First-time house renovation

BB1984

TomsMom wrote: »

Can you guys help me with some ideas on how to paint the loft room please.

Hmmmm. If it was me I wouldn't paint that low bit of wall in a darker colour, and I also agree with you that a dark colour all the way up would make the ceiling look lower.

But I don't think a feature wall has to be behind the bed - it can be wherever you want it to go! Is that a chimney breast to the side of the bed? How about there? If it's opposite where you walk into the room, it might look quite striking to have something a bit different there. How about one of those wall stickers (I think KT used them...?) Or a really big, bold painting. Dulux do their ranges of complementary colours, so you could paint most of the room in the "number 6", then the chimney in "number 5" or "4" if you're feeling brave. Get some tester pots and go crazy!

The room does look lovely and sunny and light, though, so I'd embrace that as far as possible - like HH said, you could just liven it up with a nice bedspread etc.

BB

Shimmyhill

So this weekend was fairly productive !

Today we put up the shed, one of those 'on the list' jobs - was the shed from last house and has stood in the garden rotting away !! All done and had a full coat of stain so chuffed with that one

We also have a front and back door that open properly - both had swelled so were hard to open, the front door was close to not being openable . All sorted with a plane !

Both the shed and door credit goes to my dad, i was a helper rather than the do-er !! I did a little more in the garden, i seem to be creating more mess than progress at the moment now mind

The bungalow is defi warmer since the cavity insulation so that is good, i also got all the loft insulation i need at the utterly bargainour price of £76 :eek: That is 300mm to cover 100 square meters ! some amazing deals at Focus and B&Q this weekend. I still have some to collect and have a garage and loft full of rolls of insulation now !! (another job to go on 'the list' !)

Next jobs are going to be ventilation, going to get a powered bathroom vent and a cooker extractor hood - just working out how to vent the cooker one as the easy option thru the wall is not an option (bloody chimney for original boiler we think is directly outside the sweet spot for the vent) Looking like it is either into the loft and out the tiles or into the loft and then out via the soffit boards - any opinions on either options ???

BB1984

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi, all: I've been following this thread since the beginning (and checking out the blogs as well). As you have all been getting quotes from all types of trades, I've a quick question for you i.e. have you received quotations via email?

Hello Canucklehead, welcome to our humble thread...!

I haven't received any quotes by email myself; everything we've done has been agreed verbally by phone...! :eek: But then again, we've only used people that have been directly recommended to us, so have trusted them. If I was using any random person, I would definately get something in writing, and nowadays email is fine. In fact, I prefer doing things by email more than any other method, just because I'm in front of my email all day at work so it's easy to read and respond quickly.

One thing I noted - you send quotes as a Word doc. These can be altered by anyone, so might be worth considering converting it to PDF...? You can download free PDF printing software from the internet.

BB

Canucklehead

BB1984 wrote: »

Hello Canucklehead, welcome to our humble thread...!

I haven't received any quotes by email myself; everything we've done has been agreed verbally by phone...! :eek: But then again, we've only used people that have been directly recommended to us, so have trusted them. If I was using any random person, I would definately get something in writing, and nowadays email is fine. In fact, I prefer doing things by email more than any other method, just because I'm in front of my email all day at work so it's easy to read and respond quickly.

One thing I noted - you send quotes as a Word doc. These can be altered by anyone, so might be worth considering converting it to PDF...? You can download free PDF printing software from the internet.

BB

Hi... thanks for that. Double :eek: ..verbal quotes!! I did convert the Word docs to PDFs but a number of clients down here didn't have Adobe on their computers. We do request a client, if he or she accepts our quote and agrees to the terms and conditions, to print out the Word doc., sign as indicated and return by post (or the OH will pick it up if the job is local). Many retired folks down here aren't yet 'silver surfers' and prefer things the old fashioned way as well. If someone returned a signed but doctored copy to us it would go straight into File 13, the customer's name would go on the 'R' list and be passed on to other local tradespersons we know/ or have worked with...it is amazing how quickly word gets around both ways if someone has done the dirty.;)

