Transferring the outside jobs to someone else

Inside of house mostly done.  Curtains up, painting done etc.
Kitchen being installed on Thursday. 
Bathroom .. pretty much unhappy with everything but oh well for now. 
Still no hot water or shower.
Photos soon...

So the quote to dump the entire outside carpentry jobs on to someone came back after a 2 week wait. So much less than I was expecting. To reconsruct the verandah, build a front deck, back deck, install all the decorative period features (eg corbels, finials) around the front of the house, hang the party toilet door, attach lattice on the laneway....
 $5665 !!
I'm going to wait a bit to reply to not seem too keen. 

What I will actually say:  Hi there. Thanks for your quote. That figure and terms seems reasonable so I would like to proceed  please. When are you available to start ? 

One More Thing

Hello. I'm typing this from the floor of my house. Will this be the thing that pushes me over the edge? Which one will it be??? 


Just had a Rinnai technician attend. Good news is the hot water unit is fine but bad news is there is a cross connection under the house somewhere which I'll just have to make the plumber find and fix at his own cost really. Pulling the floors up is probably what's required.

I would prefer to be in the future clicking back on this post and smiling.


Someone said the other day I should go on The Block but I prefer to have my Renovator Melt Downs in private.

If anyone is thinking of renovating, go outside and get some fresh air. Maybe look up courses at your local TAFE.

If you're still getting itchy feet then think of the more fun ways you can drain your health and finances. Why not go shopping in New York then on a massive bender in Las Vegas? It's what L7 would have done.

Whingy whinge

Just snuck in to work 3 hours late again. Stressed up to the eyeballs so maybe writing a post will make me feel better.

• Plumber has only had 4 weeks to get the bathroom connected and it still isn't. Fair go, 4 weeks isn't very long. NOT
• Hot water unit suspected faulty and being second hand, wouldn't be worth fixing, so it's another $800 for another one. 
• The shower doesn't fit my plumbing so I'm going to try and fight Highgrove Bathrooms "no return" policy to get my $300 back. Now to research showers that might fit my plumbing. The bath is already way too narrow to be used as a shower and I'm full of regret for the whole bathroom design.
• A handyman turned up late to our appt this morning and made excuses as to why he didnt want my job of mounting the shower screen, bathroom fittings etc. BOGAN! Beginning to think it will be easier to youtube it and do it all myself.
• Roofing quotes came in at $3500 - $5400 but so far the $3500 one hasn't got back to me despite 2 attempts. People rarely get back to you. Everything is a constant chase. 
• Telstra- ordered a new line ages ago. They haven't got back to me. HELLO? Do I exist? I've lost track.
• My budget. My poor budget.
• 40C + every day this week. I can kiss goodbye to the prospect of my carpenter finishing the skirtings or quoting on further work.

When oh 
                 when will I get my
                                                   life back   bzzzz bleh gheaihgdv

No ozone layer over Australia

Not ideal that the main jobs left are the external jobs and we're heading to mid Summer. eg 42C next week. 

I will try ($) to palm the big remaining outside jobs off on tradesman - hope the heat wont affect their quotes and energy levels.

Tonight I meet a roofing tradesman to see what it will cost for someone to erect scaffolding, paint the roof, replace the ridge cap and replace all the guttering. My guess is $5k. 

Feature wall

Been looking for a wallpaper I like enough for a feature wall in "the dining room"  (the wall that faces the bathroom)   I need to get it in soon so I can then install the air conditioner on that wall ready for mid Summer guests.

It had to be something that wouldn't clash with any of my crazy decor to come, and would compliment the dark grey kitchen, bathroom and black fittings in the house. 

I quite like the last one - especially as it's textured and has silvery glittery panels. But I fear it might look a bit 70s.

Also.. let's have another look at my feature tile.. just because :D

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. Bring on 2014!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Have you moved in yet? 
A.  No.     

Q. Why? 
A. The bathroom still isn't properly connected.

Q. When will you move in?
A. Hopefully next week. Back to work today though with up to 3 interstate trips this month. 

Q When is the kitchen coming?
A Mid - late January. I've been trying to do the surprisingly boring job of buying appliances to enable the kitchen to be properly measured and cut.



