Cheery's country living adventure

Cheery_Daff

I have no idea whether I'd have someone in all the time if I could afford to - on the whole I enjoy DIY (within reason!) and find dealing with other people far more stressful so all other things being equal, I'd usually go DIY. 

Of course, all other things aren't always equal, which is how we've ended up with these geezers in. 

Finally got round to cleaning the skirting board this evening. Some of it cleaned up OK, some didn't, but most of it is ridiculously knotty, to the extent of having holes all the way through. Fine if we were painting it - we could fill those in and paint over, but we're not (which they knew right from the start). Also discovered that the skirting won't fit under one of the sets of radiator pipes upstairs... Sigh, it never ends, does it? 

So now we have yet another conversation in the morning, YAWN, and I'm going to try yet again to channel Fortune, who always seems to deal with these things with aplomb. I suspect what will happen in our case is that we will run round trying to source 7 inch skirting board, fail, opt for 6 inch, possibly fail to get that, and end up telling the builder to just leave it and we'll do it ourselves when we've managed to get hold of some 🙄

We're at the point now where, aside from the fitting of the actual kitchen, everything else is doable DIY, and I am SO tempted to just throw them all out and finish it off ourselves 😂 Don't worry, I won't, and I think they'd rather just get it right themselves, regardless of how much of a faff it is, but I suspect there is some stuff that we will end up doing ourselves.

Next job is the bathroom and that's definitely going to be a DIY effort (although I'm not even starting it for several months after this!) 🙄

Fortune_Smiles

Cheery_Daff said:

I have no idea whether I'd have someone in all the time if I could afford to - on the whole I enjoy DIY (within reason!) and find dealing with other people far more stressful so all other things being equal, I'd usually go DIY. 

Of course, all other things aren't always equal, which is how we've ended up with these geezers in. 

Finally got round to cleaning the skirting board this evening. Some of it cleaned up OK, some didn't, but most of it is ridiculously knotty, to the extent of having holes all the way through. Fine if we were painting it - we could fill those in and paint over, but we're not (which they knew right from the start). Also discovered that the skirting won't fit under one of the sets of radiator pipes upstairs... Sigh, it never ends, does it? 

So now we have yet another conversation in the morning, YAWN, and I'm going to try yet again to channel Fortune, who always seems to deal with these things with aplomb. I suspect what will happen in our case is that we will run round trying to source 7 inch skirting board, fail, opt for 6 inch, possibly fail to get that, and end up telling the builder to just leave it and we'll do it ourselves when we've managed to get hold of some 🙄

We're at the point now where, aside from the fitting of the actual kitchen, everything else is doable DIY, and I am SO tempted to just throw them all out and finish it off ourselves 😂 Don't worry, I won't, and I think they'd rather just get it right themselves, regardless of how much of a faff it is, but I suspect there is some stuff that we will end up doing ourselves.

Next job is the bathroom and that's definitely going to be a DIY effort (although I'm not even starting it for several months after this!) 🙄

You're very kind Cheery.  But I have to say that it's not that I don't find these situations stressful - I do.  I'm just very stubborn, grit my teeth, feel the fear and do it anyway 😆  And it's always a case of choosing your battles isn't it.  Sometimes the stress is just not worth it.  Plus - I haven't been gritting my teeth for two and a half months 😲  I think even my resolve would have worn down by then.

Keep putting one foot in front of the other.  You are almost there.  And yes - leave the bathroom until your resilience recovers.  I won't be doing any more work in the house for a very long time 😉

Fortune x

EssexHebridean

Abslutely agree on the stress thing F_S - I hate having to deal with other people to do stuff too, but they will do a far better job than I or MrEH will, in (well usually!) a far more timely fashion, and the end result will, as a result, be less disruptive, so it's a "needs must" situation. 

Psst - the skirtings - they aren't fit for purpose. A smile, an "I'm so sorry, but these really don't match the brief do they - what are your plans for sorting the replacements as clearly we need them almost immediately now?" and then go quiet and let them provide the solution...   (And if he DOEs suggest you do it yourselves, then maybe enquire how much that will be reducing his bill by....he might change his mind at that stage!) 

You are absolutely right about allowing the resilience tanks to replenish before starting another project, too! 

greenbee

Re. the skirtings - definitely ask the question as EH has suggested. There may well be issues with sourcing them, in which case, you can say you're happy to wait, for him to get them delivered to you so you know that they have arrived and that they can aclimatise to the house, and for him to come and fit them in the NY or whenever. 

I hate my upstairs skirtings where they used MDF due to the deadline (they're quicker and easier). Downstairs I insisted on wood. 

I've taken down my bedroom curtain pole as it was threatening to come off the wall. I can't decide whether attempting to sort out the problem myself (DIY is not my forte) will be more or less stressful than trying to get someone else to do it... 

Fortune_Smiles

Our window company have had issues with sourcing wood and glass so we have some window arches that are solid wood and some that are bonded wood, some where the grain has been matched and some where they haven't been.  I've decided that they've done the best they can with what they have available and, once they weather, you probably won't be able to tell anyway.

Your skirting is a different matter though as it will be on-show, inside.  Is it too bad to be considered rustic and appropriate for a rural house?  Or will you always look at it and resent it?  I still resent my gate #justcan'tletitgo #gatehate 😂

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Oh dear Fortune! Yes I completely get that it's not easy. I just feel like I'm constantly harping on at somebody for something at the minute 🙄

Skirting situation has been sorted satisfactorily, although not by following any of your excellent suggestions 🙄😂 

We said we'd tried cleaning it, but weren't happy with it still. Completely accept it's hard to get 7 inch skirting, and this was the last of the bunch, so we were happy to go smaller, and go and choose it ourselves. Builder gave us name of a cheery local place who I rang and spoke to, they were indeed lovely, so we went down, chose all the individual pieces ourselves, and they're delivering them this afternoon. Old stuff is being returned for a refund. Also picked up some MDF for the loft hatch while we were there. 

So that's all sorted, although we will need to make a decision about downstairs - the walls are still pretty bendy, and we want them to glue it, not use screws, and wood is less flexible than MDF... Considering oak veneered MDF, but they don't do that where we were this morning, so we'll need to investigate. 

In more cheerful news, the guy is here doing the templates for the granite 😮😁 So things are progressing!

Fortune_Smiles

It's 'project management' Cheery - not 'harping on' 😂

Glad to hear that you have a workable solution and the granite is progressing - sounds like you're on to the more fun stuff now.

Fortune x

Cheery_Daff

Ha, you're right of course! 😁 I did buy them some posh biscuits while we were put 😂😂

Kitchen fitters balanced the sink on the units for the templates, and it was SO nice to have a better idea of how it's going to feel 😊😊😊 Still not chosen a colour for the kitchen yet so need to decide that too!

Fortune_Smiles

Cheery_Daff said:

Ha, you're right of course! 😁 I did buy them some posh biscuits while we were put 😂😂

Kitchen fitters balanced the sink on the units for the templates, and it was SO nice to have a better idea of how it's going to feel 😊😊😊 Still not chosen a colour for the kitchen yet so need to decide that too!

My vote goes for..... yellow! 😂😂😂

Fortune x

EssexHebridean

Well done for getting it sorted Cheery - and it doesn't really matter how does it, main thing is that you're not paying for unsuitable skirting boards, and that the ones you will be paying for are right! 

Colours....well ours is green and cream as I think you know, but knowing you I reckon yours could end up purple!