emeleee, Glad you decided not to paint the table. From the picture it looks like it's either walnut or mahogany. You have a good start on it, now just continue with the stripping. If you aren't afraid of the chemical strippers, get the strongest you can. Go to a paint store for all your products and advice, not a big box store. I use Kwik Marine Paint and Varnish Remover. Brush it on heavy and let it sit for a while. If there is a thick amount of finish still on it, scrape it off with a putty knife. If you have already removed most of it, brush it with a stiff synthetic bristle brush. Use old toothbrushes for the nooks and crannies. Once all the finish is removed wipe it down with either lacquer thinner or acetone, again making sure you get in all the nooks and crannies. Now the sanding. Try to determine if the top is solid wood or veneer. If veneer, be careful not to sand through it. Start with 100 grit and work you way up to at least 150, maybe 180. The grits will be 100, 120, 150, 180 of a good quality sandpaper, not bargain basement junk. Before moving on to the next finer grit, make sure all the scratches from the previous grit are gone. They will show up with a harsh light held at a low angle. This is a lot of work but to get a great finish it is required. There are no short cuts here. Now, stain if you want. If you want to know what it will look like without stain, spraying some water on it will give you a good idea. Once you get the color you want, put your finish on. The final color will not be what it looks like with just stain (or nothing). The finish will change the color. For a finish use shellac (hard to work with), brushing lacquer, or a good varnish. Don't use polyurethane, it is not a quality finish. At least two coats are needed with sanding between with 220 grit. Sand between every coat of finish and the next. Good Luck

Standard wood such as oak is not a great material for doors as they can warp and twist over time. Our engineered timber doors have a Kerto Q core, Sapele Mahogany lipping and Tricoya facings- this combination prevents these issues and means that there will be no draughts due to shrinkage. The overall result of an engineered timber door is a stronger and more durable door which holds paint for longer and doesnt require maintenance. We do our doors in a 44mm or a 54mm slab with an optional thermal core, but an engineered door is definitely superior in terms of durability.

Hi I’m also a developer/PRL, and the best price of advice I was given when I was starting out was to remember that on low to mid range profit projects (if not all projects) controlling your spending is the most important thing to remember, and every £ you spend is a £ less profit. I too hate uPVC windows and would not have them on my own home, but many people do like them and see them as a positive when it comes to buying/selling – just look at the houses either side of your house, and I assume along the whole of the street; people do like them! With my developer head on I would suggest that you try to work with what you already have - clean the uPVC frames inside and out with a solvent based professional cleaner, these really shift dirt and marks, and to a certain extent make scratches less noticeable as it removes the ingrained dirt. Replace the interior handles – new ones can be found online at around £1.99 each if you bulk buy. Replace any worn seals with a new universal fitting seal (approx £16 for 20m). If any of the windows are blown/misted, look at replacing the sealed glazed unit instead of the whole window, again the sealed units can be found quite cheaply online. With regards to your porch, it looks like it is integrated with the front window, so removing it would be a time consuming and costly job, so I would leave it as is and possibly look at just replacing the outer door, ideally one with a glazed panel to give a bit more light. I know you said you don't like uPVC doors, however, composite doors are more expensive. As you won't be living there does it really matter if you install a white uPVC door, as long it is the most tasteful and least offensive one you can find. An alternative would be to install fully glazed French doors with both sides opening, which would possibly mean that the doors can open inwards. All of these can be bought online and be fitted yourself – however, you will need to check if you will require a FENSA certificate issuing for the work, otherwise this could cause issues when you come to sell. I wouldn't advise painting the uPVC, as it is really difficult to obtain a good finish, and nothing looks worse than poorly finished paintwork either inside or outside. As others have said, remove the nets, put up some nice curtains (these can be removed and reused on other projects), don't worry regarding privacy, as again you will not be living there, and it will allow more light into the room. If the privacy angle does bother you, you can always put a plain white voile (costs around £2 per m, and a couple of £ for the rod) up at the window with little or no fullness, which gives a more modern, less fussy finish. I would move the dustbins to the rear of the property, and put a couple of large pots in the front garden – I tend to use Olive trees as they can be shaped and don't mind too much if they aren't watered regularly – these can also be removed and used on other projects. Hope this helps – and good luck for the future!

hi Topfivemum Mummy blogger, Our company specialize in designing and making bespoke kitchens & wardrobes. Our furniture can be made from any possible material, solid wood, veneer, plywood, MDF, HDF or spray painted (high gloss, satin, matt) in over 1500 colours. We also started making high quality replacement kitchen and wardrobes doors in all possible styles. Please contact us if you are interested in our service. Your Sincerely, Patrick, A&S Kitchen Wardrobe