Has anyone just given up on fixing their house?

[venys]

That's it really. Bought a non forever house three years ago which needed rewire and we also made the kitchen open plan and got new boiler. So all of this destroyed the house. It is outdated and the previous owners could have done better with the maintenance. My original builder ended up being a bit of a cowboy. I have had good people come in and fix bits here and there but if you want another job, they aren't available for some time. And it's very difficult to get anyone to even quote. I have given up chasing as I feel the tradies aren't even interested. I dunno why they come in the first place. I have young demanding children and OH won't help in getting anyone in (he does manage an hour or so here and there on DIY). The house doesn't even meet building regs and so don't see how we ever will. So I have resigned in getting anyone in really. The new bath and toilet are just going to have to sit in the back garden for years on end as per usual. Am I alone? I get really green eyed at the naice houses in the nearby areas even though I know they would have had their struggles. Not sure anyone will buy this house if we sold too. I have officially quit in property management as of today.

I think you just sound frustrated. Where in thr country are you, you could ask for some recommendations for trades people. Also sit down with your husband and make a plan of action with responsibilities.

Can you get some recommendations? Maybe if someone has a skip with a bath/toilet/sink in it then knock on the door and ask them if they are happy and ask for contact details?

I'd keep plugging away and just ignore the tradesmen who don't come back to you.

It's a bloody nightmare doing a house up with young kids. Right now im shut in the bedroom with Ds while dh does flooring downstairs

I feel your pain venys. Major renovations & family life do not mix. My ex is the DIY neighbour from hell. I so feel sorry for his new wife & kids, who currently live in a house that sounds similar to yours. He's doing it all himself in his spare time. Current hubby can't do a thing. We moved in here with intentions of getting builders in to do an extension & to get new flooring & carpeting put in throughout. Getting reliable tradesmen to even quote is like pulling teeth so we gave up. Almost 6 years down the line & we're selling on & moving to a semi new build that needs nothing doing to it! Lifes too short for building work & the kids are only little such a short time. My ex missed out on our kids (16 & 18 now) growing up & is now missing out on his new kids (4 & 7) growing up too!

I was ready to give up this morning but I’m back on it now.

Have a cry and stomp your feet and then go out and breathe. You’ll feel better for it.

Just take one job at a time - ignore all the rest.

It's no good chasing rainbows I say. The problem is this kind of sh*t has existed in other areas of our lives. Took a year to get a mortgage on a house so I told them to stuff it and sold it instead. Don't talk to me about healthcare too. So there is only so much this woman can take. I have quit a few times before but I get suckered back into it. This time it's official. Agree about losing the years of your kids lives. The sad thing was that we could have bought a done up house a couple of streets away but it was in the next property tax bracket at the time (which was changed one month after we moved in here). So best bet is make do with what we have and hope the broken things don't hurt anyone. It's a bit sad having the money to do the work and no one to do it eh?

It's frustrating. We bought a 'do up' 15 years ago but with 4 young kids and no money things just got left and as we work around each other so are have never really had many full weekends off together nothing gets done. Our kitchen is rotting, half the hall ceiling has just fallen down ( luckily not anyone !) etc. DH does his best to do some DIY but isn't particulary well himself. It has taken us 3 weeks to find a plasterer to sort but the ceiling - the first one spoke to us and arranged to come round but never turned up then never replied to our calls ( so rude). If anything needs doing one of us has to take time off work and we have no leave left for this year, we both work full time , it's a nightmare. I despair that we will ever get sorted. We now have money to put thing right but it's just the time and finding the right people to do the job. I just wish we had bought a house in better condition before having kids because once you have kids it's so hard to get anything done !

Oh you win babyroobs. That sounds horrendous. At least we got half the kitchen done and the plasterer was good doing a fair chunk of the house. Problem is he won't work for me directly and only works for 1 or 2 guvnors. And even then he doesn't turn up some days. Have had a couple of builders doing a couple of walls , and they have had to be torn down shortly afterwards as the jobs were bodge. I feel for you having to take the time off work too!! I am a SAHM so they all think they can turn up any old time!! There is always the "accidental fire"?