First-time house renovation

latecomer

jimbugalee wrote: »

Omg I might faint at the fact I just paid £1,000 for our bathroom tiles AAARGH!! Includes adhesive, grout, sealant etc but oooooh it hurts lol

Thats about the same as we paid for ours. I was getting a bit concerned about the cost of the bathroom but if you want cheering up ask a bathroom place for a fitted price - will make your eyes water!

We bought a little cabinet for the bathroom at the weekend and I spend about half a day polishing tiles. They look great but it reminds me that I need to do the rest! The cabinet came from B&Q (Oslo model) of all places and we got the 15% which was running over the weekend. Its a very good match for the tiles. Of course it was about 1.75" too high but we knew this before we took. Built it up on monday night and then last night I cut down the legs and got it in place. Looks fantastic and I'll upload pics to blog when I've next got the camera out

Only problem will be finding stuff to match. there is some solid walnut items listed on the website but will need to have a look at them in store. At least we've got the bits I cut off the legs to use for comparing colours

Also had another builder round last night who should be quoting too. We now have 2 builders chomping at the bit to get the job and get started. Still think the first one is the favourite but will wait until all quotes are in before deciding.

Also turns out there has been a delay in getting the building warrant submitted but that should be done by today at the latest and will hopefully take between 3 and 4 weeks to be granted

latecomer

jamtart6 wrote: »

Re: the concrete lintel - we checked the plans and the council have approved the concrete lintel - surely they should pay if they want it replacing? If they weren't happy with it, then they should have stated that before they approved the plans?

tell them where to go. If they have approved it on the plans then its their fault if its not sufficient. Ask them to meet the cost of having it replaced or refund all fees that you paid for the building warrant as they didn't do what they were paid for.

jimbugalee

latecomer wrote: »

Thats about the same as we paid for ours. I was getting a bit concerned about the cost of the bathroom but if you want cheering up ask a bathroom place for a fitted price - will make your eyes water!

We bought a little cabinet for the bathroom at the weekend and I spend about half a day polishing tiles. They look great but it reminds me that I need to do the rest! The cabinet came from B&Q (Oslo model) of all places and we got the 15% which was running over the weekend. Its a very good match for the tiles. Of course it was about 1.75" too high but we knew this before we took. Built it up on monday night and then last night I cut down the legs and got it in place. Looks fantastic and I'll upload pics to blog when I've next got the camera out

Only problem will be finding stuff to match. there is some solid walnut items listed on the website but will need to have a look at them in store. At least we've got the bits I cut off the legs to use for comparing colours

Oh that's exactly the furniture we are looking at for the bathroom. I haven't found an alternative but look on the Next website as there's some dark wood bits they sell which look nice.

I was also going to pick the dark wood accessories but I looked at them in store and wasn't so sure. We're now going to go for the 'Cascade' accessories.

I'd be interested to see a pic of the furniture with your tiles. Ooooh getting excited about getting ours We'll have to wait for another deals weekend.

jamtart6

latecomer wrote: »

tell them where to go. If they have approved it on the plans then its their fault if its not sufficient. Ask them to meet the cost of having it replaced or refund all fees that you paid for the building warrant as they didn't do what they were paid for.

thanks latecomer - bit scared that they will pick at other things on the extension though. it says "concrete lintel" on the plans, so builder says that inspector will probably say he wasnt a different sized concrete lintel just to be a pain in the butt

TomsMom

Oh poo, bum and other expletives I can't say on here. Massive rant coming on.

Bedroom furniture ordered a couple of months ago, I informed the shop delivery would be needed before second week in September due to OH going into hospital for 3 months for his bone marrow transplant. Shop promised delivery last Friday, delivery company cancelled last Friday. Got phone call yesterday to say delivery will be this Friday but delivery company would ring today to confirm.

OH had a phone call from hospital this morning, he has to go in this Friday for a preparatory operation, will come home on Saturday, and will go to Bristol on Wednesday next week for the start of his final chemo before the transplant the following week.

:eek: We have today, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday when OH is here at home to dismantle old furniture, get it down the stairs and take delivery of new furniture, help get it safely up our dog-leg stairs with low ceiling and assemble the new wardrobe. So obviously Friday is out as far as the delivery is concerned. I can't do this on my own.

OH informs shop who say leave it with us. We get a phone call from delivery people saying they will be here Friday. OH tells them it's not possible to accept delivery on Friday as explained to shop (who obviously haven't told delivery people). OH rings shop again who say "Accept delivery and put it in the garage". Well, we don't have a garage. Then they say "Get a neighbour to help your wife get the old stuff down and assemble the new wardrobe". Well, we are a little close of five houses, three of the men (including OH) are seriously ill, and the other two are out at work all day. Our son can't help as he's off to America for 2 weeks and he's a bit like a bull in a china shop anyway so I wouldn't trust him not to damage the walls, ceiling etc.

Shop tried everything to get us to accept this delivery but it's just not possible tomorrow.

Now it will be stored in the delivery company's warehouse until OH gets back from Bristol, hopefully by Christmas, weaker than he is at the moment. That is if he comes back as there's a 30% chance he wont survive the transplant but we try not to think about that.

