Sunday

Here's a few random photos from my recent holiday. Nothing particularly special, just a few photos I liked.

the bridge at Crickhowell

In the comments yesterday, Bless asked what prompted me to make all these renovations. Well the previous owners weren't good at DIY and some of the changes they made to the house weren't safe (i.e. the living room lights) or were poorly executed (the tiling in the bathroom and en-suite). Also, the shower in the en-suite, although it is a very expensive power shower, has never worked properly and needs an engineer from the other side of the country each time it goes wrong as local businesses won't touch it! There seems to be problems with the digital controls and after the third expense of trying to get it fixed, I decided that it was time to replace it for a shower that would work and that can be serviced by someone local. The two upstairs toilets don't work properly, both have been chipped by something heavy being dropped on them, and the bath has been ruined by use of an abrasive cleaner (I think) so never looks clean.

While all those problems are being sorted I decided to have all my 'wants' done as well. So, the replacement en-suite shower is going to have a slightly smaller shower tray (currently a large double shower) to allow the built in cupboard in the bedroom, removed by the previous owners to install the expensive but totally useless shower, to be reinstated. The house lacks storage so this is an ideal time to reinstate this cupboard. The basin in the family bathroom is being changed to a slightly smaller one with a floor-standing vanity unit to address the lack of storage in that room, and anyway it makes sense to update the basin at the same time as the rest of the bathroom fittings. The change to the size of the basin, if we've worked it out properly, will mean that I can get to the window without needing to climb over the toilet! A second shower is being fitted in the family bathroom as this will make things easier when I have people to stay.

taken in Hereford Cathedral ... invokes memories of Ced

The living room desperately needs the lighting to be improved and the new design is based on how I want to use the room in the future. One of the ceiling lights and one of the wall lights currently don't work and have been disconnected because the wiring work by the previous owners was unsafe. This room and the bedroom above will be plastered to cover up previous bodged DIY - it's currently just the dry walling you get in modern houses which makes it difficult to cover up DIY errors. I'd have to entire house plastered if I could, but it's too expensive.

a misty morning, somewhere in Wales

The decorating would have happened anyway. I've already done the other side of the house so this will be an end to the current shades of browns, which I really dislike, and the whole house will look brighter. Also the carpets and new furniture would have happened anyway. Every carpet in the house is ruined by the hair dye used by the previous owner and all of them are past their best anyway. I still loved the furniture but it was all too big for this house and now it's gone I feel a strange sense of relief. I can't really explain that feeling, except to say that it was the right decision and I'm looking forward to choosing all the new stuff.

busybusybeejay commented that she hoped I'd share some photos. This is much easier to answer ... yes, definitely!