Hello again - work has finally started

[Nickfromwales]

Great to hear the advice has had a practical and helpful outcome ?

A Willis heater ( or a bank of them ) would also have provided at least some 'chill removal' so anyone who cannot convert a natural gas boiler to LPG could still link an all electric temporary heat source if so needed. 

 

Dont you you feel claustrophobic in that tiny house ? ?

 

[AliG]

@Nickfromwales I think we can just about squeeze in. I can't argue it's not excessive but it's a lifetime dream and I may as well enjoy living in my money as having it in the bank. I'd like to hope that the house can stay in the family when I am gone but who knows what the future holds.

 

Really thanks for the LPG idea, without the heat we would not be able to move in before Christmas. It is on today(I think) they were supposed to have it on last Friday which would have been even better.

 

The airbnb is a 2 bed apartment, maybe we'll enjoy that just as much. Airbnb is great in this situation, it would have been very hard to rent an apartment for a couple of weeks a few years ago without paying an exorbitant amount. This works out at the same cost as the local Travelodge.

 

I didn't know until a week ago that getting the gas and electricity connected up did not mean we had meters so they still could not be used, luckily there was only a 6 day lead time on the gas meter. I will be begging for the easiest possible slot for electricity next week. It reinforces that I am sure we could do it better if we did it all over again.

 

I am sure that loads of work will still be outstanding when we move in, particularly exterior stuff such as guttering and garden walls. We will also have a temporary stair and no fitted wardrobes, just the spaces where they go. I don't think will have all the decorating finished either. The family would rather stay on a building site than in a rental.

 

I think if we had not set a fixed date when we had to move though in that the build would have dragged on for another 3 months.

 

I'll post some pics when I am there on Sunday and you can all marvel at how unfinished the house looks despite our plan to move in in 2 weeks.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by AliG

[AliG]

Finished packing up the old place today. Had to take 2 days off work at short notice as despite a fantastic effort from my wife we couldn't get it all done by the weekend.

 

House still well off being finished, booked into Airbnb for 2 weeks now. Absolutely cannot go past then.

 

A few pics of the current state of play.

 

That may be me trying out a bath.

 

 

[AliG]

Movers refused to move stuff into house today as they said it is too much of a building site. refused to drive their van onto type 1 driveway base, ridiculous its no worse than a gravel driveway

[MikeSharp01]

45 minutes ago, AliG said:

Movers refused to move stuff into house today as they said it is too much of a building site. refused to drive their van onto type 1 driveway base, ridiculous its no worse than a gravel driveway

Oh-er where does that leave your stuff - back in their repository or on the type 1 - ready to be snowed on

[AliG]

Back at their depot with a £500 redelivery charge. I knew there would be a problem when my wife told me how awkward they were yesterday when they came to pick everything up.

[Nickfromwales]

Tossers. ?

[jamiehamy]

Are you accepting that or going to argue the toss? 

[Onoff]

 

6 hours ago, AliG said:

Back at their depot with a £500 redelivery charge. I knew there would be a problem when my wife told me how awkward they were yesterday when they came to pick everything up.

 

Presumably you have had (major?) construction traffic on that surface and likewise deliveries of delicate components like glazing? Could you pay the surcharge  by credit card then argue the toss?

[AliG]

They claimed there was too much work going on. They were taking down some scaffolding when they arrived.

 

I don't think it's clear cut enough to argue about sadly.

 

My wife pointed out that she told them it we were building the house and they had the address but they never went to see the place until they took the furniture round there.

 

We were quite happy for them to offload stuff into the garage or a downstairs room.

 

Of course once they have your stuff in their possession it is quite difficult to argue about it. This is the first time in my life we have ever used professional movers, we have always done it ourselves before.

 

My wife had a go at them and they told her that they would decide what they were doing, she argues harder than I ever would. She has it in for them now. They did agree not to charge for storage, just for the redelivery. I said that they had to come back and say they were happy with redelivering before we paid for the redelivery charge.