Why????????????? That's the first time I've every said why, why us or why me.

There's still a lot that needed to be done before he goes that will now be left undone, some of it (e.g. sorting stuff) I can get around to myself but would have preferred us to do it together.

It's nobody's fault that he's had such short notice of going off for his transplant, he knew it would be as soon as he got the all clear with his bone tests which came this week and they have to jump in now before his lymphoma comes back again and he really can't take any more chemo.

Beggar it. I'm so pee'd off about this. And for god's sake, it's only ruddy furniture after all. But we both really wanted it in place before he went and it was promised.

Sh!te.

Can you tell I'm all over the place at the moment?

I'm off, not sure whether to tear my hear out and go and cry.

Sorry peeps, just needed to get that off my chest.

jamtart6

Oh TomsMom I am so sorry for you! Do you want me to go and kick the furniture shop in person for you? It is not far away!!! Lets think of the positives - yay TomsDad has his operation sooner, which has got to be a good thing. You have to think the other way around. There is a 70% chance he WILL survive the transplant. MUCH better odds than the other way around. You have summed it up when you say it is only furniture, yes it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of life, but I thoroughly understand how frustrating this must be for you I would be fuming, but I also think it speaks volumes about how stressed you are with everything else going on. I can take things like this normally, but in times of high stress (family illness) I just can't hack even dropping a pen on the floor and I'm irate and upset. Shall I come and take you to ikea and we can self-assemble? Seriously chin up, you have much many more important things to worry about than a set of drawers and I promise you, it is all meant for a reason; you might not know that now, or indeed ever know it, but I'm a firm believer in these things. All the lugging about of the furniture might have made TD too weak to be able to have his transplant or anything, so think of it like fate interving for reasons only fate knows! That always cheers me up! Like the time we had to cancel a holiday, I decided it was for the best as the plane could have crashed or anything (always looking on the cheerful side ).

Go and have a good cry and re-convene with the other renovation nutters when you feel better xxx

TomsMom

Thank you JT, what a sweetheart you are.

I know everything you say is right and I really am the sort of person who believes that things happen for a reason, although it isn't always obvious. It was just so disappointing after working so hard for all this to come together in time. I just wish people would keep to their promises not break them at the last minute. It would be really, really nice if the curtain track comes before Tuesday and we can get those lounge curtains up before he goes, fingers crossed.

But onwards and upwards, we're very realistic and sorting out what to do if the 30% happens but feeling positive it will be the 70%.

Thanks for your support, I'm not feeling so bad now - I think it did me the world of good to get it off my chest, poor d-i-l heard a few choice words this afternoon when I was relaying all this too her, bless her she just lets me get on with it and says "Get it off your chest Susie, you'll feel better for it!". She understands me really well.

jamtart6

I've got good feelings too Hope it all goes well for you all Very frustrating when people mess you about, I couldn't agree more. Anyway your house is looking super beautiful anyway and piling clothes instead of putting them away in drawers could be a new trend for 2009 autumn/winter

aliasojo

jamtart6 wrote: »

Oh TomsMom I am so sorry for you! Do you want me to go and kick the furniture shop in person for you? It is not far away!!! Lets think of the positives - yay TomsDad has his operation sooner, which has got to be a good thing. You have to think the other way around. There is a 70% chance he WILL survive the transplant. MUCH better odds than the other way around. You have summed it up when you say it is only furniture, yes it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of life, but I thoroughly understand how frustrating this must be for you I would be fuming, but I also think it speaks volumes about how stressed you are with everything else going on. I can take things like this normally, but in times of high stress (family illness) I just can't hack even dropping a pen on the floor and I'm irate and upset. Shall I come and take you to ikea and we can self-assemble? Seriously chin up, you have much many more important things to worry about than a set of drawers and I promise you, it is all meant for a reason; you might not know that now, or indeed ever know it, but I'm a firm believer in these things. All the lugging about of the furniture might have made TD too weak to be able to have his transplant or anything, so think of it like fate interving for reasons only fate knows! That always cheers me up! Like the time we had to cancel a holiday, I decided it was for the best as the plane could have crashed or anything (always looking on the cheerful side ).


Go and have a good cry and re-convene with the other renovation nutters when you feel better xxx

:T

I could get the bus down and help too if you like? I'd happily take my bathroom flooring frustrations out on a furniture salesman right now. I'm also a whizz with Ikea furniture.

TM you always seem so upbeat and together when you post here, I have some hassles with a bit of ply and I'm on the floor. :rolleyes: You put me to shame woman! You rant away as much as you like, 'tis always better out than in.

jamtart6

aliasojo wrote: »

:T

I could get the bus down and help too if you like? I'd happily take my bathroom flooring frustrations out on a furniture salesman right now. I'm also a whizz with Ikea furniture.

TM you always seem so upbeat and together when you post here, I have some hassles with a bit of ply and I'm on the floor. :rolleyes: You put me to shame woman! You rant away as much as you like, 'tis always better out than in.

So true! What's a concrete lintel between friends, or a shoddy mix of concrete, or a cowboy gutter man?? Tsk anyone would think I'd been stressed about nothing lately! :rotfl::D