to expect that the DIY projects that DH starts should be completed, or more than holding jobs?

[paolosgirl]

Please tell me that I am not the only one out there to live with half finished, botched jobs everywhere. Our house is only 5 year old house, but it's had a hard time with 3 kids and a dh who 'doesn't have the time' to finish all the flaming jobs he's started (but has time to watch all his boring TV programmes/install new software/fiddle with hardware etc etc)

I'm now without a downstairs loo after he dropped a wrench down it and cracked the pan, which resulted in water everywhere and the lino having to come up. I've got a lovely conservatory that's a year old now, with an unfinished floor because he put it down wrong (he wouldn't pay for it to be done professionally, the tightwad). And that's only 2 things - there are plenty more

Why can't I have a nice house like other girls?

Am I really the only one?

You're not alone! We moved in here 5 years ago and DP started to lay a laminate floor in the hallway a few months after. I finally got well and truly fed up with the unfinshed job a couple of months ago and ripped the whole lot up myself and went out to buy a carpet!

He's now started to rip the patio to bits as he wants to lay decking ... will be interesting to see if that will be another few years!

I'm glad its not just me, you have my full sympathy. All I ask for is a nice house too, doesn't have to be expensive and grand - just finished!!!!

Not just you.

DH is brilliant at DIY but a total perfectionist so everything takes forever.

We have been living with a crate of outdoor tiles and a big bag (as in a ton?) of sand on the drive for over a year now.

I always wondered why people lived in houses with things like cement blocks lying around in the garden.

Now I know!

Exactly!

I know that the loo will not be replaced anytime soon, so that will be ANOTHER job on the 'to do' list - or it will be started soon but never finished.

Shit! Ought to be painting those doors whilst DW is at work. Oh well another day won't make a difference. It's only been 2 years.....

We are all the same. It's why you love us.

Isn't it?

No it bloody well isn't Barcode!

Other girls have nice houses, with finished things, and downstairs loos they can use and conservatory floors they can stand on and nice looking gardens with level patios and door handles that open.

Not me. Oh no.

YANBU

It took DH 9 months to tile our bathroom. need i say more?

Er...sheepish

I don't even have door handles, so think yourself lucky!

Bathroom was started on in May 2005 still not finished....kitchen was 'finished' in 2003 but I still don't have fitted plinths under the cupboards.....I could go on....and on....

The door handle of the ensuite broke, but instead of replacing it, he went for the old holding job approach.

Tried to take the door handle off completely, but couldn't. Then tried to lever out the sticking out bit that goes into the frame, but couldn't. Then sellotaped the sticky out bit shut, but couldn't. Then we all took turns of getting locked in. Now the door frame has a big chunk out of it where he had to break it to free one of the DC's, and I still don't have a door handle that opens.

Yeah, we don't have handles on the doors either. I just can't seem to see the sense in putting them on until I've painted them.

Why am I still here? I'll get me coat.

paolosgirl, if I expected dh to do DIY around the house, not only will it take ages before he gets to it, when he does, he gets into such a strop with his tools that I have to avoid him for the day, if he did not cut himself up first.

As a result, I have a close relationship with my handyman, who probably regards dh as half a man because dh cannot even be asked to roll a bit of paint on a smooth wall.

I think a coat and swift exit in this situation is appropriate

You are not alone.In 40 years I have only ever spent 1 year living in a house that was entirely finished.My dad did everything himself-very well,but never really finished anything completely.Then I went & married a man who says he can do stuff,but procrastinates,and always has an excuse-it's raining,my drills broken,I need to buy x,y & z to finish it.He takes days off work to do DIY but more often than not,he gets distracted by sport on tv or something.

I have happy memories of the year I spent in the finished house-it was 1995 & was rented so dh had nothing to do with any alterations/DIY.

our bedroom door is held shut with a length of silicone tubing wrapped around the bannister, as it doesn't fit since dh changed the hinges

oh, and the bathroom skirting board that has been propped against the wall for.....seven years!

There's probably more. I try to dissuade him from doing jobs like that, but apparently he used to be quite good at DIY

dh has just ordered tiles to do the bathroom. no sink, bath fitted but not yet usable, shower in bits in a box. Large hole in the wall between bathroom & toilet.
kitchen several units ripped out xmas eve 2 years ago, half the tiles off the wall... good job it doesn't stress me out

DH has taken the laminated floorboards apart now, and apparently the floor is well on the way to be fixed

DC's are high as kites, as DH has promised to build them a treehouse - even though the nearest tree is in the woodland we back onto which is owned by the Council - more and the idea and that it's now another job which will be started and never finished

[rolls eyes heavenward] emoticon

My DH exactly the same.
New bathroom not finishes,begun 2005.
Garden littered with bags of stones etc, for 3 years.
Kitchen floor not 'edged' now for...ooh,must be nearly 8 years.
I could go on.
I understand he is busy at work and likes leisure time,so why doesn't he get someone in??

You're not the only one paolosgirl.

Ive so many DIY projects here unfinished and it drives me mad. Silly little things too like door handles falling off, odd bits of skirting and stuff like that. Bathroom floor...i'll get around to it.

Trouble is, after a full day at work im just too knackered to do them.