"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it."

LadyWithAPlan

EssexHebridean said:

Isn't there a mortgage OP calculator on the main MSE site somewhere? I have a feeling there used to be. 

Yes the locoblade one here 
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1157173/my-excel-mortgage-spreadsheet/p1

@greenbee you are sounding v productive  and the animals sound happy and settled

kazwookie

greenbee you need two balls, one for dog, one for cat, problem sorted

greenbee

kazwookie said:

greenbee you need two balls, one for dog, one for cat, problem sorted

And what makes you think the cat would cooperate with that?!

greenbee

Oil ordered - hoping that what's there lasts until the delivery. Where I was before you could order '500l + top up' and they'd fill the tank, but that was a local firm. I haven't found anyone here that will do that and have to order an exact amount. The tank is so small that I spent a lot of time waiting to be sure that it's below 500l, and then time worrying whether what's left will last. I didn't order before Christmas as I thought the delivery might get complicated (they do 'on or before' and let you know the day before... often just before midnight for a 7am delivery). I've got 300l, which should be fine for 2 weeks, but I'll definitely be lighting the stove and hopefully there will be some cheap electricity between now and then.

Electricity tonight is down to 7.10p at the lowest - not low enough to be worth using for heating/hot water, but probably worth getting the pet bedding washed before then so I can do a drum clean on the WM overnight and run the dryer. I'll also discharge the battery before then (if I remember/have anything left) to offset some of the cost and recharge the battery at as low a price as possible. It looks like there might be wind Weds/Thurs and Sun Thurs-Sun which should mean some cheaper energy later in the week. 

I've done a bit of filing/tidying in the office, but do need to decide what to do with a few bits and pieces like old ipads and laptops and an old satnag. I think the first thing to do is to charge them all up and reset/wipe them. Then see whether they are worth anything (probably not as I tend to keep tech for a long time and these have been hanging around for about a year waiting for me to deal with them). 

greenbee

So looking back on this year...

Generally - all windows (except the big ones in the kitchen and garden room, and the ones in the utility room) now have both light filtering and thermal roller blinds that can be swapped out for winter/summer. Drains have been investigated and work has been booked which will hopefully resolve the problems. Boiler/heating is being serviced regularly. Windows/frames/gutters/soffits etc are being cleaned/cleared regularly. Inside of house is being cleaned regularly. These last two seem to have resulted in a reduction in spider numbers. Mouse access holes have been filled. Heating controls replaced and electric towel rails integrated with heating system. External woodwork all painted.

Office and studio - electrics and decorating done. This included surface-mounted dado trunking in the office, fitting an old oriental rug as a carpet in the studio, and building five ikea bookcases and a table to fit the studio out in a way that gives me three different 'sets' for video work. It also means it doubles as a library. Some lovely black and white Japanese woodblock prints of the Zen "10 Oxherding Pictures' that my mum had stored for several decades have been framed to go on one wall. 

Garden room - table and chairs finally arrived in ?March?, sideboard and arm chairs bought, rugs moved from my mum's house, a series of 12 coloured Japanese woodblock prints and various other Japanese pictures put up, blinds put on the small window, standard lamp and cushions bought, lamps and lampshades moved round, CoD from my uncle repaired, polished and put in there. Despite the grey walls and grey vinyl it looks good in there now. 

Kitchen - junk removed to make room for puppy. It turns out there's a LOT of space now the extra door to the sitting room is blocked up (this was, unbelievably, only done in June). 

Utility room - stupid light fittings with billions of LED bulbs swapped for boring flush-mounted LED lights, furniture rearranged numerous times to try to make the space work better as stuff circulated round the house as work was done. Microchip cat flap fitted. Door curtains put up.

Downstairs loo - LED light fitting replaced with bulb holder and bulb.

Garage - mouse access holes filled, attic cleared of crap (including loft boards for model railway set-up) and treated for woodworm, insulation relaid and additional insulation added. Cleared of crap and refilled regularly... Solar panels installed on roof, inverter and battery inside.

Sitting room - 5amp lighting circuit installed for table lamps, lots of 13amp sockets added, radiator replaced with 3 larger radiators that should be suitable for ASHP in the future, new multi-fuel stove installed with new hearth, stinky carpet taken up and replaced with bamboo flooring, whole room painted. All that's left to do is put the pictures up and put some underlay under the ancient indian rug on the floor... and may be source one more armchair.

Hall - curtain pole put up and curtains that were originally on the landing used for front door (there's a lot of glass). 

Porch - sides glazed to make it more weather-proof. Labour swapped for a fitted wardrobe from the back bedroom - I think I did pretty well as I would have had to pay someone to uninstall and potentially for a skip/disposal. 

Spare room (old master bedroom) - new sockets, new radiator, new carpet, redecorated, new bed (headboard due in Jan), new blind. CoD from my uncle repaired and polished. New knobs on wardrobe. Ensuite also redecorated with new blinds to match the bedroom, wall units removed (and sold on FB marketplace), base units spray painted to match walls & knobs changed, new radiator. Just needs some changes to the lighting switching, fans replacing with inline (quieter) ones, shelves found to go above the bath, and pictures putting up. 