[Onoff]

I'd argue it. Did they take any pictures of the alleged  "state" of the site? Have you a site camera showing say their van and CLEAR route to the garage? 

 

I'd park my car where their van was (or could have parked) and get the garage in shot. Email to say that though you completely disagree with their opinion of the site conditions and couldn't understand their attitude you offered them the garage option. I draft a Word document (send as PDF) with pics of clear access routes etc. State it's upset your Christmas, you would not be recommending them etc. Pm me their details and I'll ask someone I know  to look into any complaints against them.

[ToughButterCup]

On 12/5/2017 at 22:32, AliG said:

A few pics of the current state of play.

 

 

So, how do I know it's you - or at least the owner of the bath?

You are in the bath with  no shoes.  How often have we seen trades in a bath with shoes on  ("Dinna worry, hen, it'll be reet!")

 

[AliG]

10 hours ago, Onoff said:

I'd argue it. Did they take any pictures of the alleged  "state" of the site? Have you a site camera showing say their van and CLEAR route to the garage? 

 

I'd park my car where their van was (or could have parked) and get the garage in shot. Email to say that though you completely disagree with their opinion of the site conditions and couldn't understand their attitude you offered them the garage option. I draft a Word document (send as PDF) with pics of clear access routes etc. State it's upset your Christmas, you would not be recommending them etc. Pm me their details and I'll ask someone I know  to look into any complaints against them.

 

Thanks @Onoff  Looking at reviews it seems that things either go smoothly or very badly. There is nothing in between. When things do go badly then they seem to have a very bad attitude.

 

Getting the car up the driveway would be easy. Their other arguments included that there was a step up from the drive to the garage and that there are unfinished cables in the house.

 

The garage and driveway complaints are nonsense as I am sure that they regularly deliver to people with gravel drives and a steps at the front door. The people who moved my snooker table two days earlier had no problems. As for the cables then the power is not connected so they are also a non issue. Unfortunately as I was not there it is hard for me to argue the toss. I might well take pictures when I am there on Sunday.

 

The key thing is making sure they deliver on 22 December or indeed we will be into the realms of Christmas being spoiled and legal action will be likely.

 

The house was supposed to be ready to move in on December 8th. We are now looking at the 21st. The delays are probably costing me around £3000-4000. I have mixed feelings about holding the builder liable as he is working very hard to get things done, but he shouldn't have got so far behind in the first place. The original completion date was July.

Edited December 8, 2017 by AliG

[Ferdinand]

On 07/12/2017 at 23:25, AliG said:

They claimed there was too much work going on. They were taking down some scaffolding when they arrived.

 

I don't think it's clear cut enough to argue about sadly.

 

My wife pointed out that she told them it we were building the house and they had the address but they never went to see the place until they took the furniture round there.

 

We were quite happy for them to offload stuff into the garage or a downstairs room.

 

Of course once they have your stuff in their possession it is quite difficult to argue about it. This is the first time in my life we have ever used professional movers, we have always done it ourselves before.

 

My wife had a go at them and they told her that they would decide what they were doing, she argues harder than I ever would. She has it in for them now. They did agree not to charge for storage, just for the redelivery. I said that they had to come back and say they were happy with redelivering before we paid for the redelivery charge.

 

If you paid with something like an Amex Plat or a high end Credit Card might that company be helpful, either as a big brother wrt the company or for a claim?

Edited December 9, 2017 by Ferdinand

[AliG]

Touch and go as to whether we will manage to get in before Christmas.

 

I'll be back to see what is available on Airbnb on Wednesday depending on how things are going.

 

Christmas is OK, but accommodation in Edinburgh over New Year is going to be both expensive and hard to find.

 

Basically we are trying to get roughly half the rooms in the house useable. We are aiming for the kitchen, which should be finished, 3/4 bedrooms and one sitting room.

