Well, it seems like all I do is work sleep and do DIY...
I've been doing lots of work on my house, and I finally seem some light at the end of the tunnel. Well, for my kitchen anyway.
Monday I need to call a gas engineer to fit piping for gas and connect my gas hob. Tomorrow I will re-fit some electrical sockets and connector boxes in the kitchen, and hopefully I can also fit the work top.
Earlier in the week I bought a solid wooden oak work top from Ikea (really cheap those guys!!!). I have been oiling it, and although I am not quite finished yet, I did manage to get about 3 layers on it so far (on the bottom. two on the top side). one more coat on the bottom tomorrow and then at the end of the day I can install my work top as well (^_^)
once the gas hob is fitted, I can put the oven and the fridge in teh kitchen and it is done!!! Well, except for the extractor fan, but that will come in due time.
So basically, if I get my kitchen operational next weekend (hopefully), I can concentrate on the bedrooms. Luckily they don't need that much work. I need to replace the broken floor boards and after that I need to sand the floor, paint the walls and wax the floor. Laborous but should take much less time than the kitchen. Maybe I can even get the bedrooms ready by x-mas! that would be great because then i can get the living room cleared up and empty, and I can perhaps spend some time in the holidays to restore the fireplace and pt down a new floor. Ideally I can do that before the holiday as well, but lts face it, that is just not realistic.
November 18, 2006
October 23, 2006
house plans
thanks guys...
there is really a lot I need to do on my house and when you look at the total picture it can become pretty depressing! Especially when you start thinking building regulations (and you know some of the house is not up to spec).
Well, basically the extension of the house is not really up to spec, but I cannot change that unless I spend another 10k GBP or so, so for the moment I decided to live with it and just make the best of it. I had to rewire some of the kitchen electrics, and I still need to finish that. Hopefully I can finish that tomorrow, and then finish plastering the wall (finally!!!). Once I finished plastering, I need to go over it again with sanding filler of some sort, so I can smooth the whole wall. After that seal it with some PVA/water mixture, and then I can finally paint it (by then it is weekend). So far I think I spend some 300 GBP on DIY materials alone (so no tools etc). I hope one coat of paint will be enough because the plaster needs to dry for 3 days (making it thursday), then the sealer takes one day (on friday) so saturday painting, and hopefully that is just one coat. On sunday start tiling the floor if things go my way, otherwise a second coat of paint and start tiling on monday evening. Hopefully by the weekend after that (2 weeks from now) I can start placing cabinets in the kitchen. Only base cabinets so not too hard. I also hope the wiring for the cooker is in good shape. I need to check that before I hardwire the oven in. The circuit breaker continuously popped each time I flipped it back on. However, I think this was because of a burned out socket box. I took it off, and it was blackened on the live connection, and the earth lead also broke off. The socket was not rated for the cooker so I think it just burned through. Maybe it couldn't cope with the electrical load. However, it also contained a resident called Reggie the 3rd, my 8 legged friend of several cm's in diameter. Anyway, I am surprised he survived there, especially with a short circuiting socket!!! Well, now Reggie has left the building and so did the dodgy socket. SO fingers crossed.
I am also working on one of the bedrooms. My friend (and now also neighbour) convinced me to restore the fireplace in that room (every room has a fireplace that has been sealed by the previous owner) and to restore the floor. This isn't too difficult. I need to replace a few floor boards, and then sand the whole thing and wax it. Will look good, and with a good fireplace front, it will be even better. ALthough I won't decorate the room english style I have to say, because I really don't like that, I prefer oriental style. Howevre, a wooden floor and fireplace is not too bad, as longas I keep itsimple. Plus those features will increase the value of my house with some 10k! (and cost me only a couple of 100 GBP).
