Plumbing dramas but kitchen finally finished

Today we had two tradespeople at the house to 'finish off' some jobs. First, the plumber came to fit the sink to the newly delivered vanity unit. However....we found that the mixer set had a bolt missing so he couldn't do it. We called the manufacturer (Dorf) who said it was a known issue and they would sent a fitter out with the part to fit it. So our plumber fixed the pipework ready for the bowl and taps sometime next week (?). He also came with the extensions to fit the bath taps and to replace the shower taps to match. I have to say I'm not happy though as he used these 'metal spacers' behind the shower taps and the bath spout which look disgusting. Also the shower is now dripping so we still need to get him back!

Next the handyman came and fitted handles to three doors, shelf and towel rail in the bathroom and a blind in the kitchen. So the latter is now complete, as a few weeks ago we had the dishwasher panel fitted and the missing handles on cupboards, as well as the vanity attached to the bathroom wall.

bathroom and shutters

Well we are getting closer to finishing the bathroom. Last week the shower screen was installed. We think we made a mistake going for the frameless. The glass is really thick and we made it too big. It's a narrow entrance now into the bathroom and we still don't have the vanity in. Probably have to walk in sideways when it is!

We also had the bathroom plantation shutters installed today and what with the ceiling being painted over the weekend, and the heated towel rack also installed last week, we are almost there.

Shutters were also installed in the two front bedrooms and look lovely although we are keeping Ela's Pooh bear curtains on top!




The painting was also finished in the hallway and kitchen, so there are just a couple of handles that need to be fixed on cupboards, plus a front panel for the dishwasher needed in there. The cooker now has the rangehood connected so we have ventilation whilst cooking. And today the faulty heating unit from Fujitsu was finally replaced so Ela has heat in her play room.

I think I can finally count the remaining jobs to be done, on one hand! They are:
*front door handle
*handle on the linen closet
*two bedroom light fittings needed
*globes for the pendant lamp in the hallway
*smoke alarm hard wired in
*taps fitted in bathroom
*vanity installed (that will need tiling and plumbing)
*lock and handle fitted on bathroom door

OK well maybe two hands, but still, mostly minor jobs so the end is in sight. Lucky that as the baby is due in 9 weeks! May just make it.

taps n heaters

Not much point counting weeks anymore as there isn't too much happening!
However today we had two tradespeople turn up - the engineer from Fujitsu who came to check out why we can't get one of the heating units to work, and the plumber who came to fit the taps on the bath and replace the shower taps, to match.

However.....the technician found that the unit was faulty and needs to order new parts, or a replacement unit. ANd the plumber found that the extension pieces that he had brought/been given (needed because the original taps wouldn't fit due to the depth of the tiling) would not fit the new taps we had ordered. So back to the order book for this job too.

Here are the three tap sets we have gone through to date and the actual (temporary) brass ones in use now! Rollover the pics for comments.

Week 8

Well Monday got off to a good start - the electrician came and fitted lights in the kitchen and dining room. One downlight in the hallway and a light pendant in the hallway (but no globes?). Also power to the kitchen and a light/heater/fan in the bathroom.
So that night I took my first shower in a month - with heat and light, but no shower screen. Unfortunately it was somewhat of an anticlimax as the power is not all that strong. Still, better than a bath in the dark with no ceiling!
And I still can't figure out why the light fitting isn't in the centre of the ceiling??
Then on Thursday the airconditioning guys came with two invertors (split system). They fitted the internal units but then left because the weather was too bad to do the outside units! There was a torrential downpour so couldn't really blame them. They came back today to finish the job so we now have warmth in the purple room and Ela's play room - although I haven't quite gotten that unit working yet!

Tiler makes an appearance

Lo and behold the tiler turned up today and did the splashback in the kitchen. More importantly though, he sealed the bath and the four corners of the bathroom with silicone - which means, although there is still no shower screen, we can now take a shower. Praise be - 4 weeks of baths....oh no, three weeks of baths (and one week of nothing!) is enough.

So what's next/left?

The electrician still has some major work to do. Power in the kitchen, rangehood, heated towel rack plus lights/heater in the bathroom. Lights in four of the rooms and the hallway, plus finish off wiring in the TV.

Painter can now finish off all of the odd jobs such as ceiling in kitchen and bathroom, kitchen walls, bathroom window and hallway around bathroom/linen cupboard.

Showerscreen, new taps and vanity installed.

