[matthgm]

Hi All,

I've been floating around looking at some of the fantastic projects on AV forums for a few years and am finally ready to embark on my own. I moved into the house that we are staying in in September last year.

Everything in the house currently is wrong. The layout sucks and most things have been bodged, but all that is good because it meant we got it at a price that means we can tear it apart without losing value. We've now got the planning permission, and building has started.

Over the next few posts I'll outline what We're trying to achieve and as I'm no expert maybe some of you guys can help me out with some ideas. My primary objective is for a zoned AV solution, and I'm hoping to achieve this using some kind of Sonos, Smart TV. Media Server, structured ccabling solution, but I'm open to ideas.

Please feel free to chip in with ideas - I'm pretty much a layman with this but have some limited networking and cabling experience, so all views welcome.

[matthgm]

Front of House - Will evertually be fully rendered with black windows / sofits / facia's etc

Garden - Soon to become mini football pitch!

I hate confiers - one of the first jobs will be to take them down

Conservatory - to be replaced with double story extension

Cinema Room - Currently disguised as a kitchen!!

I have more before pictures of the inside, but I'll add these when we get onto the specifics of the build.

[matthgm]

Plans for the planning application with some annotation as to what each room is for. I've used this to get an idea of whats possible for a home automation company

Also the 1st draft of the garden design

[matthgm]

Finally the work from the first week and a bit. First jobs have been dismantaling the conservatory which was then sold on ebay (£1400 - well chuffed with that), removing the conifers and digging the footings. Building inspector insisted on 1400mm. The site of the old footings that ran parallel with the back of the house were in the same place as where the new ones needed to be, so they are being left in and spanned with a steel.

Quick Question - Do people prefer thumbnail pictures?

Back of the house with Consevatory cleared

Conifers starting to be cleared - exposing all the houses behind!!

[Dr Hu]

Cool - gonna keep my eye on this one! Good Luck, that's some big plans you got going on there..

[Exo]

This looks very interesting and you have a really nice plot there so very keen to see your garden take shape.
Best of luck with your renovation!

[matthgm]

Cheers guys, next week looking busy already. Should see the start of the brickwork going in, meetings with the garden designer, AV / Automation expert and bifold doors and windows supplier.

[thelostprophet]

Looks like a good project! Have you got a completion date in mind or is that secret :P

[matthgm]

I'm not sure what a completed state is yet, let alone a completion date. It'll be finished when it's finished. As long as thats before I am I don't mind!!!

[jimbobCUK]

Sounds like this will be a good one, are you going for aluminium frames on the bifolds? I did on my recent project and can recommend express bifolds.

[Rick2102]

Will be keeping an eye on this one. Sounds like it will be good.

Good luck

[matthgm]

Yes Jimbob, I'm going for aluminium. I've had a quote from express, but am speaking to somebody else as well, so will make my mind up early next week

[jimbobCUK]

Uk bifold are also competitive, but the profiles were smaller and IMO better looking from express.

[jimbobCUK]

Oh and haggle, express cut 20% off their original quote after some gentle persuasion.

[matthgm]

Thanks Jimbob - good knowledge that!!!!

[matthgm]

Brickwork has started going up and conifers are gone. I was going to put some pictures up today but my iphone was full up, so I've cleared some space and will take some more pictures tonight.

[matthgm]

Ok, I'm a little bit behind with updates so things have moved on a little bit. Extension is up to first floor and moving up nice and fast.

The conifers have now completely gone and we have decided to level the garden rather than build retaining structures and take earth away. Anyway, we're nearly there with that and the fences should start going up this week. Kids are a bit upset that their football pitch has been destroyed, but I've assured them it will be bigger and better when its done.

[matthgm]

I'm starting to think about 1st fixing the AV system and a friend has bought a set of B&W CCM382 in ceiling speakers that I'm quite impressed with. I can pick these up for about £200 a pair and think they will be ideal for each zone run back to a Sonos Amped connect in a rack under the stairs. The only exceptions really would be bathroom and outside speakers. Any thoughts?

[matthgm]

Sorry for the lack of updates. Got some new photos with the latest progress.

The garden has all been levelled and about 90% of the fencing is up. The last few panels are waiting for the digger to come back next week to take out some troublesome posts. We're also putting topsoil down and and laying turf over the whole area temporarily to give my boys some where to play football. Once the build is finished the garden design will start to be implemented.

