Hello ladies. Have struggled to find time to catch up since getting back, but been awake (just me) since 5:50, so figured I may as well make use of the time now.
Can I start with a rant about builders please?
Firstly the one that was doing our utility room now refuses to come back and finish off his shoddy job, despite the fact that when it rains one of the internal walls gets wet, because there's something wrong with his roofing (flashing?). Wish we hadn't paid him. In fact I wish we'd never asked him to do it in the first place, and waited for the building works this summer.
Secondly, the building works this summer. We are supposed to have a 'pre-contract meeting' on Monday, and sign all the papers, and the builder is then lined up to start work later this week. We finally got the actual quotes through yesterday, and the cost has doubled from their initial estimate, despite us not changing anything except making the conservatory an aluminium frame, which they said at the time would add about £5k. We are . It means we can't/won't afford to do all the work (don't want mortgage levels back up to where they were 5 or 6 years ago, with me no longer working), and we just don't understand why the costs have soared, especially given that the conservatory has actual shrunk in size!
So, for those in the know about our house, we can either not do the loft conversion (meant to be new decent sized bedroom for dd - if we don't do it then v little room for guests to stay, and we do have lots of guests), which will save us around £60k.
Or we can not build the conservatory, but still demolish the rose arbour/raised flower bed and put the cafe style doors on the back of the living room with a nice patio behind it, which will prob save about £40k. This would mean no dedicated play room / cross trainer room / extra sitting area. Dh says we'd put the cross trainer in the 'library' upstairs, and have to move the bed from there to be either dd's new bed (handy that there's the spare underneath for when she has friends to stay, but not as handy as the cabin bed with lots of storage under that I was hoping to get) or the seating in the existing conservatory (is day bed style, so not a prob in that respect). We'd then make the existing conservatory more of a sitting/play area, so we wouldn't be able to eat in there (currently do for almost every meal) and would have to use the dining room for all meals (with no tv for dd ). We would poss then redecorate the dining room in lighter colours (but leaving floor and huge table, except the addition of a big plastic cloth to protect poshish table).
Or the third option, which we think would prob save only around £20k (thus making the whole project still way more than we'd anticipated) is to not change the existing conservatory, which is meant to be getting a more modern frame, a solid roof, a gable end, gaining about a foot (to level it up with living/utility rooms) and cafe style doors. If we don't do this then maintaining the existing conservatory will cost more going forwards (but not masses more) and we will really need to buy new conservatory blinds, which could set us back a few grand in themselves.
So, if you've managed to read all that, what would you do?
The driveway/patio resurfacing and fencing round the front are non-negotiable, as they really need doing.
We think we know which way we are inclined to go at the moment, but have changed our minds several times over the last day!
Right, on to other things. Would someone like to tell me why dd screamed for 2 hours in the night, after going to bed absolutely knackered at 7:15 and then waking nearly 3 hours later? Poor dh - if he went to see her or tried to comfort her whilst she was in with us, she would hit him, scream that she didn't want him and tell him to go away, and yet they'd got on so well on holiday . We finally opted for nurofen, an extra feed (she was asking for this, but this alone only settled her for a few mins), and lots of cuddles and calm talking. I'm guessing teeth, but only because I can't think of anything else!
How is cystitis now mrm? I do hope it's getting better.
Ysy for bargains at jumble sale and results from school fayre.
And yay for scan, but for not being as pregnant as you thought EPPM. Hope you're having a lovely holiday and that you 'catch up' at repeat scan.