys) found the plans, realised they bore no resemblance to the work in progress and called Frank back. Frank said he would get the details and call Pete back tomorrow morning.

The scary thing is when he went into the house there was a cold wind blowing through the house and the loft hatch was open and the ladder was nicely propped up to it. Nice. So, any burglar could scale the climbing frame outside, walk in through the felt that had blown down and simply popped down through the hatch. Pete made it secure before leaving.