Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
I've been meaning to do this for a while now 
But its cut and pasted from elsewhere, so Im not sure some of the smilies will translate.....i'll endeavour to re-link the pics if they dont work....and yes, i know the pic of the house is sideways, but its higher than it is wide, so thats how I took the pic 
It's a nice circa 400 year old cottage. It was put on the market and we buried our heads in the sand and forgot about it 14 moths ago 
Months passed....plenty of viewings and a couple of offers. These were rejected, somewhat out of our control (don't ask). Finally we had an offer we could accept, months of solictors work and the other party decided to start making stupid demands (at the time I had no idea why)......so we withdrew....*argggggggh*
Another purchaser came on the scene, he seemed ideal.....young chap, VERY interested....viewed the place at least 4 times, then came in with a STUPID offer :angry: which was rejected out of hand.
Funnily enough though, he made the strange decision to e-mail the estate agents with a near begging letter explaining his low offer. This letter spurred me into action as it highlighted some major issue with the cottage...issues that the EA had never mentioned to us.
Before anybody jumps in to say 'ffs you should have sorted it earlier' neither of us had any intention to EVER set foot in that cottage again. It wasn't easy to go back...i'm sure peeps here who remember the story will testify to what happened and will understand that.
Anyhow, now the blog pics...im going to use these with the EA to help future marketing thumbsup
DAY1
Ive gotta say, I didn't look forward to going back. About 14 months after we left Got the keys off the EA without telling the missus after getting the gen on the negative feedback.
Looked soooooo shabby, and brought back some bad memories
Lounge looked very damp and dirty...carpets look, well shitty...
In building surveyors terms...this is called 'efflorescence'
In laymans terms this is called 'a puddle in the middle of the kitchen'
Which leads to......EA's calling this VVVV
'rising damp'
even worse
Anyway, that was enough for me......time to get the head out of the sand and do something about it.
Me and my father stripped the vinyl and most of the units, then took off the skirting boards. When doing this we found out that the washing machine had been leaking for the last 14 months, hence the dampness :beat:
I arranged (via the missus) to get the gas and electricity back on, got hold of a eleccy heater and bought our little R2D2 dehumidifier....
two weeks later.....
Today 6 weeks later....its near bone dry. Some areas of contaminated plaster left but thay can be hacked off and re-done.
Mucho respect to my old man for helping out and the moral support he's given Imnotworthy
I've now painted the place from top to bottom.....it was a really horrible white colour that made it look bloody cold (not good in an old cottage) it's now a nice cliched magnolia, but that suits it perfectly. It looks warm and clean now 
Jobs to do?
Some touching up of the internal paintwork.
Boiler and plumbing is being serviced tomorrow.
Carpets are going to be cleaned/replaced as necessary.
The exterior is going to be decorated throughout.
Oh
And the small matter of fitting a new kitchen 
I'm looking forward to it though thumbsup
|
Cosmo
Member
Registered: 29th Mar 01
Location: Im the real one!
User status: Offline
|
looking like you sorted most of it  Expect the hassle will be worth it with a better house value when it comes to sell.
[Edited on 14-03-2007 by Cosmo]
|
Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
|
What happened Jules? I dont know the story
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ally
What happened Jules? I dont know the story
Update:-
Ally...long story...its my girlfriends house....previously she met a bad bloke and he was homeless....he conned her, ripped her off, then got 18 months for beating her up. Hence her reticence about going back.
Anyways.....ive spent the last six (or so) weekends stripping the place and redecorating. The inside looks great now and the kitchen is still stripped out but its now dry.
The exterior decorators were due to start on the 21st but managed to get in there this week....before and after below:-
I've got a van hired tomorrow for an Ikea trip to get the kitchen
|
mav
Member
Registered: 19th Jun 01
Location: Scotland
User status: Offline
|
Must say getting better and the outside looks 100x better...keep up the good work
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Cheers Mav
It's going to be a long day tomorrow....we've picked the kitchen out...the missus is working so me and the 'old' man are going to pick it up. Then start the fitting.
