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The Garden Fence - help and support in tough times

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  • Softstuff
    Softstuff Posts: 3,086 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    I have a large contingent of men in my back yard and it's only 8am. There are also 3 trucks, 2 trailers and 2 earthmovers on the street. They'll be here a week. Which makes me stick my tongue out at anyone here in Australia who suggested I could build these retaining walls myself cheaper! I'm a lot of things, but Geoff Capes isn't one of em.

    Quite nerve wracking stuff this.
    Softstuff- Officially better than 007
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 16,139 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    I think you should sit and watch them Softstuff... and if anyone says you could have done it cheaper yourself, tell them they are welcome to come along and help (I'm sure your workmen can find them something suitable to do...).

    Keep thinking how nice it will be when it's over.

    Tomorrow morning I MUST open the builder's bill and pay him and the boiler engineer. I can't avoid it any longer!
  • Softstuff
    Softstuff Posts: 3,086 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    They just found a mystery pipe. And we had done due diligence with all the services and had all the below ground plans.... huh. Whaddayaknow

    Baking a cake for the workmen. I find they're much tidier when they're fed and watered.
    Softstuff- Officially better than 007
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 16,139 Forumite
    Name Dropper Photogenic First Anniversary First Post
    Hope the cake works Softstuff! As for the pipe - I keep thinking that one of the benefits of having so much work done is that I really will know exactly where everything is, and what it is, and why it's there, and how it works!
  • Softstuff
    Softstuff Posts: 3,086 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    greenbee wrote: »
    Hope the cake works Softstuff! As for the pipe - I keep thinking that one of the benefits of having so much work done is that I really will know exactly where everything is, and what it is, and why it's there, and how it works!

    The cake went down a treat. Mandarin and coconut. Tomorrow I'll bring out the big guns... choccy! I've also supplied the bobcat driver with some compression socks. Happy crew, decent job. And all appears well so far.

    Indeed you're right. Turns out this pipe was our gutter drainage and that the pipe had been damaged by the tree we've just had removed. So, said pipe has been dug up, replaced and hopefully our gutters will drain a bit more freely too.
    Softstuff- Officially better than 007
  • camelot1001
    camelot1001 Posts: 6,005 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Wow Softstuff, that's serious work going on. I'm sure they appreciate your baking.
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    Yep...serious work indeed.

    I find I cant focus on anything else when doing "serious work" on my house personally (well...the workmen doing it...but you know what I mean...).

    I'm up and down like a "jack in the box" checking how its going/trying to prevent damage to anything/etc and there's no point in just "leaving them to it". Invariably, if I do, I find something has been done wrong one way or another. At least - keeping an eye on it equals I've got a good chance of saying "Not like this - it's like that" in time to prevent something not working properly/things being done in a different style to what it was "obvious" they would be done/etc.

    I dont envy you Softstuff - and I'm trying not to think about the fact I've still got some major work to do on the house (when I've saved up the money for it).

    I hope you've promised yourself a suitable "reward for effort" for all those decisions/supervising/etc once its over?:)
  • Softstuff
    Softstuff Posts: 3,086 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Well, I can't focus either MTSTM, but that's down to being impressed with their immense effort and the joy of seeing earthmovers operated (sometimes I think I'm a 5 year old boy in a middle aged womans body).

    I don't hire people I don't have full confidence in, I'm meticulous in research so learn how the job should be done and what they should be saying before I get them out to quote. When they come out to quote then I'm aware if they're talking cobblers! Most of my tradesmen are known to me or to other tradesmen I trust and this area is like a small village in some aspects, if you stuff up a job, everybody knows. I've already ironed out every last detail and concern before they started and they're the sort of people who ask before even a minute change. I'm also realistic enough to realise that as the job progresses, things may not always go to plan, it's an art not a science, and I'm sure he'll figure out what's best from there.

    My reward for effort? Once they're done I get to lay 28 metres of gravel path, approx 120 metre of garden edging, 8 cubic metres of mulch, 60 metres of weed matting... oh and plants... I'll need some of those :rotfl: I'm having fun, it's lovely winter weather and it'll look great when it's done.
    Softstuff- Officially better than 007
  • moneyistooshorttomention
    moneyistooshorttomention Posts: 17,940 Forumite
    :rotfl:Home Sweet Home eh :rotfl:.

    Hope it all looks good for you when done.:)
  • silvasava
    silvasava Posts: 4,433 Forumite
    Combo Breaker First Post First Anniversary
    Wow Softstuff - we're going to need some pictures - do hope you're going to take some before, during and after ones anyway.
    Camelot - Aquilegia will die down to nothing and reappear next year as its a perennial. If you let the flowers go to seed you can have some more! I'm still removing it from my garden from my neighbours self sowers from 20 years agoll
    Small victories - sometimes they are all you can hope for but sometimes they are all you need - be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle
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