Saturday 28th March 2009

Well, Kevin - the rubbish removal guy, came nice and early. Reasonable quote and will be back on Tuesday to do it. There is a lot to shift and at around £30 a tonne it's got to make more sense than hiring a big skip at around £180 and doing the labouring myself!

Don't expect today to be very active - a few minor bits of carpentry that are within my very limited skill range.

Was looking last night at cooker hoods. We wanted an extractor one, but due to the cooker position, fitting one could be very expensive. Have decided on a re-circ one that can fit - out of site - in the chimney void. Need build a framework in the fireplace to support it and get John the electrician to advise on supply.

Now I know John is coming on Wednesday, I have booked Dan the plasterer for Thurs & Friday.



I guess a visit to the carpet fitter is called for to discus laying at least one of the rolls of Rhinofloor that I keep tripping over in the lounge! Can't have all the flooring done at once because the kitchen flatpacks are hogging the conservatory and so it can't be floored until the main kitchen units are built / fitted, and that can't happen until the kitchen flooring is down. Does that make sense?

Piccies show current state of conservatory and the flooring we have chosen.

PS: Vinyl in kitchen booked to be fitted a week Monday.

Friday 27th March 2009

Happy to report that handyman 'Barry' is on the job - today's tasks involve inserting a lintel into the fireplace, recessing some of the electrical patress boxes and building a framework in one of the doorways so the plasterer can block off that doorway.

Contacted another rubbish removal company who will come around tomorrow to give me a quote. As we're not in a major city the options on this front are limited, so I shall probably have to choose between these two.

Had some quotes on the MyHammer website to fit my kitchen units. First quote was £999, second quote was £998! Then 1st guy re-quoted at £990 and then a newcomer at £890. There are a lot of units, so I'm confident these quotes are fair - but in view of the Luis situation they are still too high - once I've seen the standard of work Barry is capable of maybe I'll ask him to quote - 3 or 4 days at £10 an hour - got to be cheaper!

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Barry got nearly all the work done - still no framework in the doorway. Biggest problem was that he was too good! For example, I asked him to straighten & re-fix a row of patresses (sp?) and chase a new one out - he did this but also chased out for the cables, which I hadn't asked for. Am I complaining - no, I'd rather have someone who wants to do a good job than a cowboy - I'll just have to make sure I tell him what NOT to do when he comes back on Monday to do the framework and level the floor. Photos show lintel now in place (still needs cementing in) and a row of straight patresses!

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Oooh, someone else who has done what they said they would - John the electrician phoned this evening with his quote. Pleasantly suprised so booked him for this coming Wednesday.

Thursday 26th March 2009

Busy day, though no work done.

Had confirmation from Royal Mail that Luis has had & signed for his letter.

Have booked a 'handyman' to do a few bits of work that will be required before the plasterer comes back - should be here at 9:30 tomorrow.

Also had a visit from John the electrician - who, as a trainee, did my re-wire 8 years ago with his dad! Sadly, since the kitchen was re-wired the regulations have changed so there will be some work required to bring everything up to spec - he wasn't very impressed with my electrical work, so I blame it on Luis! John promises he'll call me with a quote tomorrow.

First estimate to get rid of the 6 tonne of rubbish Luis has left - £280! Ouch.

And finally, a brief visit from Chris the carpenter (who was a recommendation from one of the PO counter staff!) who has taken my plans for the kitchen units away and will return on Saturday with a quote.

Wednesday 25th March 2009

Yey Hey, my kitchen should be finished today! ......

Okay, back to reality. Nothing really to report other than to say I have sent Luis a letter by Special Delivery, giving him until Monday to get in touch. If he doesn't, I'll calculate the difference between reasonable labour costs plus materials and the cash we have paid and (with a view to court action) ask him for a refund.

Wayne the handyman came round to look at the jobs I need doing - nothing out of his league but he's not available for around a week. Explain to him that I will have to try to get someone on the job quicker - but thats no reflection on him personally!

Tuesday 24th March 2009

Still no Luis.

I had extended the completion date to the 25th (tommorrow) and, obviously, that's not going to happen. By coincidence, I was discussing Luis in town when a woman overheard our conversation and added that her husband was a 'handyman' and would never treat his customers that way. Cue me getting his phone number. General plan for now is for Mr Handyman to come and give me a quote for the work necessary to get the plasterer in. If the price is good then we'll have it done ASAP and the cost will have to come off Luis bill. Then I can call the plasterer. Once that work is done, the room will start looking habitable again. If Luis hasn't made contact by then, I shall just contract the individual jobs out one by one until the project is finished.

Monday 23rd March 2008

Left a message yesterday on Luis' phone saying be here before 7:30 so we can plan what to do about the plasterer. Of course, he didn't show, so when the plasterer (Rob) arrived I had to show him the situation and ask what (if anything) he could do. Very kindly, he agreed to not do anything today but if Luis didn't turn up today then he'd be willing to do some of the prep work that Luis should have done and start the job tommorrow.

Tried Luis' phone at 9, 11, 1 & 3 with no luck. Finally called at his home address - the van was there but no one answered. I left a scribbled note in the hope that he (or his partner) would be in touch.

Sunday 22nd March 2009

No Luis & the plasterer is due tommorrow. Grrr. Can't contact the plasterer to delay him because I only have his contact details on 'My Hammer' and the site is down. Phoned Luis 3 times during the day to find out where he is / formulate a plan but all I get is the answerphone and he doesn't get back to me. Begin to think I might be able to do some of the work necessary before the plasterer turns up, and so spend an hour in B&Q (get given a 10% off voucher - might need it the way things are going!). In the end, Mrs R quite rightly says that if I do the work then I can't claim against Luis if it goes wrong - and that it is up to Luis to deal with the plasterer when he arrives. Problem is, if Luis doesn't arrive - what doI get the plasterer to do? Still, have 3 x 2.4m lengths of timber which might be useable by the plasterer?!?