Getting a mortgage and then becoming mortgage-free!

Kittenkirst

Thanks EE, In would definitely recommend it so far, it's all very self explanatory or you can sit with an advisor who will map it out on screen etc and talk you through all of the options

We still spent a large amount but we got 2 double wardrobes & a single shallower ones (for behind a door!), the internal combinations we wanted and lovely lovely wardrobe doors on so are very happy, Now just to build it all!

Kittenkirst

Yesterday was a crazy busy day!
Started off with tidying & cleaning at gf's parents house (where we both Live at the mo)- everyone's working crazy hours so good to have a blitz on a weekend and get it ship shape

Then went to the house, mopped some of the chalky grout off the tiles, then cleaned all the skirting boards etc as there was a lot of grout on them.

Loaded all of the tiling waste into bags for life (including a box the tiler filled with the cement type stuff) into car & took it to the tip.
Fitted all cupboards with that liner that stops things moving (& to protect cupboards) and washed them all down

Mopped the kitchenfloor again as still so much chalkiness everywhere
Watered the lawn(it rained after!!)
Put two boxes of kitchen things away so it is now starting to feel like our kitchen :heartpuls:
TV was delivered yesterday & its huuuuuggggge.

Got home and did three loads of washing, cooked dinner and crashed out at 930pm!!

I also decided to call Sky as we had taken out the free tv offer they were doing, so entertainment package, broadband, multiroom & phone line for £55 a month with the free tv.
But I got one of the sky codes from MSE for the whole tv package (incl box sets) for £30 so called to check how much if added broadband and phone line - £65 a month with no free tv, however the guy made the broadband free for the year so it's £59 for a much better tv package without the free tv.....we don't need a spare tv (we have one here perfectly good enough!)but will benefit from box sets and more tv choice as we're assuming we won't be going out anywhere near as much as we used to pre-mortgage!

I'm classing that as a win, as a new tv would be lovely for our room but thinking about our lifestyles this option is better! (We'll still have free Netflix thanks to a friend sharing his account!)

Ikea delivery today, another mop of the kitchen and bathrooms then gf heads off to Manchester for work tonight she has a long trip up to the north of Scotland so makes sense to do half tonight, half tomorrow but with all this busyness it feels I've barely seen her. Will have to ensure some quality time when she gets back I think

misscousinitt

Kittenkirst wrote: »

MCI, how long did your tiling take?
The area for our tiling was fairly straight forward, the only more difficult bit was tiling in the understairs larder (which is in the kitchen/diner).

Our kitchen floor took 4 days!

The walls?? well your guess is as good as mine, maybe 10 days in bits and pieces...difficult to say as it was being interleaved with other jobs. All done now that's the main thing.

Glad you are getting things in the kitchen now - so satisfying isn't it?

If the chalkiness persists I suggest some grout cleaner it's pricey but really good (managed to get it a bit cheaper from w!ckes, think It was about £15).

MCI

Kittenkirst

Thanks for the tip MCI

Last night whilst waiting for the second IKEA delivery (they forgot to load half our order from the earlier delivery!) I decided to clean the bathroom tiles and got myself all upset. The tiler had decided that instead of unscrewing the doorstop behind the main bathroom door he would just crazy pave around it and coat it in grout, leaving a big hole with the silver&black stopper half sticking out covered in messy grout! :mad: :eek:

I stewed on it all last night & today so have contacted him to ask him to fix it as it is not the standard we expect. He called the gf to apologize and will come round on Thursday to fix it. Luckily we do have 12 extra bathroom tiles so he can fix it (we took all the part cut ones to the tip already)

Electrician came today however his little one got taken to hospital so he's coming back out next Monday (we have the floor fitter in weds-Friday so he can't come then). I've not been to the house as don't want to see holes in my pretty ceiling.

Plumber is due tomorrow evening to fit the hot water mixer tap hopefully so that's some good news.

NSDs yesterday & today for me, not for the lovely gf though. Went to fill up her hire car before her drive up north last night and she put the wrong fuel in, so just under £200 spent fixing it. She also had a small bump in the car on Friday after work too so she's feeling a little stressed out.

I've reassured her that these things happen and we do have the money to sort out the fuel situation so to not beat herself up. All this running around for the house, potential work redundancy and travel is bound to have an impact.

We have the 31st off for a week together to sort some bits and just chill a little together so I'm very much looking forward to that :heartpuls:

Kittenkirst

A but if a naughty spend day today

After abit of a rubbish work day I finished late, only to find the dual carriage way home chocked with traffic. In desperate need of a bathroom I pulled into local shopping center and used the facilities. As I wanted to kill time to allow traffic to die down I wandered through M&S....
Ended up buying a beautiful dress for work meetings in the sale for £10.99 but it scanned at £8.99.....its gorgeous, well cut & a classic style!

