Advice needed re possible extension to house

Its a good idea provided you trust the builder, only pay in stages no paying the whole amount up front, dont have a cubicle shower and perhaps have one of your children with you when discussing it with the builder.

My sensible side says do it now before you need it.

My cautious side says 'what happens if I struggle to pay back the loan'

If you leave it till you need it you'll possibly qualify to get it done and paid for by the council but that isn't certain and may take time.

Definitely talk to your children to see if they would help financially IF you need it. Hopefully you won't.

IMO it's a sensible decision but there are some things to think about.

Contact your local authority planning department to see if planning permission is needed, which will be the case if the proposed extension exceeds permitted development rights.

Always erring on the side of caution, I would check this out for myself and not just take the builder's word for it, unless I knew them personally.

Don't pay the builder until the work is completed and has been signed off by a building inspector which includes paying in advance for materials.

I hope it all goes well.

Great advice everyone. Thank you so much.
You have given me food for thought 👍

How sensible is sensible though My house isn’t really ‘me friendly’ but although i m ten years older than you I ve done nothing really, if the time comes I can’t use the stairs safely I ll have a stair lift put in or I ll change my back room into my bedroom so many of these alternatives would not add to the value of the house and I might not live to use them then what a waste of money
Hiwever if you ve got it and it makes you feel better go for it
I m going to take my chances and adapt if and when it’s needed

I agree with all the above. If everything else is in place, I would go for it.
We bought this house because it has a downstairs extension which includes a loo and shower. However it is a cubicle which is now very difficult to use, so I would go for a walk- in shower.

BlueBelle, I actually think the same as you most of the time.
Who knows what will happen to us in the future 🙈

Thanks Cabbie21.
A walk in shower has been advised 💐

Walk in showers are easy to clean, better than those with swivel doors or doors on runners. We have walk ins in all our bathrooms and easy to keep clean plus we think they are safer. Make sure you get a tray with a non slip coating.

MG55 is there also a room you could use as a downstairs bedroom, if you reach a stage where you need a downstairs shower room?

I'm thinking if you need one you'd probably need both?

We had a downstairs loo to which we added a shower cabinet some years ago thinking this would be ideal if either of us became incapacitated.

However after an incident last year when I suffered a compound fracture of the ankle we realised it was impossible to get into the shower with a pivot door.

My DH removed the door and put a stool in there and I could use the hand held bit in order to shower.

It definitely needs a rejig in there.

Good points Silvershadow and V3ra 👍🏻
Fairislecable - another vote for the walk in shower.
Thank you all 👍🏻

While you are considering this , perhaps it would be a good time to look generally at your situation. So is it easy to get to shops, doctors etc , and is there public transport, to places you need to get to?

I am not trying to make it harder for you to make decisions, but just to look and see if other things will affect your ability to remain there. I lived in Richmond on a hill and was fine driving, but could see that I could have problems in the future, and though I was very sorry to leave my garden especially and the upheaval it caused, I actually moved to a ground floor flat, in a quiet area of a town, with good train and bus services. It turned out to be a good move, as I am still able to live my own life here, despite various problems. If I had remained in my house I would certainly be having difficulty. So wishing you good luck with whatever you decide to do, and I do think GN is very good at giving suggestions to consider, which we sometimes have not thought of.

I did this, when I had to retire on health grounds, it was one of the wisest decisions, I have ever made.

I now have a large walk in shower, with a seat and grab handles. I love to have a bath, but after getting stuck in the bath a few times in recent weeks, I have started using the shower room.

We were impressed by a builder, who was building in our area and observed the men working. They weren't the cheapest, but had an excellent reputation.
What impressed us was that they cleared up every night, leaving the street clear for our neighbours.

We paid in stages, architect, planning permission etc.

One word of advice: we informed our neighbours of our plans and asked the builders to try and cause the minimum disruption in our cul de sac.

If you have the space in your new extension. A wet room would be wonderful. hugs

Blue Belle, if and when is too late. If you become incapacitated (a stroke, heart attack or lose your mobility) do you really want the hassle and mess of finding builders, doing paperwork and the sheer mess of all the building work? hugs

Thank you all for the really good ideas and suggestions 💐

I am doing it my way DianneAngel as I said I have my eyes wide open. I m a fairly sensible person and I don’t want anything done until it is necessary, it may never be necessary I may die before it’s needed, or a I may be like my Aunty who lived alone and was still going up and downstairs at 92

Do you really need to build an extension? How about re-jigging the existing rooms to create a downstairs shower room and bedroom.

BlueBelle I'm with you on this. I'll do what's necessary when necessary. No point making alterations, especially expensive ones just in case.
We don't know if it will be physical or mental disabilities that get us or we can just drop down dead.

Get a few quotes.

Use someone with good reviews and who you trust.

Also as tanith said above, have one or all of your children with you, when discussing things with the builder.

Please make sure you have a contingency in your budget - renovations / additions rarely come in under budget - far better to be able to finish the project than it be left 10% unfinished - if it does come in on budget then you'll have a bit left to pay off the loan quicker

MG55 I have a level access shower - out of necessity I'm afraid. I woke up paralysed 21 years ago, and the shower that was in this downstairs shower room was too small and too high for me to get into. I was futureproofed in that she showertray was large enough to accommodate a shower chair, which I now have to use each time I shower. I wouldn't go for a wet floor - I fear that they may be a slipping hazard.
It may be worth getting more than one quote, and do speak with the council - ask if there are any grants available (you never know)

MG55

Hi, I have the opportunity to add a single storey extension to my house to create a downstairs shower room / bathroom.
The builder has said it can be done and I have a loan pending, which I feel I can manage.
However, I am panicking about doing it now.
I am trying to future proof the house for when I am older and infirm. 71 now and I have a few medical issues which will worsen but at the moment I am not too bad.
I live in my own. I will talk to my children as well but just wondered if any of you have gone down this route or not.
Or just generally have any advice / things to consider 💐
Thank you 💐

We decided to put an extension across the complete back of the house which entails an en-suite bathroom and a conservatory. It is the best thing we have ever done. It was originally for my mothered who could no longer do the stairs, but when my late husband had a massive stroke, it was the only reason I was allowed to have him home. We had everything in place for him and just changed the shower to a wet room instead. Now I am on my own I used it as my main en-suite bedroom. Just wonderful. My neighbour did the same but opened the whole house up more than we did, they extended the lounge instead of adding a conservatory which is fabulous too, but I do not need a bigger lounge. I love my conservatory though I use that every day in the summer. Good luck with your extension. I have also extended upstairs but wish I had all that space downstairs instead. Mind you it is always beautifully warm upstairs.

Be cautious- in these turbulent times the future for our near and dear might draw on our finances so beware. I cleared all my debts and then my son’s marriage broke down and it was bank of mum