Large renovation, tiny budget... lets go!

WinterWarrior

It’s all moving on 😁 if it helps…my bedding got targeted by a bird that must have been the size of an albatross 😖

rdone

Two more ceilings are now down!  We did loads this weekend, and we're really pleased with the progress.  Also a few of the things I'd put up for sale went so winning on that front too.  Have a few more to go up for sale as well so hoping it all goes to plan.

We have been really good on spending this month and at present are set to save £800.  It'll be less than this as there's still 11 days of the month left to go but we're actively thinking about it and trying our best to buy what we need second hand so it's all going in the right direction.  Second hand - good for our budget and the environment!

rdone

WinterWarrior said:

It’s all moving on 😁 if it helps…my bedding got targeted by a bird that must have been the size of an albatross 😖

Oh gosh, that sounds very much like the opposite of fun.
Apologies, missed this comment!

rdone

Today is a very exciting day - the walls are coming down!  The builders are currently putting the acrows up ready to hold the house up before the steal beam goes in.  We did so much over the weekend again and are very lucky in that we've set up a kithcen/living room/dining room in the bedroom in the attic.  We're calling it our Brooklyn loft.  So far so good on the cooking front, not sure why I'll ever need an oven again!

I am tempted to get a double ring burner though as I'm going to miss pasta, we'll see how it goes.

Spending has remained good, we've probably been a bit excited the last few days as we're nearing the end of our month (21st) so have spent a few things.  But still things we need and nothing fun.  Except a light fitting to go over the new island, have started looking online for cheaper but can't find cheaper yet so I'm glad I picked it up!

rdone

Must admit I'm very impressed with us.  Since setting up the attic as our new kitchen two weekends ago we've only had one take away, 0 meals out and 2 at my parents.  Which money wise is very useful!  And health wise also good, although I doubt two weeks is much to make a difference.  I certainly don't feel any better yet!

Because we've been so busy with the house our spending has been low.  HAH.  Just checked my CC (one we use for points and pay off in full every month) and it's not as low as I expected.  DH put spending on there I asked him to put elsewhere and two hotels for our holiday next week (that we have savings for in a separate account) are on there too.  Overall it's not that bad but also not as good as I was hoping.

I'm really hoping that we stick to our holiday budget next week, we've booked a few places with kitchens so hopefully we'll get at least breakfast there which will save money.  DH is not very good at budgets when we go away and goes with "we work hard so I'm going to eat out and enjoy".  Which is all well and good but it stresses me out.  Hoping we can have a few lunches in the apartments as well.

DH has worked very hard on the house and has saved us a tonne of money with what he has done so far.  We're in a really good position I think and the steel beam is a thing of beauty!

Today I'm going to have a good clean of the house (as good a clean as it can have considering the state) and hopefully pack mine and the dogs items to go away - yes we're taking two dogs over to the Continent!

We're thinking we're going to have to borrow some money to finish all of this off, we don't have much left and we can't see it stretching to cover it all.  We've got enough for the building work, plasterer and electrician but probably not the plumber and then all the paint etc that is also needed.  I have only bought paint that we've needed so far when there's a 3for2 deal at my favourite DIY shop so hoping to keep doing the same.  Borrowing wasn't something we wanted to do but we've also had to do extra than we expected at first (as is the case with all renovations!).

joedenise

I'd suggest eating out at lunchtime and cooking your evening meal in the hotel kitchen.  Lunchtime tend to be cheaper than evenings a lot of the time.  It also means that you can go out for the day and then come back to cook.

It's what I tend to do when we're away in our motorhome both in the UK and in France.  It certainly works for us.

If your DH has put the hotel on your points CC and you've got the money in another account to pay it can you just move it across to the account you pay the CC bill from?  Must admit I put everything on our points CC as it helps pay for our travel to France!

Mumoffourkids

I’m away on holiday next week and as it is my holiday as well as the kids, I refuse to cook for the week. So what we tend to do is eat out at lunchtime and then have a quick sandwich or similar for tea in the evening with maybe a packet of chips if still hungry. I tend to cook maybe one night of our seven night holiday in the caravan.

rdone

Thanks both, very good points about eating out at lunch instead of the evening!  Hadn't thought of it that way round.  We always like to get dressed up and go out in an evening which we could still do for a drink or two I guess and eat whilst we're getting ready.  One of our dogs is quite reactive (both rescues) so there'll be more time in than normal anyway.

And yes, I will be moving the money across from the savings account.  Was just shocked at the balance as I got the dates mixed up of when I booked them.

I hope you have a lovely holiday @Mumoffourkids

rdone

It was quite shocking walking into the downstairs of the house when we got home - think we'd both forgotten how bad it looks down here.  Show's what you get used to eh!  Absolute mission to get it sorted now, electrician should be here tomorrow to do 1st fix and I'm hoping the plumber will be here two weeks today - have messaged this morning to confirm.

Have been looking at the rads we want for downstairs - it seems that between this reno and the last they've become fancy.  With a fancy price tag too!  So currently trying to scout out some deals but it seems difficult.

Have chosen tiles for utility and dogs room, looked all weekend for a jubilee discount code but no such luck.  They're a good price anyway so I think I'll order them.

Holiday was good and even though I don't know the total of what we spent yet (DH has that app on his phone and he has had to go to his office today) I am assuming it should be pretty low.  We mostly ate lunch out and evening meal either had a small snack or something in.  Breakfast we ate in every day.  We spent 3 nights in the middle of nowhere so didn't even go out for a drink, we were staying in champagne though so did buy a nice few bottles as upcoming birthday presents and for when we complete the downstairs so that might have evened out.  Dogs were very well behaved - except for one moment when some hideous kids there fire crackers at them!  Luckily the dad told them off and explained why it was so dangerous.  One of our dogs was shaking for the rest of the day, nothing we did helped her.

I hope everyone had a lovely long bank holiday weekend and had lovely plans!

rdone

Went around last night and wrote on the walls where I want all plug points and light switches.  It was difficult but also very fun.  Having thousands of plug points, don't think we can have too many tbh!  Although probably electricity will go wireless and it won't be needed.  DH is going to chase out the walls tonight and tomorrow so the electrician can come and do the first fix on Thursday.

Plumber booked in for 15th and just waiting on plasterer to tell me when he's coming.  All very exciting!

It's looking like we're going to need to borrow some money to finish the project, our pot is depleting.  I have asked DH to ask his parents if they'll give us a loan but he says yes and then doesn't.  So I'm trying to get to the bottom of why not and then sort a new plan.  We won't need much so I'm thinking the new plan would be a cash transfer from a CC on 0% repayments.  Seems better than taking out a loan which always has some sort of interest.