About to start a 6-month extension build...

[AppropriateAdult]

... and moving in with the in-laws for the duration. Come join me on this wild ride!

@newtoitalldammit I have no idea what would happen if it is a fake certificate. Sorry.

We’re having a mare today as well. Had new fibre broadband installed this morning, inside is all good and the internet is working fine, but they have damaged the outside of our property in multiple places and our electrician is not at all happy with their cable management.

Not only is the wire run in a ridiculous way, apparently, the first time we get snow on the roof we’ll lose connection. The first lot of fitters had an argument with another fitter that turned up about the best place for the cable to be attached to, I went indoors and when I came out after they left discovered they have installed hooks in two places, including drilling through our new external render, but then not using that hook. The place they finally installed it has resulted in them cable clipping a black wire right down the front of our pale cream render, when it could easily have just run down the side, then leaving it to drape across a gutter and round the corner.

They installed the external box, then realised they didn’t have enough cable for it to work in that position, so moved it, leaving four drill holes in my brickwork, which they said they would fill, but didn’t.

They shattered a total of four bricks where they drilled into the side of the house for the attachment to the router, leaving them at risk of water ingress.

Finally, they left their packaging/litter on the driver under the installation and liberally scattered cable clip pins all up the side of the house and just left them there.

Oh and the second fitter that turned up insisted on cutting back the plants around the front of the bay window for ladder access, then cut down a mature Buddleja and just slung it across my drive, despite not actually using the hook he insisted needed to be installed via said ladder! 😡

Bloody hell @Driverpicksthemusic that's terrible I'd be documenting all that in a detailed complaint!

@drowninginsick I complained by phone immediately and was told someone would call me back to sort it all out. No-one called, so dh called again today, as on top of everything else, we’re not getting anywhere near the speed we are paying for. Again, promised a call back, yet again, that didn’t happen. We were told customer service will call Monday morning re the install issues, as they don’t work weekends!

It’s a relatively small provider, but they have an excellent reputation, so
I have no idea why it all seems to be going so badly wrong for us.

@Driverpicksthemusic oh no that's terrible- I hope they rectify everything.

We are moving out our rental tomorrow- our house isn't quite ready for us yet, it's annoyingly close but we cannot move back for another week or so... so couch hopping for a week and a bit between friends and family... will see how that goes!

@pashmina696 good luck with the couch hopping.

Dh, dd and I are back in, but very much camping and without fridge/freezer, cooker or washing machine. Still being assured all internal work will be complete by the end of the week, but who knows!

Moving back in was complicated when we were just about to do our final run to pick up the last few bits from PIL’s when my eldest called to say he had been told to go to urgent care, but it was the other side of the city and he couldn’t get there, so I had to drop everything and take him. Dh did another run in his car, but has left all my clothes bar my pjs and underwear at his parent’s house! He and dd are sorted, but I only have the clothes I was wearing yesterday plus clean undies!

@pashmina696 how is it going? Can you move back in soon?

Well, as predicted, all internal work hasn’t been completed, but we are very close.

My builders are away for a few days now though, so I can really get stuck into cleaning. It has been tough camping amid the dust, but this evening I have been able to start setting up the kitchen, which is very close to being finished. Just a couple of bits of woodwork, the dishwasher door and most of the handles to go on. I am really pleased with how it has turned out,

The bathroom and shower room are also nearly done, bar some boxing in, which has been held up by a couple of persistent leaks. Our bedroom still has a few bits to be finished too, but everywhere else is pretty much done.

Next step is painting and carpeting everywhere.

@Driverpicksthemusic my boiler is being connected to the gas today so I am hoping it will be working today as that's one thing preventing us moving back! Also I am
Not sure if I have a fully working bathroom yet so hopefully he will get one on today. Then cleaning the bathroom will be my first priority when I move back as they are so dusty!!! We still have a lot to do downstairs but I am hoping to live through that bit!!

Good luck with the cleaning!! Sounds like you will be completely finished soon!!

@Driverpicksthemusic how has the cleaning gone?? I am starting it today in my bathroom and en suite and kitchen - heating went on yesterday so we are moving in today - still loads going on but everything moving in right direction. Have got so much to do to unpack and clean but very happy to move home!!!

