First-time house renovation

lisal0u

Hi Everyone!

Haven't been on for a while so got a bit of catching up to do!

TomsMom - I hope your husbands treatment goes well and doesn't make him to poorly!

Had quite a good weekend this weekend! Went to Harrogate flower show on Saturday and it was really good! Managed to buy 2 acers and curly hazel and a couple of alpines! Stuart bought a village face mask carving that was almost as big as me:eek: Its carved out of palm and will one day go in the garden. He was pleased with his purchase but not so pleased about carrying it around ha ha! He did get some funny looks!

On Sunday we spent the day at the house clearing it out. The plasterers have finished but we had quite a lot of plasterboards and plaster to get rid of. Took 4 trips to the tip. It looks so much better now and I'm no longer tripping over it all!

The plumber is back today to hopefully put a cold feed into the pantry, outside tap and finish fitting the bathroom suite. His last job will be to service the boiler once the radiators are back on.

Gonna catch up on the blogs over lunch.
Bye for now
Lisa x

BB1984

TomsMom wrote: »

Looking forward to seeing the photo of your bedroom, what colour is it?

Well TM, don't say I never treat you...! Pic on my blog. It's pale lilac, really pretty - I love it! I think it's going to be a lovely little room, it's so nice and sunny in the morning. We're going to have futon in there in case of having hordes of people to stay, but it'll mostly be used as an office/computer room.
Carpet-fitter booked in for Friday afternoon, then it'll be all finished - the last room, can you believe it?!:j

BB

Shimmyhill

Hope all goes well with your OH Tomsmum

We are getting new windows fitted on thursday exciting times and cant wait to see what a difference they will make !

TomsMom

That's a lovely colour Beth. I've just scrolled back and had a quick look at all your photos, you really have done such a lot in a few months. Well done both of you :T you should be very proud of yourselves. How exciting to be almost finished and ready to show it off!

Today ended up a bit of a disaster. The chap came to continue with the worktop in the utility room, cut the second small piece then had to pack everything up as he's cutting outside and it started to rain (painting going on inside so can't risk getting the dust from cutting on the paint). Of course, the sun was blazing away half an hour later and continued to do so for the rest of the day :rolleyes: . I was busy so didn't go and have a look at his work but when my son came round tonight he pointed out that the worktop has been cut at a slight angle on the one side and there's quite a big gap at the back corner, possibly too big to be covered by the tiles. Luckily there's a left-over piece big enough to be used there.

Window fitter came to fit some new hinges on two of the bedroom windows which weren't sealing properly. When he finished I said "I hope you haven't mucked up Petros' lovely paintwork". "No", he said, "but it's only undercoat anyway". Well, it's not, it's the top coat and we've had eggshell (mixed with a little acrylic gloss to give a slight sheen). What did I find? He'd only gone and put his tools on the window sill and left a few grey marks that wont come off!

When my son was here he wanted to take the back off the 900 pan drawer unit where the hob is going to make it easier for the gas fitter to fix the pipes. He leaned on the top support and you can guess the rest - yes, he broke it! Not quite snapped in two, it's holding on by a thread! This support will have screws through up into the worktop which sonny jim says will be fine and he will face the support with some facing strip. Can't say I'm happy about it but by this time I was so thoroughly cheesed off I could have cried.

It seems as though everyone is conspiring to spoil my lovely house before it's finished :sad: .

Then the gas fitter didn't manage to come tonight to fix the hob (I think he got called out on an emergency) so I'm not sure when that will get done.

The decorator wants to try and get the lounge started as a surprise for when OH comes home from hospital and I'm panicking because of all the stuff in there. The utility room and toilet should get their first coat of colour tomorrow (his helper is doing that) and I've asked him if he can wallpaper the feature wall in the dining area tomorrow. That will then finish the kitchen/diner completely and I can move the dining suite out of the sun room. Then we can move some of the stuff out of the lounge into the sun room to give them room to start painting the lounge. It's a bit like musical chairs.

So I've told the worktop chap not to come back just yet as the utility is now going to be painted and I think I'll leave it until next week and he can come back when OH is home as he's better and more diplomatic when there are problems so he can tell him the worktop he cut today is no good.