Heating system installed.

Shutters installed.

So we are finally beginning to get there.

A major achievement

Well I have lost count of what week it is since we started, but today at long last we got a ceiling on the bathroom!

However, there was a problem - isn't there always.... We found that the tiler hadn't gone all the way to the top, all the way around. So we were going to have a small gap between wall and ceiling - hence would need to put an architrave in (when we had planned to have it square set) or, the contractor could come back another day with extensions to lower the ceiling.

No choice really - couldn't bear another night in the cold - its amazing how much cold air gets in through one room without a ceiling.
The carpenter also returned and finished off the door and shelving in the linen closet, but still no handle or lock on the bathroom door!
Electrician didn't turn up....again. Maybe tomorrow. So still no light, power or heat in there.

Week 7

Well absolutely zilch to report this week. No one showed up at all. Well that's not strictly true, the three remaining kitchen cupboard doors turned up...without handles though!
And the architect came for a visit to do some internal measurements and just get a feel for the place. We had surveyors draw up plans of the house/block which the architect can now use to design the 2nd stage of construction. Hard to get enthusiastic about it though as it will mean living in more sh**. If we can't get a bathroom and kitchen 'finished', what hopes do we have for a 2nd storey with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large extension with a kitchen??
It's starting to get really cold in the bathroom (actually in the whole house) as there is still no ceiling there. We are going to get a split system put in the living room and Ela's play room.
Oh one other thing - the vanity basin was delivered, so now we can get the vanity itself built. But then it has to be tiled and plumbed in, so I don't hold out for having a sink for at least another month!
They also measured up for the shower screen - so providing the silicone gets done soon, we may be able to start showering again!

Week 6 end

On Friday the electrician and plumber came and we now have a cooker and electricity to half of the kitchen. Still need to use the kettle, toaster etc in the laundry, but at least the fridge and microwave are plugged in the kitchen.

We also had a carpenter come to finish off the hallway around the bathroom and linen closet. However he ran out of materials and needs to come back to finish the job - how familiar those words are. Here's a before pic - who knows when the 'after' one will be taken.

The boxes are building up in the back yard - need to do a run to the dump with them.

Week 6

Little surprise that nothing happened on Monday this week. Or Tuesday. Wednesday the same....

The 80/20 rule is kicking in - 20% of the work left to be done - it'll take 80% of the time to do it. We need the electrician in first to fit the cooker before the plumber can come back and gas it in. And the list goes on....

Need the tiler to come and silicone all the edges of the bath and the corners of the walls so we can at least have a shower - although there is no screen yet. Or a ceiling - luckily it's not too cold yet.

Week 5

Monday – yet again, nobody shows up. What is it with subbies – don’t they work on Mondays???

Tuesday – The tiler rocked up at 10.30 and at 3pm said, ‘gotta go, be back tomorrow to finish the floor’. So no toilet/shower then for at least another 2 days!

Electrician came with all of the fittings….but three out of four oysters were broken/smashed. And his ‘mate’ didn’t show up cos he was crook so he could only fit the down-lights. The TV, aerial and the drop fittings are a two man job – maybe tomorrow?!

The guy came to measure for the plantation shutters, but because the bathroom window ledge wasn’t finished, he wouldn’t do it.

Wednesday
The tiler finished the bathroom – looks great.


Thursday
The plumber came and set the toilet and fitted the taps to the shower and bath. However the taps won’t fit on the bath wall because he hadn’t allowed enough length when roughing in. He said he needed to get extensions for them…but we have since found out that they don’t do an extension for that particular tap set. So we need to choose new taps and reorder.

He fitted temporary taps and spout which meant we had running water in the bath – at last – but there is no silicone on the edges so poor Ela had to have a very ‘quiet’ bath (no splashing). Can’t use the toilet till Saturday.
The plumber also fixed the toilet brush holder (but smashed it as he did so) and fixed on the toilet roll holder way too low – but if we replace it, there will be a hole in the wall!

Friday
Busy day at the ranch.
Electricians fitted the new TV and some of the lights.
The kitchen was delivered and the fitter finished off the bottom half of the cupboards and benchtops. However – more dramas, the pantry was too wide and the ‘space’ for the cooker too small, so they needed to resize carcasses and doors will have to go back and be recut.
The blinds man returned and took the measurements ( 5-6 weeks wait) and best of all the phone and internet was connected.


