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

greenbee

Making progress … 

Sink traps/plug holes/waste pipes all cleared. Carpets took 6 hours to clean (and one he didn’t do saying I’d be better off throwing it out). Window frames nearly all done. Ditto skirting boards. 

Furniture and boxes arrived, and I’d completely forgotten I owned some of the stuff! Most of it is now in the right place (for now). Almost all the curtains and blinds are down, and where my blinds fit they’ve gone up (two more to do). Then I need to measure for blinds and curtain poles and start working out which curtains will go where. 

Boxes from storage have been emptied. Boxes from my mum’s haven’t - they are mostly books and I need to work out where the bookcases will go before I start unpacking! The big ones also need fixing to the wall and the backs painting. And I’ll need more bookshelves s I had them built in round the stairs at the last place. 

Clothes need unpacking too, but first I need to clean the wardrobes that were in storage.

Radiators have had their grills/ends taken off so they can be cleaned. They have been dusted but next job is to de-clog them with the radiator brush as the fins are full of dust and cobwebs. 

All the locks have been changed, and will so many external doors I now at least have fewer keys as the locksmith has supplied locks that are keyed the same for each lock type which makes life a bit less confusing.

Waiting for the electrician to come round and fix the heating/quote for replacing light fittings with ceiling roses, put new vents in for extractor fans, and add more sockets. 

Need to call the tree surgeon, and someone to clean the roof/gutters. I do at least have a window cleaner, regular cleaner, and some garden/DIY help (although I’m still waiting for a regular slot for the latter - at the moment it’s cancellations/rainy days). 

I also need to make a long list for other things that need doing and prioritise it.

Baileys_Babe

You are making a lot of progress @greenbee. We have done the same with our locks, it makes it easier to manage and lighter on the pocket. Well done on arranging help with the house hopefully it isn't too long until you have a regular slot with garden/DIY.

greenbee

I've had the keys for just over a month now, and actually been living in the house for just under 4 weeks. While there is still a lot of garden stuff to collect from my mum's, most things are now here and unpacked. The books took forever! Pictures are now ready to unwrap and locate.

I'm trying to keep on top of the garden, as in previous moves that's ended up getting out of control and ended up being a lot more work. I still don't have a regular slot with the gardener though, so will need to get a fair amount done over the bank holiday weekend.

Garden waste bins are collected on Friday - they're pretty heavy already as the grass clippings from last week have composted down inside them. Current grass clippings are going on the compost heap at the end of the garden and the bins will be used for prunings and hedge trimmings for the next few days. The compost heap willl need sorting out at some point - there are trees to come down and a shed to demolish so we can build a big 3 bay compost area.

My brother's kids (with a lot of help from me and my brother) made a good start on cleaning out the shed and summerhouse. They still both need work (I've brought the garden vac over from my mum's, which will be good for getting the remaining cobwebs out), but it's a lot easier to see where repairs will be needed. And the resident wildlife is less terrifying... my brother removed a lot of shelves that I won't need. There's a pile on the lawn that I need to brush down and remove the brackets from. The wood looks like it will be kindling material. 

I've managed to get a lot of my existing blinds to fit windows (despite most being much deeper). Roller blinds that have clearly been generously made in terms of drop, and roman blinds that fit the shorter bathroom and utility windows. On Saturday I got all the rest of the curtains and fabric out, and with the help of a lady that my cousin put me in touch with I have a plan for 4 more rooms using existing fabric. She's remaking two lots of curtains, and using some other fabric to make a new blind, as well as making another blind for the utility room to match the one I already have (I had masses of this fabric). Another pair of curtains my not need altering depending on where the curtain pole goes, in which case they'll just be relined. Two more roller blinds have been ordered and I have decisions to make about the rest of the windows. But knowing what is happening in those rooms in terms of blinds and curtains means I can plan the redecorating in them as the colours are sorted.

While I don't have a regular day for the gardener (I do for the cleaner), his last rainy day was very productive - 8am-5pm putting up blinds, shelves, mirrors etc. So lots of stuff off the floor and lots of places to put things away. Since then I've identified homes for a couple more things that need to go up on the wall, and realised we need to lift one corner cupboard up quite a bit so haven't yet filled it. 

Tree surgeon is due to visit soon - hopefully one morning this week. Electrician has been briefly and needs to work out a time to come back. I must nag I need to be brave and put up a note on the village FB group asking whether anyone can recommend someone to do hedges and somewhere to get logs. I've had a quote for an exterior clean - roof valleys, gutters, soffits, fascias, window frames, windows, french drains - and another that includes a full roof clean with biocide to deal with the moss. I'm still in two minds - the latter is a lot more expensive, but there is a lot of moss at the bottom of the downpipes that are open onto the patio, and also around the house generally where the birds chuck it. What I actually want to get rid of is the spiders.

I also have a LOT of stuff to shift via FB marketplace or ebay. Not my strong point, so luckily I have friends coming to help with that after the bank holiday. 

