TPAs It started off as a 2009 NYR - time moves on - I need to be MF by mid. 2012!

Tesco_points_addict

SmlSave wrote: »

yumm yum, chocolate brownies and cream sounds lurvly.

Well done for staying on the diet coke and surviving the worming of the cat and dog.

Re kitchen worktops: I think granite looks amazing but wouldn't trust myself with one. We've got a solid oak worktop which is great for us as OH just sands it down after i've ......dropped, burned, split and gouged it!

Still have two brownies left which hubby is currently heating up for me!! Nom nom nom:p

On the diet coke again........GG you taking note you naughty naughty lady (I use the word 'lady loosely)!!

I thought granite was vertually indistructable - you n Stuart are worrying me:(, I would love a wood work top but fitter told me they need oiling weekly:eek:.

Did a very profitable MS on my way home from work today (MS company phoned me yesterday begging me to hlep out, so I negotiated an increased fee!) Also did two yesterday, not quite so profitable but it all adds up.

Oh I nearly forgot I was on holiday from proper job yesterday and managed to do two extra shifts!!:A

TPAx

gallygirl

Well done on MS TPA :T.

Finishing off wine tonight, didn't want to obviously but otherwise it would have been wasted which is not at all money saving :whistle:.

TPA you're getting me interested in a kitchen revamp, you evil woman :eek:

SuzieSue

Tesco_points_addict wrote: »

I thought granite was vertually indistructable - you n Stuart are worrying me:(, I would love a wood work top but fitter told me they need oiling weekly:eek:.

:A

TPAx

Yes, that is what I thought, but reading about kitchen surfaces a few months ago, I discovered that granite (especially black granite) starts looking shabby very quickly. There are some other similar materials which are just as hardwearing and much more practical for kitchen worktops. I can't remember what they are, but if you look at websites that sell granite and other worktop surfaces, you will see the advantages and disadvantages of each.

SmlSave

Hi TPA

We had to oil our wooden worktop everday for a week, then once a month for 6 months and now its just three times a year or when I can be bothered I don't find it a hassel and my hands are always soft afterwards as we just use cheap veg oil.

Tesco_points_addict

SmlSave wrote: »

Hi TPA

We had to oil our wooden worktop everday for a week, then once a month for 6 months and now its just three times a year or when I can be bothered I don't find it a hassel and my hands are always soft afterwards as we just use cheap veg oil.

Hi everyone

I told hubby that granite is not the best but he has his heart set on it (I will have to use my womanly charm on him:p)

Although I think he might be just about to have a minor fit, we have just had a quote for facsas and soffits (sp?) came in at £2,650, windows at £1900 and door for the back of th garage £490....I thought he was going to keel over there and then, the price of the windows seems very reasonable by the F&S's had him turning grey! We haven't decided what to do yet, we could just do the two windows that we are having problems with but this seems like false economy in the long run and the F&S's are fairly urgent. Oh dear I can see the offest figure dropping, dropping, dropping.......dropping. I supose I should be pleased that we have the money to spend if need be but its still a bum!!:(

I did two more MSs today, and have one booked for Sat and one Sun, so far next week I only have a couple booked, but the world of MS is a strange beast, who knows what might turn up over the next couple of days:p.

Its soooooo cold here, I slept with my electric blanket on 'all night' mode last night.

TPAx

Tesco_points_addict

I am killing time waiting for the kitchen guy to turn up!

I forget to say got £86 worth of Tesco vouchers in the post this week:j. Also got two £10 vouchers for Acardia stores (topshop etc.) for doing online surveys:j.

Next week I am going to list lots of DVDs and CDs on Amazon, wish me luck.

No news from the window guy today, so we will have to sit and wait for more quotes:mad:

I have had no alcohol this week:eek:

Had some very sad news yesterday, the father of a close friend of my hubbies died, he was only 58years old and a lovely man.:(

TPAx

setmefree2

Awww TPA sorry to hear about your mates father - 58 is way too young:o. Well done on your drink freeness. I still haven't had a drink since NYs day and have lost half a stone:j

Have a good weekend

Tesco_points_addict

setmefree2 wrote: »

Well done on your drink freeness. I still haven't had a drink since NYs day and have lost half a stone:j

Have a good weekend

You are doing fantastically well smf, I am quite positive I could not go that long with out a drink, its a good job I don't want to get pregnant isn't it?! Do you think the weight loss has been aided by the alcohol freeness?

Hubby and I have had a row, over something n nothing really but I feel carp now:(.

Good news, before the row we went to look at floor tiles and managed to agree on some in the first place we visited:j. Bad news is we just realised that they had a 20% off sale today, if we had bought them there and then we could have saved almost £100:mad:. Poo pah pants as GG would say.

I did one MS yesterday and another today. I have nothing at all booked for tomorrow so I might just sort out the little spare room that also doubles up as the cats room and a very messy office!:D

The window man got back to us with a quote and we have made a counter offer, so its a bit of a waiting game now. If something doesn't give we will just have to have parts done, its just deciding which parts!!:p

Aw poo I am feeling really down now, I'm sure part of it is the thought of spending all this money, but if we want/need these things doing we might as well have exactly what we want/need/can stretch ourselves too! (There is a little of all that in everything....you know, a bit is needed a bit is wanted and then it is decided on what budget is available!)

Am going to sulk with my head in a book, really wish I had bought a Sunday papar now:(.

TPAx

StuartGMC

TPA
I would recommend you go with all the exterior work in one hit; you have the funds, it will benefit you immediately and aid in the presentation of the property. Try to see if, by combining them you get a better deal rather than individual items, you know the lines "your staff will have a solid job for the week, no travel to other places, no need to try to fit a job in with ours..."

Regarding kitchen and granite, have you been looking online so OH understands the risks? Do you have vinegar in your kitchen or ever use descaling products? Both will be lethal to the polished granite and you can't simply rub out the damage. If you get a man-made surface you can also get 6-8mm thick sheeting to use as splash back/wall covering to do away with tiles and all that grout which goes off over time... I'd recommend looking at that option, but whatever you do, I hope you can reach decision soon.

uzubairu

If you want granite go for it!
Take heed of Stuart's advice about looking after it.

In 2008 we reduced our overpayments to replace the bland laminate worktop that was in our new-build kitchen.
Even though we had lovely, modern oak cabinets/handles, the look was finished off with this awful, cheap-looking laminate worktop (limited choice at the time).

I didn't like it much (but could live with it), but the OH was having nightmares about how awful the kitchen looked. He was afraid to bring up the subject of granite in case I said "No" because of the cost.

He was shocked when I said "Yes".
We spent a month looking for the right design, and bought it locally so that we could go back if we had issues.

We didn't want a solid dark colour because of the size of the room and we were advised that they can show up dirt etc more readily (not that we are messy pups), which means you can often spend more time trying to keep them looking nice.

We chose Venetian Gold granite and it looks beautiful.
We removed the tiles that were previously on the wall (a botched project from the previous year that cost us £200), and replaced them with upstands and a splashback in the same Venetian Gold granite.

The new worktops transformed the kitchen.
Every time we walk into the kitchen, it brings a smile to our faces (2 years on) and we receive compliments on a regular basis.