Owning your own home

Yeah it's all the furniture moving too. Assuming your electrics are under the floorboards.

Yes. I was living at my folks when theirs happened. Iirc it made no difference in terms of electricity if that's what you're getting at(?).

Everything was chased and layed then switched over one day while we were all at work. If you're both still WFH then you'd probably want to mitigate for that day.

Obviously there was a fuck tonne of general building work going on, which is what it is. Idk what that would be like with a little one and what you're tolerance is like for disruption. Personally I don't find it that bad and think people are too precious, but equally I understand that some people do genuinely struggle with discomfort and disruption.

Bit random, but has anyone seen any deals on nice plain white/neutral duvet covers?

Don't need anything crazy, but nice cotton with a decent threadcount would be good.

plain organic cotton bedding (although I understand that 200 is no longer considered a premium threadcount):
https://www.traidcraftshop.co.uk/homeware/home-furnishings/bedding-bedspreads
https://www.thewoolroom.com/bedding/bed-linen/

Go to TK Maxx if you just want white bedding. They alwyays have a load of 800 thread count jobbies for more than 50% off.

Yeah or Brandalley

Cheers.

It depends whether you're talking about floorboards or solid flooring as far as I'm concerned.

Mine was carried out while living in the house but it was somewhat more accessible due to floorboards.

Still a shit load of mess mind you.

Floorboards, mostly. I suppose it all depends on what the spark says. Plan is to get them in to quote for a CU replacement but also say we want to discuss a rewire (from previous advice here, one might rely on the other). Then see if they recommend any circuits over any others or if they insist on the whole lot. Then see how liveable it would be or if we need to move out for a bit (difficult with an 18 mth old and two cats who will need settling in).

It's also a case of what do we do with all our shit. If it has to be shuffled around extensively, then we hold off unpacking. But then if it's not going to be done for 6 months, I don't want to live out of boxes for too long.

I'm sure there's a balance somewhere.

Although in the new place I'm going to try and add sockets as I go, hoping that it isn't as distruptive this way. Since I think the only places I'll need to add a few more sockets will be the living areas and kitchen.

I would say it depends how happy you would be to live with the disruption and also what the sparky says.

The CU will probably be the easiest job of the lot.

Oh also - are you carrying out any of the work yourself? Or is the sparky doing all the chasing in too?

The CU will probably be the easiest job of the lot.

That will be the trojan horse.

I can't really think what it would be like to live in it. I've done a labouring job on a hole house refurb where the clients were living in, but they were out working full time and didn't have any kids/pets. I only saw them a handful of times. Actually, I only met one of them.

Current thoughts are just get everything moved as that is unavoidable. We can't store everything for a couple of weeks (again, cats, kid) while it happens and wouldn't even be able to fully plan or quote before moving. Once we have all our stuff in it should be easier to judge.

Oh also - are you carrying out any of the work yourself? Or is the sparky doing all the chasing in too?

That's a conversation I'll have with them. If they are happy for me to and can point me in the right direction with a lump hammer and a bolster, I'll crack on. But if they prefer to do it and it wouldn't save a massive wedge, equally happy.

Understandable - I'm just thinking if you could do some of the chasing (knocking out the boxes ETC) you could do a lot of the mess before the sparky turns up, and probably save a lot in labour costs too.
At least if you did this although it would be more of a pain for you could contain the mess to a room and tidy as you go.

It's a very good point and one I will think (even) more about. A step further that marking the walls with sharpie where we want additional sockets. Thanks.

That makes sense. If you're going to chase I'd seriously recommend buying/ hiring a wall chaser. I rather stupidly waited until the last room in the house before buying one and really wish I hadn't. They also generally have a hoover attachment which is a bonus!

@stevo_com I have one in my garage that I won't need for at least the rest of this year, if you find yourself carrying out the work just let me know and you can borrow it.

I saw Aldi were doing one.......

But also, smacky smacky fun times are long overdue. There's a wall between the kitchen and dining room that apparently used to be a big arched opening. It is quite obviously just studs and plasterboard (vendor's son(s) had a thing for punching holes in walls it seems) so that may get fucked through with reckless abandon at some stage.

Fantastic! I'll give you a shout if so.

Roof getting there.

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That cracked tile will be replaced.

Yeah I found 2 leaks from cracked tiles yesterday. One is currently bodged with a an old steel sign, the other with the (plastic) glass from a picture frame slid under the tiles.

I'd also be asking them to waterproof the firewall bricks to the left and right of the chimney as best they can whilst the scaffolding is still up. Either using a screed over them or ideally a screed and then a clear waterproofing chemical such as Bostik Cementone Water Seal 5L (code 99144 at Toolstation).

Talking of roofs and chimneys, this spell of rain has caused damp patches to appear on the chimney breast in my kitchen.

My first guess was that the chimney hasn't been capped properly and rain is getting in. Does this sound like a realistic possibility? If so, how to fix it?