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help re decoarting/plastering
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halia
Posts: 450 Forumite
Okay, several years ago I met my partner and we bought a large very rundown victorian house.
We've slowly worked our way through alot of the essential work, new roof, new floor (they had caved in!), new windows, cnetral heating, bathroom, kitchen, attic conversion.
We've also decorated most rooms just so they were more pleasent to live in. However now the major work is finished we want to redecorate all the rooms as they are looking a bit tired and bashed, and here lies my problem.
OH says continually that we can do it - and we have managed to do some pretty big DIY jobs over the years, however that was when I was working p/t OH had a more flexible 40 hrs a week job and it was just us. Now I work f/t, OH works 60 hrs a week and we have a very active toddler.
In addition some of the stuff that OH suggested we tackel ourselves has started to 'come apart' a bit.
It all came to a head 10 days ago, I have both sets of parents coming over Xmas and New year, OH suggested we redo the study which also functions as a guest bed - also partly as my new f/t post starts in jan and I need to work from home one day a week. And also redo the utility room.
I said fine - how long, and can YOU commit the time cos I am frantically busy right now - lots of reassurances later and guess what?
I cleared the room
I took down the shelving
I stripped the walls
I cleaned the woodwork and prepped it
I attempted to patch the plaster
I cleared the utility room
I bought the storage units
OH !!!! put ip 4 wall uprights
OH!!! put up one kitchen wall cabinet
I put up the shelving
I cleaned the room
I hired a skip and cleared the garden
I sorted out all the piles of junk and restocked the shelves
its now 7 days before Xmas and I finally finished the utility room but i have a spare room which looks like hell and 'stuff' piled everywhere in the house.
Now this is the real question, I've rung several decorators and although they coudl fit in lining and painting the room for me they say the walls (110 yrs old) are in such bad shape they need to be reskimmed - which can't be done before Xmas.
So... do I stick a coat of emulsion on, put the sofabed back in and at least make it look semiokay for guests
do I leave it and let OH sleep on living room floor over Xmas to make room for guests (I can sleep on spare single bed in DS room)
and then.......
Do I get it reskimmed or find a decorator who will doubleline it?
do I use a decorator or rely on OH having the time to do things?
and what about the other rooms? see the thing is alot of this stuff is really a two person job which involves finding ways to do it when our 2 yr old isnt' about, even if its a one person job that means I end up having to take care of DS on my own for a whole weekend (and so not getting any prep for school done) while OH does DIY.
We want to move in 18 months - to what extent is it really important to have the house in perfect decorated condition? its never going to be a 'show house' and there is an upper limit on selling price around here cos its a 'studenty' street.
I'm trying to work out whats the least hassle to me, and the best value (nto cheapest) option.
Ignore most of it and sell house as family house needing updating
do bits ourselves to make it look prettier
get in a decent plasterer and decorator and just get it properly done for once!
(we've probably got about 2,500 we could put aside for this - but would this be better in a savings accoutn for deposit on a new home)
aaargh I just want a house that isn't full of junk, where rooms get finished and when we dont' end up redoing things constantly cos it wasn't done right the first time!
We've slowly worked our way through alot of the essential work, new roof, new floor (they had caved in!), new windows, cnetral heating, bathroom, kitchen, attic conversion.
We've also decorated most rooms just so they were more pleasent to live in. However now the major work is finished we want to redecorate all the rooms as they are looking a bit tired and bashed, and here lies my problem.
OH says continually that we can do it - and we have managed to do some pretty big DIY jobs over the years, however that was when I was working p/t OH had a more flexible 40 hrs a week job and it was just us. Now I work f/t, OH works 60 hrs a week and we have a very active toddler.
In addition some of the stuff that OH suggested we tackel ourselves has started to 'come apart' a bit.
It all came to a head 10 days ago, I have both sets of parents coming over Xmas and New year, OH suggested we redo the study which also functions as a guest bed - also partly as my new f/t post starts in jan and I need to work from home one day a week. And also redo the utility room.
I said fine - how long, and can YOU commit the time cos I am frantically busy right now - lots of reassurances later and guess what?
I cleared the room
I took down the shelving
I stripped the walls
I cleaned the woodwork and prepped it
I attempted to patch the plaster
I cleared the utility room
I bought the storage units
OH !!!! put ip 4 wall uprights
OH!!! put up one kitchen wall cabinet
I put up the shelving
I cleaned the room
I hired a skip and cleared the garden
I sorted out all the piles of junk and restocked the shelves
its now 7 days before Xmas and I finally finished the utility room but i have a spare room which looks like hell and 'stuff' piled everywhere in the house.
Now this is the real question, I've rung several decorators and although they coudl fit in lining and painting the room for me they say the walls (110 yrs old) are in such bad shape they need to be reskimmed - which can't be done before Xmas.
So... do I stick a coat of emulsion on, put the sofabed back in and at least make it look semiokay for guests
do I leave it and let OH sleep on living room floor over Xmas to make room for guests (I can sleep on spare single bed in DS room)
and then.......
Do I get it reskimmed or find a decorator who will doubleline it?
do I use a decorator or rely on OH having the time to do things?
and what about the other rooms? see the thing is alot of this stuff is really a two person job which involves finding ways to do it when our 2 yr old isnt' about, even if its a one person job that means I end up having to take care of DS on my own for a whole weekend (and so not getting any prep for school done) while OH does DIY.
We want to move in 18 months - to what extent is it really important to have the house in perfect decorated condition? its never going to be a 'show house' and there is an upper limit on selling price around here cos its a 'studenty' street.
I'm trying to work out whats the least hassle to me, and the best value (nto cheapest) option.
Ignore most of it and sell house as family house needing updating
do bits ourselves to make it look prettier
get in a decent plasterer and decorator and just get it properly done for once!
(we've probably got about 2,500 we could put aside for this - but would this be better in a savings accoutn for deposit on a new home)
aaargh I just want a house that isn't full of junk, where rooms get finished and when we dont' end up redoing things constantly cos it wasn't done right the first time!
DEBT: £500 credit card £800 Bank overdraft
£14 Weekly food budget
£14 Weekly food budget
0
Comments
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Sounds like you have done most of the scary big work already!
How about getting an Estate Agent to value your place and give their opinion on plastering and future value etc. If you are looking to move on I can't see it would be worth your while shelling out on expensive work though. Unless it will create more space, wow factor etc....
You can get away with a lot with good presentation skills when selling. Clean, fresh smelling, uncluttered. You know the drill!!
We have a dodgy bedroom that is being used by guest at christmas too. We have put up some cheap throws and will deal with it properly in the new year.
Hope thtas of some useCurrent mortgage £45500 (Jan 08)
2008 target: Sub £30k
MF target: 1/11/20100 -
well I found a cheap local guy who will come round, fill holes in wall and line the walls for me in the afternoons between now and Xmas, so that sorts out that room. Part of me would love to have it done properly but at an additional £250 per room for plastering is outside my budget!
so I reckon on a compromise, get someone in each time to prep walls and line room, I can strip the rooms out and paint. That way I save time (lining rooms is NOT my favourite activity) get a better fnihs (i'm not very good at hanging paper) but don't spend too much (I do stripping and painting myself and I dont' get rooms replastered)
I will splash out on some tesco odds and sods for guest room though, cheap and cheerful bedding+ cheap rug + cheap lamp will make room look nice for under £30.DEBT: £500 credit card £800 Bank overdraft
£14 Weekly food budget0 -
why don't you just get cheap tin of paint and give it a couple of coats for now
should make it presentable for guests .0
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