2020 ends on a high note (surprisingly)

[ProDave]

Those that know of our build will know it's been going on, slowly, for 5 years now.  It's had it's fair share of obstacles along the way, mostly caused by financial issues which means for much of the time it has been a slow "build as you earn" with the savings pot running on vapour.

 

And 2020 threw it's share of obstacles at us, delayed supply of materials (I am just about calming down about Jewsons holding our multipanel hostage for 12 weeks)  as well as difficulty getting trades etc.

 

But the good news is,  all bar sticking the last few bits of skirting board on (SWMBO is oiling them as i type) the main part of the house is FINISHED.  And the icing on the cake is building control recently issued a Certificate of Temporary Habitation.

 

So where from here?

 

The next project is the sun room, the single storey room at the back of the house that has been a boarded up shell for several years, though it does have a proper roof on it.  No 1 job in the new year is the VAT reclaim.  Assuming they are not totally shut down and we can at least get a proportion of that (as they seem to be doing)  then that, and the remaining dregs in the savings pot should give us enough to order the windows. Ordering and getting the windows is another unknown of course which may throw up it's own issues in the current climate.

 

Then there is the Landing window.  The plan had been to have a stained glass window here.  This is proving extraordinarily difficult and complicated.  So when we  order the sun room windows we will be ordering a plain glass 3G glass unit for this window, and if we do push ahead with the stained glass idea later on, it will be as a stand alone unit to go inside the window rather than as the middle of a 3G pane.

 

With those done, only one thing will hold up completion and that is the balcony.  We are minded to "abandon" the balcony and BC have indicated they will accept that as long as there is a barrier across the door.  So by fitting that barrier we could get completion sign off and still leave the option of building the balcony later when the finances have recovered a bit.

 

There will still be post completion jobs like a car port and more work on the garden so I will still be working on this for another couple of years......

[ToughButterCup]

16 minutes ago, ProDave said:

...

But the good news is,  all bar sticking the last few bits of skirting board on ....  the main part of the house is FINISHED.

...

There will still be post completion jobs like ... 

 

Excellent news Dave. After five years of graft and grind, you can be proud of all you have jointly achieved: prouder than those who can just sign a cheque and move in.

 

That word FINISHED  It's a weazle word innit ? Will we ever think of the job as truly finished? I suspect not. I for one will have to find something as intensely absorbing and - frankly - as uncomfortable as the  demands of a self-build.

Fitting batteries soon, maybe? But then again, to you that's nowt is it?

[ProDave]

The path we trod to get here was somewhat different to what we had planned.  All because we could not sell the old house a few years back.  This shows you have to be flexible with your plans, and against all the odds we found a way through and money appeared, in dribs and drabs and we got there.  The result of the slow build with more work done ourselves, is of course a cheaper build.  And the payback for all the hard work, we still have the old house so when that eventually sells, the proceeds from that is now entirely for the retirement pot.

 

Yes of course the word "finished" does not mean we will not do any more to the house.  There are already some changes to make post completion, and everything is just painted white so the final decorating is to be done.  And I didn't mention we don't have curtains or blinds, or even carpets upstairs, they are expenses that can wait until we know where we are with our final small pot of money.

 

A big thank you to all the buildhubbers for helping to keep us going through thick and thin.

[SteamyTea]

I know a stained glass person.  Though you could have a crack at it yourself.

 

[Gav_P]

3 hours ago, ProDave said:

"finished"

For me finished = 95% done... the rest you live with as is. ?

[ProDave]

We have got as far as designing the stained glass and making a full scale mock up of bits of cardboard cut out.

 

We just need to cut some coloured glass and join it all together with some soldered lead. Simple.

 

There is someone local that can help us but she is suffering from Long Covid (still the only person i know locally to have had it) and we are not supposed to meet others indoors anyway at the moment, so we have a route forward just not available right now, and I don't want this holding up completion, so that's why we have settled on plan B to do the stained glass later.

 

I am actually sitting here wondering what I am going to do over the next few days,  as I genuinely have run out of stuff to do on the house just now.

[Gav_P]

9 minutes ago, ProDave said:

I am actually sitting here wondering what I am going to do over the next few days,  as I genuinely have run out of stuff to do on the house just now.

Just enjoy it! ... without thinking about all the little jobs that are left. 

[joe90]

I remember our Jeremy saying “ it’s 90% finished, just 90% to go!”, I too am bored, way to wet outside to do gardening/landscaping which is all that’s left to do really. 

[SteamyTea]

26 minutes ago, ProDave said:

We have got as far as designing the stained glass and making a full scale mock up of bits of cardboard cut out.

 

We just need to cut some coloured glass and join it all together with some soldered lead. Simple.

 

There is someone local that can help us but she is suffering from Long Covid (still the only person i know locally to have had it) and we are not supposed to meet others indoors anyway at the moment, so we have a route forward just not available right now, and I don't want this holding up completion, so that's why we have settled on plan B to do the stained glass later.

 

I am actually sitting here wondering what I am going to do over the next few days,  as I genuinely have run out of stuff to do on the house just now.