The second bedroom will get the same treatment. The ground floor I will put a bamboo floor on. I told Chris he could get lost with his original floor, even if it is in good condition! My house, my floor, my design. One thing though, downstairs I will do the same as Chris if posisble: there are two fireplaces downstair. One I will keep as fireplace (after removing the gas heater in one of them), the other I will put a wood burner in. Those wood burners are very efficient as they make the house really warm, and cheap fuel (wood). Together with the bamboo floor and my chinese scrolls etc it will look lovely!!! can't wait to finish it!!!
there is really a lot I need to do on my house and when you look at the total picture it can become pretty depressing! Especially when you start thinking building regulations (and you know some of the house is not up to spec).
Well, basically the extension of the house is not really up to spec, but I cannot change that unless I spend another 10k GBP or so, so for the moment I decided to live with it and just make the best of it. I had to rewire some of the kitchen electrics, and I still need to finish that. Hopefully I can finish that tomorrow, and then finish plastering the wall (finally!!!). Once I finished plastering, I need to go over it again with sanding filler of some sort, so I can smooth the whole wall. After that seal it with some PVA/water mixture, and then I can finally paint it (by then it is weekend). So far I think I spend some 300 GBP on DIY materials alone (so no tools etc). I hope one coat of paint will be enough because the plaster needs to dry for 3 days (making it thursday), then the sealer takes one day (on friday) so saturday painting, and hopefully that is just one coat. On sunday start tiling the floor if things go my way, otherwise a second coat of paint and start tiling on monday evening. Hopefully by the weekend after that (2 weeks from now) I can start placing cabinets in the kitchen. Only base cabinets so not too hard. I also hope the wiring for the cooker is in good shape. I need to check that before I hardwire the oven in. The circuit breaker continuously popped each time I flipped it back on. However, I think this was because of a burned out socket box. I took it off, and it was blackened on the live connection, and the earth lead also broke off. The socket was not rated for the cooker so I think it just burned through. Maybe it couldn't cope with the electrical load. However, it also contained a resident called Reggie the 3rd, my 8 legged friend of several cm's in diameter. Anyway, I am surprised he survived there, especially with a short circuiting socket!!! Well, now Reggie has left the building and so did the dodgy socket. SO fingers crossed.
I am also working on one of the bedrooms. My friend (and now also neighbour) convinced me to restore the fireplace in that room (every room has a fireplace that has been sealed by the previous owner) and to restore the floor. This isn't too difficult. I need to replace a few floor boards, and then sand the whole thing and wax it. Will look good, and with a good fireplace front, it will be even better. ALthough I won't decorate the room english style I have to say, because I really don't like that, I prefer oriental style. Howevre, a wooden floor and fireplace is not too bad, as longas I keep itsimple. Plus those features will increase the value of my house with some 10k! (and cost me only a couple of 100 GBP).
The second bedroom will get the same treatment. The ground floor I will put a bamboo floor on. I told Chris he could get lost with his original floor, even if it is in good condition! My house, my floor, my design. One thing though, downstairs I will do the same as Chris if posisble: there are two fireplaces downstair. One I will keep as fireplace (after removing the gas heater in one of them), the other I will put a wood burner in. Those wood burners are very efficient as they make the house really warm, and cheap fuel (wood). Together with the bamboo floor and my chinese scrolls etc it will look lovely!!! can't wait to finish it!!!
October 21, 2006
House....
some of you may wonder why I haven't been very active online the last month or so. Well, that is partly because of work, but mostly because I moved house. And now I have to both live in my new house as well as fix it up! I have no kitchen, and all the rooms need a lot of work! The worst is the kitchen, but fixing the floor in my bedrooms is a close second, followed by the window sill I need to make (and imagine that the wall is 135 years old, so it is as straight as the tower of pisa!)
Today I couldn't do much. I wanted to do the window sill but I need more wood. First I need wood to mount the sill on, then I can place the wood internal to the window sill, then I can work off the gaps on the outer sides. Its a nightmare job... I can't continue the wok in the kitchen because the plaster needs to dry, which will take about a week from now. SO friday I will put a layer of plaster sealer, then saturday I can paint the kitchen, and on sunday I can tile the kitchen. Then every evening I might be able to install one kitchen unit, so in 2 weeks from now, realistically, I will have my kitchen ready (but not the extractor fan).