Problems will be the kitchen is majorly out of square...and we have to finish off the re-wiring of it (bodged at the mo)
I'm chuffed at the outside though, wasn't about passing over £470 in cash though
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Jesus I'm nackered....
24 hours working on the place this weekend. Don't ever let anybody tell you doing a house up in your spare time is an easy gig 
Next week: re-wiring the kitchen
Next weekend:- Install kitchen unit/worktops, hopefully tile the kitchen floor
Week after that:- new carpets throughout
Weekend after: Tile kitchen then back on the market.
Hopefully
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Here we go again....
Another weekend 'on the tools'..and I've fallen foul of the 'property ladder' behind programme (not schedule syndrome)
Friday evening I thought I could short cut things by getting a worktop fitted...the fcuking thing took three hours to cut/fit. The walls are all over the place, so a template was the way forward...
We had to cut the plaster/render and blockwork back at one end because the thing is such a strange shape
Then noticed the pipework was in the wrong place and the stop tap is in next doors property
So no kitchen fitting this weekend 
We got the worktop in finally though
After checking out the size of the micro washing machine
Mucho putting together of units ensued:- This little bugger took far too long :
After putting the rest of the units together (minus doors) I got bored and started on the bathroom...
Cutting in
When that was finished I noticed the tiles were bloody painted 
Corrective action followed
When will it ever end?
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Ok...I'm bored and tired...so here is an update of todays hard slog
TBH I'm losing the will to live on this. Working all week and then weekends is pissing me off TBPH.
Stripped off some more tiles and found this:-
The window board was well out of level, they had bodged it with tiles laid ontop of tiles....so levellled it and put this in...
The wall Kitchen units went in pretty good
Chose some nice tiles @ £55 a Sq/m
Then back to re-tiling the bathroom....
I'm almost tempted to try this for a living....unfortunately in this instance I wont make jack squat in £££
|
Marc
Member
Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
User status: Offline
|
£55 per s/m 
|
corsaaa_16v
Member
Registered: 8th Feb 06
User status: Offline
|
kitchen looks great, coming along well!! cant see pics of outside tho mate, can you put them back up??
did you make the units for the kitchen yourself, or did you cut them to size yourself?
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Getting there #2.....
Wired in the extractor, we had to take out all of the units because of 'yours truly' fcuking up the setting out.....note the drawer open on the left.....fouled by a gas pipe (ikea units AGAIN causing problems)
I was going to mitre the worktops, but im happy with the angle strip given the worktops are very dark.
Had the plumber in all day yesterday, he diverted the fouling gas pipe (easier said than done, it requires a full purge of the gas sytem to do that) fitted the sink and the hob...
Meanwhile, back in the bathroom.....I made a plinth either end of the bath to raise the tiling. Then finished off the tiling.
Grouting is about 60% done and polished....
I need to do some tyding up though GLOL
Hey ho, another day at it tomorrow.....
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
Good work, brings back memories of doing mine 2 years ago!!
I hope your changing the bathroom suite, salmon pink is blaaagh Can get an new 3 piece set from B&Q in white for £150!!
|
Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
|
Deffo coming along and looking much better than it was!
Deffo get a new suite if you can afford it, like col says you can get them cheap. B+Q are doing 20% off bathrooms, kitchens and appliances this weekend...
Not keen on having red kitchen tiles but each to their own, i like the units/worktop and sink!
PS - Give it a few months and you will have totally lost the will to live. 15 months on and im still no where near finishing mine.
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
You know what?
I did consider changing the bathroom suite for exactly the reason you (colin and ally) said....but given the rest of the room it looks really nice
And the kitchen tiles aren't given justice by the pics....they are a really deep burgendy with lots of variance between the tiles beige grout will set them off really well.
