First-time house renovation

TomsMom

Crikey Wallbash, I saw your picture last night when you first posted it and thought it was a joke :rotfl: . Just out of interest, when was that, I'm thinking it must have been a good few years ago or if more recent you must have had a fantastic bargain!

Please post pictures of your journey, we'd all be inspired I'm sure. Now, if you've read a fair bit of this thread you will know that last sentence is code for "There's some nosey critters on here and we love seeing what other people have done". Of course, I'm not talking about myself .

jamtart6 wrote: »

wahey well done wall! hope you werent up all night sorting that! great picture!! is that the "before" shot then

hows tomsdad doing tomsmom??

He's in good spirits. His final week's chemo started Wednesday. A different one, quite intensive, it has to destroy his immune system ready for the stem cell infusion which is planned for next Wednesday. He's had a couple of reactions but they've been treated promptly and we're talking on the phone every day and he sounds good. I'm leaving in an hour to get the train. Just heard there's been an accident affecting the M5 (power cables down on the motorway) and part of it has been closed and traffic diverted through Bristol and causing chaos. Hopefully it will have eased off by the time we get there, around 7.30ish I think. We'll see him tonight then go again tomorrow but have to leave about 4pm so only a short visit this weekend. Thanks for asking .

wallbash

First the important stuff , I think that the M5 will reopen late afternoon .
Good luck with next week .

Now for the trivial.

No joke , but it was the 80's but in the 'wealthy ' south , just outside St Albans
( herts)

Was it a bargain.... yes I made a lot of money on it.
Bought for £24500 , spent £15000 ( of which I claimed back 75% of £10250 ie £7500) So total spend little over £31000
Sold within 2 years for £76000

eat your heart out Sarah Beeny :rotfl::rotfl:

jimbugalee

Hi all,
Good weekends?

Hope TomsDad is continuing to keep his spirits up and improve

I currently sit here in many layers and fingerless gloves as it's starting to get cold and still no heating downstairs We do have heating upstairs now though ... YEY!!!

We're in a dilema re downstairs. Moving and installing new radiators downstairs isn't particularly easy as we're creating new rooms and all pipes have to be re-routed to new boiler so ..... do we just get a multi fuel stove in the lounge instead? We wanted one anyway and this would heat the lounge and kitchen (connected) just not my new office for which we would have to install a radiator. I'm thinking the stove itself would be about £600? then another £400plus for the work to be carried out on the chimney (lining, new chimney pot etc). TomsMom did you do this? Any ideas on cost ...?

We were due to finish tiling the bathroom this weekend but the bit round the window is a bit tricky so we'll finish off next weekend. Then it's sealing, grouting and sealing again. Then application to council for the actual soil pipe work and installing all the 'stuff' Another 2 months I reckon ZZzzzzz Before Xmas I hope!!!!

We're also wondering whether to get the back of our house double glazed over Xmas (cheaper prices as no one else wants their windows done then?!) Then that would be the whole house and potentially save us money on heating? Problem as always .... money grrr

wallbash

Not a pretty site

So we bought the 'dump' and waited for the improvement grant
It had no bathroom

Could not start anything we might want to claim for so we went for a job .
cheap in materials , but expensive in time and effort .

Rear chimney breast came out , ground floor to loft.





18 ft RSJ was placed into loft , afternoons work , brute strength
( and a bit of forethought)
Health and Safety would have had kittens.

TomsMom

jimbugalee wrote: »

Hope TomsDad is continuing to keep his spirits up and improve

He's in great spirits thanks Jimby. As he has no regular visitors the nurses keep popping in to keep him company and they are really nice. He was a bit upset when he saw the list of foods he can't have now (and for the next 3-6 months), one of them is coconut in confectionery. He went in with a large box of liqourice allsorts (his absolute favourites are the yellow round coconut ones) and only managed to eat half the box before the ban - he's gutted! Guess who had the rest .

Last day of chemo today, day off tomorrow, move into isolation then transplant on Wednesday. The donor is in Germany and the stem cells are being flown over tomorrow. The nurses give all these patients a new "official" birthday and whoever gets to do the "stem cell infusion" (official word) has their photo taken with the patient. It's all geared for children on this unit as everyone is treated in the children's hospital.

Anyone know the German equivalent for the name Paul?

It was a long journey from here on Friday, 4 hours on the train to DD's, stop for something to eat at her house, then just over 1.5 hours' drive to the flat. Taxi from the flat to the hospital as it's a maze of back streets and nowhere to park at the hospital. Train left at 12.50, we got to hospital at 8.30pm. We've got it sussed now so will be a bit more organised next week.

do we just get a multi fuel stove in the lounge instead? We wanted one anyway and this would heat the lounge and kitchen (connected) just not my new office for which we would have to install a radiator. I'm thinking the stove itself would be about £600? then another £400plus for the work to be carried out on the chimney (lining, new chimney pot etc). TomsMom did you do this? Any ideas on cost ...?

That sounds a good idea, if you were going to have one anyway and can budget for it now why not go ahead. You need to keep warm. Can't help with cost as we didn't have one (electric wall hung fire for us). Latecomer had a stove fitted, not sure if anyone else has.