So I've had enough today and I'm off to bed. Trouble is the downstairs doors have all been taken off so I can't lock the cat in the kitchen tonight, she'll come upstairs and make a right nuisance of herself. I might let her go in the second bedroom and shut her in, I'll allow the hairy little monster to sleep on the bed just this once :rotfl: .

Sorry to moan, just needed to get all that out.

Spicey

Hi all, seems ages since I caught up with you all, but after straining my shoulder/ arm ( had lymph nodes removed 3 years ago) I been told to lay off the wallpaper stripping. So thought Id catch up. I have updated my blog, but the short version goes along the line of- the new electric supply is fitted, first fix electric is done, Gas supply fitted, boiler etc for heating and water fitted, pipework for bathroom and cloakroom ready for fitting in bathroom, mains water sorted, drainage sorted, 2 lintels put in.
Still waiting for council on planning permission but they have at least sent letters to neighbours at last.
Plasters start next week on the ceilings. Followed by walls. Hence why Ive been stripping paper like mad.
The brambles in the garden are fighting back, so trying to keep on top of that an all.
Had terrible trouble finding a plasterer, seems there is lots of work here in Kent, the one I got in the end was a friend of a friend who is fitting us in, in his spare time!
Will try to keep up with what you all doing.

Spicey

Tomsmom- hope all well with OH.

latecomer

Spicey wrote: »

Tomsmom- hope all well with OH.

And from me too.


just a brief update to say meeting went as expected and they want everything to be finished by up by friday and I will be on gardening leave for the remainder of my notice period.

Good news is that not only have the replacement skirting boards been delivered but the manager ordered 6 to make sure we had enough. He has also checked them as says they are all good. Guess the first job for this weekend or next week will be to sort out the skirting boards (apart from updating CV of course!)

TomsMom

Thank you all for your good wishes for OH.

latecomer Good to hear you've got the skirting boards sorted at last!

As far as the job is concerned, I bet there's something better waiting for you just around the corner so for now enjoy your gardening leave.

jamtart6

Hello everyone,

I have been AWOL for a few weeks, they haven't been the best, but onwards and upwards now.

TomsMom - I hope that everything runs more smoothly in your house. What a day it was for you. My very best wishes and strength to your OH, it is not plesant, but I am keeping everything crossed for him

Latecomer - super news about the skirting boards, I'll know who to ask when we get our new ones!

So, our house - well we've taken loads of rubbish to the tip, taken the carpets out, taken the doors off, kitchen out etc. and have had the first stage of plumbing done - hurrah!

No plans back as yet for extension, but as soon as they come in, we'll get digging (as in, they'll dig, I'll supervise ).

Plasterer is the next job, then ye gods! I will be on to painting No idea about how to decorate things though! Been watching Kirstie's Homemade Homes on 4oD for inspiration, but not a fan of her taste!

Currently thiking of having a kitchen-diner. The room is about 3m by 6m and we are unsure whether to

(a)have the whole thing as a kitchen with a long(ish) farmhouse type table
advantages: more cupboard space, will look like a complete room instead of 2 faffy small ones
disadvantages: more expensive as more cupboards, space not needed due to utility room, a bit naff that guests would be eating in the kitchen
or
(b) have a u-shaped kitchen and a separate diner (no walls to separate)
advantages: two separate spaces, 'diner' could be turned into a mini study if necessary if a brood of kids appear at a later date, cheaper, looks more like a 'dining room', I don't NEED a large kitchen
disadvantages: fiddly little rooms, table has the potential to get in the way a bit

As you can probably tell we have a kitchen and dining room in my current home and have never lived anywhere with a kitchen table as it is too small (a concept OH finds odd).

What are your opinions? 2 rooms or one big kitchen?

KT1985

JT- I would go large kitchen with table every time, so much more sociable, great use of space. We don't have either, we have our kitchen, then a one and a half metre doorway leading stright into the dining space. So, they are basically the same room, but are distinct sections. However, we have a dining room in addition to this, but don't think it is going to be used as such.

I love Kirsties homemade home, but then I like her taste Went to an auction for the first time yesterday and loved it- bought 8 things to go in the house, and plan to go to the next one. It is good to get some design into the house which isn't from ikea! I do need to buy a sewing machine though...

Off to the house today to carry on painting the lounge. We have to move in in 6 weeks, and we are no-where near finished... we did order the carpets yesterday though.