Saturday
The plumber fitted the kitchen sink and dishwasher but needs to return for the cooker. That uggly looking thing to the right of the sink is the dishwasher - it was supposed to come with a stainless panel for the front, but the plumber forget to order that! So we'll get a panel made to match the kitchen cupboards.

The kitchen was finished off – although lacking a few doors. He also fitted the bathroom shaving cabinet.
The amount of sawdust and rubbish – mostly packaging is unbelievable. We had the skip removed but I think we still need another one.

So what next?
Still need to paint the kitchen and ceiling, and tile a splashback. Need power to the kitchen and lights fitted both there and in the dining room.

Bathroom needs a ceiling, lights, a sink/vanity and taps for the bath – not to mention a shower screen and door! And the walls (corners) need sealing as does the bath.

Also need lights for the hallway and the bedrooms (thank goodness for lamps!)

Week 4

A disastrous start to the week – no one turned up at all on Monday, and when Mark finally got hold of the tiler on Tuesday he said the earliest he could come would be Friday! So definitely no bathroom this week.


On Tuesday, the carpets and vinyl were laid – the former is very soft and the latter very green!

Wed and Thur were write offs because we got the floor sanded and polished (hallway kitchen and dining), and so this meant no one could walk anywhere.


So when we moved in our stuff on Friday, the tiler began work on the bathroom, and the electrician didn’t turn up.

They did a no-show on Saturday too, but the gyprocker came to set the walls in the kitchen and linen closet.

So here were are in our new home. No kitchen, bathroom or lights, but we have lamps, a microwave, toaster and kettle and some really good friends in the next street who have cooked for us and given us use of their bathroom.

Ela’s room looks lovely with her winnie the pooh curtains and wall decs, although she’s more impressed with the purple room!









Next weeks plan:
Monday/Tuesday Tiler finishes bathroom
Monday – Electrician fits light fittings in all rooms and connects TV aerial.
Wednesday – plumber installs taps & toilet
Thursday – Kitchen is installed.
Friday plumber installs kitchen appliances (sink, dishwasher, cooker).
At some point we need to have a ceiling put in the bathroom too!

Week 3 Saturday

Well yesterday, the plumber finished off in the bathroom, and the Gyprocker set in the bath to the walls.






The painters did the feature walls (green in the sunroom and purple in the living) and painted Ela's room pink.





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The waterproofer was meant to do a first coat to the bathroom but he decided to leave it until today and do both coats together (with an industrial fan blowing in between).
The painters were also there again doing their finishing coats.
Here's a photo of the 'new' kitchen walls.









Next week's plan is as follows:

Monday/Tuesday - tile the bathroom
Tuesday - lay carpet and vinyl
Wednesday - get floorboards in kitchen, hallway and dining area sanded and polished
Thur - get kitchen fitted and appliances plumbed in, and get bathroom appliances and tapware fitted (if delivered!)
Friday - move in.

Another tight week - my money is on for all but thursday's plan to come to fruition...so possibly no kitchen or functioning bathroom - but then I am the pessimist half of this relationship :)

Week 3 Thursday

Mark turned up to open the house this morning to find the plumber (as miserable as before), two gyprockers, two electricians and four (!) painters ready to start work. Good start.
So hopefully some big steps forward today. As usual, the plumber shook his head and said – ‘oh I won’t be finished until tomorrow – can’t possibly line the walls today.’ Mark gave him a spray and told him to get on with it, the gyprockers said no worries they’d work around him and the painters smiled and said…dust? No worries mate. Don’t ya have to love the Aussies...plumber must be a Pommie though!
By the end of the day, Mark said it looked like a new place already. His favourite part is the ceilings!

Week 3 Tuesday

Today our first work began! The electricians came and did their ‘rough-in’ for the lighting (punching holes in ceilings), power sockets and kitchen appliances.
The plumber also came to do his rough-in in the kitchen and bathroom, but he was one of those reluctant, pessimistic, on-a-go-slow kind of guys.
First problem was that the tapware we had ordered for the bathroom were all mixer types, and he had only brought fittings for separate taps and spouts. So either we had to delay until tapware is delivered or we have to change order for tapware. Obviously our very tight schedule means no delays allowed at this point, so it was back to the catalogue to choose new tapware.
Problem number two, he hadn’t brought the cement to set in the bath. Mark went to the hardware store to pick it up but at the end of the day when he went back to check on progress, the plumber shook his head and said ‘this is a half day job, will have to come back tomorrow’. However, tomorrow is a public holiday – of course he’s not going to do that, so it’ll be Thursday before he goes again. In the meantime, the gyprocker, who was willing to line the walls on the public holiday, now has to be put off also till Thursday as he can’t do it till the bath is in.
So two small steps forward and one step back! Roll on Thursday.

