2021 renovations

[Mountain Goat]

I think there are about 10 loft extensions going on in my street at the moment, and there are only 99 houses. I'm booking tradespeople in for (minor) jobs generally about a month in advance. And doing everything else myself (today: patch plastering the toilet room where the new toilet is smaller than the space left by the old toilet - it is such a tiny awkward space and I am mainly just bruising myself).

[bramblerose]

The builder we use is booked for this year and part of next.

We're cutting back on what I want doing and just doing the basics to get the place ready to sell. The builder has said he may be able fit us in between other jobs if he can and if the jobs are small enough.

So, bathroom window, back bedroom ceiling (may need the flashing looking at on the roof), front bedroom wall and we'll then do a bit of painting, cleaning and decluttering and get it in the market sometime this year hopefully.

[smalex]

Independent kitchen designers (who often don't cost as much as people fear) are really worth looking at too, in terms of getting a less pushy sales based experience, with someone taking a more in depth design look at things, and sometimes doing project management too.
I might be biased because I absolutely loathed all the big kitchen retailers when we were looking. Howdens, Wren, Magnet, B&Q, every single one we went in gave a terrible experience. I'm not usually a snob about these things, and maybe we just had a string of unfortunate experiences, but it was so disappointing. Everything felt like we were trying to be bamboozled.

[sally maclennane]

I really need someone to completely design the kitchen as it's tiny so I need tons of smart storage features which I have neither the imagination or the inclination to properly research.

This is why I was frustrated with our "designer" at Howdens. I wanted lots of smart storage features, although our kitchen is not small. I think that was part of the problem because she just gave us lots of cupboards, I said I wanted more drawers and she was a bit about this, but grudgingly added more. I feel like I have loads of cupboards but they're not the best use of the space, I wanted better storage inside them and she largely dismissed this. I probably should have been more forceful but it was when my mum and step dad were both in hospital and my head was all over the place. Like you, I don't feel like I have the imagination to look into it and felt that was why i was paying them a not unsubstantiatal amount of money!

Long story short, I paid 15k for a kitchen and have nowhere to hang tea towels

[nineseven]

My fence has been finished! Look at the state of it before Excuse the hideous concrete “patio” and lean-to which are hopefully going soon.
I have privacy and a fence that isn’t completely broken and shit!

[Skips]

That's the kind of fence I would like to get put in here, it looks fantastic.

[nineseven]

Apparently it should last around 40 years

[Mountain Goat]

Your garden is so long!

[nineseven]

It's about 80ft I think. Far too big for me, really. I have a morning patio and an evening patio Once I remove the shed by the house it will seem a much more sensible shape.

[Cerise]

Your neighbour will love you!

[baargain]

So solid! It makes such a difference, I got my fence redone at the beginning of lockdown, and then The Bf sorted the rest recently and it looks so different. My old one was just like your old one

[nineseven]

I mean, who doesn't like a tiny, low bit of feeble wood zigzagging pathetically between you and your neighbour?

[Squirrel]

That must be so satisfying to have done, nine! It looks good. We had a similar thing with a rickety wall of broken breeze blocks between us and our neighbour, that had a massive diagonal crack all the way down and moved if you put any weight on it. It’s a proper brick wall now and so much better , and safer.

[Luna]

That’s such an improvement!

[F'Artiste]

That’s such an improvement, and exactly the type of fence panel I want to put into our garden (our fence panels at the back of the garden are beginning to look like your old one, and it’s hideous ).

[Marth]

I mean, who doesn't like a tiny, low bit of feeble wood zigzagging pathetically between you and your neighbour?

Most of the Warner flats in E17 are like that. Ours came down just before lockdown and Sb1 and 1 put up new panels and it gave me such a sense of well-being, having privacy out there.

Yours looks great and solid

[Duophonic]

That's a good looking fence. It's made such an improvement

[Shoe]

Excellent fence, and garden, nine. I'd love to have all that outside space.

I am hopefully having my front door replaced next week. S has had to file it down twice recently so we can open it as the wood has swollen up. No doubt due to the fact the last owners used an inner door outside. At the same time the inner door is having the panell replaced so it's all glass too.

I'm paying for it by having an exceptionally generous aunt who feels she owes me for looking after her cat. If I had to pay it wouldn't be getting done.

[Duophonic]

I asked for a quote recently to replace my back door (fnar) and was quoted an eye watering £900 from two separate places. I had no idea or was so expensive.

[Derek Nimmo]

Are your doors not standard sizes? I know I've seen off the peg options from the likes of B&Q for waaaay less than that (I was looking for my old place a few years back, but still).