Canucklehead

Shimmyhill

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi... thanks for that. Double :eek: ..verbal quotes!! I did convert the Word docs to PDFs but a number of clients down here didn't have Adobe on their computers. We do request a client, if he or she accepts our quote and agrees to the terms and conditions, to print out the Word doc., sign as indicated and return by post (or the OH will pick it up if the job is local). Many retired folks down here aren't yet 'silver surfers' and prefer things the old fashioned way as well. If someone returned a signed but doctored copy to us it would go straight into File 13, the customer's name would go on the 'R' list and be passed on to other local tradespersons we know/ or have worked with...it is amazing how quickly word gets around both ways if someone has done the dirty.;)

Canucklehead

You can password protect word files to make them read only to avoid people shall we say tampering with the quotes !

jamtart6

i have had some quotes via e-mail. I would say to put a polite note on the end saying "even if you do not wish to use our services in the end, we would be extremely grateful if you were able to click reply and drop us a note to say that you have received this quote as we take our professionalism seriously" -(or something like that but better!!)

i wouldn't mind dropping anyone an e-mail saying "thanks received"

I am still waiting for the quotes though! You wouldn't think there was a recession!!

TomsMom

BB1984 wrote: »

Hmmmm. If it was me I wouldn't paint that low bit of wall in a darker colour, and I also agree with you that a dark colour all the way up would make the ceiling look lower.

Thanks Beth. We've knocked the idea of a darker wall behind the bed on the head and think we'll go with all walls a paler colour. I'll find one that goes well with the duvet cover I think.

Is that a chimney breast to the side of the bed?

No. That's the en-suite - 4th picture on Wednesday 11 February shows it better. (If you want a really big view it's here, if it works!)

How about one of those wall stickers (I think KT used them...?) Or a really big, bold painting.

Funny you should say that, OH mentioned those stickers and I mentioned we could get some complementary colours and do an abstract painting!

Thanks for your input, also WickedKitten and Helping Hubby. It's nice to get other people's views, sometimes you've got so many decisions to make your head starts to spin!

latecomer

Yet another weekend of not much real progress. I finally managed to fill round the bottom of the walls and its amazing how much plaster can disappear into what seems to be a small hole. Ended up mixing up a couple of large batches. Anyway thats it done for when the skirting boards are put on.

The skirting boards were collected on saturday morning but I haven't heard anything yet so I'm going to phone them later on and make sure there isn't an issue. Managed to get lots of photos taken just in case....

Spent a fair bit of time going round bathroom and tile showrooms on saturday. Found a tile that I really like but OH thinks it might be too dark. Of course we will have different i.e. better lighting in the new bathroom so it should be much brighter. I find a lot of tiles look cold but maybe thats just me?

We went and saw the MILs new multi-fuel stove and like what they have had done so I'm going to knock out the fireplace tonight to see exactly what we have to work with. I've been talking about doing it for weeks so its definitely long overdue

latecomer

@Canucklehead - I have never had any quotes via email but I definitely wouldn't complain if someone wanted to use that method. I like something in writing before commiting to anything but some trades we've used recently (roofers in particular) are not interested for small jobs and just give verbal quote and want cash.

TomsMom

latecomer wrote: »

Spent a fair bit of time going round bathroom and tile showrooms on saturday. Found a tile that I really like but OH thinks it might be too dark. Of course we will have different i.e. better lighting in the new bathroom so it should be much brighter. I find a lot of tiles look cold but maybe thats just me?

Oh tiles! How I'm sick of tiles :rotfl: . We spent so long looking at them, liked loads, went off them, went somewhere else. Spent quite a long time on this. Local shop let us bring a sample home and it was white with tiny random beige and grey flecks in - not much, overall impression was white matt and mottled. It was a lovely tile when held in your hand. Tried it in the bathroom and it looked dull and dirty!

In the end we went for "classic" rather than fashion/trend. We don't intend doing it again so wanted something that wouldn't date. We ended up this one from Wickes and like it so much we've had it for the en-suite as well as the main bathroom. We've purchased a border tile but don't have a link to that but it goes very well.

Another lovely one in Wickes was this one and it was really my first choice but at 30cm x 60cm my son said "Don't do it, your walls have to be perfectly flat for that size otherwise you have to build up behind the tile with adhesive". He showed us what he meant and I couldn't believe how much movement there was once a tile this size was placed on the wall. The big tiles are lovely if your room can carry them off but can be a pain if your wall isn't perfect.