Reassuring words from those that have been there (long, sorry)

[LittleMilla]

I have posted on here before but feel the need to have a slight download as lots is worrying me about the house we have just bought. I suppose I just wnat words of encouragement from people that have been there and come out the other side - thanlks to Oreo who has already answered my inane qus.

So we got keys a week ago and thus far we have discovered:

Penetrating damp in DS's room (this is caused by sh*t guttering which is being fixed tomorrow)
Dodgy electrics - whole house needs rewiring, which we can't afford so just trying to do the minimum for now. Sockets need moving out of skirting boards etc. Guy that was supposed to do it on Sunday started but didn't finish as it's such a mess and new guy came today (at double the cost) to say house is unsafe.
Dry rot in sitting room - this has been ripped out and fixed
Penetrating damp in front bay winding, again caused by shit guttering that's being fixed tomorrow. Also because the air vent in bay has been covered up so that needs reinstating

None of the above was picked up on survey. But I think that the monumental amounts of rain have contributed to damp issues.

In addition to the above we have been trying to decorate sitting room and our bedroom. But with brown and blue paint on woodwork it's taking forever. DS's room will need to be reskimmed as plaster is so shit (this is once walls are dry). We've also had two rooms replastered on the ceiling.

I have got to move in on Thursday and feeling about the whole scale of what we've taken on - had hoped to put DS in his room but this won't be possible for a while yet. I have a 14 mo DS and DH works in London during the week, I also work PT and just feeling completely overwhelmed about what needs to be done beofre we can even move in. And it's the 3rd of July and DH's wages are almost gone (my job isn't paying yet - family business, long story!).

This is our first home and I feel so bloody stupid for not appreciating the scale of the project. We had thought it'd be some redocration before taking on the big job of knocking through kitchen/diner and plopping on extension. Set aside c.£30k for that (we're borrowing most of this from DH's father). But we've already dropped c.£2.5k in the last week getting shit fixed.

You will love your house soon, and everything will be sorted eventually. You may need to draw on the family loan sooner rather than later, and it may not be for the extension just yet. Having a cushion of savings makes the tasks ahead of you slightly less scary.

Owning a home is an expensive privilege, whereas all these stupid telly programmes and bankers have tricked us into thinking it's meant to be an investment.

Hi, been in a similar situation as you, 18 months later and the major jobs are done although still a lot of decorating and finishing to do. At times I have been worried and you get frustrated, but I can honestly say to you it will be worth it. Just take it easy you will be there a long time after all.

Ours wasn't as large scale, but we got the keys when I was 8mo pregnant after a long, protracted push to get the vendor to sort herself out to exchange/complete. When we got in we found woodworm in floorboards, stripped wallpaper to find the plaster crumbling off back to the brick and just the general cleanliness was rubbish and once you could actually see the decor (had been very crowded) it was obvious how shoddy it all was. We had 3 weeks to be out of our rental property so a little leeway. It all got sorted due to help and support from friends, finding a few great workmen and so on. IMO it is worth pushing yourself like crazy to get as much done as possible before moving in - after it is just so much harder to not just live with it because big changes are so much hassle. 3 yrs on, we are only just finishing the work we wanted!

I would consider claiming against the surveyors. They should have noted the damp and guttering etc. Our surveyors agreed (very quickly) to cover the entire cost of replacing the woodwormy floorboards, a joist, most of the understairs cupboard structure.

To clarify - three years on we are only just finishing the work we WANTED to do as opposed to the work that HAD to be done fast.

Thank you.

Really awkward because the surveyor is a mate. I feel utterly pissed off that he seemed to miss quite a few big things, but I am going to ask DH to have a word once we have a finally tally of costs. We still paid him £500 to do the survey and it's going to cost at least that to fix everything.

We too have a brilliant workman who I am loving more every day (apart from his shyte leccy mate who didn't finish job as promised on Sunday [grrr] and left us without any lights upstairs which means we're having to pay a top whack bloke to get it sorted ASAP).

