[zoolap]

Please could anyone with knoweledge (sure many have had the experience) give me some pointers as to where I can get info on what to look out for to add an extra room above garage to a 3 bedroom detached house.

Basically any advice on what procedures will have to be followed, tips on selecting good building companies etc. Also (if I can manage to talk my way into it) tips on having this room made into a good setup for a front projection setup (panasonic ae300 maybe). Already have 5.1m mission cinema 7 with kef sub.

Thanks.

[menalaus]

think of a number and add 20%! it is always a good idea to have a pot of cash as backup for the unexpected + fixtures and fittings ( whats the point of spending thousands on the build only for it to look like ****e when the poundland carpet you could afford starts curling up at the edge!).

my advice would be get several quotes (major pain in ass but worth it) and dont always go for the cheapest,"if it looks to good to be true it probably is".
ask around at work or knock on peoples doors who are having work done ( feel like a dork but most people are more than gald to give recommendations or warn you off if you show a genuine interest and are polite, unless you look like a psyco of course!)

its alot of money so take your time and trust you instincts when dealing with builders .Always ask if they can supply a reference from previous jobs, then phone those people dont take the builders word for it.

hope this is of small use

[Bert Coules]

It's worth taking a look at the UK Selfbuild group on Yahoo. It's not just aimed at people who want to do all the work themselves, and there's a wealth of knowledge and experience there as well as friendly list members who'll be happy to answer questions and give advice.

Bert
www.bertcoules.co.uk