very nice mate. I’ve recently replaced some rads with vertical rads and they look great.

This is the main bedroom, now got carpets and curtains (not shown) in now.
4.5m2 – pretty big

That’s a lot bigger than 4.5m2, unless you’re referring to the window?

Nice work, though! Really do need to do a bit of work to my house, but god I’m lazy 🙂

Super! Seeing all those pics takes me back to 2006 when we first moved into our house. We did a similar amount of work to you but only had 4 weeks to do it all in. One advantage of living in the former German Democratic Republic though is all my friends had to learn a trade before they could study so I had a trained plumber, electrician, decorator all running around like mad things helping us. Managed though but was the most stressful 4 weeks I can remember!

looks good, where in west yorks are you?

I put a shelf up last night. I bet you still get “finished” finished before me. You know what they say about a builders house etc…

That’s a lot bigger than 4.5m2, unless you’re referring to the window?

I meant 4.5m by 4.5m length by width!

looks good, where in west yorks are you?

Huddersfield

I meant 4.5m by 4.5m length by width!

Ah, that makes a bit more sense! So 20m2 🙂

For the first time I’m actually looking forward to moving in. There has been some very dark days when I seriously did not think I would ever move in, especially when I had no running water, no kitchen, no bathroom etc etc.

I’ve only employed a plumber for £1k (inc £450 worth of pipework!) to re-plumb the house – could have done 80% myself but it would have taken weeks rather than the 3 days it took him. I had to employ an electrician to install a new ring for the kitchen and put all the cables in for the extra sockets I put in every single room (I chased out, did 1st and 2nd fix on all the sockets (checked by electrician) and did all the repairs afeterwards to make good) and the new dist board. I have now got multiple sockets in my workshop now though and an outdoor socket (which is awesome BTW!).

I restored all the interior doors myself and installed new handles and catches, installed all the bathroom and all rads.

£400 for a plasterer, £3500 for new windows and composite door, £350 for builder to remove supporting wall and install lintel.

I have learnt and done 1st and 2nd fix electrics and plumbing, rendering, plasterboarding, wood restoring…..

And how to self medicate physio for a ruined back – not surprisingly!!

Me working on the kitchen:

Bit different from this!!!

Just found this thread.
Read the OP and was expecting to find lots of horror stories through the thread, but it seems to have gone well!
Finished result is certainly looking good.

Well done!

£350 for builder to remove supporting wall and install lintel.

You’re **** shitting me?

Kid you not, I was quoted £3800 last week for the same job, drawings and warrant already done. Oh, and none of the electrical work included.

Actually, that was off the books, if I wanted to do it on the books it would be £4200. Plus vat.

We have some similar photos. 5 years on and still not quite finished the kitchen, not even started on some of the other bits, although we did manage to mostly do a bathroom.

“You’re **** shitting me?”

Well skip was £200 (used that for other stuff too though) and beam was £120 on top. Plasterboard was probably £100 I did that myself and plastering was probably £150 for the bit where wall was removed.

I removed electrics and plumbing that were in the way.

Calcs were £300 IIRC and regs application was £200 I think
EDIT: builder says it was a 5 day job for 2 people but as i prepped it all beforehand and laboured for him it only cost me 3 days for one person.

Ah right, fair enough, even with the other stuff though it’s not £3800 worth.

DIY Kitchens?

Yes DIY Kitchens, impressed with quality to be honest but they messed up delivery a bit but they did sort in the end.

The bathroom has been very trying. I’ve never put an inset shower in before, I’ve had leaks all over (nothing major though) and the sink tap was faulty and took me ages to sort out.

However the sink is now finally usable. I don’t know why I struggle with sinks so much but they seem to hate me. Toilets in comparison are easy!

Quite chuffed with how it’s turned out so far.

Looking good. Its so rewarding doing up houses.

Radiators placement – there are two clear schools of thought on this – under windows is less efficient but you get more even heat across the room, opposite windows – less heat loss but you get a heat gradient across the room and it sets up convection currents which feel like drafts

Fanastic thread. Thanks for all the posts newrobdob. Keep it up – you’re doing a great job.

Nice one Cyril. Impressive.
I’ve found that if you show the trades you’re willing and able , decent folk help you out..
In our last place we didn’t have a kitchen&lounge for 6 months. 😐
The “new” one is unlikely to be finished until I win the lotto. 😯

fwiw , I also believe the warm air convection created by a radiator under a window works fine – blinds though , rad. not covered.