Week 2

A few setbacks this week. As can be expected with tradies/subbies, non were available when we wanted them, so our carefully laid plans are all delayed. All that happened was the painter took a look around and said we had to remove the 'crap' on the ceilings before he could paint. So on Saturday, they were scraped down - it's a kind of spray on foam.

Mark forgot to get the skip replaced so all the rubbish is now lying in the driveway. Including all the curtains and pelmets which we have removed.
Also, the carpet we had chosen was not in stock so we went for another option.

The bath we wanted had a seven day lead time and we'd planned to have it in this weekend, so we took a cheaper option, then found out the plumber isn't available till next week anyway. Sods law.

Mark met with the architect on Thursday and came home with new plans. Some good ideas, including an internal (Japanese style) courtyard on the side of the house. Some not so good - a tandem garage rather than a double (side-by-side) one. But the worst of all was that if we follow his plan, we'll have to do it all in one. Originally we had a stage 2 and 3 - to be able to stay there as long as possible and deal with new arrival. However the new plan would mean doing the 2nd storey and extension as one so we'd have to move out. Anyway next step is concept drawings, architect drawings and then council submission.

Hopefully next week will be a little more fruitful. The plan is:

Tuesday - plumber and electrician do their rough in, and painting begins.

Wednesday - walls are lined in bathroom and kitchen

Thursday - Waterproofing of bathroom

Friday - Tiling of bathroom begins, and carpets laid

Saturday - Polish the floorboards

Week 1

So we have reached the end of week 1 and so far so good(ish).

We've locked in the bathroom 'furniture' and tiles, the carpets and vinyl, the kitchen layout and identified where we need new electrical sockets and light fittings.

The kitchen and bathroom have been ripped out and we have filled one large skip.

We've found that when removing the tiles, most of the brickwork has crumbled, so we'll be lining the walls with plasterboard (gyprock) before starting re-tiling. That adds another component into the 'plan'.


Sunroom and Bathroom (need a plumber to remove the bath).





Shower and living room (carpet removed - floorboards in good condition - we'll polish them.)




Kitchen.

The big plan

Well as mentioned earlier the plan to turn this house into a home involves three stages.

Stage 1 - 4 weeks to make the house 'liveable' so we can move in on May 4th. This includes ripping out the original kitchen and bathroom, painting the whole house and laying new carpet, vinyl and polishing floorboards. New curtains/blinds.


Stage 2 - to be finished before first week of September. - build an extension to back of house to include a new kitchen, dining, living area. Convert current living room to third bedroom. Redo the laundry. Knock down the garage so as to start construction on the pool. Build a carport on side of house.

Stage 3 - build a second storey with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Knock down 2nd bedroom and convert to garage with internal access. Convert third bedroom downstairs into formal dining.

All this said, the plans are still to be drawn up for stage 2 and 3 so timelines are already looking out of skelter. But that's renovations for you!

Settlement

Settlement occured today.

Apart from ordering three kitchen appliances (cooker, fridge and dishwasher) not much progress yet.

Here we have a few of the rooms to give you an idea of the 'state' of the house.



Sunroom (to be demolished in stage 2) and bathroom (to be replaced in stage 1).



The bedroom with the built in (will become guest bedroom in stage 3 - second storey) and the living room (will become third bedroom after stage 2 - extension - is completed).



Kitchen (being completely replaced in stage 1) and shower (part of bathroom demolition).

The Auction

Today we went to auction and bought a house. The vendors were thrilled and offered us champagne. I was very emotional. Ela slept in the car through the whole lot. M was triumphant - good bidding technique paid off in the end. Happiest of all was probably the agent - George - who earned himself a nice big commission.

The neighbours came to pat us on the back. The bagpiper strolled off and we signed on the dotted line.

It is a two bedroom - original 50's brick bungalow on a 700sqm block. 'Original' bathroom and kitchen - with toilet in the laundry.

So plenty of potential. 6 weeks till settlement and a further 4 till we move in. Let's see if we can rise to the challenge.