Garden - lots of beds made in the veg plot and a reasonable amount grown. Small patio broken up, masses of paving stones relocated to in/round greenhouse. Concrete base broken up and rubble stored for future use. Four IBCs sourced for irrigation. Cart shed and porch oak treated. Sheds and summerhouse repaired and all three roofs re-felted. Big shed almost all painted, summerhouse new wood painted before winter. Vast amounts of compost made and used. Lots of stuff planted - garden full of cosmos during the summer. Wildflower meadow started properly at front, less properly at back. Various trees taken down, hedges cut, front hedge laurels taken out to make space for native hedging and planting started with seedlings/saplings/unwanted native shrubs from elsewhere in the garden. I've ordered the rest of the hedging needed so that can be done before the end of Feb.

So actually, a huge amount of the renovation has been done this year. Still lots to do, but I can now envisage it actually being completed at some point.

Oh yes, and added to the menagerie by getting the cats a puppy, which they are thrilled about When chicken lockdown lifts, we may have further additions. 

rtandon27

Wow GB - I need to go have a lie down after reading that list! - Amazing amount of progress done over this past year!

greenbee

rtandon27 said:

Wow GB - I need to go have a lie down after reading that list! - Amazing amount of progress done over this past year!

I have realised how much I've done this year - although very little of it has been done by me. Just organised me  

I'm sure I could have done more, but there's only so much tolerance I have for trades and their mess in the house. I need recovery time. I'm already not looking forward to the electricians starting on Jan 13th. I'll have to start packing up the rooms they're going to be working in soon and I'm not sure where it's all going to go. 

redofromstart

I have to admit that after the last couple of months I have a far better understanding of just how exhausting the constant trade presence (or not) is, and actually it is more tiring than being directly involved in the work.  

greenbee

Work on the back fence has started, but is taking time. Half a day on Thursday cutting back clearing stuff (there were tree roots, and branches, and rubble that had been put back there to keep them out of the way), and a full day yesterday clearing and prepping. He's here now barrowing sand to where he will need it. 

I'm making a start on clearing the rooms that the electricians will be working in, and trying to do it in a way that moves a few more things to their (hopefully) permanent home. So a bookcase from one of the bedrooms is now in the garden room with cookbooks in it, and the books from the bedroom are either in the studio or the bedroom not being cleared. I need to give the cupboard in my bedroom a really good tidy/clearout as quite a bit of stuff can be stored in there (two bedrooms, the bathroom and the airing cupboard need completely clearing, and the hall will need clearing out as much as possible). 

I've managed to put four pictures up in the sitting room so far - I really need to get more up and off the floor. There are pictures to go up in the spare room and it's ensuite too. And a shelf to source for the ensuite so I can get more stuff back in there. 

I'm hoping the drain people will be back next week (I'll call them on Monday if I haven't heard anything), and I need to drop the electricians a note about some changes to the plan (don't bother swapping out the LED downlighters in the bathroom for different ones, just put a couple of bulb holders in). And find out when the plumber can fit in changing some radiators, so I can then book the plasterer and carpet fitter. 

Stinky has a sore paw, so walks are limited, which is probably a good thing as I'm struggling with fatigue at the moment - and it's very cold outside! But it does mean he's bored. However, it looks like the anti-inflammatories he's been given have helped so hopefully it'll be back to normal soon. I need to start leaving him with other people for short periods, and get him a regular dog walker, as at some point he's going to have to have a dog sitter/go and stay with other people when I'm away for work.

The recent storms have made it clear that the fence between me and the wood needs some urgent maintenance in places. Thankfully the neighbour doing the main fence can do it, and he's happy to repair and maintain, whereas fencing contractors all want to replace a long run of featherboard fence at vast expense!

Very cold today, as usually happens when I've ordered oil and am waiting for the delivery. I ordered a couple of days after the watchman dropped from 4 bars to 3 (theoretically each one is 100l, in practice it is wildly inaccurate), and really don't want to look at it - the delivery is due 'on or before' the 14th. Hopefully before... in the meantime, we're getting through a few more logs and every agile slot below 6p/kWh has been fully utilised for electric heating. Sadly agile pricing this weekend isn't great, and so far today there's not much solar either (there was lots yesterday, so a fair amount of laundry was done). 

New bedding for one spare bed was source in the sales. I need a couple more sheets for my non-standard sized beds, so need to check them. And a couple more double duvet covers (but they can wait as I have some, they're just getting a bit threadbare). A new CS box has also been started, and I plan to do some shopping on my next visit - as many old towels as possible for use as dog/cat towels. 

Guess I should light the fire, take the dog out, and get on with putting things away/putting up pictures. 

themadvix

Might be worth asking on your local Freegle/freecycle/Olio for the pet towels - people often giving old towels away for pets round here and I suspect you’ll pay over the odds at the CS as they won’t try to sell the ‘pet quality’ ones.

As ever, I’m in awe of how much you get done!