Learning to walk before I run

edinburgher

Electrician has now finished (pendant light fitting finished, switch plate replaced with one that matches the others).

Painter did not turn up, builder did not think to tell me as "he was busy" (code for "I've started a new job and CBA doing what you're paying me for anymore"). I can't see any realistic way they will finish tomorrow, after a series of disappointments, this one seems the most bitter. Why do I get the impression that tomorrow is going to be builder hell?

A decent day for surveys (£13.75), I withdrew £5.02 from Prolific and paid £5.04 into my SIPP (£6.30 after tax relief).

DD1 and I are off to the cinema on Saturday, a film based on a Roald Dahl book. The tickets were eye wateringly expensive (something like £15 for 2x "saver" tickets for a 25-year-old film). Luckily I still had 4x free tickets left from my current account switch to the black horse, but I would have been raging if I'd actually paid!

powerspowers

How frustrating about your builder woes Ed!
enjoy the cinema, DD1 will enjoy the treat 

L9XSS

edinburgher said:

I feel that things are going from bad to worse.

The electrician came out late yesterday afternoon (after 4), fitted the wiring for the incorrectly missed switch and added the requested pendant light. I, while annoyed that the builder had failed to spot anything wrong with there being no light on the first floor stairwell/hall, accepted that there wasn't a light on the architect's plans and asked the builder to arrange for this to be added. I didn't seek a price in advance. The electrician has charged £290 to fit a £7 IK3A cable

I told the builder that this was a ridiculous price for a few hour's work and when he called to try and discuss, I informed him that I was firmly of the view that either the electrician (or him) were simply taking advantage to make up the money lost for their earlier mistake re. the switch. I got a "naw man" on the phone before telling the builder that I wasn't continuing the conversation as I had to be up early and it was too stressful for me. Robbing !!!!!!.

No final bill/revisions have been received from the builder in writing and they are supposedly finishing on Thursday (I won't be there until Friday at the earliest). My current plan is to write a full snagging list, ask them to check off each point and confirm in writing when this has been completed so that the final payment can be arranged. Does that sound sensible?

God, I hate the fact that this has ended up being so acrimonious, but at this point I just want my home back  

We have a floor fitter booked in for a month's time. They'll complete the stairs when we're on holiday during the October break (everything crossed). We have had to scrounge up a good bit more money, but they've reviewed written and video fitting instructions from the product supplier and are willing to proceed accordingly.

Not good Ed, I had an electrician fit a heavy Chandelier with associated power and switch running to it on a very high ceiling for £90........part of a £450 package of work done but this was a small part of the job.....Anyway keep going you’re nearly there!

edinburgher

@L9XSS - I knew he was a robbing swine! I've made my very negative feelings about this daylight robbery known to the builder... twice. Will need to let it lie now, as partly my fault for not getting a price in advance and letting myself be swindled. As we have basically spent £46k (strewth, that much), it's a drop in the ocean of spending all the money in the world ever

It is amazing that (starting with a £35k attic conversion on paper), additions, inflation, mistakes by the builder, pretty high end flooring and new furniture ends up costing c. £52k by the time you're done. I think we will be sweating this asset (the house) for longer than I'd envisaged.

For clarity, £52k will also have included replacement fascias/soffits/gutters/downpipes, our bargain kitchen refurb and new couches 👍

£11.55 withdrawn from Prolific, £11.56 paid into my SIPP (£14.45 after tax relief).

Had a relaxing-ish breakfast with Mrs E and DD2. Relaxing-ish as DD2 woke up, but she was pretty well behaved in the grand scheme of things and had smiles for all the waitresses.

Cheery_Daff

Oh Ed, I do feel for you 😕 A drop in the ocean maybe, but a drop he is stealing from your ocean! (This analogy is starting to break down... 😂😂)

We asked our builder to keep us updated about anything that was going to cost more than the original quote. He did - an extra £4k (on top of his original £10k quote). We paid in installments, and it all got confusing as we paid subcontractors separately, but some had been part of the original quote. Still, I kept accurate records, and when the final bill came, it was £6 more than the extras - so £10k more than original 😱

I asked for an itemised breakdown, and got a very detailed one - price per hour for each trade, and accurate record of how many hours/days they'd been here. It all tallied up, and I was so exhausted by the whole thing that I couldn't bear to point out that some of the extra was correcting mistakes they'd made 🙄

By the end, I thought of it as a surcharge to make the whole thing go away 🙄 And they were pretty good builders on the whole! So draining having to deal with this stuff, I do feel for you - but it'll be well worth it in the end x

edinburgher

@Cheery_Daff - we're within touching distance - I actually believe that they will be out of our hair by the end of the weekend (touches wood, crosses fingers, drapes himself in heather and hugs a lucky bunny rabbit)

Although the money has been added on to our mortgage, in some ways it will feel like being debt free, just because £4k-5k weekly bills will no longer be a thing

Cheery_Daff

Ooh, I will touch wood and drape myself in bunnies as well 😂😂

Karmacat

Cheery_Daff said:

Ooh, I will touch wood and drape myself in bunnies as well 😂😂

I think I want to do that too, in sympathy 👀

There's light coming 🌞

savingholmes

Karmacat said:

Cheery_Daff said:

Ooh, I will touch wood and drape myself in bunnies as well 😂😂

I think I want to do that too, in sympathy 👀

There's light coming 🌞

Love it 😂

edinburgher

I have been relentless pestering the builders today, they must feel hag-ridden

Still need another day. Do all my stuff or nae money