Lower floor by 15cm - how much £££

casper_gutman

Sincerely, with kindness: your anxiety is the issue, not the step. It's quite understandable: you've been through a very stressful time. Having major building work done on your home disrupts the one place in the world where you would otherwise be safe from problems outside. There's nowhere you can go to escape as the noise, dirt and (where the relationship with the builders is problematic) conflict is right there in your sanctuary.

Lowering the floor would mean months more building work. There'll be extreme noise from drilling out the concrete slab, truckloads of rubble to be carted away, excavation, new concreting. The electrics and plumbing will all need redoing as they'll be at the wrong heights. The plastering and decorating will need redoing. The disruption and expense will be enormous, bigger than you think. There are always unforeseen issues. You'll probably still be able to see imperfections which will remind you of this every time you notice them.

Take a step back and breathe deeply. Do you honestly think this is what you need now?

ThisIsWeird

casper_gutman said:

Sincerely, with kindness: your anxiety is the issue, not the step. It's quite understandable: you've been through a very stressful time. Having major building work done on your home disrupts the one place in the world where you would otherwise be safe from problems outside. There's nowhere you can go to escape as the noise, dirt and (where the relationship with the builders is problematic) conflict is right there in your sanctuary.
Lowering the floor would mean months more building work. There'll be extreme noise from drilling out the concrete slab, truckloads of rubble to be carted away, excavation, new concreting. The electrics and plumbing will all need redoing as they'll be at the wrong heights. The plastering and decorating will need redoing. The disruption and expense will be enormous, bigger than you think. There are always unforeseen issues. You'll probably still be able to see imperfections which will remind you of this every time you notice them.
Take a step back and breathe deeply. Do you honestly think this is what you need now?

And, as far as I can see from most people's comments, what you'd end up with would not be better. It would not even be what you say your main issue has been - to be closer to the garden level.

Almost certainly what you currently have is the best of the options.

ih8stress

Hi, I found your previous post yesterday and came on to reply, only to find this one too.

Basically I was going to say stuff along the same lines as @ThisIsWeird, @rach_k and @casper_gutman

I believe that you are suffering from stress and trauma from the building works done - which is totally understandable and nothing to feel bad about.

This is making you fixate on trying to solve a problem that will NOT be solved by going down any more remedial work of any kind.

You need to step back and look at the bigger picture, which, as others have tried to point out to you, is that there is NO need to contemplate further work.

This will NOT resolve anything, cost a huge amount of money, subject you to even more stressful building work, and end up with a NEW problem that you hate, in a different way.

You would be better talking to someone to try and get your anxiety back on a more normal keel - at the moment it is heightened, which is making you unable to view things objectively or listen to the huge amount of reassurance and advice about the actual build and work done, that folk on here are trying to convey to you.

I also think that the raised level adds to the space and is not an issue.

PLEASE try and get advice and help that can guide you towards seeing this as a positive, which it IS.

Listen to your husband at least, if you will not listen to us, and let him help you to plan how to fit your furniture to arrange your gorgeous garden, to enjoy your beautiful house.

You have actually come through the worst part of the building works, your brain just needs to catch up on this fact and accept this.

Take care

gemma.zhang

I understand what you say. And it’s been 6 months, and I still don’t like the raised step. I feel sad every time I come home and see this. I try to move on, I think the only way is to revolve it, given unlikely we can move… 🙈.

Talked to a few builders, they all say they normally would advise their clients against it, we could have tackle the garden have more head room and step free. surprised our builders didn’t advise anything. We feel so scanned out of it, sure they won’t as they save £££ not to dig 15cm more 😡.

so here we r. Waiting for more quotes…

gemma.zhang

Spoke to a few of our friends, they won’t do anything. Like my husband and my mum, not bothering them much and won’t be bothered to spend another 40k-50k fixing sth they can/already get used to.

To me it matters, it’s wrong design, and cost me mental health. I rather throw money to fix it than feeling unhappy in my own house.

i hate it so much I can’t even get myself step into the extension. 

ih8stress

I can only repeat that I believe the best way forward for you would be to speak to someone about this, how much it is affecting you and how much you are struggling to move on from it all.

Have you tried to explain to your family and friends just how much all this is eating away at you?

And have YOU tried to see it from their point of view too?

You are very lucky that builders have been reluctant to 'fix' it, as this shows that they are not just after making money from an expensive, messy job that they consider un-necessary.

If you DO get a builder who is willing to take it on, you probably run the risk of really getting scammed.

MysteryMe

gemma.zhang said:

Spoke to a few of our friends, they won’t do anything. Like my husband and my mum, not bothering them much and won’t be bothered to spend another 40k-50k fixing sth they can/already get used to.

To me it matters, it’s wrong design, and cost me mental health. I rather throw money to fix it than feeling unhappy in my own house.

i hate it so much I can’t even get myself step into the extension. 

OK, throw all the money you have at making it level. End of the day it's not our problem and not our money.