Anyway, I will keep you guys posted on the progress of my house...
Today I couldn't do much. I wanted to do the window sill but I need more wood. First I need wood to mount the sill on, then I can place the wood internal to the window sill, then I can work off the gaps on the outer sides. Its a nightmare job... I can't continue the wok in the kitchen because the plaster needs to dry, which will take about a week from now. SO friday I will put a layer of plaster sealer, then saturday I can paint the kitchen, and on sunday I can tile the kitchen. Then every evening I might be able to install one kitchen unit, so in 2 weeks from now, realistically, I will have my kitchen ready (but not the extractor fan).
Anyway, I will keep you guys posted on the progress of my house...
September 04, 2006
time time time
More has happened...
I'm still working on buying my house. My rather "brilliant" mortgage lender decided to value my house including the garage that was supposed to come with the house. However, I made an offer excluding the garage so they should have left it out of the valuation. Then I got to hear I would get the garage anyway, which brought joy to my life. That joy was short lived when I found out that the reason why I get it is because there are no owner papers of the garage (well, no deeds anyway). So that was pretty much a dead bird... Now my solicitor told me the mortgage lender had to agree with the current situation (no garage). Honestly they should have done so before. Now they waisted a lot of time and money unnecessarily. If the sale falls through due to the inaptness of the mortgage company I will claim back the costs I had because of them wrongly valuating the house. Well, not only will I claim back those costs, I will also claim back the potential profit I could have made on the house (but then again, if I could have made the profit they would not have withdrawn the mortgage offer).
As with everything in this fcuked up country I have to wait.... AGAIN!
Well, as long as I can move in on the 15th, because I need the time to create a kitchen (well, half a kitchen anyway). If it is later it will have to be delayed until after I come back from holiday. I do not want to buy a house the day before I go on holiday and have EVERYTHING to sort out. So the 15th is my deadline, and otherwise it will be the 15th of october.
That leads me to the third part: holiday... God I need one!!!!
I'm planning to go to Taiwan again. Not to see Tina though, not this time.
Will see some others though... I look forward to some time to relax. 3 weeks left...
Ah, recently MSN works so shite that I am thinking of blowing up microsoft and all that is related to it!!! Let Apple dominate the market for a while (read: forever!).
In 3 weeks minus a few days my good friend Chris is getting married. I'm looking forward to attending their wedding. I'd love to make some pics of them!
I will very much enjoy that actually.
Ok, enough for now. I'm pissed off, so will go out and beat up some gabbers or something...
I'm still working on buying my house. My rather "brilliant" mortgage lender decided to value my house including the garage that was supposed to come with the house. However, I made an offer excluding the garage so they should have left it out of the valuation. Then I got to hear I would get the garage anyway, which brought joy to my life. That joy was short lived when I found out that the reason why I get it is because there are no owner papers of the garage (well, no deeds anyway). So that was pretty much a dead bird... Now my solicitor told me the mortgage lender had to agree with the current situation (no garage). Honestly they should have done so before. Now they waisted a lot of time and money unnecessarily. If the sale falls through due to the inaptness of the mortgage company I will claim back the costs I had because of them wrongly valuating the house. Well, not only will I claim back those costs, I will also claim back the potential profit I could have made on the house (but then again, if I could have made the profit they would not have withdrawn the mortgage offer).
As with everything in this fcuked up country I have to wait.... AGAIN!
Well, as long as I can move in on the 15th, because I need the time to create a kitchen (well, half a kitchen anyway). If it is later it will have to be delayed until after I come back from holiday. I do not want to buy a house the day before I go on holiday and have EVERYTHING to sort out. So the 15th is my deadline, and otherwise it will be the 15th of october.
That leads me to the third part: holiday... God I need one!!!!
I'm planning to go to Taiwan again. Not to see Tina though, not this time.
Will see some others though... I look forward to some time to relax. 3 weeks left...
Ah, recently MSN works so shite that I am thinking of blowing up microsoft and all that is related to it!!! Let Apple dominate the market for a while (read: forever!).