Still lots to do - including deciding which GP practice to register with, finding a dentist, booking an eye test etc, and getting some work travel sorted out, find a builder to deal with the leaking soil stack and dodgy chimney. But it's starting to feel vaguely home-like now.

greenbee

Have been paid, which is nice. Not yet OPing the mortgage as there’s a lot of money going out for blinds/curtain poles/labour/odds and ends. And possibly a few bits of furniture now I’ve redistributed what I have. 

rtandon27

GB - We've been in our house two years & have yet to do a 'proper' OP to the mortgage.  There are so many bitty things to do to maintain the house, yet alone do any work to it!  I have however been 'Tilly Tidying' every month once the mortgage payment goes out.  Just about 20ish +/- some change to round it off with nice 0's at the end of the figure 😉

greenbee

I seem to remember it took me a long time to get to the point of doing proper OPs when I last moved. This house needs a lot less doing to it (at least, on current evidence), although there is plenty I'd like to do, so hopefully it won't take so long. And yes, all those 'little' things add up. Constant deliveries of things like curtain poles, blinds, hooks, frames, brackets, loo seats etc... I'll get there eventually. And you're right, small TTs will help, even if only a small amount. 

greenbee

Money still going out at a rate of knots!

Tree surgeon came and we have a plan. He'll be back in November. Since then I've been round to see next door's garden and they are open to taking down their huge ugly conifer. 

Gutters and gulleys have been cleaned, and I'm waging an ongoing war against the giant spiders that want to move in with me. As I'm phobic, this is fairly strressful!

Some lovely MSE friends have been to stay, and with their help the garage has been cleaned and all the blinds, curtains, poles etc catalogued. I just need to get them sold now (which means waiting until after my upcoming travel). Another friend also stayed and helped with furniture decisions, unpacked pictures and worked out where they need to go (but they're still on the floor rather than walls!). I've also repotted most of my peace lilies and now have about a billion more than I started with. I do like having lots of plants in the house though, and they're making the place look lived in (particularly since I bought a whole lot more nice pots for them to live in).

More blinds have gone up - I worked out that a couple more of my existing ones would fit, and ordered more privacy blinds where I knew I needed them. Curtain poles are also up (but need cutting to size, however it was raining when the handyman came to do them - at the moment he can only come over when his garden work is rained off), and I have curtains in my bedroom. 

Sofa has been ordered and should arrive in the next few weeks. Greenhouse is due for delivery on Oct. 10th and installation on Oct 19th and I've worked out where it needs to go. Then I'll start constructing the rest of the veg garden round it. Asparagus, rhubarb and fruit bushes/canes need to be planned first, and then annual veg can fit round them. Herbs and salad will be right outside the kitchen. The back of the garage is south-facing and a great spot for espaliered fruit (I'm thinking pear, fig, and plum). So lots of raised beds, greenhouse bits, and plants to invest in!

I have a lot of options for rainwater harvesting, so need to look into that in more detail. It think I can put an IBC behind the shed (I'll need a food grade one for watering food), as well as butts on the house and possibly another IBC on the garage. 

The electrician has been to look at what needs doing, but still hasn't been to fix it. I have a long list of people to call (chimney sweep needs chasing, log delivery, someone to service the heating - but I need the electrician first, soil stack repair, heavy duty curtain pole supplier etc) but don't seem to have time. 

I'm at my mum's at the moment, hoping to go home tomorrow. She's had a partial knee replacement and needs supervision for 48 hours post discharge from hospital, but that's technically up tonight. I think leaving her to her own devices tomorrow would be a good idea as that way she'll know what help she needs from the various people who are helping out next week (with me here she has been struggling to think of anything!). Plus I need to get myself prepped for the week ahead.

If there's any money left over this month (I think it'll be about £200) I think I'm going to send it to the mortgage as the psychological benefit of an OP will be helpful. 

Then I'm away for most of the next couple of weeks for work, after which I'm hoping to take a few days off, so need to inspect my work diary and get it booked (along with booking flights for a trip in November). 

Cheery_Daff

Sounds like things are progressing nicely 😊 Also sounds like a great idea to leave your mum so she can work out what support she needs. Hope it gets put in place swiftly.

greenbee

@Cheery_Daff - I felt really mean watching her make supper this evening. But now she knows what she needs to ask people to do so she can manage to look after herself. Chop veg, get stuff out of the freezer, fill up her cryocuff, refill water bottles, take water upstairs, swap her upstairs glass for a clean one, do the washing up etc. Tomorrow morning I will be making a comprehensive list of the freezer contents, as she didn't actually know what was in there to ask me to take out, despite having spent the last few weeks filling it up!

As for the house, remind me not to move again. Unless the spider problems continue, in which case I'll be selling soon... 

maggiem

Greenbee, I was listening to the radio this week with an expert talking about spiders. He reckoned either a few drops of peppermint or citronella oil diluted with water and sprayed into corners, possible entry points might work to deter these huge spiders. I haven't tried it yet but anything is better than house selling and moving 😂😂