We're also wondering whether to get the back of our house double glazed over Xmas (cheaper prices as no one else wants their windows done then?!) Then that would be the whole house and potentially save us money on heating? Problem as always .... money grrr

If you can get a good deal at this time of year, and you know it's something you will do eventually, then get it over and done with and reap the benefits now.

Jimby - is your blog Seaton Road? I don't seem to have a link saved in my favourites (not like me!). Can you post your link, save me trawling back through the thread.

jamtart6

Glad he is doing OK. I can't eat loadsa foods and you soon get used to it (wish chocolate was one of them lol). It is miserable at first when faced with "bland diet" for the rest of your life. Make sure there is coconut delights ready for him in 6 months time The journey sounds like a nightmare. Look after yourself as well. I looked for the German of Paul and couldnt find it so I reckon you just go ahead and re-name him Ludwig

TomsMom

jamtart6 wrote: »

Glad he is doing OK. I can't eat loadsa foods and you soon get used to it (wish chocolate was one of them lol). It is miserable at first when faced with "bland diet" for the rest of your life. Make sure there is coconut delights ready for him in 6 months time The journey sounds like a nightmare. Look after yourself as well. I looked for the German of Paul and couldnt find it so I reckon you just go ahead and re-name him Ludwig

:rotfl: . We'll definitely think of something!

It's not a bland diet he has to have, it's to do with food hygiene (I'm sure there's a proper word for it). He can have coconut, and some of the other foods on the list, if it's cooked, i.e. in cakes, curry. If I want to make a curry, spag sauce, soup, etc., he can have it as long as it's just been cooked. I can't freeze any and defrost it/reheat it later. Shame, as that's how I do quite a lot of stuff, make a big batch and put some in the freezer for another day.

He can't have pre-cooked food like chicken from a supermarket (but we don't anyway, that's just an example, but the deli counter is out even for cheese). Everything has to be wrapped/sealed. Once a loaf of wrapped bread has been opened (no unwrapped bread), he can have some straight away but the rest has to be packed in portions in sealable freezer bags and frozen, that's about the only thing that can be frozen and used later.

It's all to do with bacteria and his new immune system being so immature. I've a lot to read up on before he comes home.

I could do with being allergic to chocolate, and sweets, and biscuits, and cakes.................

Where's Andy, did he get married on Saturday or is it next week?

jimbugalee

Pleased to hear about TomsDad Keep us updated.

Here's my blog http://seatonroad.blogspot.com/ I put a small update on there for this week too.

Ah yes, I remember your fire is wall hung now TM. Hopefully latecomer can help? I think we'll get some ppl round to quote as it's one of the few things we can't do ourselves.

It's really hard to judge when to spend money as we've really only spent very little so far and will pay it back within a year. We could borrow more no probs but it means it would take over a year to pay back (not much considering we'll be living in the house for at least 3 years). But I did remind my BF that the reason we got the house and no problem with mortgage etc was because we are both really good with our money and I wouldn't like suddenly not be. It's tricky ...

ukmaggie45

Survey on next house was done last Monday. We went for a third viewing on Friday, and to measure up (I gave OH one of those laser measuring gizmos for part of his birthday prezzy, though in fact it was to be for measuring up the one we withdrew from).

I took loads of photos, particularly of the garden. I've put 49 of them (!!!) on Flickr, but are for friends and family only, so if you want to see PM me and I'll add you as a friend once I know your username.

Friday we confirmed our offer as our surveyor met us and the EA at the house to return the keys. Surveyor said there's 20 things need doing, but nothing major that we didn't suspect (boiler and rewiring). By 3pm house was labelled as Under Offer, and this morning that has changed to Sold Subject to Contract. Just hope it's to us! :rolleyes:

So please keep yer fingers crossed this one goes through!

TM, glad you got to see TD OK, and glad to hear he's in good spirits.

Oh yes, just one other bit of news - the house we withdrew our offer on has been taken off the market. I wonder if vendor has given up for now or if they've decided to try a different agent.

OH is going mad trying to draw plans of the house and work out what alterations he'd like to make (the kitchen is tiny - so tiny it has a sliding door as there isn't room for a proper one. :eek: )

Surveyor reckons it was built in the 30s, and I think the bathroom is probably original - very Deco in style. Not sure if we'll keep it, but I imagine an architectural salvage place might be interested if we don't. We'll have to replace the bath as I need one with handles so I can lever myself up.

We're both feeling very nervous that someone will offer above us - there was a lot of interest when it came back on the market. Viewings have stopped now though. OH is going to try and speak to our sol today to find out how much she is holding from parental estates so I can work out how much I still have to raise to pay for the place. It's both exciting and terrifying, woke up at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep so OH made me a pot of tea and I spent some time catching up on the forums and just messing on the internet IYSWIM.

Wallbash, wow, that was some kitchen!

Maggie

jimbugalee

ooooh Maggie it sounds like a nervous time for you!! I'll keep everything crossed. That as one thing we didn't have to contend with .... no one in their right mind wanted to buy this house apart from us lol