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
Your planning to sell this on?? I think a 150 quid bathroom suite could make or break selling it on for max price. It would be a shame to do everything else & leave that out!! Kitchen & Bathroom SELLS a house to a buyer, Salmon pink could put off prospective buyers!!
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav/nav.jsp?action=detail&fh_secondid=9295909&fh_sort_by=_price_rrp_min&fh_eds=%c3%9f&fh_sort_order=1&fh_location=%2f%2fcatalog01%2fen_GB%2fcategories%3c%7b10052%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b10054%7d%2fcategories%3c%7b8960055%7d%2fspecificationsProductType%3dBathroom+Suites%2f_wide_price_range%3d100-500&fh_refview=lister&ts=1178489630917&isSearch=false
That would do the job!!
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
yeah...its being sold on....
The pics dont do it justice....certainly in terms of colour. The suite when it was put in cost circa £700....and whislt you can get a suite at B&Q for vertually nothing they are shite
Next post will be when its finished and back on the market
|
Ally
Member
Registered: 2nd Jul 03
Location: Pontypool Drives: a Skoda
User status: Offline
|
I think we are just thinking of sell ability, pink may be a nice colour but in general selling terms white is always the best option as its modern, clean and light.
I think you just dont want to tell us how much you like the pink suite, and that you are going to cry when you sell the house because you like having a bath in a pink bath with your pink bubble bath and pink shower cap so much. While your little pink poodle sits by the door with a pink collar barking to go out in your pink re trimmed smart car with you pink timberland boots and pink shirt with your hair in a gay hairdressers style.
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
I wouldnt buy a house with a pink bathroom, not without working out in my head how much cost/inconvenience its going to be to get it ripped out & swapped over. Horrid pink bath to me means how much cheaper can I get away with offering....as I know its going to put alot of folk off!!
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
You two are colour blind....it's actually 'apricot' (according to the missus).....ive certainly never thought of it as pink
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Getting there mk3
After yesterday evenings exploits we turned up and the tiles look REALLY shiny with the sun hittiing them (pic doesn't do them justice)
Ive given the bath a good clean today.....looks ok, but the taps are a bit ropey (I guess they will do though) Ive also cleaned off the sink of all the crap on the back.
We then wired in the cooker and fitted the plinth underneath...
The old man fitted some battens to the walls for the new worktops while I removed the plaster off the front door reveal....its actually drying out now too
After much 'umming and ahhing' dad came up with the a stellar idea.....so we offed to B&Q to get:-
A 'pole'.....a nice zinc number
Some battens
Some skirting
The remaining floor tiles
Plaster
Fittings for the worktops
Lunch
After cutting the shelf first thing....five coats of stain later I finished it....looks really good actually
We then got cracking on the kitchen, fitted the worktop and 'pole'....that looks
much MUCH better than a solid end, as you can see through it and it maintains the open view into the kitchen
Since we had the end panel left, we decided to make a wine rack out of it to fit below the boiler...
It needs some shelves but it will look great and add space in there
We also cut the skirting boards in and ive started staining them....didn't get a photo as I was bloody shot by then ;o(
Im a bit concerned about the colour of floor tiles though...any thoughts?
|
Jules S
Premium Member
Registered: 24th Dec 03
User status: Offline
|
Getting there #4
Wondered what to do with the boiler....
Engaged MSpaint
Then decided this would be better...
Then actually made it lol.....I know its the wrong way around
Sorted the rooflights out....dont ask...they look poo but 110% better than before
I'm going to do away with the nets lol
Replacement carpets went in this morning:-
Nearly there.....just got to finish off the kitchen units and tile out the kitchen walls and floor....estate agent in next week to value it and then its back on the market....
I met with the EA this afternoon....and we are both pretty confident about the future
|
Colin
Member
Registered: 4th Apr 02
User status: Offline
|
Are you meant to box in the flue of a boiler like that  Im not sure but Ive always thought your supposed to leave them open to air circulation!?
|
