First-time house renovation

stolt

latecomer wrote: »

Thats a fantastic service from the company - I guess it makes sense for them as the better it looks, the more likely they are to ask where you got it from etc. Note that I'm not suggesting that your finish wouldn't be as good - but I'm sure it would take longer.

very nice to hear.

Our builders have gone very quiet following our reply asking them to return all our material if they want the materials in the house returned to them. If they haven't replied by tonight we'll send them another email as we need the scaffolding removed this weekend if possible and I really dont fancy doing the one at the front myself. If the worst happens we'll try and remove the all the rest of the scaffolding at the weekend which shouldn't be too bad and leave the one at the front as its not in the way of the remaining building work.

I was up the ladders at the front last night taking down the remaining slate from the scaffolding. I'm not great with heights but being up on the scaffolding hasn't bothered me yet - but this is the first time I've attempted to get onto the bit at the front. As the house is on a slop its considably higher than at the back or side when accessed from the back. Ladders were getting near fully extended and rather wobbly as I neared the top and hence I decided to take the slate off by remaining on the ladders (which I'd tied on to the scaffolding of course) and taking it down a few at a time. Had to use a brush to pull the piles over slate to the edge but got there in the end. Then I moved the ladders inside the scaffolding to access the guttering and removed all the bits of slate, nails felt and general grot into a bucket. Need to do the rest too but I'm sure the builders will want their ladders back so I need to do it before saturday or I'll have to our ladders which aren't bad but not as good as theirs.

Yep top company, he actually said to me that there are a few houses overlooking the garden and like you say he wants the best finish possible so yes it benefits him aswell, but i'm over the moon with there help. Wasnt looking forward to the joining of the seams etc.

Good luck with the heights, i'm not particulary good with heights, might have something with me falling from roof height off a ladder and not hurting a thing!!!!! good luck with the builders, its never easy is it, as long as you can find a builder who will take the work on and understand the situation rather than thinking you have been left in the lurch and trying to take the mick......

latecomer

2 of the builders that have been out have seemed very sympathetic about the whole thing and their quotes dont appear to be taking the .........


I guess we'll find out soon but they both understand we will be watching everything that gets done and seem quite happy with that.

stolt

latecomer wrote: »

2 of the builders that have been out have seemed very sympathetic about the whole thing and their quotes dont appear to be taking the .........


I guess we'll find out soon but they both understand we will be watching everything that gets done and seem quite happy with that.

yeah despite all the hype there are still alot of builders out there, the good ones just want to keep busy and get the jobs moving rather than ripping people off, count myself quite lucky as along the way we have met some wonderful people that have been paitent and shared advice and knowledge with us.

latecomer

I'm hoping for some of that - mind you the builders we went with came across great at the start........

andrew-b

Slowly progressing with shed stuff here and now in possession of my Ecobase shed base which arrived yesterday morning (all 69kg of it in 3 big boxes). Levelling the ground for the base is proving a bit more tricky than i anticipated so i've ended up burying an old drainpipe and wooden posts in the ground to use as "screed" rails which has worked out much better than trying to rake/shovel it level. Yesterday i managed to get about 6 feet by 10 feet of the 10'x10' area levelled. Today i marked out the exact area for the base and then have cut away turf from the lawn (2 big flexible buckets full) and retrieved a big pile of decent topsoil from underneath that i will distribute over the veggie plot area (once i've sifted out all the gravel that has got mixed in with it). Dog decided to steal a small bit of turf, bring it inside and then preceeded to shake it around so now we have a lounge full of bits of soil - even a bit that stuck to the ceiling!

OH had a busy day yesterday going backwards and forwards to the tip and has managed to dispose of most of the rubble pile. She plans to clear the last couple of car loads over the weekend.

stolt

evening andrew, you seem a knowledgable chap, quick question for you, do you know if you can extend the power leads on the rope lights that you get, bit of random question but just throwing it out there:D

suisidevw

Hi guys,

Hope alls well, still reading this daily but haven't got THAT much to say! Lowri and I have been very busy in the garden which i suppose is a good sign that the inside is done/nearly done! I had a couple of tonnes of soil delivered a few weeks ago adn took a couple of days off work and have made a veg patch, new bed, border etc and planted many shrubs etc. Will try and get before and after pics up this weekend!

Had a manic few months but got 3 weekends at home now so hoping to do some decorating downstairs which hasn't been done since we bought the house!

Keep it up everyone, the pics and stories are great!

latecomer

Just had confirmation that the builders are coming tomorrow to remove their scaffolding and porta-loo. The one that has replied has denied all knowledge of the missing radiator valves and didn't mention the compression fittings at all which I suspect means they wont be coming back. So I dont intend to give them the materials from inside the house but I'm only going to tell them that once htey have removed all their scaffolding. BIL is coming over to help out with the clearing up and in case there is any nonesense.

jimbugalee

Hey all. Nothing to do with rennovating but thought you might like to know our lil Vizsla puppy has been born. We recieved a pic from the breeder yesterday. Too cute!! I am thinking that house rennovation and puppies don't mix but we'll get there

stolt

jimbugalee wrote: »

Hey all. Nothing to do with rennovating but thought you might like to know our lil Vizsla puppy has been born. We recieved a pic from the breeder yesterday. Too cute!! I am thinking that house rennovation and puppies don't mix but we'll get there

Damn cute puppies!!:) not showing my daughters that picture, they have been banging on about getting a pet rabbit but they would love a dog. Missus is not a great pet lover.