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!