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to get all my cleaning done, as my Dad was rushed into hospital some distance away last weekend and I’ve been spending 8-9 hours a day there with Mum. I had one day when another of my siblings went instead of me and I spent that scrubbing everywhere I could. The dust is still settling, but it’s a lot better than it was.

I bought multiple mop heads, plus vileda moccio mop heads go in the washing machine, so I’m rotating them to remove as much dust as possible from floors.

Still waiting for a fitting date for our remaining carpets, which is frustrating, because I can’t order the beds for our eldest and middle dc until I know when they can actually go in their rooms.

Our builder is back from holiday today, but only doing a half day today and tomorrow. Then next week is mostly outdoors, the tiny bit of landscaping we agreed, plus cleaning up the mess that used to be our garden. Just a bit of boxing in and few other bits of carpentry to be done indoors now and we’re working on a snagging list.

@pashmina696 sorry, forgot to @ you so you knew I’d replied.

So pleased to hear you are moving home. I’ve found ‘camping’ in the house tough going at times, as there’s nowhere really comfortable, but am still really happy to be home. Now I can’t wait for my other two dc to come home, so we can be a family again

Sorry to hear about your father, I have found managing everything else that is happening in life is harder as I have had so much to do with the renovation... but sometimes i have just dropped it as being with family is more important especially in these circumstances. unpacking will take some time and I am hoping to get a good clean everywhere I can today and tomorrow before my builders are back on Monday. I have not got a washing machine at the moment so will see what they can rig up for me next week as I have got a washable new mop head!! I had bagged up all the sofa cushions so we made it up last night and so we can now sit and relax and I also cleared the kitchen table and cleaned that so it's almost usable- just surrounded in boxes! @Driverpicksthemusic hope you have a good weekend and your father is doing well.

@Driverpicksthemusic and everyone else?? How is it going if you're still in this? We have been back in a week and it's not ready so it's a bit of a nightmare to live in... but I have stairs and a front door now... hall, lounge, utility and downstairs w/c is being tiled next week and then my utility room and downstairs w/c can be fitted - then hopefully doors, Skirting boards and decoration!

@pashmina696 We’re stil camping in dc2’s room. It’s tough going isn’t it and we don’t have young dc like you do, which must be so much harder.

Our carpets have been delayed arriving in store, so that’s held up the fitting, which has had the knock on effect of us having to delay delivery of the dc’s new beds and getting our furniture and belongings out of storage. Older dc need to be home in just over a week, so that’s all getting very stressful.

Dad is still in hospital, but has been transferred closer to home. He was misdiagnosed initially and has improved a lot since they got him on the right treatment, but still has a long way to go. I have been in bed all week after the stress of all that brought on a massive relapse of my health issues, so we still have lots of cleaning to do, but I did manage a bit yesterday and the dust is gradually reducing. We got hold of an old numatic vacuum (Henry type) that we have uprated with hepa bags and filters, plus new hoses and accessories and that’s made a big difference.

Building control are due for sign off early this week and our builder thinks he will be completely done by Thursday. I’m reserving judgement, as there are such lot of jobs left, plus a multitude of snagging issues. We discovered another leak this week (our third!) which was frustrating, but thankfully didn’t cause any damage.

The cost of items like curtain rails/poles, curtains/blinds, loo roll holders, bathroom bins and other items has been a bit of a shock and really adds up. Everything is so much more expensive than it used to be, even things like light bulbs are extortionate and we are watching every penny at this point.

My head can’t seem to accept all the usual November pre-Christmas advertising that’s going on, I think because I thought we would have been settled back in months before Christmas! So now I am trying to focus on the Christmas holiday as realistically when we will all be properly, fully settled back in. We need to be so we can host my parents. So that will be nine months from the start of our 12 week build! 😂

@pashmina696 how’s it going? Are you starting to reclaim your home a little bit?

We have been signed off by building control, so that’s a good step, but the ‘we will finally be off site’ date has been moved yet again to the middle of next week.

The garden is absolutely trashed, they’ve been moving the massive mound of soil left over from the foundation excavations today and we now have half a garden of red clay mud that is like a small hill, significantly higher than the rest of the lawn! All we can think to do is peg weed membrane over it until we can do something about it in the spring to stop it being tracked in all winter. I am so upset about it and they are making no sense trying to tell us the ground level was always going to be that high - er, no it wasn’t, it should be the same level it has always been!