Senor J – I tend to take time off to help the professionals. I have a chat with them and say I am there to help them as much as I can and be there to make decisions so they don’t have to assume things which later I don’t like.
I always say I like working with them to learn things myself but I don’t correct them – just ask questions. With the builder I said in advance I would be there to labour for them and we had a good time doing the work in the end – I have learnt most trades like to take the mick constantly so I set myself up to be the butt of their jokes!!

I’ve read a lot of threads on here from tradesmen who explain what annoys them about clients and tried hard not to be one of those annoying clients!!

I reckon with this approach I get a really good job done, save money and gain knowledge. Even being nice and helpful to people like cable installers (Virgin) can help – I got a much neater install in my house helping them out.

Saved me a lot of money in the end – at least £2k – and gained a couple of friends and sources of advice!

I’m happy helping most tradesmen out but the cheeky sod that started getting uppity when I was wiring in the boiler (to help him get home quicker) and telling me to hurry up unsurprisingly never got a job off me again.

Yeah, though it was DIY, exact same units and doors as us but ours are black. Nothing less than impressed with the quality so far (except the sink which the plug has fallen apart on)

Excellent progress! I know the feeling when your covered in dust/rubble/sh*t and you never think you’ll finish. I took down a lath and plaster ceiling in a house in Liverpool and all sorts of stuff dropped down on me! The roof insulation was about 2 inches of shredded newspaper and I found a whole one from the 1930s.

Kinda makes me want a little project now!

By the way, is it an optical illusion or is the shower plate not level?

It’s not perfectly level but it’s better than it was. I had to cut 2 holes through the hardiebacker board and they were tiled around and it turns out they weren’t perfectly vertical. I can’t get it any better but in real life it looks ok.

Like the colours. Ours is almost done. The loft has gone from this

To this

It looks a lot smaller….. 😉

My wife is an artist so I leave all colour decisions to her. She could be an interior designer, it always ends up looking amazing.

Spent until midnight last night trying to finish bathroom. So many small niggly bits to ensure everything done. Looks no different but I spent 4 hours tracking a small leak and replacing the CRAP speedfit connections with Hep2O ones which I love.
Repaired missing grout (might not use that tiler again -hmm).
Sealed round edge of floor with clear silicone
Cleaned window with UPVC solvent – wow that stuff makes you happy but it works amazingly.
Sealed up shower plate.

Also sealed off chimney in lounge properly (it has a vent so don’t panic) to stop droughts.
Annoyingly I bought some slate sealer for the hearth I put in the lounge. Works fine but when I opened it and smelled it it is obviously boiled linseed oil in a fancy bottle which they charged me £7.50 for. Hmmm. Lesson learnt!!

It still looks good – I just find myself always looking at horizons and verticals since I took up photography!

Deleted duplicate post.

Bathroom is sooooo close to being finished. Just have to put bath panel on (which will need routing out on back for bath legs, grrr, and it doesn’t look easy to fit either). Pretty chuffed with how its turned out.

Looks very professional, but all that glaring white… think morning after, you need a quiet moment to consider the error of your ways, maybe that last glass of wine wasn’t such a good idea… I’d keep some sunnies by the basin 8) 😆

I like bright bathrooms, and I rarely drink anyway 😉

I like the floor! What is it, genuine floorboards, engineered wood or that fancy wood effect vinyl stuff?

Cushioned vinyl floor. It’s nice and warm and looks far better than I expected. Decent quality stuff but still less than £150 fitted.

Lovely.
It brings back horrible memories of doing our house up.
Worth it in the end to get the finish you need and want.

wow looks like it’s going to be amazing and totally worth the effort. good luck with that till the end! i’m in the middle of some renovation at home as well, but is was mostly about the walls and ceiling, nothing crucial

Crappy stuff going on in last few days. I had to drill 2 holes through the side of the house for the washing machine waste and drier hose.

Oh
My
Word

I’ve got a big SDS drill and diamond core drills but it took me 3 hours to do each one. The double brick on the inside of the house wasn’t too bad but there was another 20cm of the most solid Yorkshire stone I’ve ever come across I think maybe because the house is 3 storeys this bit I drilled through (right at the bottom of the 3 storey wall) is extra thick to take the weight.

Hoefully never again but at least I have a working washing machine!!!

The taps above are going to be moved. They are only temporary – at one point they were the only place to get water in the whole house. :/

your lounge reminded me a bit of Erich Maria Remarque’s house http://www.luxurylifestylemag.co.uk/editors-picks/from-depp-to-dali-four-celebrity-properties-currently-on-the-market/ the windows and the fireplace, or the colour i don’t know but to me they have something in common. now i’m thinking i’d like to have something of the kind some day too