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Original poster

Come and talk to me about what is GREAT about doing up a house - note...no whingers :-)

28 replies

ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 19:08

Ok, so I've just searched the archives about moving house with children and come across a few threads about doing up a house. Holy Crap, we're just about to move into a house that will need a bit extension out the back, new heating, re-wiring and new windows. Now I'm a bit scared! I've had a loft conversion and an extension done on my previous house so I'm well aware of the lack of privacy/dust/cold etc but after reading a couple of those threads....YARGH!
Please come and talk to me about the positive sides

OP posts:
Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 19:09

I meant a big extension not a bit extension.

OP posts:
PestoMonster · 10/08/2009 19:09

You get lovely builders to ogle bake for every day

DottyDot · 10/08/2009 19:18

We bought a wreck of a house and lived with my Mum for a few months while we knocked down walls, knocked out chimney breasts, the whole house was down to bricks and floorboards.

The thing I loved the most was that we got to see every bit of the house - I feel like we touched and saw every inch and it felt great.

Also the transformation was brilliant - even on a very small budget we managed to make it look amazing. We had a builder for the building-y stuff and plumber, but did all the decorating and painting ourselves to a ridiculously tight timeframe - the builder said we'd never do it and we ended up painting for about 18 hours a day but it was worth it.

I feel like this house really is our home and never want to move - in fact am planning our loft conversion and extension as the next step!

trixymalixy · 10/08/2009 19:18

Erm, sorry the only good bit is when it's all finished!!

Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 19:20

Pesto, Dotty - put your feet up, I'll get the kettle on

Trixy - I'll get your coat for you...

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InTheseFetchingQuidditchRobes · 10/08/2009 19:38

I've just had my kitchen done and had a lovely builder to flirt chat with, who was clever and funny as well as rather attractive a real craftsman.

And now kitchen looks fabulous and I wafted around in my pjs feeling ethereal and Livingetc-y this morning drinking kenco filter coffee.

I would do it

Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 19:48

That's great! I have so many ideas for the house. I'm a seriously frustrated arty sort (two youngish children, part time job and not much spare time) so I'm really, really, really excited about all the choosing kitchen, floors, tiles, picking colours etc (none of which need choosing yet ) I love House Beautiful and BBC Good Homes (Home and Gardens etc just TOO posh!)

BUT I do know it will be hellish for ages too. I'm really private so having builders stomping around is a nightmare (large extension will be off the back of the house and I'm going to try and get the builder to do as much as humanly possible before breaking through to the house but when they do they will be basically taking the WHOLE of the back off, up and downstairs!)

It's good to hear it will all be worth it

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noddyholder · 10/08/2009 19:52

It is great to s the house transform and come to life.Even the smallest thing gts you excited and the whole thing is your own design.I am on house 10 so can't be too bad.I l;ove it!

noddyholder · 10/08/2009 19:52

Sorry the e on my keyboard is sticky

sunburntats · 10/08/2009 19:55

We did it.
pulled bits of wallpaper off the wall and chunks of plaster came off with the wallpaper.
we had to re plaster top to bottom, ceilings and walls.
We built an extension ont he whole back of the house...me and dh dug the foundations ourselves.
We had a loft conversion and conservatory built.
New kitchen, new bathroom, had no loo for a week, had to go to Morrisons when i needed a wee.

I now wander through our gorgeous house, and cant believe that it is ours. I know every inch of it, i love every inch of it.
It IS a living hell when you are doing it, it is well worth it though.

RedLollyYellowLolly · 10/08/2009 19:56

You're not paying over the odds for somebody else's "finished" decor - that once they've moved furniture out will still look pretty tired and in need of repainting, new carpets etc.

You HAVE to redecorate, nobody can persuade you that you can live with that awful purple and pink spotted wallpaper for the next few years "because it's perfectly good really".

When you've finished you've got exactly what you want, it's yours, you did it....

DottyDot · 10/08/2009 20:15

and it's amazing what you can do on so little - we had £14k for the whole house and with that did all the structural work, new bathroom, new kitchen, all painting and decorating. It was so exciting to choose the kitchen and bathroom and colours and stuff. I think it's a lot of the reason of why I'm ready to do more on it - would have done it at the time but we ran out of money!

Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 20:53

AWWWwwwww! I'm feeling the slightly insane, that's paint in my hair not dandruff love The key phrase in this discussion seems to be 'it's worth it'. I have a very good friend who lives nearby, she may be getting the pleasure of my company alot more the next few months!

OP posts:
trixymalixy · 10/08/2009 21:03

Thanks Adriedfrog .

I'm currently 41 weeks pregnant and mid renovation so probably not the best person to answer your post!!

Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 21:08

41 weeks pregnant?!

OOoooooooooooh you poor thing, I'm surprised you were so mild! I was pg during our extension, I remember crying to dh 'I just don't want to go home' Good Luck!

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PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 10/08/2009 21:09

The end.

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 10/08/2009 21:09

(trixy - you still not had your baby yet get on with it luv! )

Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 21:15

Pavlov - I saw a thread of yours (not sure if recent or not) about a teeny room and a staircase that needed moving, you seemed slightly unhinged a bit stressed! I may have to ban you from this thread

OP posts:
PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 10/08/2009 21:24

Recent recently as in a couple of hours ago recently!

I shall not winge I promise!

Original poster
ADriedFrogForTheBursar · 10/08/2009 21:26

LOL! I've been obsessively reading property threads recently. So what are you going to do?!

OP posts:
missmuddle · 10/08/2009 21:26

after 10 years finishing it

trixymalixy · 10/08/2009 21:45

Pavlov, contractions are every 10 mins so hopefully this baby will be coming out today!

I've read a couple of your threads, sounds like you're having a total nightmare, hope you get it sorted out .

CybilLiberty · 10/08/2009 21:48

We bought our house despite the egg yolk yellow painted radiators, raspberry pink skirtings and a kitchen that could grace The Antiques Roadshow.

And several years , a loft conversion, mucho decorating, a kitchen diner extension , putting in bathrooms and utility,and moving of a staircase we have just about the house we want. It was sooo worth the hassle.

And I did miss our builders, they were so handy for all the other little jobs life throws at you. I miss the harmless flirting too.

Guadalupe · 10/08/2009 21:57

we've been renovating for seven months though admittedly not living in it and it has been FUN. Hard at points but everything that could need doing needed doing and the house really feels like ours now.

There was dry rot, damp, dodgy electric, dodgy plumbing, walls needed to come down/get moved/steels put in/doorways blocked up, roof was bad, and so on and on.

Dh said yesterday maybe we should sell it and live in the country instead. Er, no thanks, not after all that effort.

PavlovtheForgetfulCat · 10/08/2009 21:59

What am I going to do? I shall not say on such a positive thread

trixy wooot! Good luck!