Flat update

tomstickland

I bought a 1 bed flat about a month ago.
Soon after exchanging I did some minor work - I fitted new locks and bought a load of paint, and scrubbed the place a bit. Then I went to Wales and did the 15 peak challenge (20.5 hours of walking in one day) and was too tired to do anything on the flat after work.

Anyway, last Monday I started on the decorating. I've been round for 3-4 hours every night after work, plus 6 hours last Friday, 8.30-11.00 on Saturday with the the help of two friends, and similar times on Sunday, then every night this week.

The first week was the most depressing - all I did was preparation: filling rubbing, washing etc. Last Saturday was amazing. We started on the ceiling. I thought it was White, until I got the White paint out and found out that the ceiling was in fact an off Greyish/Brown colour. As each part of it has been painted then it has revealed how manky another part is.

For example, we painted the kitchen brilliant White and then it became obvious that the windows weren't White but a Yellowy Brown. The good news is that since painting it then my enthusiasm has lifted and I'm really thinking I made the right decision now.

I've spent all of today there painting the windows, with some help from a friend. I've also made it my job to fix every single bodge in the place.

Er, so what why was I posting. Well, I'm now quite punch drunk from the long term effort, but I'm really pleased that I bought the place. Everyone who has come round to look has commented on the reasonable size of the flat and the nice location.

Robert_Sterling

Happy Daze :j :j :j

tomstickland

I have to admit, first Monday night I went there and started on the preparation on my own and was struck with a big dose of depression and thought "why did I buy this place?". But I decided to just get on with it, treat it like a job etc. Then when my friends were there today they were saying "this is really nice, I'm quite jealous" etc and I though, "yes, it was the right decision".

I'm sure everyone goes through similar thoughts when buying.

clutton_2

certainly did when i bought my first house on my own - i had no water in any sinks, so had to shower at work, came home, got into junky clothes, and spent all evening taking all the plaster off the whole of the ground floor with a kango hammer i had hired - and how Heavy are they ?????? - but, the satisfaction of knowing it was mine, all mine, kept me going. Dont over do it - i didn;t wake up till 11am three times in one week and my boss had to have words with me about burning the candle at both ends - burning the kango more like !! Boy, was it all worth it !! Keep going, but do factor in some R&R along the way - a few weeks more in the decorating stakes will not be the end of the world

good luck

pavlovs_dog

glad to ear you're enjoying it - some pics would be nice once you're done

have you made a start on clearing out the garage yet?

tomstickland

I've been Ebaying things out of the garage and there's not that much left.
I'll take some photos of the flat. I wish I had some before pictures; it's hard to imagine how grotty it looked. A previous tenant must have been a smoker - everything was yellowed.

I'll get a photo of the bathroom light cord - it's really grotty. I've got a new one to replace it with.

tomstickland

I've been round today for more painting. I took some photos. I had to bin most of them - the EA obviously use wide angle lenses; the photos I've taken make the place look tiny.

I'll upload the images once my webspace is back online.

Prudent

Perhaps one of my most depressing moments was the day I got the keys to my current house. I bought it in a hurry (had no choice) and hadn't really checked it out as throughly as I should. I did no the condition was poor, but hadn't realised how poor. The lazy ex owners hadn't even moved furniture to paint. In my smallest bedroom there was three differnt colours on the walls where they had painted around furniture which they had since removed.

It took me nearly two years to get straight ( doing things as time and budget would allow). I now have a lovely home which is worth double what I paid for it 4 years ago. Hang in and you could have a nice flat and make a profit in the future.

tomstickland

I'm very happy with the flat and I see foremost as a place to live in.

tomstickland

Window painting.


View from back garden. Bottom left flat.


White door frame, door not White (yet).


Doors now White. Walls are Farrow & Ball new White, which is a sort of wishy washy Yellow, but looks Green on my computer screen.


Electricity kept tripping out. Problem traced to burnt out Economy 7 heater plug.


Bathroom scrubbing up quite nicely. No "before" pictures, sadly.



I had to bin most of the other photos because they made the place look tiny. The EA's use wide angle lenses.

ginger_nuts

well done .I was in my first house 3 years before I decorated .I was in this house four years before the living room got overhauled ,but that was a big job.