Redrow new build - storage and flooring

Mistermeaner

Hi All

Would appreciate the thoughts and input anyone in the know; a couple of areas I culd do with some help so will try and split it a bit (albeit they are somewhat related)

We've 'early birded' a redrow newbuild (the 'oxford' https://www.redrow.co.uk/houses/weaver-park-hartford-022335/oxford?isshowhome=true ) in cheshire

Hopefully will be 'reserving' in Jan and completing around aug 2017

Questions:

1. STORAGE

In the bathroom, the ensuite and the downstairs loo there is precious little space for storage. It is possible to purchase from redrow an extortionate undersink cabinet but even that is tiny. There is simply nowhere to put any decent sized shevles / drawers etc for odds and sods.

Has anyone else experienced this? Ddid you find creative solutions? (In my existing bathroom I have a 8 cube ikea 'expedit' full of soap etc which keeps everything tidy - no chance in this one!)

Our only though is to get some bespoke cabinets made (possibly similar to caravan type storage) that can be wall mounted creatively around the sink and toilet etc.

Which leads to my next question(s)


2. FLOORING

the redrow 'extras' flooring (both carpets and tiles) and wall tiling appears extortionate; we are comfortable with arranging our own independently but have been told a couple of things by redrow - one they won't allow our contractors access until after completion (fair enough I guess) but 2 (most importantly) if redrow complete the house with bare concrete flooring (and no wall tiling) they will fir skirting boards flush to the floor so that any retrospective fitting of carets etc. will either have to be done upto the skirting (annoying) or we will need to remove and refit (or undercut) the skirting

Is this correct??


Also in general any tips for negotiating on the extras? What is and isn't value (eg. I think it makes sense to pay them to the lights and plugs etc.)? what did others do around bathroom storage and tiling etc.


Thanks

Alderbank

I take it you are not a builder Mistermeaner

Redrow are quite correct about the skirting boards. Nowadays they must be fitted throughout and sealed to the floors to enable your new house to meet NHBC and building standards

http://www.nhbc.co.uk/ProductsandServices/ConsultancyandTesting/Airleakageservices/documents/filedownload,38528,en.pdf

You fit carpet gripper strips about 10mm from the fixed skirting and tuck the trimmed carpet neatly into that space

scottishblondie

For the bathroom storage issue you can fit additional storage afterwards with a bit of creativity. The bathrooms in my new build (Redrow designed, but built by Springfield after they sold up their Scottish sites) had no storage at all. I was horrified at how much they wanted to charge to fit different stuff, so I just went with the default with the intention of changing it afterwards.

In the master en-suite we removed the wall hung basin entirely and replaced it with an Ikea Godmorgon bathroom unit - a nice big sink with 2 large drawers underneath. In the spare bedroom ensuite underneath the window we have a run of 3 Ikea kitchen wall units (shallow) used as base cabinets, again with a bit of worktop on top. 2 are cupboards and one has drawers.

In the main bathroom I was going to replace the basin as well, but instead we removed the "skirt" hiding the pipework for the basin and fitted an Ikea Lillången washbasin base unit underneath (this style), finished with a little bit of worktop. There was also space for another floor standing Lillången unit with a wall hung unit above.

In the downstairs loo I have a very narrow floor standing unit from B&Q that is just big enough for a bottle of bleach, a cleaning spray and a spare toilet roll. There isn't really much else needing to be stored in there!

My Dad DIY'ed the flooring for me (other than the carpet on the stairs). We undercut the skirting boards in some places and used moulding to finish in others.

eddddy

For additional bathroom storage, you could investigate replacing bath panels with something like these:





I've only seen them in photos, so I don't know how good the quality/finish is.

jennifernil

Ikea have great storage solutions, with a bit of lateral thinking, nothing is impossible.

I would agree with scottishblondie's suggestions.

beeg0d

Mistermeaner wrote: »

2. FLOORING

the redrow 'extras' flooring (both carpets and tiles) and wall tiling appears extortionate; we are comfortable with arranging our own independently but have been told a couple of things by redrow - one they won't allow our contractors access until after completion (fair enough I guess) but 2 (most importantly) if redrow complete the house with bare concrete flooring (and no wall tiling) they will fir skirting boards flush to the floor so that any retrospective fitting of carets etc. will either have to be done upto the skirting (annoying) or we will need to remove and refit (or undercut) the skirting

That would be the correct way to fit carpets. Carpet should NOT go underneeth the skirting but infact should be fitted upto the skirting (skirting should be fitted right to the floor). Only wood flooring should go underneath the skirts but isnt required as beading can be used instead (though wood without beading looks much neater).

You fit carpet gripper strips about 10mm from the fixed skirting and tuck the trimmed carpet neatly into that space

10mm is WAY to far away for all but the thickest carpets, getting the gap right is the most important part of fitting a carpet as it is the gap that actually holds the carpet in place. The gap should be between 2 thirds and 3 quaters of the thickness of the carpet. Bascally the gap should be smaller then the carpet so you have to "force" the carpet between the gap and the skirts once in the gap the carpet will open up into the grippers shanfer (angled grove) and ancker inself into place.

dirty_magic

Agree with the above. If you fit carpets under skirting boards what happens if you replace them with thinner carpets? You'll end up with a big gap!

I'd go for the cupboard under the sink, it would be annoying to have no storage space. That should be enough if you declutter, when we replaced our bathroom I realised how many toiletries we have that I've never used!

Do you have an airing cupboard for the towels? That's the main reason we needed a lot of storage, they take up so much room!

Vampgirl

What Redrow have told you sounds pretty standard to me. Looking at the floorplan for the house you linked to, it looks like there is plenty of room in the bathroom and ensuite to fit normal bathroom wall cabinets.

But I'm struggling to think how I'd fill an 8 cube expedit with bathroom soap etc. - do you really need that much? I know that stuff seems to expand to fit the available space - maybe take the opportunity of moving to have rationalise things a bit? When we moved we threw out/recycled/sold/gave away loads of things we'd had for years but didn't actually use.

Noctu

Also another vote for Ikea. Have a look at their Lillangen (sp?) tall boy style bathroom units. You can get them with mirrored doors so they double up as a full length mirror too.

You could consider wall mounted mirrored cabinets, or if it's a stud wall, even sinking a cabinet into the wall for bits and bobs.

PasturesNew

I have a bathroom about the size of yours. I have a simple bathroom cabinet that I don't use .... and my shower gel and shampoo are left on the side of the bath in the corner by the taps.

It sounds like you've had room to grow your current bathroom into more of a water grotto.... so just rationalise what you really need and put a cabinet/drawers in your bedroom for all your extra bathroom clut.

AdrianC

eddddy wrote: »

For additional bathroom storage, you could investigate replacing bath panels with something like these:


I've only seen them in photos, so I don't know how good the quality/finish is.

That's a nice idea. I might just nick that when I redo our bathroom soon.

As far as quality/finish goes, they're as good as you make 'em. Think of it as simply a wooden cupboard frame and doors made to fit. Nice easy bit of DIY carpentry.