01-12-2015, 10:59 AM
So the end of this week marks the end of the first month since myself and Doris (my other half (that I'm sure the likes of JJ and Yogi would say better)) obtained the keys to our first proper house.
I'd like to have said it's been fun but, over the last few weeks it has been more busy than fun, working to some tight deadlines over Christmas which included how long I could use the help of my brother for electrics (he's the electrician in the family so was the natural choice for updating some of the sockets and wiring) and some coursework that was due in this month.
The first week of having the house was spent preparing a battle plan for war. Neither me nor Doris like wallpaper (to me, it's more hassle to maintain than its worth whereas with paint, if I get bored I can paint over it. Simples. The initial joy of having the keys in our hands turned to business on the Tuesday, where we* decided what colour the walls should be for the living room, bedroom, her office (my office I was happy with the paint colour and intend to put up a few posters and whiteboards for research anyway) and the hallway (kitchen and bathroom were tiled and looked good). We decided what we were doing with the floors (all but the bedroom are laminate) and what we wanted upgraded sockets wise (so we could inform my brother who could get the parts at trade price for us).
My brother arrived on the Saturday and we began work the best way. Waiting for the Virgin man to come and install the broadband and Tivo box (which had, accidentally, been booked in for the Saturday morning). So we started by waiting for him to arrive so we could turn the electrics off when he'd gone.
Me and Doris started stripping the current wallpaper while Lionel (brother) started hammering and drilling and making his mess sorting the electrics out. After the wallpaper came the painting (a job Doris enjoyed because she could paint away while I stressed out over the fact I wasn't getting coursework done and was holding wires for Lionel).
By Christmas eve everything that needed painting had been painted, floorboards replaced and all electrics complete. Doris headed off to her parents for the holidays and me and Lionel returned to our parents, though I was only a brief visit.
On the 27th, I returned to the house to begin moving stuff out of the flat (approx. 1 mile away by walking through the park). With no car, and only the motorbike, it was a case of 'binbagging' everything and carrying it over to the house. Over the 2 days this took, I believe I reached a peak of 7 times questioning if I could bungee some of the bigger boxes to the back of the bike to transport...
All of this got dumped into the living room/Stig's current holiday home to keep my office clear for coursework which I then worked on until Doris returned on the 3rd. Following Doris' return, we went to choose our carpet** and kitchen appliances***. Due to the cost of the latter, it was decided 'how hard can it be' to fit my own carpet and save the expense of a carpet fitter.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
All in all, it took all of last week to get the carpet fitted, though admittedly nothing was done on the Monday or Tuesday (Monday back at work and finished late, Tuesday went off for a spot of indoor cricket). Fitted the gripper and underlay Wednesday and got tired so didn't bother with the carpet until Saturday just gone when, with the brilliant help**** of Doris, I only managed to slice my fingers with the carpet knife 4 times. Thankfully, despite some difficulties given it being my first time fitting a carpet, it hasn't gone too bad and, other than some dust from moving things back in that needs hoovering up, it looks decent. It doesn't look professionally done, but it doesn't need redoing for a while either. So I'm happy with that.
After the carpet I put the bed back up and moved some of the furniture in to make space in other rooms. Which was lucky. Because on Saturday (when I wanted to fit the carpet) I got dragged***** shopping for sofa's. We ended up with a sideboard from the first shop (don't ask me how you're supposed to sit on a glass sideboard, I have no idea!) and a very nice 3-seater, 2-seater and armchair for about £300 from a British Heart Foundation shop. In all honesty, it seems charity shops have some very good furniture round this neck of the woods for very decent prices (Dorothy House in Melksham had some lovely leather sofas (a pair) for about £100 with minimal wear).
These sofa's, Doris lovingly****** decided, could be delivered tonight between 5pm and 8pm. To a living room still full of binbags. On a day she won't get home from work till about 6ish. So guess which muggins******* ended up staying up late moving bin bags out of the living room into my office upstairs to make space for the sofa's and which muggins******* ended up then having to come to the office early so they can leave early to be in for the delivery (which, despite leaving work early and getting home for 5, won't turn up till 8)?
So, despite being a month into the house, it isn't yet a home. Still lots to do, some painting of banisters and skirting boards to do (that can't be done with the crap everywhere) and some furniture to arrive but it hasn't been too bad. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend******** watching all the stuff I've been recording on the Tivo and not doing much else.
*I got the occasional word in on the decision
**I got to agree the colour
***I got feck all say beyond 'we should have gas not electric'
****I've been paid to say it was brilliant
*****Kicking and screaming
******I think she's trying to give me a heart attack from stress
*******No prizes offered or implied. For full Ts&Cs of guessing please refer to someone who cares
********That is until a certain person decides we need to go shopping for something else that we don't have the space for, nor do we need at this moment in time.....
