We've had the house for just over two weeks (going up to three weeks now) we are still up to our elbows in it. Considering how many jobs we have to do we have done really well but at the minute our home resembles a derelict house as every room needed gutting. It's difficult to see past the holes in the floorboards, the smashed tiles on the floor and the totally bare walls but I know we are getting there. I like to think that seeing out home at it's worst will make us appreciate it so much more when it's done.
Nick booked the week off work so we had the time to get really stuck in. My Mum also booked some time off work so then she could watch Noah while we went down to the house. There's only so much Nick and I can do without supervision and direction from Nick's Step Dad and Grandad but we did what we could. That being said nothing and I mean nothing went to plan this week. First off my cat hurt himself and we had to take him to the vets. It turned out he had dislocated and fractured his leg and needed surgery. It's suspected that a car hit him, the poor thing. Thankfully we have pet insurance and the operation went well but we spent an entire day making sure the cat was okay. It was then my birthday so we had a day off from the renovations and so on. Everything just went against us this week. Things that were supposed to be straight forward and easy were just hardwork and difficult. It was just one thing after another which was far from ideal as time isn't on our side. We are supposed to be moving in at the end of the month!
Amongst the ongoing jobs we have already begun we decided to throw another in the works this week, we started ripping out the bathroom. We went in with a hammer in hand and began smashing all the tiles off the wall. They came off really easy but to our dismay there was another layer on tiles underneath. The under layer of tiles are so hard to get off too. Not only this but whilst removing some tiles it pulled the plaster down with them so we also have a wall that needs re-plastering too! Nightmare! See what I mean about things going wrong?
The bath, sink and toilet were ripped out the following day. The bath was cast iron and so heavy that it had to be sawed into pieces before it could be taken downstairs. I was shocked that it hadn't fallen through the floorboards, it was that heavy! The lino was also removed and stunk of urine. It actually makes me gag going in there cause now everything has been taken out all the odors seem to have seeped out with them. This renovation malarkey isn't very glamorous! We just need to get in now and remove the remaining tiles and the bathroom will be ready for decorating and it's new bathroom suite! I want to go for natural sandy coloured tiling and hopefully we will have enough money to tile the entire room.
Not only that but the kitchen has come on a lot this week. All the cabinets and cupboards are in place, the work surface is cut and secured, the fridge is in. Next up they are attaching all the doors and handles. I can't wait to see that. The kitchen is the most completed room in the house and it's good to finally be able to envision what it's going to look like.
More rooms have been steamed and stipped too, there's not much to do on that front now. Some rooms have been papered with lining paper ready for painting. The rooms can't be fully done yet as the central heating needs to be installed first.
The rewiring of the house was continued this week too. I think we are almost finished with that. I don't understand it all to be honest. I just leave the electrician/Brother in law to it.
We bought our new energy saving boiler and central heating system and that is all ready to be installed this week. It will be strange seeing the house with radiators. I can't believe the old chap who lived here before us never had heating!
The photo's don't do any of the labour any justice. For example, you see a photo of ugly wallpaper, then it removed, then lining paper up and it looks pretty straight forward. Behind the scene's that's not the case. Sometimes the paper is really hard to get off, sometimes it's easy. You are using a steamer which turns the room you are in into a foisty sauna where you sweat silly. You scrape off a tricky piece of wallpaper to find a hole in the wall. If not that then you pull off some wallpaper and it pulls plaster off with it. You find a crack that need to be filled and evened out with filler. You find damp. It's endless. A job that should be straight forward and looks straight forward never is. It's tiring but we get so much help and we are so thankful for it.
It's scary to think we are supposed to be moving in next week! That won't be happening! The thought makes me feel rather deflated but I have to take a step back, take another look and realise how much work has been done. Although we have a while left to go we have made a really good start.
