Hecateh

Are you hiring them out @Christine Walker could make a fortune lol

That might work for the island. I don't have to have the same finish on the long length as the island

I started thinking this sometime in April and it hasn't gone away yet! The difference is that I now know it will be worth it in the end - back then if I could have easily done it it would have been exhaust into the car. I just didn't have the energy to do it

OMG apart from a few minor details you could be telling my story. Earlier this year. Lads arrive about 8 ish - and have a cup of tea/coffee; get on site about half past and start moving things about, whilst sharing youtube links and loud swearing. 9am it starts raining, so into the garage they go for more drinks. It's cold so they switch on my 2kw patio heater. 10 o'clock it stops raining - 10.20 still no sign of them. I get the courage to go and let them know that it has stopped raining - 'What --- it's arr break'. BUT it nearly half past 10 and you haven't done any f&&king work yet. Eventually, after I was told that half the work hadn't been quoted for and they wanted another 46k, (Yep £46,000) they got told to piss off I would sort it out myself and they were no longer needed. (It wasn't really as simple as that). So although mine is a new build rather than reno, in other ways we are pretty much at the same state. I'm sorting plasterers, joiners, plumbers and electricians. All doable if it wasn't for the fact that their work has to coordinate AND I have to get the suppliers to get the right things, at the right price, to the right place at the right time. Obviously this is a brief summary of many weeks of feeling sick, waking at 4 in the morning and downing wine every night. You have my sympathy - you are not alone

Sounds great I'm more than happy with things like that - the new one sounds amazing

Oh and as @Onoff said - fixed price quotes and lots of them. My plastering quotes for 400sqm ranged from £2500 to £5200 - and no - he hadn't transposed the numbers. The 2.5k guy has said about 2 weeks for him and a labourer. Another guy told me it would take 8 to 10 weeks - WWWWhhhhaaattttt? I told him not to bother pricing but clearly he gets work. I have a good excuse to tell them I'll get materials because of the VAT thing but I think that helps too as they can't rip you off on materials. However that is added stress - 'cos now I have to source price and buy the right stuff for delivery at the right time. Keep posting - we can support each other

Oh Lizzie, I so know where you are now. Stress - tell me about it. Hard to say but be ready for the stress to continue. We are doing something that is so important to us but so out of our comfort zone. Suddenly we are trying to tell people, who do these things every day, what we want doing - and it's still up to us to get it right. There's a mix out there and many who do want to help - often the smooth talkers are those who either want to rip us off or don't really have a clue either. It's a shame you are not closer - I have about 10m of that stuff down my garden that I have paid for but that was more than needed. I don't know if it was bought unnecessarily just to be sure??? (why not, not their money) or it was cheaper to buy by the 50m or whatever. Stress stress stress - it's the name of the game I'm afraid, but we have to keep telling ourself the truth, that it WILL be worth it in the end, This forum saved my sanity, if not my life, earlier this year. Yes, given the perfect situation , we would research, and know everything and do everything right the first time but that is just crackers. Even the experts get things wrong, miss things, find things they didn't expect. You Will Get There. I'm now getting closer to the end but, in some ways, I've got the most stressful to come as I am now responsible for Project Managing. I want things to happen in one way - but deliveries won't come when I want them; Tradesmen have other priorities (shock horror) and can't come when I want. People say they want to help and then think they can rip you off. The guy you need first can't come for 2 weeks and the next one is either next week or months away aaarrrggghhh. Keep the faith - You Can and You Will and we are all rooting for you

That looks good but much more expensive than the ordinary stuff - can't justify it. If I'm paying a premium I have to be able to justify the expense (to myself) otherwise it's not happening. Things I have spent a bit extra on are having bifolds instead of sliders - Being retired I'm at home a lot and, this summer at least, there have been weeks on end where I have opened the sliders in the current house when I get up and closed them when I've gone to be so they are definitely justified. Other things have been:- my shower - Gone for the Hudson Reed triple valve, with easily maneuverable controls for future proofing. My bedside reading lights - not expensive but could get much cheaper. The underfloor heating - expensive now but cheaper to run and so much more comfortable. Mainly my reason have to be - will it matter this time next year? Only if I still think I will be noticing and appreciating next year will I choose a slightly more expensive option. Still have to be careful though.

Reclaimed scaffold boards sound possible for the island. Done properly they can look great from what I have seen. Other than that I may just have a join across the middle. It won't be that visible and should be fine.

My island is only the size of a large coffee table

Well done you ?

Yep - I know - I love some of the finishes. Ipanema grey is my current favourite but it's finding it 1200 wide - or something that works with it

Love, love love it! Will you make me one? please?

Like that - I have made lots of compromises but have stuck out for some things - bifolds over sliders for example. The island lighting will be more obvious than the island itself

Newhome you are amazing - I've been looking at options and have never come upon this company. - I will def follow this up

who will charge accordingly. If necessary it will be white contiboard to start with and I will wait till the right thing comes up on ebay

Exactly - whilst I want things to look good - it's definitely function over fashion for my choices

I researched the topic first and have save them from previous recommendations on here. I think they are definitely someone to talk to

Thanks - it must be available elsewhere back to back is a considered idea that floats my boat - make a feature of it. I am definitely following this up Thanks

That's another good one. Thank you Ikea and DIY kitchens just don't do anything other than the standard worktops

That's an idea - kitchen, bathrooms and building they are definitely a no no BUT finishing touches maybe. I'll go and have a chat. Thanks

I'm using laminate in my kitchen not just because it is cheaper (but mostly so) My sister and my brother and his wife hate their granite. If they don't wipe a drip up straight away then it marks. BUT I know there are others that are great. BUT i have had laminate in my current kitchen for 18 years and there isn't a mark on it. So laminate feels like a choice rather than a compromise. However, I am having an island and few places seem to cater to this. If necessary I will even join 2 back to back. But I would love a single piece to cover my island, without it costing the earth. The island is planned at 1200 sq but I haven't ordered yet and am trying to find wide 1200mm laminate but could increase or even decrease this if I can get the cover. Could go down to 1000mm wide if that means I can buy something 'off the shelf'. If necessary I will even paint some chipboard on a temporary basis. Has anyone any experience of getting extra wide laminate or any ideas where I can look?

Not very young women - teenagers often try to look older - I guess it changed when they can legally do what they have been doing for the last 4 or 5 years anyway

It's a big house - not a huge house by any means. It's cavernous because, for reasons beyond her control, she lives there alone.

pocket rocket??