 

The temporary stairs promised two weeks ago are still not in, the stair supplier is the only person in the whole build of the house that I have had cross words with. I am a very forgiving client!

[AliG]

It's just not going to happen.

 

My wife is beside herself and at this precise moment not talking to me.

 

Airbnb over Christmas and New Year.

 

 

[Oz07]

Hopefully job isn't under too much pressure. Seen many a job get bodged and rushed at the end due to tight deadlines. Just think of it as an adventure you will be laughing about it next christmas!

[lizzie]

AliG if you were closer I would offer you one of our spare bedrooms for the new year period!  Good luck

[jamiehamy]

We've made a decision not to move in just yet. If I get the main bathroom done we could but still have two more (tiling is hellish!) to do and two bedrooms that have not been plastered. We've decided to enjoy our last Christmas in the wee flat which we love anyway and relax now (I've been flat out for weeks now).  I know not the same for you but a genuine consolation might be that you can all look forward to a proper first Christmas next year? I'm quite philosophical about is, as I guess you are. Without meaning to be cheeky to Mrs G, thing could be a lot worse in soooo many ways. 

[AliG]

My wife went round this morning and was adamant that it had no chance of being ready.

 

In fairness she has consistently pointed out that I have been wrong in hoping it would be ready earlier. But I see no point in taking a negative view and just wait and see then deal with it.

 

The builder has been on the phone this evening and he is adamant that it will be.

 

I am on the train home to see in the morning.

 

I can deal with the ups and downs and just roll with it, my wife just cannot take the stress and uncertainty and is really at the end of her tether.

Edited December 19, 2017 by AliG

[ProDave]

What do you need to move in?

 

For me personally if it was warm, had a working (not necessarilly finished) kitchen and a working bathroom, I would be in. Even if that meant climbing a ladder to go to bed.

 

We thought about moving in just to sleep but with no kitchen or bathroom operational yet, we would still be using the 'van for those so decided it would be more trouble than it was worth.  Some time next year when we can get a bathroom and some form of kitchen we will move in, a long time before it is finished.

[AliG]

That's basically what we are asking for.

 

I have reduced and reduced to the builder what is acceptable.

 

We have 4 people coming from America to stay arriving on Christmas Eve.

 

I have asked for 4 bedrooms with floors and working bathrooms upstairs.

 

And a kitchen.

 

And heating and hot water.

 

No paint, no finished stairs, no sitting rooms, no driveway, no render, no soffits, no satellite dish....

 

[jamiehamy]

21 minutes ago, AliG said:

That's basically what we are asking for.

 

I have reduced and reduced to the builder what is acceptable.

 

We have 4 people coming from America to stay arriving on Christmas Eve.

 

I have asked for 4 bedrooms with floors and working bathrooms upstairs.

 

And a kitchen.

 

And heating and hot water.

 

No paint, no finished stairs, no sitting rooms, no driveway, no render, no soffits, no satellite dish....

 

Okay, so if nothing else, you've made me feel better! I've got all the above except the bathroom and two beds (although have a working toilet). 

[Oz07]

1 hour ago, AliG said:

That's basically what we are asking for.

 

I have reduced and reduced to the builder what is acceptable.

 

We have 4 people coming from America to stay arriving on Christmas Eve.

 

I have asked for 4 bedrooms with floors and working bathrooms upstairs.

 

And a kitchen.

 

And heating and hot water.

 

No paint, no finished stairs, no sitting rooms, no driveway, no render, no soffits, no satellite dish....

 

Does make it harder to paint afterwards though! 

 

@jamiehamy started reading your blog earlier quite interesting project!

[Tennentslager]

Sending you good karma and best wishes Ali...life is all ups and downs isn't it.

After 9 months of being a not very busy handyman I'm back in full-time employment in my old profession and the middle daughter has an unconditional offer at Duke University in the US...dodgy year 2017 but good news at the end.

Hope your wife can enjoy your visitors and look back with a wry grin.