In 3 weeks minus a few days my good friend Chris is getting married. I'm looking forward to attending their wedding. I'd love to make some pics of them!
I will very much enjoy that actually.
Ok, enough for now. I'm pissed off, so will go out and beat up some gabbers or something...
May 29, 2006
Finally an update!
Yes, it's been a while, but here is another update, finally!
A lot has happened since my last update. My superiours want to promote me in the next few months or so.
Mean time I am also looking to buy a house. Yep, my first step into the world of mortgages!
I've recently Acquired a Canon EOS 5D. I hope I'll be able to use it soon-ishly... Though with buying a house there will be few trips abroad I think.
Today I decided to print some photos I made during the last few times I went to Taiwan (I still have some stuff to write about those trips). A few months back I got myself an Epson R1800. from reviews I could see too little difference between the R1800 and R2400, although the extra grey cartridge would make the prints a bit closer to spot on I guess. Well, at least I won't have to switch cartridges when I decide to print on Matt paper, as the R1800 has a photo black and a matt black permanently installed.
The first prints I made a month or two ago, were just slightly off. I just couldn't get them right. People suggested to buy a calibrator for my monitor (iMac G5 LCD screen). I almost did, until today... After making some pretty brilliant prints, I decided to try one cross process print again. It is a photo of the peace park in Taipei just before dusk. It looks pretty surreal in cross processing. Teh frist time I had a green colour cast, although it was fairly close to the screen. This tiem I tried again, thinking I can always give one away. To my surprice after not having used the printer a week or 6-8, the print turned out to be spot on compared to the screen!!! I was overjoyed! So that saved me another 150 GBP worth of calibration tools... (I KNEW my eye sight wasn't that bad yet...)
Anyway, I have included some of the photos I printed for you guys to enjoy. Pay attention to the cross processed pics, I'm quite proud of those, even if I say so myself...
Taxi speeding by on the nightly streets of Taipei...
Taipei story house...
Bus in Taipei
Gate on Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall square at dusk.
Palm trees in Taipei
Black & White roof top on Green Island
Black & White Lantern on the coast of Taiwan
Mud pool...
That's all for now folks...
A lot has happened since my last update. My superiours want to promote me in the next few months or so.
Mean time I am also looking to buy a house. Yep, my first step into the world of mortgages!
I've recently Acquired a Canon EOS 5D. I hope I'll be able to use it soon-ishly... Though with buying a house there will be few trips abroad I think.
Today I decided to print some photos I made during the last few times I went to Taiwan (I still have some stuff to write about those trips). A few months back I got myself an Epson R1800. from reviews I could see too little difference between the R1800 and R2400, although the extra grey cartridge would make the prints a bit closer to spot on I guess. Well, at least I won't have to switch cartridges when I decide to print on Matt paper, as the R1800 has a photo black and a matt black permanently installed.
The first prints I made a month or two ago, were just slightly off. I just couldn't get them right. People suggested to buy a calibrator for my monitor (iMac G5 LCD screen). I almost did, until today... After making some pretty brilliant prints, I decided to try one cross process print again. It is a photo of the peace park in Taipei just before dusk. It looks pretty surreal in cross processing. Teh frist time I had a green colour cast, although it was fairly close to the screen. This tiem I tried again, thinking I can always give one away. To my surprice after not having used the printer a week or 6-8, the print turned out to be spot on compared to the screen!!! I was overjoyed! So that saved me another 150 GBP worth of calibration tools... (I KNEW my eye sight wasn't that bad yet...)
Anyway, I have included some of the photos I printed for you guys to enjoy. Pay attention to the cross processed pics, I'm quite proud of those, even if I say so myself...
Taxi speeding by on the nightly streets of Taipei...
Taipei story house...
Bus in Taipei
Gate on Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall square at dusk.
Palm trees in Taipei
Black & White roof top on Green Island
Black & White Lantern on the coast of Taiwan
Mud pool...
That's all for now folks...
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