Hopefully by Thursday the sitting room will be completely decorated and we'll just need to have windows refurbed so they can be opened (all nailed shut and sash cords ripped out) and buy carpet.

Also, our bedroom will be decorated and we'll just need again to sort windows and buy carpet. Then we're aiming to get DS's room done in the next couple of weeks once damp walls have dried out and our chappy has reskimmed the walls. Oh, and that needs a whole new sash window cause it was butchered so badly by vendor.

Any other tips on what I should aim to get sorted before we start moving stuff in??

Gentleness we'd hoped for 3/4 weeks but then only got 1.5 weeks after our bitch of a vendor twatted around. I think if I were to see her now I would go ape shit. Not only did she delay completion (so she could move in to her personally specced new build) but she refused to budge a penny on the relatively minor things that our surveyor did pick up .

Don't worry too much. We had almost exactly this when we moved into ours, electrics and all! Fifteen years later we are still here and it is a gorgeous home.

Chin up chuck! Its all fun and games isn't it? I promise you one thing, its bloody awful all the way through, but the very second you get this house finished you will be itching to get going again .

For future reference, you do not want to use a mate for anything. I have also learned this the hard way, but no one is going to do as good a job on the cheap as they do for full price to customers who have a legal comwback.

So, damp is being addresses. Have you had the heating on? You want to keep the house at 15 deg for the best drying conditions. the current humidity levels and rain will be hampering it a bit. Might be worth hiring a dehumidifier to hurry things along.

I can't remember where you are, if you are any where in north east and need recomendations for trades PM me.

I would get the boiler serviced/checked by a plumber before you move in. It sounds like a real bodger has been at work and I would want to know that is safe before moving your DS in. Get the electrics up to spec.

I would make the windows a prioroty too. Not before you move in obviously there is not time, but your house is suffering from a lack of ventiation and you need to get those windows open, especially when you are living there.

I think you may well have to borrow some of that extension money now as thisoldgirl said, to get the house 'working', and then worry about the extension later.

Other than that, have a good clean and try to keep calm!

It is worth it. You are bringing a home back to life and putting a bit of you and your family into it forever. That is a special house.

And untill that happy day there is always gin .

'scuse the typos. I give up!

Thank you Oreo. I know I keep on saying it, but it's just all so overwhelming right now. And whilst I am trying to be steely with the workmen, I feel like I WAAAY out of my depth. Bloody DH wokring away all fecking week (I love him really, honest).

Boiler is OK according to plumber that came to sort out all of the messy pipes. He said that the finish was dire, but technically all sound. Phew. Just the electrics that are the biggest headache, and most scary!

Guttering bloke has just called and I used all of my charm (not much left) to get him down from £240 to £200 for tomorrow. It's a two man job for 3/4 of a day so i'm feeling good(ish). I've also text leccy to ask for three prices: bare essentials, new circuit board and partial rewire, full rewire and future proofing.

Buy lots of biscuits/tea/coffee/sugar and feed the trades when they are there - goodwill and a cuppa will work to make everyone feel happier. As Oreocrumbs said - thing bigger picture- you are building for the future - you may have had to start a little bit further back than you thought but it is a home for you all. It will be worth it.

Ask the electrician about an insurance scheme thingy (too late in the day to formulate thoughts properly). I took one out, it cost £125 for a 2 bed house and it covers all of the work that that electrician did (full rewire in my case but I've got one on partial works from him in the past on other properties) for 10 years. Well worth it in my opinion.

Most definitly look after your tradesmen, tea and biscuits and I always offer to get them a burger or something for their lunch. They usually say no but they always appreciate the gesture!

Also take a break (when you get time!) and go window shopping, have a look at the pretty things you will buy when the toil is over. I always find that helps to reignite a bit of passion for a house that turns from a fairytale dream to the dirty, hard work, draining project.

You have made great in roads already so feel proud of what you have achieved! Every step forward is a step closer to the end.