I'd like to have said it's been fun but, over the last few weeks it has been more busy than fun, working to some tight deadlines over Christmas which included how long I could use the help of my brother for electrics (he's the electrician in the family so was the natural choice for updating some of the sockets and wiring) and some coursework that was due in this month.
The first week of having the house was spent preparing a battle plan for war. Neither me nor Doris like wallpaper (to me, it's more hassle to maintain than its worth whereas with paint, if I get bored I can paint over it. Simples. The initial joy of having the keys in our hands turned to business on the Tuesday, where we* decided what colour the walls should be for the living room, bedroom, her office (my office I was happy with the paint colour and intend to put up a few posters and whiteboards for research anyway) and the hallway (kitchen and bathroom were tiled and looked good). We decided what we were doing with the floors (all but the bedroom are laminate) and what we wanted upgraded sockets wise (so we could inform my brother who could get the parts at trade price for us).
My brother arrived on the Saturday and we began work the best way. Waiting for the Virgin man to come and install the broadband and Tivo box (which had, accidentally, been booked in for the Saturday morning). So we started by waiting for him to arrive so we could turn the electrics off when he'd gone.
Me and Doris started stripping the current wallpaper while Lionel (brother) started hammering and drilling and making his mess sorting the electrics out. After the wallpaper came the painting (a job Doris enjoyed because she could paint away while I stressed out over the fact I wasn't getting coursework done and was holding wires for Lionel).
By Christmas eve everything that needed painting had been painted, floorboards replaced and all electrics complete. Doris headed off to her parents for the holidays and me and Lionel returned to our parents, though I was only a brief visit.
On the 27th, I returned to the house to begin moving stuff out of the flat (approx. 1 mile away by walking through the park). With no car, and only the motorbike, it was a case of 'binbagging' everything and carrying it over to the house. Over the 2 days this took, I believe I reached a peak of 7 times questioning if I could bungee some of the bigger boxes to the back of the bike to transport...
All of this got dumped into the living room/Stig's current holiday home to keep my office clear for coursework which I then worked on until Doris returned on the 3rd. Following Doris' return, we went to choose our carpet** and kitchen appliances***. Due to the cost of the latter, it was decided 'how hard can it be' to fit my own carpet and save the expense of a carpet fitter.
Ha. Ha. Ha.
All in all, it took all of last week to get the carpet fitted, though admittedly nothing was done on the Monday or Tuesday (Monday back at work and finished late, Tuesday went off for a spot of indoor cricket). Fitted the gripper and underlay Wednesday and got tired so didn't bother with the carpet until Saturday just gone when, with the brilliant help**** of Doris, I only managed to slice my fingers with the carpet knife 4 times. Thankfully, despite some difficulties given it being my first time fitting a carpet, it hasn't gone too bad and, other than some dust from moving things back in that needs hoovering up, it looks decent. It doesn't look professionally done, but it doesn't need redoing for a while either. So I'm happy with that.
After the carpet I put the bed back up and moved some of the furniture in to make space in other rooms. Which was lucky. Because on Saturday (when I wanted to fit the carpet) I got dragged***** shopping for sofa's. We ended up with a sideboard from the first shop (don't ask me how you're supposed to sit on a glass sideboard, I have no idea!) and a very nice 3-seater, 2-seater and armchair for about £300 from a British Heart Foundation shop. In all honesty, it seems charity shops have some very good furniture round this neck of the woods for very decent prices (Dorothy House in Melksham had some lovely leather sofas (a pair) for about £100 with minimal wear).
These sofa's, Doris lovingly****** decided, could be delivered tonight between 5pm and 8pm. To a living room still full of binbags. On a day she won't get home from work till about 6ish. So guess which muggins******* ended up staying up late moving bin bags out of the living room into my office upstairs to make space for the sofa's and which muggins******* ended up then having to come to the office early so they can leave early to be in for the delivery (which, despite leaving work early and getting home for 5, won't turn up till 8)?
So, despite being a month into the house, it isn't yet a home. Still lots to do, some painting of banisters and skirting boards to do (that can't be done with the crap everywhere) and some furniture to arrive but it hasn't been too bad. I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend******** watching all the stuff I've been recording on the Tivo and not doing much else.
*I got the occasional word in on the decision
**I got to agree the colour
***I got feck all say beyond 'we should have gas not electric'
****I've been paid to say it was brilliant
*****Kicking and screaming
******I think she's trying to give me a heart attack from stress
*******No prizes offered or implied. For full Ts&Cs of guessing please refer to someone who cares
********That is until a certain person decides we need to go shopping for something else that we don't have the space for, nor do we need at this moment in time.....
![[Image: Crashtestmonkeyredsmall_zpsfc1e3d39.jpg]](http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn12/Muddymonkeys/Crashtestmonkeyredsmall_zpsfc1e3d39.jpg)
Croft 2005, Cadwell 2006, Cadwell 2007
