In praise of the humble shop

My builder wasn't too comfortable buying some of the fittings and finishes I want for the utility/loo.

So it was agreed (ie I was left with no option) that I would buy them.

Armed with TD's helpfully detailed specs I set about making what I assumed would be a series of simple purchases of a sink, a loo, some taps and a radiator online.

I was thwarted at every stage. Did the loo come with a frame or a mounting bracket? What about the cistern...and the "button". Who knew? The websites certainly didn't help any.

The sink, I couldn't find on line at all.

I became disheartened and sought advice from TD.

He wasn't sure either but agreed to meet me in a "shop" that sells bathroom stuff, not far from he is working.

We rolled in more or less on spec and immediately were greeted by a friendly chap called Steve. We introduced ourselves and started explaining my needs for sanitaryware.

At every turn Steve was helpful, knowledgeable and willing to phone the manufacturers for further advice. At no point did he try the hard sell. He was happy enough to give me prices and for me to go and think about it.

He carefully laid out price options and at no point even tried to force me down the "expensive" route.

After the prices were written down I just said - 'yeah, go for it' or something similar.

I'd only gone in to source the sink and maybe the WC but I was so impressed I suggested we check out the taps. Sure enough, they had those too.

Then as the finale I muttered to TD that that just left the radiator for which I'd have to go to Bath. Steve immediately apologised for being forward and asked what radiator I wanted (me saying Bath was a pretty big cue for a particular brand of radiator). When I told him he said "Yes, we do those too". Job done.

OK it took an hour and I probably owe TD more than the takeout coffee we were left with getting before going back to our respective day jobs but I have to say the whole experience was a salutory lesson in customer care.

The guy clearly gave a damn. He knew his subject and seemed genuinely interested in finding me what I needed.

For the prices I knew, it wasn't the cheapest option...neither was it the most expensive. However, I see the slight premium as a small price to pay for the service...indeed the excellent service.

TD's not a man to praise lightly and even he was impressed.

In our defence, we did provide the guy with a little entertainment as we stretched the normal boundaries of professional practitioner and client as we bickered and TD criticised my skill with a tape measure (I still don't know what's wrong with cm as a unit of measurement). Steve wasn't to know we're pals who regularly bicker on a non-architectural basis.

What Steve also doesn't realise is that when I do the bathroom (some time next year, I'm hoping) that they'll probably be my first port-of-call rather than the refuge of a desperate woman.

A good day for proper retail.


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Subborn Cow Syndrome

Decorator is due tomorrow. My bedroom had to be cleared for him to do his work.

The bed, thankfully, is staying where it is but the other piece of substantial furniture - a chest of drawers made from reclaimed wood - has to move into the spare room.

I was told, the other day, that I'm a "stubborn cow" because I have a tendency to do things without asking for help.

It's not that I don't know there are loads of people who would help me, if only I were to ask. Thing is, for some reason I don't ask.

So, today, faced with a chest of drawers that is about 4' wide & 4'6 tall (and I'm 5'3") do I ask for help? What do you think?






This is the beast in question. Shown with the drawers already removed and some of the contents consigned to the recycling.






It had to be moved to here




The chest is much lighter when it has its drawers removed. Even so, it's awkward.




So, faced with this what does a single gal do?



She employs a dolly. Not Tiny Tears, not Barbie nor even Action Man but...





Something "Idiot Boy" bought a long time ago and I couldn't see the point.









Employed like this



It makes the task of moving something somewhat easier.





There's the coefficient of friction between the surface of the dolly and the surface of the item versus the inertia of the wheels on the wooden floor (and more so on the carpeted surfaces) which can add a frisson of comedy but, on the whole, the whole job becomes a veritable piece of cake.


So, a few moments of manoevring and a tiny bit of colouful language later, we have the furniture in its new home.




For those of you (mostly my lovely male friends) rolling your eyes heavenwards and thinking "why on earth didn't you ask?" I know you're happy to help. I know I could ask. But sometimes there are things this girl has to do by herself...just to know she's coping.



Have no fear. Now I know I can do it, I've no real need to move it back without help. What are you doing in about 10 days' time?

Oh, and a belated comment to Idiot Boy...OK, you were right, buying that dolly was a bloody good idea....





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Rescuing from neglect

Another busy few days.

Still reeling from clearing the room for the builders (who didn't start this week...but should do next week) I seem to have arranged an awful lot of things to happen this week.

Locksmiths, dishwasher engineers, paint delivery...and other stuff too

Today the last of the planned arrivals arrived.

The paint. A palletload of paint.

Here you see it lined up in my hallway.

Exhausted though I am from the week's excitement, I feel an amount of satisfaction that these things have finally been done and that, for the most part, I dealt with them myself.

The problem with letting things go like I have is that when you finally open your eyes and realise how much it bothers you, there's just so much to do.

The benefit of getting people who know what they're doing, in whom you have confidence is that all the details become their problems and you can watch the house being rescued from a safe distance.

Builder starts work in the basement next week, the decorator starts at the top of the house the following week.

Bring it on


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It's just a phase...

Busy, busy, busy, busy week.

Everything in my life has been almost overwhelmingly busy.

Building work; every day home things; work; photography; it's been all go.

A lot of all this is "the cost of doing business". The price of the pleasant position I'm in having a reasonable sized house is that it requires ongoing maintenance. Whether that's the garden or the appliances or the front door deadlock wearing out to the point of failing. I've looked at a lot of these jobs and never quite got around to getting them fixed.

So this weekend I made a list and worked my way through it. The hardest of these jobs in every sense was clearing out a room full of "stuff" ready for building work to start.

It took a total of about four hours, and pretty much every bit of mental stamina I had. In some ways it's disposing of elements of the past. This makes me feel like I'm not so much disposing of things but of a person.

In its way, this is also the cost of doing buisness. It's another step in properly taking over the house. It's hard but simply continuing to avoid the issue doesn't really help in the long term.

In the words of someone who understands better than most, it's not about obliterating the past but in recognising that the past and the future are different places.

When I finally finish I report progress to the friend who is overseeing this building project. Today he comes round and inspects my work. He approves.

Our usual chat and coffee on the back step's a little less riotous than usual. I'm pretty subdued. He's sorry he can't say anything to help - like he says, if there was an easy thing to offer, it would have been offered already.

Then he gently teases me for buying a new camera as a consolation.

I wonder how much these fine friends realise that no matter how insignificant it might seem, just showing you give a damn helps. It helps a lot.

Thanks guys.


As for the consolation...it's on its way. It won't make it better quicker...but it'll distract me whilst the passage of time knocks the rough edges off the feelings.


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Home Sweet, Scruffy, Home

Heck!

That's it, then.

M helped me choose lovely fabric for the curtains in both bedrooms. She went on to help me choose paint colours too.

A post lunch stop into Exclusive Tiles on the way home tipped up a suitable number of tumbled travertine tiles at a bargain rate. Archifriend approves of the purchase.

I've negotiated a fixed price contract for the decorating of the upper part of the house and I have a date for it to start.

I've been measured for carpet and lino and colours have been chosen.

Curtain measurement will be done on Friday

This thing's really happening, then...


Would appear so


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