Vocal Voices

.... has been plastered. It now looks like a proper room at last.

This afternoon Mick is hoping to get the electrics sorted so we have light and power. And hopefully we will get the cooker (the old one) back in - we have been without a cooker since Monday. Thank god for slow cookers!

The ceiling is dry (that was plastered on Tuesday) and as soon as the rest of the room is dry I will slap a coat of white paint on it.

The plan then is to get the new cooker (James) in place so that we can jiggle him about to get him exactly in the right spot, get the new dishwasher in and the fridge and the two old kitchen units. I won't have a sink (although I will have a big bucket on a table with temporary taps set up - don't see that as a huge problem as I will have the dishwasher). We will then keep it like that until the new year - then we will have a better idea of exactly how we want the lay out and we will get the new kitchen ordered - and it should be delivered a couple of weeks later.

There is still one really dusty job to do, which might not take place until Christmas week unfortunately. The fireplace has a beautiful gritstone surround to it but it has been painted with bichumen at some point over the years. A stone mason friend of Micks has offered to lend him the tools that he needs to take the top layer of stone off, leaving it beautiful and clean underneath. I dread the thought of the dust but it will be worth it in the end - now the room is plastered we can at least limit the dust to the kitchen and dining room and as I won't be putting all my stuff back in the cupboards, other than the essentials we are using now, until the new kitchen goes in then there won't be too much to empty when he does it.

Before the kitchen goes in we will need to finish the painting, once the kitchen goes in we will need the flooring, radiator and under unit lights and that's about it - I can get all my stuff back in.

And then we are starting on the lounge - ripping the open fire out and fitting a log burning stove. More mess.

You must have the patience of a Saint Debih. This seems to have taken foreverrrrrrr.

It does seem to have been going on for months - because it has!!

The water burst happened on 24th June (forever etched in my memory) and the cheque didn't appear until mid/late September. The biggest part of the job didn't start until the end of October when we were on holiday - the digging up and refilling of the kitchen floor, although the plumbing and electrics and ripping out of the kitchen took place between the cheque clearing and the floor being dug up.

Money wise we have done pretty well. The initial cheque that came was for £5500 and once I have paid the plasterer next week we will have just under £1000 of that left. The final cheque is clearing in the building society at the moment and that is for a further £5100. I am giving that straight to my mum so we aren't tempted to spend it. The kitchen has been quoted at just under £3000 (trade kitchen) - although we think we might get it even cheaper if we order through our builder friend - am going to get him out in the New Year to get the measurements, etc and order it for me.

So we will end up with around £3000 left (although this doesn't include the plumbing and wiring bits as most of those have gone on account and are being paid for from the business account rather than from the cash in the bank). That will easily cover the flooring and any extra bits we need and also should pay for new flooring in the bathroom and the log burning stove - which Mick will probably fit himself.

We've managed to save money by doing lots of the work ourselves (well, to be honest - doing it himself, I haven't really done anything yet) so its nice to know that other things will come from the money too.

Oh Debih, what an age it is all taking - but I'll bet the finished result will be well worth it!

xxxxxxxxx

Can we come to the opening ceremony? I would bring a couple of bottles of wine!!
We had a chip pan fire ten days before Christmas. Fortunately no major damage, just black grease on the walls and ceiling in the kitchen. Washed several times before being repainted before Christmas.

james will look so smart
at least the worst is over
except for the fireplace

I sure feel your pain. We started our bathroom reno about a month before your flood. I should be able to move into the bathroom the week after next, only thats when the moving truck is coming.

Yes painful isn't it.

I'm going to be ripping the kitchen out here over the next two months and rebuilding it.

Can I offer a piece of advice?

Get sheets of palstic and make a frame of cheap wood. Put the frame round th fireplace and tape the plastic to it. Also, from experience, hire yourself an industrial hoover which a huge bin stor and put it insite the frame.

That way you should be able to keep the dust down to a minimum. I tried just the plastic the last time I cut through our red brick in the bedroom. It kept the bedroom free, but the bathroom filled up with a layer of red dust which is a nightmare to get out.

Just a thought for you.