First-time house renovation

latecomer

typeractive wrote: »

Thanks stolt. I'm also a bit worried about my plumber registering my boiler and work with Gas Safe,

Go on the gas safe site and check he's registered. If not then report him immediately and contact Gas safe about getting it certified - they were very helpful when we had our problems.

latecomer

Hejo wrote: »

Again you’ve got it in one -it’s the feeling of being scammed and the loss of control that gets to me. .

I know exactly how you feel and we are still sorting out our mess but sometimes its just better to move on no matter how much it hurts.

It almost makes me more determined to do it again and get it right.......

latecomer

Hejo wrote: »

Thanks again. True! I was wary of posting as I thought people would just tell me I’d brought it on myself and been a bit of a berk!

Not likely on this thread as most of us have experience it to at least some extent - AndyBs sig says it all

ukmaggie45

Down to something like Page24? How's everyone doing? OH has just put up second curtain rail (front) in music room (the bedroom that runs length of house with windows front and back), a friend who stayed over Xmas did the one at the back of the room while he was staying in it. Still need to get something up in the proper guest room. Music room curtains not really wide enough for 2 windows, they are kinda flat when drawn. But anything better than nothing, and we don't have much cash until we clear and sell our old home. Will take more photos when music room less of a mess - it's the general dumping ground for stuff coming from old home at the mo.

Hope Little Latecomer and Baby Andy (so sorry, can't remember names) are doing well. Suisidevw how's things going?

Hugs and very belated Happy New Year to all. Oh, Happy Chinese New Year on Monday!

Hejo

I was wondering where this had gone! Thank all for your messages of support.
Progress has been slow but steady

Pluses
Building Control came round and checked over work, some alterations needed for safety but not as bad as I feared. Said in the circumstances, given the builder !!!!!!ing off we may be ok without gas cert for boiler and can have a Perioidic Inspection Report for the electrics instead of Elec Certificate if we cant get the electician back - typeractive, mabe your BCO would do this too?
Kitchen to be fitted this week
Have got some quotes to redo the shoddy plastering. Depression is not as severe as it was. Bathroom ceiling finished.

Minuses
We have RATS! Have bumped off 15 of the little !!!!ers so far. Have checked and can't see any holes into house so they may have got in while the work was being done and are now trapped in the house.

Underfloor heating not working in bathroom, checked with company and it looks like the thermostat wasnt wired right. On the bright side at least we wont have to raise the tiles up.

Everyone in the house is veering from agitation to depression as it feels like it will never end. Realistically I think we can be totally finished by April which isnt long but we expected completion last Summer! OH said it feels like we're in prison!

Can't decide what colours to decorate with, everytime I think about it - or any other decision, a huge feeling of ennui washes over me and I cant think straight. Have lost a lot of confidence in my decision making! Of course I know we have to keep going, otherwise we will never get out!

Hopefully once the kitchen is in I will be able to report back some positive news!

Maggie - can we get your friend over to stay with us!;)

latecomer

@Hejo - seems things are definitely going in the right direction - if its any consolation we should have been finished in march 2010.....

@maggie - LLC doing great although he's not keen on being made to (a) sleep in his cot all night and (b) in a room by himself. He's getting there though - also suffering from loads more big teeth coming through which isn't helping.

I've been travelling extensively and hence progress on the house has been almost 0. Got the boiler fixed using the home emergency cover we have with our bank account which was a result - new PCB required yet again.
We were at the house at the weekend and I sorted both the insulation and put expanding foam round all the pipe holes from the showerroom. Just need architect to confirm he's done his stuff and we should be ready for another go at getting it signed off.

Hopefully just about there.

Hejo

I feel your pain latecomer! Good luck with the sign off

latecomer

Well we finally managed to get the useless architect to get the BCO out for a second inspection - only thing that worried me was the ventilation round the roof but he apparently wasn't for going up there to check and hence aftre about 10 mins walking about checking the items he noted last time he wa satisfied. We can now get things tidied up and put it on the market. Time to move on.

Been a very long journey and a painful one at that. Would it stop me doing it again - probably not but I'd certainly do it differently. The one lesson I've learned is never give an inch - agree a schedule and dont let the tradesmen change it. Both times we tried to do the right thing and let them have a little leeway and both times we got shafted. I'm sure there are honest tradesmen out there but its very easy to understand why the building trade has such a bad reputation.

Anyways I'll try and get some pics to show you what we've ended up with. Perhaps it will serve as a little motivation to those who are fighting the battle currently.

ukmaggie45

@latecomer, sorry it's all been such a painful hassle. Look forward to seeing your pics, and would be ever so grateful if you would PM me when you start your new thread - will definitely subscribe to it. Or just post on here, I'm sure most of the oldtimers will want to follow! Best wishes to you and Mrs Latecomer and Baby Latecomer!

We're still battling on, need to get the oil to do the doors and bannister. Need to think about repainting too, as it's all getting a bit knocked about when some of the furniture (desks from old house) has come in. But will prob leave it till we've moved in the rest of the furniture.

How's everyone else doing? All done and dusted yet? We're living in a mess here, garden stuff all stashed in kitchen, DD1 is coming up from London for the weekend, and I'm sure she'll be nagging us about it! Maybe we'll get better sorted when we get the bookshelves over from old home... But knowing us, maybe not!

Hejo

You are so right latecomer, I wish I could go back again with all the knowledge I have now, it would be so different and I wouldnt have taken any crap the way I have done!

Maggie, I understand where you're coming from, everything is in boxes or covered in dust and we have the same dilemma of decorating and then moving all the furniture about, we tried to lift a new bed upstairs last week but with the new staircase to the loft we dont have the height anymore! We've got to the stage where we just laugh about these things now as opposed to going evermore doolally!

Our news: kitchen is in and the fitter was great, new plasterer rectified the previous guys shoddy work and been really helpful, new coving is in - done by a specialist and looks good, flooring in loft storage areas done, now looking at putting in the gas fire, possibly dot a couple of posh radiators in, tile kitchen wall and floor, sign off electrics, change new windows that have been left with angle grinder marks on :-(, change a door for a window, decide on colours - we have 25 testers!!!! paint, carpet, put new lights in, collapse in a heap... Im sure there's more but head is swimming with all the decisions I have to make at the mo!

We have been lucky that so far we have had 4 good tradesmen in to help turn this disaster around - there may be light at the end of the tunnel, good luck everyone!