Hi

Any advice would be appreciated (apologies for the long message...). My wife and I are having massive problems with our builder and we are looking at ways to get the project completed quicker whilst also reducing the cost. We cannot remove the builder as we have already paid him 95% of the money; we are thus looking at a way to get things done quicker and reducing the cost to the 95% that we already paid...

Our plan was to renovate an outside area to make it part of our living room space as our current living room is very small (long and narrow room). Our plan was (see photo below):

- to add a roof with two 1.5 x 1m skylights/ windows (1.5m because it is the same width as the braai/ fireplace; 1m as it is the same size as the window [closest the barn door, which you cannot see in the photo], while the second skylight/ window can be centered with the stackable door space).

- Change the wooden door to an aluminum door with single glass pane

- knock out the wall on the right of the braai and add a large window (one pane), with the same height as the door (it will be a little narrower).

- Knock out the current frame with 2x wooden doors and 2x small windows and add a large stackable door.

In order to reduce cost and time (and some ZAR), we were thinking of keeping to the same plan as specified above, except for the stackable door part. We were thinking of only knocking the frame, door and window out, but possibly only installing a stackable door frame (the door can be installed later - in a couple of years time); or alternatively just an opening without the stackable door frame - how difficult is it to install at a later stage? Our reasoning for the door: to be able to close off the braai/ fireplace area from the current living room to allow us to try and heat a smaller area as the ground floor area gets very cold during winter. BUT, having an open space will not be a train smash... potentially may work better than a stackable door anyway?

Any thoughts/ ideas (not so much about the builder, but more about the stackable door: YES, install the stackable door vs NO, but add frame vs NO, only an opening).

Thanks very much; I appreciate your help.