A bit giddy with my spending I wandered into the food hall at yellow sticker time....managed to reign myself in but bought a loaf of malted bread for supper (25p) & a gorgeous smelling crimson raisin & orang boule....supper tonight for me and the gf's mum was lower fat cheese on the toast with spicy apple chutney, then I had some of the raisin bread toasted with butter HEAVEN :heartpuls

Floor man comes to screed the lounge tomorrow and I'm so excited...more so that our 'housewarming' is planned for the 28th as a Halloween housewarming....need to think of costumes and food/decorations which won't break the bank

misscousinitt

What fun to have a housewarming Halloween party.

You can make milk bottle ghost lamps using empty 4pt milk bottles, water, glow sticks and a black marker pen - g00gle it - I am sure you will find the instructions - cheap and very effective.

We haven't had our housewarming yet - we are always late...maybe in the spring.

MCI x

Kittenkirst

Morning morning
Lazy morning today for us as we went to visit the gf's cousins yesterday near London. Lovely afternoon but it meant a 1.30am bed time....yawn!

Lounge floor is down but needs pressing. I'm so pleased with it- gone for a white limed oak (so white/grey) :heartpuls

The tiler is coming back today to fix the dodgy work he did around the door stop in the main bathroom so hoping it'll look better tonight.

Thinking we'll take some kitchen boxes round and start putting those away so it feels like we're getting things done

Not much spending, had to travel for work on Thursday so bought a few coffees and drinks on the motorways. Had a fab volunteering day on Friday helping a local charity who have a marathon on this weekend- we packed the finishers bags which was pretty cool (& work paid for the team burritos at lunchtime too!)

Trying to plan for Fridays party...lots of ideas but need to think practically and get it sorted. Also need to sort costumes out too....exciting!!

mortgage_girl

Congrats on getting your keys kittenkirst! :beer: It all sounds very exciting. I bet you can't wait to move in.

Enjoy!

MGx

Kittenkirst

Thanks MG! It is all rather exciting!!!! our first mortgage payment has come out of the bank so it's all very real!

I signed up to Yougov this week and have completed a few surveys & also a pinecone survey- the Starbucks card is getting a little low so will need to earn some points sharpish!

Our tiler came back today and sorted out the doorstop that he crudely just cut around and then grouted all over :mad: we now have no doorstop but at least the tiles are sorted.

The electrician has fitted an extra socket under our sink for our hot water mixer tap (plumber due to install on Tuesday :j )
And he should be back tomorrow to finish all the spotlights and put the tv bracket up for us (he's hidden the cables for us too you see!)

Floor fitter is finishing the hallway, downstairs loo and then is starting the stairs and landing (carpet) and then the two main bedrooms later in the week with laminate.

My silversmithing room is remaining uncarpeted etc until after Christmas so I can plan how best to utilize the space. I have a Jewellery bench already but need some shelving and workspace for things like tumblers etc to go on undisturbed!

I've been playing with how to make swirly glittery cocktails for the party on Friday night- sugar syrup mixed with a clear spirit and edible glitter suspends the glitter to look like fancy potions. Bought a posh looking lemonade flip top bottle from Aldi on Saturday and planning to make a dark glittery alcoholic potion for the party!

Kittenkirst

Phew! What a week....

:www: the flooring is now all done and looks fab! The fitter has done a fab job, the camaro downstairs with a black border looks beautiful!
The electrician came back and finished so we have spots in the lounge hall & landing.
A plumber came out to fit the boiling mixer tap and left panicking unsure how to do it :mad:
Sky came to sort our broadband and the guy was really helpful. The master box is now in the silversmithing room (gf didn't want wires & the box in the lounge if possible)
Took leftover tiles back and got a £102 refund which will mostly cover the first months council tax!
Sample tiles taken back to another tile shop too
First sofa delivered!

The Halloween party was a success, spent all day Thursday & Friday prepping- made gingerbread bat & ghost biscuits, banana cakes with sprinkles etc. Spent some saved S*insbury's vouchers on beers etc, carved Aldi pumpkins (a kitty & the word boo!) which looked fab. I found all my old Halloween stuff out so we only bought a cheap table cloth, some spiderwebs and a few plastic pumpkins that lit up....so not too bad!

Yesterday was a bit of a write off for me though so other than going to the house and tidying, then deep cleaning it, we didn't get much done. Although we did start some Diwali prep (brother in law and family visiting for a meal today) - helped gf mum to make khundvi,, shrikand & cevo. About to get up to start making curries & sweet rotli' as they are arriving early.

signed up to yougov so doing those as they trickle in, not much earned yet but will try and do on lunch breaks etc and use the time wisely cashback not confirmed yet so waiting for those to come in as they maybe the first OP's whilst we continue paying all the tradespeeps to finish the house.

Left to sort:
-ceiling to be sanded in hall, lounge & landing after spots fitted
-several doors to be planed and rehung
-wardrobes to be made in two bedrooms
-bed being delivered Monday and then to make it!
-tvs to be put into brackets on walls
-curtain poles to be fitted
-second sofa and dining furniture to arrive soon
-shelving to go into the larder and the airing cupboard for storage.

Phew! Still loads to do :eek:

Best crack on and get Diwali prepping. Happy Diwali to anyone celebrating. _party_