RENOVATION Stories?

Kemars · Post by **Kemars** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 3:04 pm

I am sure everyone here as renovation stories (nightmares / or good ones).

Lets share them.

Mine is currently still going on and it was started 07 / 2001..

Almost done, just gotta get the jacuzzi and bathroom cabinets put in, and hallway closets built and placed in and its all done. PROJECT: HELLHOLE will then be complete.

**Sponsor:**

Tom and Jerry · Post by **Tom and Jerry** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 3:16 pm

What to say. We have had several renovations in our appartment(s) in the kitchen, bathroom and the windows. I regret I can not join you with the complaints. Everything went well and relatively cheap.

If you know the local contacts and if you trust your friends these things may go well. This message I have seen before here: phone, phone and talk, talk.

That is also valid for renovations in houses. I really can imagine that things are not going according to expectations, but that can happen anywhere.

Kemars · Post by **Kemars** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 3:31 pm

ya. overall mine went well..tore out the kitchen wall and opened up the living room with the kitchen and it made a world of difference.

Just got a surprise in the bathroom to find out we had water damage BIG TIME!! .. that set up back some CA$H money wise because of the work needed to dry up everything, hence why it has taken almost 2 years to finish everything. the money spent on the bathroom repairs was supposed to go for the jacuzzi and cabinets + hallway cabinets.. oh well, at least we paid for all this already and have no bills to have to pay off over a period of time. I know some people who are still paying their renovation bills + house payments. I guess we are the lucky ones out of the bunch...

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 4:34 pm

Someone mention water damage?

Want to elaborate about bare concrete and price of materials?

Want to elaborate about grounds for divorce? (its slightly better now, not much)

But I still say the most important thing is to take care of your garden... (=grounds for divorce II)

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 4:36 pm

Bathroom 6 grand, rest of the crap some 8 grand... I had the money but then the wife took it so I'm in slight debt - on the other hand nobody is bitching about the unfinishedness

Kemars · Post by **Kemars** » Thu Jul 03, 2003 6:21 pm

wow. I thought I was in trouble...but...our water damage was only left in the bathroom...and we live in a apartment, not a home with a yard, but do have a "beetle" in the parking lot with winter tires still on it

....he he hehe..

http://www.project-suomi.com/renovation

Handsome · Post by **Handsome** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 10:55 am

Our renovation started about 5 weeks ago and just ended at the weekend. We bought a new place which needed a new kitchen, plus the usual painting and decorating.

I built the cuboards, but someone else put them up due to the walls being out of line. That was a big bill we hadn't expected. Still, it was cheaper than paying them to build the stuff, too. Then add on the cost of the plumber.

Then came the new cooker. Helsinginkaasu stuck the gas part in and got it going, but then an electrician was needed to wire in the electric oven. (Only the hobs are gas) He had to put in a new fuse especially for the cooker as they drain more current than most other household stuff.

Anyway, they were the big jobs. We finally removed the old light switchs at the weekend an put in some nice new ones. They make this "Klok" kind of sound, just like an expensive car's door closing.

The built in wardrobes are next on the list, but they're going to have to wait a while...

Stu

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 11:14 am

Kemars wrote:wow. I thought I was in trouble...but...our water damage was only left in the bathroom...and we live in a apartment, not a home with a yard,

This is an apartment as well. Built in 1974 as a rental slum and nothing done since... except a bit of paint or wallpapering every 5 years (4-5 layers of each and aahhh those colors...) There was mildew in 3 places, the bathroom was remarkably "dry". The kitchen had had a leak from the fridge apparently and had some stuff cooking (stupid me put the flooring so that I might get something cooking as well...) and the wall is concrete and there was some nifty 70's plastic wallpaper that had cooked the wallpaper in between a bit. Then in one of the bedrooms some git (previous tenant) had left the window ajar (so it won't get stuffy) - the next tenant (=me) came in a year after that and it had rained in so one corner was all soggy and the plaster had crumbled off and underneath the carpet... nnngghh... Well, a few bottles of "kloriitti" took care of that - and my pants. (Same stuff is sold 5x the price as "mildew removal" in the hardware store)

The "yard" with the beetle (3 of them + one hulk passat/dasher) is 30 km "up the road" in Klaukkala. One member lives where we have a cottage "in the countryside"

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 11:28 am

Handsome wrote:I built the cuboards, but someone else put them up due to the walls being out of line.

If you look at my kitchen picture, you see a big glue-plank "H" shape where the cupboards stand. They're not attached to the wall, rather freestanding with the lower cabinet keeping the balance. Reason was, the other wall was cinderblock (a.k.a. compressed ash) that you can scratch with your finger through that nothing would keep up and the other wall was so hard concrete I spent 3 bits making one hole in it so I took the easy way out... not to mention the crookedness of the walls... you should see my bedroom walls...

PeterF · Post by **PeterF** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 11:42 am

Hank did you finish the "Spanish Galleon"?
And Hanks.."Cottage in the country!"

I take it the garden is a picture book of flowers the lawn is neatly trimmed rolling down the the sauna and private jetty where your 300HP motor launch with well stocked ice box is waiting for you and Linda and her violin

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Fri Jul 04, 2003 3:24 pm

Peter Floyd wrote:I take it the garden is a picture book of flowers the lawn is neatly trimmed rolling down the the sauna and private jetty

The lot is next to a bog with nasty small blackflies, the sauna is in the basement with a 1600cc VW engine in parts and the garden flowers are comprised of dandelions, so there...

And we have running water if someone runs uphill with a bucket...

Mind you, it's my dad's "plan B" from the 1950's. I have seen books about poultry and hog farming...

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