I am bored to, but then I am doing some overdue housework.

[Gav_P]

14 minutes ago, joe90 said:

I too am bored

Get a job... idle hands and all that! 

5 minutes ago, SteamyTea said:

am bored to

Haven’t you got a million Londoners to feed following their exodus?!

Edited December 22, 2020 by Gav_P
Typo

[SteamyTea]

2 minutes ago, Gav_P said:

Haven’t you got a million Londoners to feed following their exodus?!

We have shut for 17 days, like most small places down here.

That will learn them.

I was having my daily coffee, and this 'Northerner of some flavour' was asking, rather loudly, the woman on the next table, where he could get some presents for a baby.

That behaviour will be the end of out Tier 1 status.

[Oz07]

Have you had any joy pushing your sale on? I bet the tenant not allowed to trade at the minute?

[ProDave]

10 minutes ago, Oz07 said:

Have you had any joy pushing your sale on? I bet the tenant not allowed to trade at the minute?

Sore subject. Tenant still wants to buy but unable due to present situation so we have agreed to extend again.

 

The other option of evicting so we can put it on the open market is not appealing as we would be down on rent and having to pay council tax while empty for an unknown period, so not something we want at the present time.

 

The rental income has been a big factor is financing the build these last few years.

[Gav_P]

9 minutes ago, ProDave said:

having to pay council tax

Not ideal, but One way of reducing it is by having single occupancy discount. You register yourself there and then you switch to single occupancy discount on your house too as only your other half is there. ?

[Oz07]

Keep taking the rent while it's there id say

[Temp]

10 hours ago, ProDave said:

Then there is the Landing window.  The plan had been to have a stained glass window here.  This is proving extraordinarily difficult and complicated. 

 

There are companies that can put stained glass into a sealed unit but not sure about triple glazing.

 

I had a go at making a simple A3 size abstract panel and it came out OK so you could DIY it if you had the time.

[Ferdinand]

15 hours ago, Temp said:

 

There are companies that can put stained glass into a sealed unit but not sure about triple glazing.

 

I had a go at making a simple A3 size abstract panel and it came out OK so you could DIY it if you had the time.

I have one of those in my front door, but organised by the previous occupant.

 

I expect that there are also companies who will print it onto film that you could stick it on, or even the right sort of translucent paper to put through your own large format printer. So you can change it every year.

[Onoff]

I imagine not what you want but there's a number of online sellers offering bespoke, stained glass effect film. If it's Anything like the bomb blast film gets applied at work it's tough stuff. 

 

The history of stained glass is fascinating with some real scientific proof that various coloured light combined with gold particles offered healing / sanitising / purifying properties should you "bathe in its light". It's one reason churches have always been seen as places of refuge away from the various threats through the ages. Something to do with energised nano particles killing the germs. The air literally is "cleaner".

[joe90]

I always have had a hankering to try making my own stained glass, perhaps nightschool or something when we return to normal (whatever that is ?).

[Stones]

Good to hear it's progressed @ProDave, it's been interesting to see the transition over the course of my various visits.  Looking forward to seeing the finished article (if and when we are 'allowed' out again). 

[ProDave]

2 minutes ago, Stones said:

Good to hear it's progressed @ProDave, it's been interesting to see the transition over the course of my various visits.  Looking forward to seeing the finished article (if and when we are 'allowed' out again). 

Thanks for you kind wishes.  you are most welcome to visit when you are next allowed to venture onto Plague Island the Mainland.

[Pocster]

On 22/12/2020 at 11:34, ProDave said:

Those that know of our build will know it's been going on, slowly, for 5 years now

So it's been going VERY quickly then? ; that's what you are saying yes? ( it's all relative ! ? )

[Pocster]

3 hours ago, Onoff said:

I imagine not what you want but there's a number of online sellers offering bespoke, stained glass effect film. If it's Anything like the bomb blast film gets applied at work it's tough stuff. 

 

The history of stained glass is fascinating with some real scientific proof that various coloured light combined with gold particles offered healing / sanitising / purifying properties should you "bathe in its light". It's one reason churches have always been seen as places of refuge away from the various threats through the ages. Something to do with energised nano particles killing the germs. The air literally is "cleaner".

In our previous house ( next to the build ) I commissioned a stained glass window indoors ( between hallway and lounge ). Was a beautiful thing. When we were selling every potential buyer would comment on it ( exactly why I did it ). Would love one in the new build but not sure where it would go. So (expletive deleted) off before anyone says walk on glazing.

[Pocster]

1 minute ago, pocster said:

In our previous house ( next to the build ) I commissioned a stained glass window indoors ( between hallway and lounge ). Was a beautiful thing. When we were selling every potential buyer would comment on it ( exactly why I did it ). Would love one in the new build but not sure where it would go. So (expletive deleted) off before anyone says walk on glazing.

Actually ! ( Light bulb moment! ) is there a reasonable I can't put a stained glass window in the below ground ceiling ; just for effect??? ?

[Pocster]

Actually why can't I have stained glass ceiling panels back lit to act as lighting?? . Too OTT?????