No whining because we’re spending!

Sabrina and Nicola had a little trip to the site to see the colours we picked for the decorators going on the walls. We found lots had been painted in Sabrina’s house and the list of instructions for the decorators taped down for them to follow. From the photograph you can see our professional approach to writing instructions. Think the lads could just about make out Sabrina’s handwriting on the back of a Howdens catalogue.



Granddad was at the site and had fitted the downstairs toilet in Sabrina’s place. We found him hiding in Nicola and Stephens living room putting together the sanity wares. I’ve told Granddad he should read my blog! I fear that as he still completes his invoices on a typewriter he will never see it. Did you know you can still buy typewriter ribbon? Our cousin Jason orders it from the internet as you cannot source it anywhere else.

Thought I’d take a few shots of the wine cooler for my friends. I am sure that Rachael and Claire will be able to empty this in an evening. Sabrina has one too and will probably be stocking it with Rose for her friends. I think they like something more orangey to drink, or was that just their skin they liked orange after Sab and her mates had spray tans this week.

We have had a mad spending session on in the last of couple of weeks and frequented many shops to spend our hard earned cash and savings. We have brought everything and anything from Next, Ikea, Currys, Harveys. One of the shops we have visited many times is International Furniture in Andover we just like the price and the quality of the wooden furniture and the fact that is you ask nicely you get discount. It is a family run business and Sabrina has brought beautiful solid living room furniture in there for her place. Here’s hoping the cats don’t scratch that or the Guinea pigs down chew the leg of the coffee table like they did the last one.

Hilarys blinds rang after a week and have dropped their price by £2000. I’ll wait another week and see how much more discount they will give us then.

Dear Sir!

Dear Hillarys Blinds,



We have decided not to purchase your over priced blinds. We would like to offer you some feedback for your services. Listed below are the key points.


• When the customer says they are building a house, please expect to turn up to a building site and note that other trades people will probably be on site.


• A building site has many health and safety risks including tools and items on the floor. If your people are not allowed anywhere that could jeopardise their health and safety do not sent them out to any jobs at all; as all homes pose a threat to your fitters (particularly building sites).


• Do not send women out to measure up windows who will cry if a little bit of sand or dirt gets into their sample case.


• Provide your members of staff with more baby wipes as the lady you sent to us seemed to be getting through quite a few.


• Do not tell your customers the blinds and shutters are made in sweat shops in China. (As then they will know how much you are over changing).


• Most importantly no idiot will pay over £7000 for shutters or blinds, when it didn’t even cost that much to fit the double glazing in the first place.


Although we will not be taking you up on the offer for shutters, we would like to thank your fitter for telling us that you main rivals are The California Company. This piece of information has helped us so much in our decision; as they have come in at more than £100 per window cheaper than you.


Yours Sincerely


Mr and Mrs (We are not made of money) Wright.



As it is the Easter Holidays and Stephen has had a week off work, he has been up the site all week. Except for the family day out we took to The London Book Fair to see Maria (our other sister).

 

 



Grandad



The kitchens are still being fitted and hopefully the plumber (Granddad) and electrician (Uncle Robin) will be able to get in their today to finish their bits before the bottom units go in.

 

  

Clive!

 The painters and decorators have white washed most of the houses. The doors and architrave are being put on and skirting in some places. We have chosen our paint colours with the help of Clive. Nicola and Stephen have gone for a simple colour scheme of neutral colours and although Stephen doesn’t like it, the living room will be a light shade of pink! Sabrina has also chosen her colours and has chosen different colours for different areas of the house.

Les has been busy outside making a base for the shed and laying a patio which looks great. We have ordered the shed., which should be delivered in the next 7 days.

We also had a family afternoon out to Howdens to choose kitchen door handles, door handles for the doors and flooring options. From this experience we have learned that nothing they tell you first time is the real price, just get Daddy Mark to do the bartering.

Did anybody notice the BBC have stolen my blog title for their new DIY SOS series. Wonder if I can claim rights to that title?

Easter Holiday!

It is the Easter Holidays and Sabrina, Stephen and Nicola have some much needed time off work. So Stephen of course has been up the site helping Mark and the million other people up there getting our houses finished.

What Pies?

Sabrina and Nicola went for another retail therapy session today to Basingstoke. While the men got on with the houses. At the moment there is so much to write about I could write a dissertation.

 So in short; Uncle Robin has been walking round the site with a screw driver, light fittings and light bulbs to finish the electrics. Les and Jamie have finished the porch and were mixing up muck and stuff. Les has also been practicing his rolling skills with a pouch of tobacco. Clive was swearing and singing upstairs think he was hanging doors or something like that. There were also men walking around with paint buckets and brushes. Stephen and Mark were eating Cornish pasties in the kitchen and said something about fitting a kitchen.

On a more serious note the kitchens are being  fitted in both houses and we have stolen the wine cooler ordered for mum’s house (cheers mum).

They have begun to lay the block paving and we have a large front door step for our flower pots. The garden has been levelled. All is coming on nicely and soon be ready for our family to move into the houses. Tomorrow Sabrina and Nicola aim to kill some weeds and demand Hillarys blinds to give us massive discounts on our shutters or blinds whichever we choose. We are also going to see if you get money off if it’s your birthday; Happy Birthday Sabrina. We love you lots. xxxx






How is the house? Are you nearly there yet?

Two questions we are repeatedly asked and thoroughly enjoy answering.



There is so much going on in these final stages. There are tradesmen everywhere doing different jobs plumbing, electrical, painting and decorating etc .

What has happened in the past few weeks? The floors have been screeded. The baths have arrived the lads started putting the porch on. Our front doors look fabulous thanks to Sabrina who suggested red. The doors are being hung all over the houses.

Outside as the porch goes up Les has laid a retaining wall in the garden complete with steps down onto the patios. Sabrina has began to get green fingers and has started planting a few pots of seeds at mums; to transplant into her new garden when she moves in. Nicola cannot be happier that Sabrina is showing an interest into something she thoroughly enjoys. When Nicola and Stephen first brought their house Nicola caught the gardening bug and is now hoping she has infected Sabrina.

Most of all we keep changing our minds about tiles and flooring options, even though we were supposed to have decided ages ago. So as we move forward the end is nearer and nearer.