My apartment Project log

Dr House

Dr House

Dr House

Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
13,381
Location
London
As promised I am going to post a build log as I go along.

So this is our proposed floor plan
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/2xrhu_8Bm8tTPhdA_3lM4T3JkPHcnxOZcDnldY_-0GE?feat=directlink

We have decided to remove the sloping roof on both ends of the living/ dining room and put in a large floor to ceiling folding sliding doors with a Jolliet balcony on both ends.

In the master bedroom we are again going to knock out the sloping roof, our mattress is 2.4m by 2.4m so we will have a wall behind the mattress and fixed glazing on either side running from the floor to ceiling.

External elevation
This is what the building looks like now
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1000032.jpg

This is what it will look like when we have finished with it

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/ki1rnW_uU5qxRN5vnTABQD3JkPHcnxOZcDnldY_-0GE?feat=directlink


Kitchen elevation can be seen here
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/uct89QF6-Umbu3IRvGIASj3JkPHcnxOZcDnldY_-0GE?feat=directlink
We are going to knock a large hole in the back wall (behind the sink) of the kitchen. We plan to fit a 8ft by 3ft fish tank in the hole.

Bedroom 3 will also have a large fixed glass window the same size of the fish tank. This will allow you to look out of the bedroom through the hall way, through the fish tank, through the kitchen and out of the rear window of the kitchen. We want to install active glass which will become opaque when switched on.

Kitchen floor plan
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/photo/U7NMYD5Fm7sh11TxU7Iiwj3JkPHcnxOZcDnldY_-0GE?feat=directlink

I have managed to get most of the kitchen appliances from ebay. This has saved me a small fortune. I also got the mattress from ebay making a considerable saving
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130397902498&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Things we plan to incorporate
Mira Digital shower for all the bathrooms (not going to use the mira shower head)
http://www.mirashowers.co.uk/platinum/index.htm
This will allow us to switch the shower on and off before we get in, it also got a digital controller making temperature control a little easier.

Heating
We plan to use a Mitsubishi Ecodan Air source heat pump. This should give us around 28kw of heating power. We also plan to have solar thermal heating and possible Solar PV system (a company called a share greener are offing to fit it for free).
Underfloor heating through the house

Ventilation
We plan to use a mechanical heat recovery ventilation system, which should exchange all the air in the flat for fresh air every coupe of hours.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IdRX4SKr4Y

Only bedroom 1 and 2 will have AC.

Home automation / Home cinema/ Gym
The cinema will have a Epsom Projector
http://www.epson.co.uk/Projectors/Epson-EH-TW5800
Probably B&W speaker all round
The living room will have a 63” Samsung TV with my Anthony Galloy speaker system

The whole house will be controlled by a system called Control4
http://www.youtube.com/control4fans
This should allow me to control the lights, heating, CCTV, locks, movies, audio and blinds via our Ipod touch/IPad.

We are ready to put in the planning application for the modifications to the windows so hopefully we should start working in the next 2 months. If everything goes to plan I want to be done with the work by Q3 2011.

The only problem we have run into is that I am about 50 to 75k short on the money we need to get it finished properly. My parents have very Kindly offered to give us 25k towards the kitchen as a wedding gift. Our mortgage broker also thinks she should be able to get us another 50 or 60k when we run out of money.

EDIT This is what it looks like now
bedroom 3
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010492.jpg
Kitchen
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010496.jpg
View from the kitchen
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010505.jpg
The lift
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010483.jpg


EDIT
This is the original thread when we bought the space
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18025184&highlight=crunch+flat
 
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mr tommo said:
Isn't the fact you are £50-75k abit of a massive problem?
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Not really, we secured the mortgage on my wife’s income; our LTV ratio is fine the problem is that we could only get 4.5 times her income. However I should be starting work again soon so we should be able to borrow more if we need it.

Ricochet J said:
Wouldn't it be wise to secure this before hand?
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Thats not possible becuse the bank wants us to get a lot of the work done before they will give us any more money and I need to start my job.

Or I hope DES and FOGL find oil :)
 
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I'm slightly confused...

The picture you posted seems to show a very new build looking apartment complex, yet you are intending to spend at least 100k to modify it?

Aside from planning permission, I assume it's leasehold so it also has to have the go ahead of the property/land owner, not to mention you must have neighbors also who may object to it... which is there right given that you have to go through council planning permission.

I've also got to agree that it seems like a very expensive project to embark on if you don't have the funds.
 
I can't see any reason why he won't be able to remortgage once more work is complete on the property.

Who dares wins eh rodders.
 
[TW]Fox;16959983 said:
Good project, reminds me very much of my Ferrari F430 Aquisition Project, I am also £80k short of that as well.
Click to expand...

kwerk said:
Why do I get the feeling this won't end well.
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The project will be fine but I get the feeling this thread is going to go in the wrong direction.

Let me just be clear, yes I am 50 to 75k short but in the overall scheme of things its not that much. We should be able to get money from the bank when we need it. If not I have access to other funds, both of our parents have offered to help us should we need it (I do not want to take it unless we have no other option), If everything goes wrong we can still sell our watches and car.

Also If I cant get the money we can save a lot of the in the bathrooms.

Nexus said:
I'm slightly confused...

The picture you posted seems to show a very new build looking apartment complex, yet you are intending to spend at least 100k to modify it?

Aside from planning permission, I assume it's leasehold so it also has to have the go ahead of the property/land owner, not to mention you must have neighbors also who may object to it... which is there right given that you have to go through council planning permission.

I've also got to agree that it seems like a very expensive project to embark on if you don't have the funds.
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Sorry, I had another thread when I bought the space.

Basically we bought the top floor of the building as a shell, ie no floors, no walls or anything else. This is what it looks like now

bedroom 3
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010492.jpg
Kitchen
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010496.jpg
View from the kitchen
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010505.jpg
The lift
http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/nastytooth/P1010483.jpg

Yes it’s a 999 year leasehold however before we bought the space we had our solicitor put a clause in the contract to allow us to make the changes to the roof.
 
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I think you guys are reading into his life too much. If he wasn't confident that he could complete such a project in the first place, he wouldn't have started. I look forward to reading this thread over the next year!

On a side note: Why is there always an underlying tone of pessimism on these forums when something "ambitious" is posted? Everyone is quick to shoot people down.
 
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Peño said:
I think you guys are reading into his life too much. If he wasn't confident that he could complete such a project in the first place, he wouldn't have started. I look forward to reading this thread over the next year!

On a side note: Why is there always an underlying tone of pessimism on these forums when something "ambitious" is posted? Everyone is quick to shoot people down.
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I do agree but to be honest I have posted a few threads that sound quite strange at time, my life has not been as normal as some of the others around here :D
 
I don't care about funds etc, because it's your funds not mine.

Looks like it could turn into a nice apartment!!
 
Andr3w said:
Looks like it could turn into a nice apartment!!
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I really do hope so. I have always wanted to build my own home. This is the next best thing.

The total floor area is 6400 sq Ft so its going to be HUGE (but a lot of space is lost becsue of the roof)
 
should look amazing when its finished don't forget to let mtv cribs know when its done ;)

my cousin did something similar with an old barn conversion and what I've learned from that is add about 6 months on to the estimated build time and about 25% extra to the budget as whatever can go wrong usually does...but the results are worth it in the end
 
Looks great mate, seems you have your plans well sorted, dont worry about the negatives in here, its only money, as long as what you spend will increase the value of your home not to worry. keep the pics coming.
 
Looking superb, will have to call up when it's done ( assuming its the one near us you were talking about ) :)
 
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