Ds1’s carpet went down today, our bedroom is being done on Monday and the living room, stairs and landing on Friday 22nd. Far from ideal, as we need the dc home before the 21st and dh is working away next week, but ds1 is just going to have to cope with the living room and stairs not being carpeted for a couple of days. I keep noticing things I need to sort before he comes home to avoid triggering his OCD, it’s an ever growing list and I have no idea how I’m going to get it all done!

Dad is doing a lot better and hoping to be discharged either tomorrow or Friday, but still has a long way to go with rehab/recuperation.

@Driverpicksthemusic I am a little off building control sign off, my builders are working on downstairs now and we have a huge area to tile before much else can be done... other than my spare room upstairs is ours and there is only some small snagging to be done, there is a good 3 weeks work yet before building control will sign off at this rate I might be lucky to get some normality by Christmas downstairs! I unpacked my DIY kitchens utility room today and found 2 damaged doors so they owe me 5 doors at the moment! But as we can't install it yet anyway hopefully they will be here by the time it gets installed... I have 2 carpets still to be fitted as well. Best of luck getting your house to normal - it's best to forget about the garden, ours haven't used our garden at all but my driveway is going to need a significant jet wash when they finally get rid of everything!!

@Driverpicksthemusic can they get in with a grab waggon, even over the hedge and remove the clay? I would be tempted to get them to shift it while they are around if they still are. Our garden is also trashed but I was a right PIA about making sure they removed the excess rubble etc before final payments were made.

@CountryCob their original plan was to get a skip in to remove it, but dh suggested they use it to level the lawn. I told him not to suggest it, as it was bound to go horribly wrong and as predicted, it did!

The top half of the garden is ok, but we have a full-width, 8 metre stretch of raised clay between our new extension and there. It looks horrendous. Obviously grass seed or turf aren’t possible at this time of year (we should have been at this point in August) so we’re going to have to live with it, because dh was complicit in deciding not to remove it. I have no idea what he was thinking. I’m so mad at him!

They finished clearing all their bits and pieces, any left over rubble and other materials today. I should have been so pleased it has all gone, but all I can see is mud.

We have a friend who has access to a mini digger, so we might have to just do the weed membrane then get them over when they are free to get rid of some and level out what’s left.

The drive isn’t too bad, as credit where it’s due they have kept it pretty clean because we stressed how important it was not to upset our neighbour. The only slight issue is that, as the border was effectively fenced in by skips and building materials for a prolonged period, a lot of sycamore trees and weeds have taken hold, so we’re going to have to get out there and tidy it up as soon as we’re done with the interior.

At least the nights are drawing in, so there are less daylight hours to have to look at it all! 😂😫

@pashmina696 Here’s to getting things sorted before Christmas.

We had a few damages with our DIY kitchens doors, but they were very good about replacing them and the replacements came pretty quickly.

💯!!!

Yes I had 6 doors not meet quality control, then had 2 doors arrive, just unpacked the 2 that were delivered and they are damaged! So awaiting about 6...! They are apparently in manufacturing now.

@pashmina696 We’re all home! First time my whole family has been under one roof since May!

Builders finished inside today, well technically they have one job left, but it’s being done off-site then delivered. They also have couple of external jobs to finish up, but those will be done in just over a week’s time, so we are builder-less for a while and can relax a bit.

Just waiting for the living room and stairs carpets to be fitted this Friday, then we start to settle back in properly. There’s still a lot of decorating to do, but we have decided to take a break for a couple of weeks, as we desperately need some down time. I would really like to have a lovely cosy living room by Christmas though.

Ds1 was so anxious about coming home, having got used to his new routine with my parents, but thankfully he loves his upgraded bedroom and is really impressed with everything else. I suspect he will hide in his room until the living room is set up and looks a little less rough around the edges, but it is lovely to have him and dc2 back home with us.

On a slightly less cheerful note, I have done something horrible to my back shifting furniture, which means I am neither use nor ornament right now. 🙄 Hoping a couple of days rest will sort it out.

Hope things are moving along quickly for you too.

@Driverpicksthemusic that's great news you are home and almost builder less- you have to enjoy your enforced rest at least - hope you feel better soon!

My downstairs is being tiled it's a big area but the main new lounge should be pretty much done by tomorrow, then they will get the utility room done next and that can be put in first part of next week - after the utility and downstairs loo are in we are pretty much done! So not long - I really like my builders though I will miss them!