First-time house renovation

ukmaggie45

Hi TM, wonderful news about TD - so glad he's so much nearer to you. :j And it sounds like he's feeling more cheerful too. :j When can he enjoy a :beer: ? Bet he'll feel even more cheerful then!

TomsMom wrote: »

Maggie - are you around? What's happening with the house you've offered on? Any progress yet?

OH had flu last week, and I think I had it too, or maybe I was just horribly ME-ed from trying to get meals and drinks for him. I never really get virus stuff, think my immune system is very upregulated, just get worse ME symptoms. But I did reach the point where I honestly don't know how I managed to get up and down the stairs. Obviously we should be after a bungalow! :rolleyes:

We had the legal pack the Friday before OH took ill on the Monday, but hadn't managed to sort anything out over the weekend. Around the Thursday OH felt well enough to phone our sol and the EAs to let them know he wasn't well so nothing was happening. EA was pleased to hear, but the reception at sols forgot to tell our sol, so she called OH at work this Monday to ask if there was a problem.

Anyway, we've signed the contract and OH delivered it to sols this morning with a few questions we have over the rentcharge thing (it's a freehold house) and a few other details. Will have to get in touch with broker next week, have stuff need to let her know anyway. It's all a bit scary. :eek:

But I'm dying to get into the garden and begin gardening!

We haven't really had much chance to discuss how we'll extend, but suspect may need planning permission as I'd like to demolish garage and make it as wide as the current extension on the back, which might just make it wide enough to take a car! (I have a Renault Grand Scenic so it's a bit wide)

And maybe put a room on top of the garage too for the views.

And I've been window shopping on the web for green houses and sheds! :eek: We're not that bothered about the house - it's the garden! :rolleyes: But we do realise it's not feasible to stay living here and garden there on a permanent basis, so we'll get on to doing up the house as soon as we can.

Basically everything needs ripping out and redoing, and we've still to arrange for a damp survey and drains survey. Things have been a bit difficult this week, as OH back in work probably a bit soon, but he works for RBS so was worried about being off sick too long. And I've been shattered after last week.

DD1 is up from London this evening with BF, so we have a nice weekend to look forward to. And I've enjoyed having my favourite visitor for the last week (DD2 and SiL's cat Brodie) who has revelled in me spending a lot of time in bed! He likes his comfort!

No further news from our vendor yet, not sure when she'll be here to sort out the overflowing overflow pipe and finish clearing the house (including the car on the drive). OH is getting on to EAs this afternoon to see if there's any further news. We're hoping to meet her to find out a bit about the house's history, and to find out which tree in the garden has a tree preservation order on it and stuff like that.

Maggie

jamtart6

UKmaggie - if you can put together the shed then shedexpress online I can highly reccomend, really good quality, decent prices, free delivery anywhere in UK, very friendly Good luck with the house!

TM - I am soooo glad TD is close by! Tell him to stop being such a man and accept some help to get back on his feet!! Pleased for you both

Jim - slate sounds nice and a great idea..may be an idea to pinch! If we EVER start the downstairs!!


Well this week we have:
Put gravel under the drains
Filled in the massive whole with earth
barrowed, shoveled and raked EIGHT tonnes of crush and run
wacked it all
cut the insulation and laid it
cut the visquine and laid it
...
and had the base passed by the building inspector again!! hurrah!

Concrete due at 8.30 in the morning, but a lot of faffing as he's double booked us (I was in first), and WE got pushed back to 11.30 which we can't do. So whether it turns up at 8.30 or not is another matter, but HOPEFULLY BRICKLAYING AGAIN NEXT WEEK!!!!

ukmaggie45

jamtart6 wrote: »

UKmaggie - if you can put together the shed then shedexpress online I can highly reccomend, really good quality, decent prices, free delivery anywhere in UK, very friendly Good luck with the house!

Hi Jammy, thanks for the recommend. There's no way I could put the shed together - have ME/CFS. And as for OH I wouldn't trust him an inch with such a thing. His Mum has one of his early school woodwork projects - a teapot stand. Now you might think there's not a lot could go wrong with that? :rolleyes: It wobbles. Admittedly he's tried a few other DIY projects since then, some have somewhat worked, but he doesn't like to do the prep work, so it drives me up the wall since I'm a Virgoan perfectionist! Might be able to pay a mate to do it though, so I'll head on over to the website and [STRIKE]drool all over my keyboard [/STRIKE]take a look.

My goodness it sounds like you have been doing a lot of really heavy work! Fingers crossed the cement arrives OK.

Maggie

latecomer

@TM - you can get a seat that attaches/sits over the bath and can be lowered and raised to get in/out of the bath. My gran had one in her flat and she thought it was fantastic.

Hope everyone had a productive weekend. We achieved very little in actual DIY but I did manage to get the final piece for skirting board on in the living room. Looks great although I still haven't figured out how we are going to fill in behind the boards where needed without covering them...... I'm still waiting on suggestions from you lot

We spent saturday looking at kitchens again. Had an appointment with a trade supplier who had a really nice showroom so we'll see what they come back with. Also went back to B&Q just to see what they could do with the bigger layout (last time was a smaller version). Got home and found that what the saleman was telling us was utter bull**** as the prices online and in the retail brochure were cheaper then the super-duper discount he was giving us (which I suspected might be the case).. Yesterday we went round looking at appliances and have decided on a nice looking, good quality hob and cooker (probably Neff) and going cheaper on the integrated appliances as we dont use many different programmes on either dishwasher or washing machine. Still for all the items its a lot of money, and I suspect will put an end to any idea of having granite. That said i'm still waiting on a couple of quotes to come back so there might still be a chance....