Introducing..... 
          my feature tile! 

I absolutely love it. It's a glass tile with a black glittery/ rainbow sparkly background along with rows of teal and silver circles. It only (ha ha) cost $110 per tile and was imported from Italy. Due to the cost, I could only have a touch of it above the sink. It matches the vanity perfectly.

Carpet is in... 

Terrible photographs but here's the carpet which has been laid in the bedrooms. It is a browny greyish colour. I chose a more premium carpet so it's pretty squishy and cosy. 

The wardrobes have been installed. I got them done by Dillon Kitchens - who are also doing my laundry, kitchen and built in entertainment unit. The wardrobes are nowhere near big enough for my needs.

Kate and Nick built me a new fence!!!!! It really changes the feel to the front of the house. Neighbours have had all sorts of comments. One wasn't sure about the colour - I had to tell them that that yellow colour was an unpainted picket. All the railway workmen in their orange jackets have been walking past saying "great job"  so I've found myself saying "thank you"  "thank you"  "thank you" constantly when painting out the front.

Anneliese's feet. SO CUUUUUUUUUTE. SO FAT!

Ma trying out the sling. The sling allows you to actually go about your life while still looking after a baby. Must have for any mother!

New floating floors are in! I really like it.. Though I'm hoping I don't regret not getting a really glossy shiny floor.

Dust has already invaded the floor. Constant!  The floors will look much better with skirtings on.

There wasn't quite enough for the kitchen. I underestimated. This means I now have to obtain, install and cut the final bits myself.

This was the image that helped inspire me to choose the flooring that I did. Pergo "Spring Oak" 

Nick and Kate came over to quickly mount the mirror cabinet to close this ugly gap in the bathroom but it turned out to be a complicated "several hour" job to try and ensure there was enough wood in the wall to support the weight. Plaster dust once again has covered the bathroom.  

Yet to be mounted is the shower screen, shower, towel rails, gown hook, shower shelf and toilet roll holder. It has all been purchased ready to go.

In the end we had to take the weatherboards off to access it. We didn't quite get it in, but we're almost there. Thanks Nick! 

My Mum and I were at Bunnings one day and were just saying how we missed Anneliese and then WE BUMPED IN TO Kate, Nick and Anneliese! I told my Mum that if she moves to the West these sorts of things would happen all the time!  Anneliese is saying "Thumbs Up" to bumping in to us in this photo.

The Footscray Milking Station has been closed over the Christmas Break so we have been going to Seddon or Yarraville. Here we are in Yarraville, secretly photographing a couple who are also covered in renovation marks, clearly taking a lunchbreak. We ended up chatting to them as a comraderie thing. We exchanged regret that while everyone was sitting out having beers on this strip, we had to go back to our renovations. 

Auntie Sue insisting on helping even though she was in her finery! 

Kate helped me paint the fence. It is the same purple colour as my exterior trim. The verandah will also be purple. A picket gate is yet to be built. Nick cut the old metal fence off and I will put a garden bed along the front of the new fence. This was easier than cutting out a huge lot of concrete in the ground. Neighbours are confused why I've set the fence back. They'll see!

My Auntie Sue and Uncle Tony came for a visit at the house and we ended up having a great day touring some of the sites in the West. Pictured is us in the lounge, iced coffee in Yarraville, and a really cool antique/ junk shop in Williamstown. Auntie Sue had lots of ideas for the styling of my house. 

Sue and Tony's dog Sabine always insists on standing up on car journeys exactly in this position.  here she is checking out Yarraville.

I love having visitors drop in! XX

Plumbing

My plumber has been working and will finish Christmas Eve, yay! 

A deep trench has been cut in order to connect the bathroom to the main sewerage line. The is the line we were able to find all those months ago based on the ye olde Sewerage Plans that the govt has centrally stored.

Hot water unit now installed. However we realised I dont have a gas meter yet so now I'm going to have to order that and wait. Ah well, I can live without hot water for a little bit in Summer.

All sorts of chunks were pulled out of the ground and replaced with nice fresh materials.

Sneak peek at the bathroom in progress...