And you have my full sympathy for being left holding the baby and the house. I also love my DP, but really sometimes I could have merrily throttled him in the past 6 months .

Can I join you for a bit of mutual support? We've been in three months and the to-do list gets longer and longer as botched jobs and lack of maintenance are gradually making themselves known
However, we will get there. We will expunge the previous owners from this place and make it both safe & fabulous. The community here is wonderful and helps us keep perspective. There were also things that our surveyor didn't pick up on, but won't cost a great deal to fix, so we're just getting on with it. I think most houses need stuff doing. That's what I tell myself, anyway! (Third house, and always had to put stuff right. Sigh)

A long shot regarding the electrics - our surveyor failed to mention that the electrics were downright dangerous and when we got MEB as they were then (almost 20 years ago) to come and look and they condemned them as they earth was a piece of wire dangling down by the back door, fixed to a metal clip in the concrete, they said there were funds available to make it safe.

I have no idea whether this is an option although TBH with privatisation etc I doubt it, but it may be worth asking your local council building person to come and have a look at them and advise if there is any financial help available.

It's incredibly daunting and overwhelming but you will be so proud of yourself once it's done, YOU CAN DO IT!

Thank you very much for positive words and practical advice. I must keep on saying that this will be our family house. I too love the area mylovelymonster and so must keep on focusing on the positives.

Got removal chaps coming at 8am tomorrow to get us out of this place.

My mum has just called to say that she's taking tomorrow off work to come and help. She lives two hours away...what a saint (also spent last weekend here helping to strip paint).

Must remember to be this nice to my children when I'm older!!

You see!!! It's already bringing you all closer together
You need to maintain focus on the good points about your new home. All the crap stuff can be resolved - and it will be a PITA and an expensive one at that, but once it's done your outgoings will reduce and you will have a great home that is yours, and you will be able to relax once more.
I have felt physically sick when I've stumbled across the next thing that's wrong, and then the next........but once it's done it will be so amazing. It makes me feel better looking at brochures and paint/wallpaper charts and planning.
It's such a huge thing, buying a house - the biggest financial commitment - and finding lurking defects that are going to cost £££ is a huge blow. You just need to take a deep breath and tackle it head on. Once it's done, it's done.
Lots of luck x

I think I meant !

Thank you very much. We're now in and already it all seems better. Discovering some horrid things, but removed the giant hallway curtain earlier and set free the most incredible stained glass.

Feeling far more positive and we now just want to get plans drawn up for the back.

Thanks again x

Hi Milla we were on the exchanging soon thread, I'm sorry you are having a load of trouble with your new house but it sounds as though you have it in hand and all the problems are fixable.

We've been in our new place just over a week now and had ups and downs and the odd 'oh my god what have we done' wobble. The vendors left this place in a right old mess so i spent the best part of the first week cleaning, spending a fortune on cleaning products and cleaning some more!

Now I've cleaned up all their rubbish - lollipop sticks in radiators?! Two inch of dog hair on bedroom carpet, mould on all bathroom surfaces! - we're discovering all kinds of laziness and poor maintenance....DP literally spent an entire day going round all the rooms with a screw driver, a bag of spare parts and a spanner tightening things, swopping stuff over and sorting stuff out...it's miserable but we're getting there!

I'd concentrate on what a fabulous place it will be when it's all done and all as a result of your hard work!

Thanks Jcee. We had friends over on Sat night for some drinks and pizza (seemed like a good idea on Friday!) and it was a real boost to have all of them oooohing and ahhhing about the house. Unless they were all being super poilite, they all commented on how huge it is and how much potential it has etc. And were extra complimentary about the two rooms we have decorated. Which is always nice to hear .

Got a second electrician coming over tonight to give a quote on a partial rewire and replacing circuit board etc.

Slightly worrying is that DS's room was replastered on Sat and the damp wall, whcih we thought guttering fix would solve, is still very wet looking. Hoping and praying fr not too much rain this week so that wall dries out.