Major cock up and it feels like the final straw

[CreamyTea]

Miscommunication with builder over some aluminium sliding doors. He measured, I ordered and it turns out they’re too big. This was communicated verbally so he won’t take responsibility. I’ve asked the manufacturer if they can adjust but I doubt it plus it will obviously cost more money.

My options are to try and sell them at a loss (if I can sell them) or he can fit them by removing the step but the floor height will be higher than the door. There are nice enough French doors there already that I could just leave in place but my main reason to have them replaced was to improve access to the tiny courtyard, freeing up much needed space. I could buy cheaper upvc ones but it’s still more money and I would have preferred aluminium.

£2k down the drain and it just feels like the final straw as I’m stressed out with every other area of my life on top.

I’m just so done with this renovation. Too much stress trying to organise trades, make decisions, dealing with the cowboys and the scammers. Sick of the dust, the mess and my budget is rapidly dwindling so I couldn’t afford to lose this much on top of other money I’ve steady wasted. And then the frequency of things going wrong. And it just goes on and on and on. The house is too big and needs too much doing. Too much for just one person.

What do you do when you’re stuck with a house that wouldn’t sell and a renovation that is breaking you?

I empathise. We live in a house we wouldn't have chosen, in a town we wouldn't have chosen, for a job I no longer have. I had been under pressure to move, so we found an acceptable house that had potential, and then the buggers made me redundant 5 months after we moved.

I have done refurbs before, but my back isn't what it used to be, and I can't do as much of the work myself anymore. We cannot find reliable builders, and when we have found some that look good and turn up, their work has been sub-optimal. It has been a never ending project where every two steps forward seems to bring something that puts us back a step and a half.

It is such a pain in your position, but unfortunately, I think your only option is to try and sell the doors you have and get ones ordered that are the correct size. It is pointless to try and squeeze them in as they will never be right. Get the builder to measure and order them though (I don't want to rub salt in).

We have been at ours seven years now, and there is still loads to do (not including redoing the two bathrooms that were done so badly that they need renewing a couple of years on 🤦‍♂️).

I just wanted you to know you are not alone. I just take the attitude that everything pushes us forward to some degree, some things more than others.

@CreamyTea , I could have written your post (aside from the aluminium doors detail). I completely understand how overwhelmed you must feel.

My renovation has taken more than a year as the first builders disappeared (with a large chunk of my savings), and even with good builders, the stress levels are off the scale. Coordinating deliveries is the worst aspect for me. On top of that I have been trying to sell my current home for more than a year, and it looks like the third attempt is also going to fail. The money side is scary.

I try to cope by writing down each problem and planning out what I will do about it. If all else fails, I will sell up both properties and move to a cheaper area where I can recoup some of my losses.

As regards the doors issue... if they are sliding or open outwards, then the height might not be an issue. It may be something you can live with, or if not, then selling the new doors and keeping the old ones may be the cheapest option.

You're unlikely to get much back for them selling them on. But you can try. Or the door company might give you something and sell them at a discount.

Could you hinge the existing French doors to open in, if you want more space outside?