OH is off this week so will be keeping an eye on the builders and also trying to view all the appliances in the flesh and trying to get one supplier to supply everything, hopefully with a good price.

Fingers crossed the rain doesn't materialise as forecast as we really need the walls to be finished this week. so they can get on the with the roof.

dottiepeas

Hello! Love reading everyones updates and seeing before and after pics!!

We have been busy these last 2 weeks trying to sort out the floor in our bungalow, as when we bought the place, abit of concrete slab was already broken in the lounge, so it was a job we had to repair. Basically, we had structural engineers in, floor dug out..and now trying to find out the cause of why the slab broke in the first place!! Structural eng is saying there maybe a possible leak from mains pipe (when the floor was dug up,we found it was built on clay!! Eek!.and it was very damp in one corner where the slab broke)...so possible broken pipe! Though builders are saying it's just because of the clay expanding/contracting when weather is hot and cold! But that doesn't explain why one area of the bungalow is much damper?! So now we're calling out Thames Water to do a leak test! SIGH!...It's so stressful as all i want to do is move in and paint!! heehee!! And that is a loooong way off yet! In a way, we hope it is a leak, as then we have an explanation as to why part of the floor had broken!..and can repair it properly! If it's not a broken pipe...then it's back to structural engineers and general head scratching!!

Also met up with afew plumbers to get quotes for installing central heating with combi boiler, but they all seem to be really slow in getting quotes back! It's been over a week, and still no quotes back!?...do they usually take long!? I would have thought they do these things quite regularly and could quote quite quickly!?....

wallbash

Sorting out the tile design









Hardwood bath panel made from 'skip diving '


Glad it was a number of years ago , because colour is horrid

andrew-b

dottiepeas wrote: »

Also met up with afew plumbers to get quotes for installing central heating with combi boiler, but they all seem to be really slow in getting quotes back! It's been over a week, and still no quotes back!?...do they usually take long!? I would have thought they do these things quite regularly and could quote quite quickly!?....

Did they give an indication of when they'll get back to you? A week is long enough for that sort of quote IMHO..if the plumbers want your custom that is. If not i'd chase them up and ask if they've sent you it yet as you haven't received. My experience searching for plumbers was alot don't bother to even get back to you with even a verbal quote let alone a written one!

My suggested policy is to find out when someone comes to quote when they expect to get back to you else you end up wasting weeks waiting for quotes that never come back. If they don't get back in the given make a polite enquiry..if they still don't quote assume they don't want the job. I also try and get back to those who have the courtesy to give me a quote to tell them if they have been unsuccessful on this occassion ..if it comes down to price might be room to negotiate.

Which area you in ..being Thames water you may be in Swale Heating catchment area who installed our new boiler - was suitably impressed and would recommend. My parents (also a thames water area) had them round for a quote but got someone else instead and then regretted they ignored my recommendation..but what would i know lol

dottiepeas

Hi Andrewb- we're in oxford, and did have a look at swale heating you mentioned, but they are in Kent!..so probably too far to quote!! But thanks for the recommendation!! One of the plumbers just said will get back to me "soon"....and another was end of last week, but never heard anything. I did a chaser email today, and got a reply back quite quickly!..though only saying they were "busy with my quote"...and will get back to me "today hopefully"!......but it's now closing up time being 5.10pm!?...so not likely methinks!!
Will just wait afew more days and do another chase......maybe it's a busy time of the year or something?....as I called around afew gas companies too for other jobs, and some were booked up till Jan some of them!.....

latecomer

To be honest its one of the problems with trades-people. The have a reputation for being unreliable etc and by simply not bothering to quote people just reinforces this. I got seriously annoyed when looking for roofer last year and getting lots of apparent interest but only few quotes and some of the quotes made it obvious they either didn't want or didn't need the work. I'd much rather someone had the balls to say they were not interested in quoting for that job, particularly if they've gone to the effort of coming round to look at the job. In fact I'd probably give them another chance next time I wanted something done in their trade. If they dont bother to quote then thats me finished with them.

As I rule I dont chase anyone for a quote. I always ask when they hope to get a quote to me and from then its up to them to let me know if its going to be late. I realise I could potentially lose out but if they cant send a quote on time, whats the chances of getting the job done on time?

andrew-b

dottiepeas wrote: »

.maybe it's a busy time of the year or something?

Probably is..but that doesn't make it ok to take longer than they say they will.
As latecomer says once they've not bothered to quote they go on the "don't bother with again list"..sooner or later things will change and they will no longer be able to cherry pick their jobs. One company i had out before for a new boiler quote and was impressed...quickly returned quote..big folder of references and pictures etc. They were beaten on price and didn't fit my preferred boiler but I kept their business card and 2 years later phoned for a bathroom quote. Guy came out looked around made lots of notes and said would get back to me...never heard anything since! I guess he didn't fancy the job so his card went in the bin.