Jobs to do match to tradesmen and their chronological order
HU-768402840
2 years ago
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HU-768402840
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Window shade to match the brick!
Comments (27)Hi Ellen, We went with a very similar style but from a local company called Unfitted who handmade all their kitchens. We're having the units in a dark inky blue (Como from Zoffany) and a grey / white Quartz top. I can't share a pic yet as it's only being fitted later this month after all our building work is finished but here are some renders from our brilliant designer who helped us pull it all together from the ideas I liked (lots from Blakes!) to actually getting everything ordered and scheduled....See MoreTell us: Do you have any home renovation regrets?
Comments (32)Whilst I recognise there's a few tradespeople on here bemoaning fussy clients I have to say my biggest regrets when renovating my house was not being specific enough with trades! We had an electrician put in an extra light switch in the hall to control both the downstairs and upstairs lighting. He put it in a good 10-15cm lower than the other switch further along the same wall which looked completely ridiculous. Made him move it in line with the other one much to his annoyance. Another similar incident was with a vertical column rad for the kitchen - whilst I was specific enough this time to ask it be centered to the wall it was on, he installed it much higher than needed with about 30cm of pipe sticking out the bottom! It would have looked much better in line with the doorframe adjacent. Had to learn to live with that one. We had engineered wood floors put in upstairs - the fitter used the shortest wall in the smallest room to take a plumbline from. When it came into the hall it was obviously on a complete wonk. By this point I'd gotten a bit better at speaking up and ensuring we actually got what was needed (and paid for!). He had to take it up and re-lay using the hall as the plumbline. Looked so much better but he was extremely annoyed! After all this I learned to use masking tape to direct exactly where pipes/light switches/trim should be fitted so there was no room for 'interpretation'. I also forced myself to speak up more and advocate for what I really wanted. That said I'm a designer by trade so I generally know what I want and how to make it look good but was definitely a bit too shy to contradict trades in the beginning!...See MoreWait and do one big renovation, or do small ones ASAP?
Comments (6)Hi Sonia This sounds like a very exciting project! When renovating, deciding whether to do it all in one go rather than phasing it it almost always driven by budget. With older houses there's usually surprises along the way so be prepared for that. Before you start on the cosmetic changes you should make sure all the bones of the property (electrics, damp proof, heating, plumbing, etc) are in good order as having to rectify this later is more costly if you have to re-do all the cosmetic work. After that I would look at any structural changes you want to make and factor in the time it takes for any planning requirements. After this you can start to focus on flooring, kitchens, decor etc. The best advice I can give you is not to underestimate the amount of planning involved. The more you do upfront before starting any work the smoother the process will be. Renovating is great fun and very rewarding at the end of the journey but it can also be stressful, overwhelming and consumes an enormous amount of your time and energy! It's also very dirty - there's no way around this! Make sure you have the right professionals in place to support you and your project. Good luck!...See MoreBotched bathroom job
Comments (4)Hiya, Sorry to hear you're having problems! Fitting/Tiling is a really tough job and changing half way through can have so much of a knock on effect and with fitters being booked 6 months, they can't afford to change jobs in between. That being said, you are the end customer, you should have what you want. In a similar problem, I had a customer who came to me after they bought nickel brassware everywhere but ordered chrome trims by mistake. The fitter fitted them and then obviously they looked wrong. When she wanted them changed he said it wasn't possible as 'they don't do that trim in nickel' ... basically trying to pull wool over her eyes! The fitter ended up redoing it but it did cock up the next 2 months of jobs. Depending on what you paid (Fitters in Bristol, UK tend to be £6000-£8000 for a good 10-14 day job) depends on what finish you get. I know people that can do a bathroom fit for £1500 but I wouldn't be expected all the extra thoughts and planning to have gone into it. With the silicone - Usually white is used to match with the grout or most fitters would nowadays use a tile trim of some sort just to guarantee themselves. It should last atleast 15+ years. Hope this helps!! :)...See MoreHU-768402840
2 years agoHU-768402840
2 years agoHU-768402840
2 years agoJonathan
2 years agoHU-768402840
2 years agoHU-768402840
2 years agoHi Lifestyle Kitchens,
Thanks for the replyI will get a design from
Howdens today. It will be based on what Jonathan had suggested (enclosed within)
I hope this should be enough, for the electrician & plumber to build open. I plan to take down the wall between the kitch and diner, and insert an RSJ beam so a builder should be fine with that
Not sure why I need a designer for bedrooms, as I won’t be making any changes.As for the bathroom, will hold horses and depends on how things go about, will decide at the end
Kind Regards
Mel
Daisy England
2 years ago
Jonathan