The building inspector has passed the 2nd inspection and the extension is up to the first floor, so flooring has started to go in for the first floor bedroom. There's a small roof to be pitched at the topof the groundfloor where the bedroom is set back slightly so the structure isnt too impossing on the garden. The space for the 'tilt and turn doors on the bedroom is also started to be formed.

The final photo above is taken from what will be the master bedroom and ensuite. The window and the wall its cited on are all coming out.

Lastly I've started to think about the first fix for the AV. I've started a seperate thread around the wiring diagram which can be found here

Any comments welcomed!!

[simonlpearce]

Need ti kill of the mrs so i can plan something similar with the insurance payout, lol.

Looking good though!

[Geezer69]

Originally Posted by simonlpearce

Need ti kill of the mrs so i can plan something similar with the insurance payout, lol.

Looking good though!

nice

[matthgm]

Cheers fellas, I've got a few more pictures to put up when I get near my laptop. The roof has been pitched, and the windows are about ready to go in so the next couple of weeks should start to show a real difference.

We've also chosen a kitchen and found a great designer who actually works out cheaper than magnets, with a much more effective and stylish design.

Kitchen is being first fixed in the next two weeks as well. I've decided to go with CAT6 instead of CAT5 for video and Ethernet, to complement a Sonos system for the music. There will be two 5.1 surround sound systems in the house eventually. I'm putting all the wiring in whilst the house is being ripped apart, but adding the kit gradually as I get the funds. Next is final decision in video distribution which I'm leaning towards a 4x4 HDMI distribution matrix for.

Any ideas/comments?

[matthgm]

Sorry guys, but been away on holiday and then been manic trying to catch up since I've been back - just about to add the latest pictures with progress since last update

[matthgm]

Ok, lots of photos to update on. First, the first floor being built up and window starting to take shape. This will be part of the new master bedroom

The back of the house starting to take shape (garden still looking rough!!)

A view out from the top lift of the scaffolding.

Top of the brickwork on the extention, and the wall and window that are going to be broke out!

A bit of a poor photo but alot has happened between the last one and this one. Some of the windows and one set of the bifold doors are in. We've gone for Black triple glazed, leaded squares. The big picture window in the ground floor has been done with lead - incorrectly. This is going to be clear to match in with the bifolds, but to be fair the window guys are going to sort that with no argument so I can't fault them. The white window and door have been left as they are being cut out and the main Bifolds (5 panels) are going in here, although there's quite a bit of work before we get to that stage. Lastly, there's a gap in the extension first floor which has now been filled with a Tilt & Turn door (pictures next time) which will have a juliet balcony around it to stop any potetnial accidents later on. Almost forgot the retaining wall on which has started to go up here and will eventually have the decking sitting on it, and be clad in a slate stone effect covering.

Other than that work has started going on in the house to knock through, we've choosen a kitchen (got a great kitchens guy who's also doing bedrooms and bathrooms for us now) and we have a few decisions to make.

I think I'm going to be putting Rako units on all the lights, and also on all the windows and doors for autmated blinds. Pretty sure I'm there with the Audio stuff, but Video distribution needs a bit more thought. Home security needs designing too. We're getting there though!!!!

[matthgm]

Onto the garden.
This was never intended to be done until after the building works were complete, but we decided for the sanity of being able to give the kids somewhere to let of steam we would turf the whole area and lay the garden design ontop of that. This way they've got somewhere to play which will make a big difference for them. It means that we will eventually cut up some of the grass areas that we've laid but the money wasted will be worth it to see the kids playing (and not arguing because they're on top of each other all the time!!)

Heres the first of 3 lorry loads of topsoil levelled off

Here's the garden after the next 2 lots

A couple of tonney bags more and half the grass is down

Looking back you can see where the two sets of steps into the garden have been started to be formed up. Eventually there will be a Koi pond between them.

Some of the rest of the grass and another view of the steps. You can also see the first set of Bi-folds and the tilt and turn doors on the first floor.

Finally heres a view of the rest of the grass down. The tricky bit now is keeping the kids off it for two weeks, as they're itching to get the goals back out and have a kick around. 2 weeks in total, just a week left to go!!!!

[thebigmcp]

Some hoose, you a dons fan?

[matthgm]

Originally Posted by thebigmcp

Some hoose, you a dons fan?

Dons?

[benjani]

The build is comming on....

By the way that grass looks superb, a credit to whoever prepped and layed it!!

[andybailey1972]

Mate can you make your pics a bit bigger!

[signs]

Originally Posted by andybailey1972

mate can you make your pics a bit bigger!

+1