First-time house renovation

TomsMom

I've managed to do an update and put some piccies on my blog of progress so far this week.

There's a new photo of the back of the house now the painting has been finished, same view as the original photo I used for "About Me". It also shows the new dormer in all it's glory.

There's also a couple of photos of the kitchen so far. No doors on yet but the carcasses are a light oak and the worktop is a laminate called "Black Granite Crystal". It's still covered in dust at the moment so it's hard to see exactly what it's like, but it's a matt finish rather than glossy (scratches very quickly and too easily for my liking). The guys are staying for an extra day as things have not worked out as planned and they don't want to go until they've done as much as they can. Sink/taps/waste disposal will go in tomorrow, probably the doors as well on the units already fixed. The other run of units where the oven and hob are going can't be finished as the designer said we needed 3 lengths of worktop and we actually need 4, the extra one wont arrive until Monday (yet another c*ck up, he really should stick to selling his paint and hardware rather than pretend to be a kitchen designer!). Our son will finish off that side and then do the tiling.

The waste disposal was an impulse buy when we visited a newly opened B&Q warehouse store and they were on special offer at a price not to be sniffed at. I'm really glad we got it now as we've just found out that our council is changing our waste collection. Our recycling stuff (cans/plastics/cardboard/paper etc) is going to be collected once a week instead of once a fortnight, and our food waste is going to be collected once a fortnight instead of once a week. Seems a bit @rse about face to me. Surely it would be better to collect food waste weekly rather than let it go rotten and smelly over a fortnight. At least it can all go in the waste disposal and be rinsed away.

And I had a lovely bouquet of flowers off them tonight - not sure what I've done to deserve it but it was a lovely thought and I'm really touched .

Still no call back from the shop we bought the en-suite vinyl from. Chased them but the man is out doing estimates and is supposedly ringing back before the end of the week.

jamtart6

TomsMom - Sorry things are not going quite to plan but these things have a habit of coming around and coming good so stay positive! The flowers are lovely, your builders seem to be so nice -great picture with the hose!, and what a nice picture of you! It is lovely to put a face to a name after so long May I just commend what can only be described as a GORGEOUS sink! I love it, it is making me want to send mine back! I think the bathroom looks brilliant too, a very nice job! The whole house looks great in fact and I'm sure the kitchen will be finished very soon! It makes me want to go to the seaside!

PurpleK8

Just had a good catch-up with your blog TomsMom, progress is looking brilliant. Shame there isn't a tv programme about 'builders from heaven', you could feature yours - they sound wonderful.

I've been trying to stay off my laptop and actually get on with jobs around the house! Doing ok, got a few more things done - a load of gardening, new window seat (job for this weekend is making the cover) and managed to sort a couple of rooms out that we could hardly get through the door because they'd become dumping grounds!

x

TomsMom

jamtart6 wrote: »

May I just commend what can only be described as a GORGEOUS sink! I love it, it is making me want to send mine back!

Thanks, glad you like it. Oh how we dithered as far as the bathroom sink was concerned. The space was too big for a pedestal basin, it would have looked lost. We looked at every sort of vanity unit going (within our budget) but nothing jumped out at us. We happened to see that unit at Travis Perkins (didn't buy it from there, got it cheaper elsewhere). It's Roca Senso and side cabinets etc are available (we didn't pay anything like that price in the link!) and it seemed in keeping with the contemporary/modern theme we've tried to achieve in the house. At least we both agreed we liked it and it was time to make a decision and get moving on the bathroom :rolleyes: .

PurpleK8

TomsMom, hope you don't think I'm being cheeky asking (but i'll ask anyway!), are your bannisters/spindles etc new or original? I'm looking for something for the 2 attic rooms and the OH doesn't want something fussy (eg victorian, like we actually have on the landing!) so I think something like yours would be perfect.

TomsMom

PurpleK8 wrote: »

TomsMom, hope you don't think I'm being cheeky asking (but i'll ask anyway!), are your bannisters/spindles etc new or original? I'm looking for something for the 2 attic rooms and the OH doesn't want something fussy (eg victorian, like we actually have on the landing!) so I think something like yours would be perfect.

Not original K8, they've all been replaced. The spindles are Stop Chamfered, almost square but each edge having just a bit shaved off to give a bit of shape. Fancy ones wouldn't have looked right, these are modern looking and not fussy. Same as these but ours are pine so a lot cheaper. We're really pleased with them.

jamtart6

TomsMom wrote: »

Thanks, glad you like it. Oh how we dithered as far as the bathroom sink was concerned. The space was too big for a pedestal basin, it would have looked lost. We looked at every sort of vanity unit going (within our budget) but nothing jumped out at us. We happened to see that unit at Travis Perkins (didn't buy it from there, got it cheaper elsewhere). It's Roca Senso and side cabinets etc are available (we didn't pay anything like that price in the link!) and it seemed in keeping with the contemporary/modern theme we've tried to achieve in the house. At least we both agreed we liked it and it was time to make a decision and get moving on the bathroom :rolleyes: .

It is really nice! My bathroom problem is I like all the fancy stuff but my entire bathroom size is 1700mm (or 1690:rolleyes:) x 1900mm the smallest room in the house (excluding the windowsill), so can't exactly fit much in. The more bathrooms I see the more I think we should be going for something much smaller - but can't really get less than a 1700mm bath as OH is very tall :rolleyes: Life is so much easier when you are small like me . I just think what we have ordered will totally overpower the room. Told OH tonight that I'm seriously considering sending the whole thing back, he said he can't be bothered with the messing

PurpleK8

cheers for that, i think that is exactly whats hes had in mind - are they expensive for spindles though? I didn't expect £6.50 each:eek: I think I'll have to risk falling through the gap for a couple more years!!! I will need to make a decision on what we're having very soon, the flooring for both rooms is being delivered on friday so I'll need the base rail in at least just so the wood can be laid.

TomsMom

PurpleK8 wrote: »

cheers for that, i think that is exactly whats hes had in mind - are they expensive for spindles though? I didn't expect £6.50 each:eek: I think I'll have to risk falling through the gap for a couple more years!!! I will need to make a decision on what we're having very soon, the flooring for both rooms is being delivered on friday so I'll need the base rail in at least just so the wood can be laid.

Sorry K8, that link was to the oak ones. The pine ones are around the £1 each mark or just a bit more. All the sheds should have them, or your local builders merchants.

PurpleK8

£1 each

that sound like a nicer number! I think we'll probably paint the spindles so as long as the handrail is nice oak (to leave unpainted) the pine would be fine.... I think I'm going into shock - I may have just made a snap decision, I normally have to think things over for at least 6 months before deciding!:D